Saying that by assuming the role of U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, Ambassador Christopher Hill has returned to the scene of the crime is not entirely accurate. To be honest, His Excellency has never really left the Balkans, merely changing his points of residence as required by the job of managing various special operations.
READY FOR THE STORM
The U.S. Ambassador, or as some respectfully refer to him, the colonial governor—Christopher Hill, is one of the gray eminences whose hands were deeply involved in planning the criminal operation “Storm.” This is evidenced by the secret meeting where the U.S. gave the green light to the Croats not to wait for negotiations but to carry out the planned action. Hill, of course, was present.
“The operation ‘Storm’ was conceived by the top of the General Staff of the Croatian Army, which consisted entirely of high-ranking JNA officers—General Janko Bobetko, Admiral Davor Domazet Lošo, the ‘brains’ of both the General Staff and the operation, then General Stipetić and General Zvonimir Červenko, the Chief of the General Staff, originally from Prijepolje. The means for electronic reconnaissance and eavesdropping, as well as drones, along with political support, were provided by the Americans. They also received American experts who, two years before ‘Storm,’ trained the lower command staff at the Military Academy in Croatia,” says lawyer Dušan Bratić, noting that the stories circulating in the media these days that the Americans conceived the strategy and course of the operation and even commanded it are absolutely incorrect and something that is being unnecessarily propagated. However, as he himself states, American assistance was evident, and without it, ‘Storm’ would not have occurred, and perhaps there would not have even been a war, with everything possibly ending with the suppression of the armed rebellion of Croatian secessionists by the JNA.
SECRET MEETING
But let’s start from the beginning—the secret meeting held a few days before the criminal undertaking “Storm.”
The secret meeting, held in Washington on July 31, 1995, just a few days before the operation “Storm,” is proof of the direct involvement of the United States in the military operation that led to the complete ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Croatia. The meeting was attended by Croatian Ambassador Miomir Žužul and American officials, including then-Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke and Ambassador Christopher Hill, the current ambassador to Serbia.
According to a confidential document submitted as evidence to the Hague Tribunal, the Americans expressed satisfaction with the success of Croatian forces in the “Bljesak” operation, which preceded “Storm” and resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Western Slavonia. During the “Bljesak” operation, over 18,000 Serbs were expelled, and 283 people, including women and children, were killed or went missing.
The meeting also discussed the advancement of the Croatian army against Serbian positions in Grahovo and Glamoč, noting that everything was progressing as expected. The Americans expressed satisfaction with the situation’s development, as evidenced by a dispatch, which stated:
“After the first phase of talks, our impression is as follows:
- The U.S. is very satisfied with the way Operation Bljesak was conducted and its results, and they openly express this.
- They express concern about the possible outbreak of broader conflicts and primarily believe that caution and restraint from actions in Croatia are necessary.
- They are satisfied with the timely and detailed information we provided and are ready to continue talks with us about further actions.
- They recognize that the undertaken actions are leading to a final solution and themselves warn not to fall for attempts to prevent their realization under the guise of negotiations.”
They also stated that President Tuđman should be informed that the U.S. considers that territory to belong to Croatia.
SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS—SERBS DISENFRANCHISED
Although it is an open secret that the U.S. militarily, logistically, and materially supported the Croats, Muslims, and later Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, such testimonies about what happened behind the scenes reveal the attitude towards the Serbs, which has gained the status of a historical constant.
Operation “Storm,” to summarize, was the result of careful planning and coordination, both by Croatian military structures and their international allies. Although American support was crucial in logistical and intelligence terms, the main burden of the operation and command was borne by Croatian officers, mostly former JNA members. American support was not only technical but also, in a way, legitimized Croatian actions, allowing this tragedy to be carried out under the cover of international protection. It was at the intersection of Croatian and Western interests that the current U.S. Ambassador to Serbia earned his first diplomatic points. Interestingly, all his further diplomatic moves coincided with military conflicts.
Christopher Hill’s role in the region is also tied to the peace negotiations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he was the head of the negotiating team. In Dayton in 1995, he “shined” as Richard Holbrooke’s deputy. Later, he assessed these negotiations as very successful, emphasizing that the warring parties always managed to reach an agreement. However, in those agreements, the Serbian side was, as a rule, at a loss.
GEOGRAPHY OF CONFLICTS
In practice, his “success” was reflected in portraying the Serbs to the international community as the main culprits for the crimes committed during the war, including accusations of genocide. The result was the marginalization of Serbs on the world stage, where they were depicted as villains deserving of sanctions and isolation. It became possible, and even desirable, to impose the most brutal measures against the Serbian people, including ethnic cleansing.
The next diplomatic station, as it turned out, was not coincidentally Macedonia, where Hill assumed the role of U.S. Ambassador. Immediately upon Christopher Hill’s arrival in Macedonia, where he rarely stayed because his interest was directed towards Kosovo and Metohija, the so-called “Kosovo Liberation Army” (KLA) came into play. Hill’s operational administration quickly transformed a group of unorganized thugs into a serious terrorist organization. In just a few years in the region, Hill turned a drug cartel into one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in these parts. Weapons and military training, operational information, and protection from accountability for crimes against Serbs, including organ trafficking, were carried out with U.S. support. Once again, the West succeeded in portraying Serbia as the aggressor, while Albanian terrorists were presented as victims of alleged Serbian hegemonic ideas.
SUPPORT FOR THE KLA
Hague documents also contain dispatches indicating that KLA members exchanged messages regarding the unspecified date and reason for Ambassador Christopher Hill’s (then the U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia) visit to Kosovo and Metohija. Among other things, one document states:
“On July 24, 1998, Christopher Hill, the U.S. Ambassador in Skopje, will once again visit Priština, where he will continue discussions with the leaders of the Albanian separatist movement (Rugova, Surroi, and Hajrizi) regarding the alignment of proposals, positions, and initiatives to overcome the political crisis, i.e., the consolidation of unified Albanian political entities in Kosovo and Metohija. This activity is related to the position of the Albanian side, for the unified approach of the Albanian factor in the possible continuation of the negotiation process on resolving the Kosovo crisis.”
IF FIRES BURN ANYWHERE…
As we can see, Christopher Hill is not just a silent observer of events in the Balkans but an active participant and creator of policies that have led to tragic consequences for Serbs in the region.
In just two years, the terrorist KLA became the legitimate army of Kosovo Albanians, while the Serbs were bombed for refusing to be targets of Albanian terrorists. Six years later, another pogrom against Serbs occurred, the one in March, when the international community made it clear that the condition for us to become legitimate targets had been met—they first declared us criminals.
Christopher Hill continues his mission today as the U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, easily carrying his Balkan mortgage. His presence in Belgrade is not a random choice but an extension of a strategy that began much earlier, during the war-torn 1990s. So, when you see fires burning somewhere, remember that the lighter is in the hand of one man.
