The event ‘Days of Victory, Days of Pride’ began on Vlašić, where the largest flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina was raised, measuring 5×10 meters on a 17.5-meter flagpole. The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, congratulated those who had completed the complex on Vlašić and showed that they cared.
- But this is also important to these children. We need to leave them with memories of the late General Alagić and his comrades. We should say thank you, never enough, to those who have lost their health, body parts, and their families – said Komšić.
He stated that it would be easier for him to talk about the army and what happened from 1992 to 1995 than from a political position.
- Why? The lines were clear. It was known who was in front – the enemy. Behind are comrades, families. Today, the lines are not clear. There was a lot of talk about what happened, about the truly “miracle of Bosnian resistance.” There are no better words. Making an army capable of conducting operations like this on Vlašić in two years is an incredible thing. I do not know if anyone in history has done anything like that. However, the harder question is where are we today – Komšić said.
According to the Hague indictment, General of the Bosnian Army, Mehmed Alagić, was charged with murder, violence against the lives of persons, cruel treatment, reckless destruction of towns, settlements, and villages that was not justified by military necessity, robbery of public or private property, and destruction or intentional infliction of damage to institutions dedicated to religion (violation of laws and customs of war), as well as intentional killing, intentional infliction of great suffering or serious injury to the body or health, inhuman treatment, unlawful confinement of civilians, and extensive destruction of property that was not justified by military necessity, directed against Serbs, Croats, and other non-Bosniaks.
Since he has passed away, the international court in The Hague stopped the proceedings against Alagić on March 21, 2003.
He then referred to the words of Denis Bećirović, who said that we have never been more divided and divided.
- I am neither divided nor divided, I am where I was from 1992 to 1995. If I am asked to talk to those who have crossed the lines and ask me to move, I cannot. Let us remember the post-war period, how many times we crossed our pride and dignity, believing that our friends are those we believed to be our friends, although they left us in 1992. How many times have we left pride and dignity believing in political correctness. I do not hate anyone, I do not see anyone as an enemy, but what do you want from us, how far should we bend our backs. Why can’t we say that we are ready to do the same again. I will not talk to anyone who has crossed the red line – Komšić concluded.
Let’s look around, he added, they say that history often repeats itself as a farce, ours is heavy, painful, and terrible.
- Let us not leave this farce and unresolved matters to these children and, in the name of fear and the struggle for our own position, leave them in an unclear situation. We need to tell all those who are playing with our country’s head, and are called our friends, enough is enough. We do not have a problem only with one policy from the East, but also with the one from the West. Both neighbors think that enough time has passed, that they can politically gain this country, which they could not in the war, and they have allies in those we thought were our friends – concluded the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić.