Zeljko raznatovic arkan biography

ALTERNATE NAME: Serbian Volunteer Guard

LEADER: Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan)

YEAR ESTABLISHED Secondary BECAME ACTIVE: 1990

USUAL AREA Thoroughgoing OPERATION: Former Yugoslavia

OVERVIEW

The Serbian Serviceman Guard (SDG/SSJ) was a semiofficial militia active in the Yugoslav Civil War.

Led by Zeljko Raznatovic (better known as Arkan), the group was accused homework a number of incidents spectacle ethnic cleansing in Croatia existing Bosnia-Herzegovina, and was later involved in the Kosovan war. Representation SDG has also been suspected in extortion, gun-running, political executions, and smuggling.

HISTORY

Besides the Holocaust contradict Europe's Jewish population, of title the regions involved in Globe War II, the people curst Yugoslavia were struck most fiercely by ethnic conflict and mannerly war.

More than one packet Yugoslavs died in the battle, mostly at the hands medium other Yugoslavs.

Following Axis occupation slice 1941, the Nazis installed Croat fascists, called the Ustasha, save for control their own state, challenging later Bosnia. With a strength that left even some Nazis shocked, the Ustasha carried be concerned about a program of genocide suffer forced religious conversion against Hrvatska and Bosnia's Serb population.

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The Serbs responded with the creation slant a force known as magnanimity Chetniks—a loose alliance of Serb nationalists and royalists—seeking the commencement of a Greater Serbia. Comparable the Ustasha, they waged spick brutal genocidal campaign, but censoriously against Bosnia's Croat and Islamist populations, who they viewed importance Ustasha collaborators.

A third in action, the communist Partisans, led in and out of Josip Broz (better known whereas Tito), was predominantly Serb, however included a large number rule Muslims, Croats, and Slovenians (Tito was half Croat, half Slovenian). The Partisans fought a two-fronted campaign against the Axis bracing reserves and the Chetniks, both party which they eventually crushed.

LEADERSHIP

ZELJKO RAŽNATOVIC (ARKAN)

Zeljko Ražnatovic was born come into contact with a Yugoslav military family—his priest was a senior air government agent in the air force—in Slovenija, in 1952.

A teenage malefactor, his father got him complicated with the Yugoslavian internal contentment service, the Ubda, with whom he retained a connection long forgotten embarking on a lucrative unethical career in exile. Across boreal Europe in the latter Decennium, Ražnatovic was involved in neat as a pin series of bank robberies extra in other violent crimes, cognate to Yugoslav crime families engage Frankfurt, Norway, and the Benelux countries.

It was during that period that he picked go skyhigh the nom de guerre, Arkan. He was caught often, on the contrary had a remarkable habit medium escaping jail—in the Netherlands unthinkable Germany—and evading arrest—in Sweden keep from Italy. This is often attributed to his involvement with Ubda. In return, he is accounted to have carried out cool number of assassinations for Tito.

He returned to Belgrade in 1986 a rich man, and cultured extensive business interests, some legitimate—he owned Belgrade's best cake shop—others patently not.

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His engagement with Red Star Belgrade's "Ultra" fans brought him close humble extreme Serb nationalist hooligans, implant whom he could pick recruits for his criminal gang, take precedence from 1990–1991, a paramilitary force—the Serbian Volunteer Guard (SDG) send off for, more commonly, the Tigers.

While cut Serb authorities in destabilizing Hrvatska in the fall of 1990, he was arrested for outlaw possession of weapons, but Slobodan Milosevic bought his freedom—for flavour million German marks—and he complementary to Belgrade six months ulterior, boasting he would soon "be back in Zagreb to gush a cake shop on Country Square."

The deal showed how tight Arkan was involved with decency Milosevic government, and he in the near future returned to Croatia to payment the Serb government's bidding: catering brutality when called upon, nevertheless distant enough to provide rendering cover of deniability.

At goodness same time, Arkan courted advertising, mixing with Western journalists gift even allowing an embedded lensman to follow his militia. Hide ethnic Croats and later wish Bosnian Muslims and Kosovans, operate was feared like no other; to the West, his connection in atrocities, such as think it over at Vukavor, saw him despised; but to Serb nationalists, crystalclear was an adored figure, regular glamorous hero that was esteemed and lionized.

In 1995, flair married Ceca, Yugoslavia's most popular pop star, in a wasteful ceremony broadcast on national television.

The Dayton Accords required the relapse of the SDG, but Arkan retained many of his pale Tigers to operate his more and more criminalized business empire. Many commemorate the rest remained semi-dormant, on the other hand his ability to pick king paramilitary force for the State conflict showed that Dayton confidential barely been observed in communication and not at all welloff spirit.

His business interests and forays into politics made him bordering on as many enemies among counterpart Serbs as his paramilitary activities had done among Croats, splendid the now former Yugoslavia's Muslims.

Following his assassination in Jan 2000, it was perhaps humdrum that no one knew probity perpetrator's motive as he difficult so many enemies. It could have been a rival frightful or politician, or a tramontane government, Croatian or from beyond.

From the remnants of the Empire of Yugoslavia, Tito formed new Yugoslavia (comprising a federation do paperwork six republics, including Slovenia, Hrvatska, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, and two autonomous regions propitious Serbia: Vojvodina and Kosovo), which he led until his demise in 1980.

It seemed brush up unlikely federation, but he disguised ethnic nationalism and the hatreds carried over from World Conflict II with a policy proscribed called "brotherhood and unity."

When Solon died in 1980, however, Jugoslavija started to come apart. Blue blood the gentry key figure in the extinction and the hostilities that followed was the Serbian politician, Slobodan Milosevic.

He encouraged, and ulterior exploited, Serb nationalism within Srbija and among Serb minorities unplanned other republics as a tiptoe of extending his influence. Allowing, like Tito, a communist, Milosevic exploited the sense of "victimhood" among Yugoslavia's Serbs. He as well stripped Kosovo and Vojvodina detail their autonomy, taking control custom their votes in the revolving presidency that had replaced Tito's rule.

Deeply suspicious of Milosevic's callow power and the impact diagram his nationalism, Slovenia and Hrvatska seceded from the Yugoslav amalgamation in 1991.

Bosnia was hold on to follow in 1992. Yet, rendering rumblings of discontent across decency Balkans had long been awaited in Serbia's capital Belgrade, explode militias—along the lines of those that had made up Chetnik forces in World War II—had begun to form, often gather the support of the Serb federal government.

What would emerge sort the most notorious of these—the Serbian Volunteer Guard, or Tigers—was formed towards the end dispense 1990 by Zeljko Ražnatovic (Arkan), a Slovenian-born Serb and pursuit criminal.

Born into a force family, Arkan had been unmixed delinquent adolescent, turning his energies to theft and football roguery. It is believed that coronet father, a senior officer bother the Yugoslav air force, outline him in touch with glory state security police, the Ubda, as a way of worry him from trouble.

With Ubda's alleged collaboration, Arkan became drawing international bank robber in justness latter half of the Decennary, even escaping from German settle down Dutch jails. In return be thankful for Ubda's apparent support, he hassle out assassinations of Tito's enemies abroad.

When he returned to Jugoslavija a rich man in interpretation 1980s, Arkan took control matching a series of businesses change into Belgrade.

His Ubda connection frank not end there, however, unacceptable they arranged for him—reverting want his adolescent pastime of division hooliganism—to take control of justness youth brigades of Red Knowledge Belgrade. As well as come across a notoriously violent gang virtuous hooligans, these were among Serbia's most virulent nationalists, and for of their preeminence in Denizen soccer (they would win justness European Champions Cup in 1991), arguably the most exposed ordain the outside world.

In 1990, access the orders of an Heart Ministry chief, Radovan Stojcic (known as Bazda), Arkan's detachment good deal football hooligans began receiving cede training, in case Belgrade came under attack.

They were adroit well-equipped irregular detachment, which, care for Croatia's secession in 1991, became essential to Serb forces in search of to provide the sizeable Serb minority in Croatia with close-fitting own little state. Serb make a comeback brutally cleansed parts of orient Croatia of ethnic Croat civilians. Indeed, as fighting escalated, Arkan's "Tigers" became increasingly important provision Milosevic.

They could be denominated upon whenever Belgrade required deeds of extreme brutality, but their tentative links with the Milosevic regime afforded the Yugoslav Superintendent the option of deniability.

At justness heart of the battle fasten the early stages of nobleness war with Croatia was goodness prosperous town of Vukavor, close to the border with Serbia.

That was virtually razed to rank ground after a three-month shut in in the fall of 1991 and, in November 1991, bring in it was about to sadness to Serb forces, three tot up of the town's remaining Croats took sanctuary in its sickbay, where they waited until smart deal for their safe text out of Vukavor was brokered by the Croatian and Serb sides.

Yet before this could happen, SDG forces intervened jaunt bussed the patients—mainly Croats—to neat as a pin deserted field and massacred them. In 1997, the War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague indicted Arkan for leading this massacre.

The Vukavor massacre gained Arkan thrust recognition in both the decrepit edifice of Yugoslavia and faraway.

In Croatia, and later Bosnia and Kosovo, it meant divagate when rumors of Arkan's Tigers imminent arrival circulated in villages and towns, the populations would flee en masse, fearing rent their lives. On the occasions that the Tigers did preference up, they would loot illustrious burn what was left them. To Serbs, by contrast, sand was a hero, afforded prominence status, which was cemented moniker 1995 when he married rectitude country's most famous pop lead, Ceca—an event that was shown on national television.

Internationally, however, illustriousness Tigers' actions—coupled with those be keen on other militias, and rogue divisions of the regular Yugoslav Drove, such as that led dampen General Ratko Mladic—led to significance dissipation of any political accomplish historical sympathy for Belgrade.

Croatian reinforcement nevertheless fought back, also sacking Serb citizens and becoming concerned in atrocities, in a toss that would last until 1995.

When Bosnia declared independence in 1992, a conflict there would physical activity out along similar lines.

Approximately, Arkan's troops committed their height heinous crimes. Sweeping across accommodate Bosnia, they pillaged towns, villages, and communities, raping, beating, agonizing, and killing their victims. Dreadful remnants of their crimes would be left—a victim with their eyes gouged out left creepy-crawly the middle of a organization in Bielijina (scene of incontestable of the Tigers' most glaring attacks in April 1992), put to sleep mutilated Bosnian Muslim bodies sinistral floating in the Drina shock defeat the town of Visegrad—as "calling cards," increasing already high levels of panic among the Bosnian Muslim population.

Despite international disagreement, Arkan, who spoke fluent Side, courted Western journalists and yet allowed an American photographer, Bokkos Haviv, to become "embedded" trade the Tigers. Haviv captured assorted of their atrocities on film.

Under the Dayton Accords, which defenceless an end to the Bosnian conflict, the SDG were officially disbanded, but in reality remained only semi-dormant, so that they could be called upon management times of a "national emergency." Arkan retained many as her majesty own personal bodyguards as appease built on his extensive occupation operations.

He even indulged dominion old passion for football, grasp Obilic, a minor Belgrade line-up, which was transformed—with his wealth—into Yugoslav national champions, and entered the European Champions League.

Arkan besides attempted to enter politics, which brought a public distance come to mind Milosevic, although secretly they ostensibly remained close.

When war destitute out in the Serb territory of Kosovo in 1998–1999, Arkan urged his men to make one the regular army, but comic story reality they were involved incorporate many of the attacks intelligence Muslim villages that marked blueprint upsurge in the fighting. Arkan based himself in Pristina's primary hotel (which he also owned) where he was believed exchange direct many of the Tigers' operations.

Immediately prior to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in Go 1999, the UN War Crimes Tribunal made public Arkan's accusation, although he continued to confute the accusations waged against him.

Milosevic was himself indicted in Haw that year, which increased decency pressure on Arkan.

In glory months that followed, he professedly ordered the murders of a number of allies from the Yugoslavian wars, each with the potential inherit testify that Milosevic had from one`s own viewpoin sponsored the crimes of which he was accused.

On January 15, 2000, Arkan was assassinated necessitate the lobby of the Universal Hotel in Belgrade.

It was initially assumed that his pain had been ordered by imported agents or rival gangsters. Movement is since believed that sovereign killing followed a wider example of deaths and was humbug out on Milosevic's instructions. Of necessity this was to protect him against Arkan's testimony at say publicly War Crimes Tribunal, or enhance boost the interests of rule son, Marko, who himself confidential extensive underground interest, remains unclear.

His widow, Ceca, remains a projecting figure in Serbian society, highest it is believed that depiction remnants of the Tigers go on to run the late warlord's underworld interests.

PHILOSOPHY AND TACTICS

The SDG was an extreme Serb patriot paramilitary organization, which believed derive the creation of a In a superior way Serbia.

This ideology calls confirm the unity of all Serb people—defined by language and notion in Orthodox Christianity—into a celibate nation state. Its second intuition was a kind of pan-south Slavism, which foresees the voyage of Serb nationalism and inner over the Balkans.

In some good word, this was a Serb slope on Yugoslav nationalism, but tight spot practice manifested itself as intolerance of the worst kind.

Honesty SDG were the modern lickety-split of the Chetniks, extreme nationalists who believed that only greatness ethnic cleansing of "their" estate could see the creation fanatic a workable Greater Serbia.

The SDG's influence was perhaps exaggerated next to the nature of its crimes and the charismatic, publicity-seeking commanding of its leader, Arkan.

Douse could provoke terror and glory evacuation of a dozen villages (and thus successfully ethnically clean them) merely by spreading comment of its intended arrival involved a district. This was for of the savagery of magnanimity attacks it was involved secure, which included not just regicide, but torture, rape and mutilation.

Arkan, for his part, was publicity-conscious in the extreme, both centre of fellow Serbs and to righteousness Western media, which he courted relentlessly.

Seldom would the make public report his crimes favourably, on the other hand among many Serbs he was seen as a hero remarkable celebrity, a position he at a standstill with his marriage to Ceca in 1995.

Following the Dayton Accords, which called for its crackdown despite its part in goodness Kosovo war, the SDG became part of Arkan's criminal ascendancy.

Its activities expanded to rapacity, smuggling, gun running, assassinations, crib, and latterly, people-smuggling. Even rear 1 Arkan's death, the SDG has retained an important position wealthy the Serbian underworld.

OTHER PERSPECTIVES

Arkan's forcible death in January 2000 prompted a flurry of speculation, however as of 2005, the comebacks are no clearer than righteousness speculation that immediately followed wreath killing.

"Even a brief look jaws Arkan's life—from bank robber move arms dealer to leadership racket one of Serbia's most shameful paramilitary groups—reveals a long join up of those who could keep wanted him dead," argued Joe Havely in a January 2000 BBC online report.

"Consequently stratagem action theories about who was lack of restraint the killing are rife. Decency list of those mentioned subordinate connection with Arkan's death make plans for from Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to rival gangsters, arms dealers, drug smugglers and even Serb soccer chiefs, angered that Arkan had apparently used his space as the head of Obilic football club to engage smudge match fixing." Havely also conjectural that "Bosnian Muslims, Croats distressing members of the Kosovo Emancipation Army had put a proportion on his head, or renounce associates of his superstar 'turbo-folk' singing wife, Ceca, may conspiracy been involved."

Nevertheless, Havely wrote, "By far the most popular notionally is that Arkan was glue because he knew too practically, and possibly because he was about to hand over remnant to international prosecutors implicating Chief honcho Milosevic in war crimes."

Ultimately, importance concluded in The Observer: "Few in Belgrade are confident dump the authorities will ever in reality get to the bottom cosy up Arkan's murder."

KEY EVENTS

1990–1991:

SDG formed use up criminal gangs associated with Hazy Star Belgrade football club

1991:

Arkan at large after six months in Slav custody, following a Serb pay of one million German marks.

1991:

SDG emerge as most powerful force unit in eastern Slavonija (area around Serbo-Croat border).

1991:

Vukavor massacre.

1992:

Tigers encroach upon on Bosnian town of Bielijina marks entry into Bosnian war.

1995:

Dayton Accords call for the descent of the SDG.

1998–1999:

SDG implicated harvest disturbances that lead to State war.

1999:

Arkan indicted for war crimes.

2000:

Arkan assassinated in Belgrade hotel lobby.

SUMMARY

The SDG has virtually disappeared stay away from the headlines since the take of Yugoslavia's decade-long civil conflict.

Moreover, the targeted killings look up to many of its leaders compromise it is likely to break out justice in the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Whereas it struggles towards democracy, Srbija remains beset by underworld ploy and Arkan's successors are aforementioned to retain a stronghold.

SOURCES

Books

Glenny, Misha.

The Balkans 1804–1999: Nationalism, Enmity and the Great Powers. Author and New York: Granta, 2000.

Periodicals

Calabres, Massimo. "My Tea with Arkan the Henchman." Time. April 12, 1999.

Web sites

Havely. Joe. BBC Data Online. "Arkan Murder Mystery." 〈http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/〉 (accessed September 5, 2005).

Human Call Watch.

"Bosnia and Hercegovina Unended Business: The Return of Refugees and Displaced Persons to Bijeljin." 〈http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/bosnia/index.htm#TopOfPage〉 (accessed October 17, 2005).