The XNUMXth year will be remembered in Montenegro as the year in which a war could start at any moment between the Yugoslav Army and some political parties, on the one hand, and the rest of Montenegro led by Milo Đukanović, on the other. General Pavković, as the head of the General Security Service, was the personification of that first "patriotic" fighting machine. In the majority of Montenegro, he is remembered as a despised figure.
After the departure of Slobodan Milošević from power, the dismissals of Nebojša Pavković and Radomir Marković, head of the DB of Serbia, were expected for a reason. The replacement of Pavković was initiated by Vojislav Koštunica, then president of the FRY. The VSO session was held only on June 24, 2002.
The session lasted all day because Milo Đukanović, as a member of the VSO, entered the "trench" fight to prevent the dismissal of General Pavković. It is reasonable to ask the question - who is crazy here? The answer is simple, nobody is crazy, we just, for a moment, forgot Momir Bulatović's words that smuggling in Montenegro was a state project.
During those years, I was an advisor to the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović. It would certainly be interesting for the public to open the correspondence between Đukanović and me, and regarding Pavković. But...? The book would be too heavy!
Negotiations with NATO
For almost the whole of 1998, we have a public dispute between NATO and the FRY. NATO accuses our side of excessive use of force against the KLA, and our side accuses the KLA of terrorist activity against the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. NATO warns that, if there are terrorists in Kosovo, the fight against them is inadequate. Why is the Yugoslav side using heavy artillery and tank units in that battle - constantly repeated by the NATO command. The media space of Serbia is oversaturated with the "patriotism" of uniformed mannequins. Through several degrees of warning, NATO, through political and military decisions, issued an "ACT ORDER". That is the last warning, when the trigger can be pulled at any moment. The tension came to a boil.
It is the seventh of October 1998. The head of the General Staff of the VJ, General Perišić, is on a tour of the Priština Corps. I am in Belgrade at my workplace. General Perišić calls me on the phone and gives me the following order: "Form a team for negotiations with NATO! Negotiations begin the day after tomorrow in Belgrade". "Who is the head of the NATO team?" I ask General Perišić. "Commander of the NATO Air Force for Europe, General Short," replied Perišić. I suggest to General Perišić: "Short is a general with three stars, and I am a general with one star, so I propose a more adequate solution, that the head of our team be the commander of the Air Force and Air Defense, Lieutenant General Ljubiša Veličković, who is a general with three stars, and that I will be a member of the team and his deputy". "I accept, convey such an order to Ljubiša, but pay close attention," Perišić concluded. It was clear to me what I should pay attention to.
Immediately after the conversation with Perišić, I called General Veličković. We found ourselves in the RV and PVO Command and began to form a team. We have defined the military positions that we will propose to the Chief of General Staff. We gave the team members instructions for their preparation. After the arrival of General Perišić from Priština, we explained to him the basics of the platform, the principles and the method of negotiations. After that, at the level of the General Assembly, a decision was adopted on the positions of our side in the negotiations. In short, that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY is not called into question, and that with the joint activities of our Air Force and Air Force and NATO aviation, we monitor the situation in Kosovo and Metohija in order to establish measures of mutual trust. We have set the goal that under no circumstances should we allow to enter the zone of war conflict.
"Grale, we are not signing anything"
Before the start of the negotiations, General Veličković told me in private: "Grale, we are not signing anything"! "Why don't we sign what's good for our country and our people, I guess it's the general's duty to act like that, even if the head is gone?", I answered him quite sternly. "I'm not signing anything," he replied. I immediately informed General Perišić about this. "That's why you're here, be careful," was Perišić's sincere and well-intentioned answer.
After the arrival of the NATO delegation, negotiations began on October 9, 1998. General Veličković conducts the negotiations very correctly, and in accordance with what was already agreed upon. The NATO side is very cooperative and with a high degree of respect for our views. Sometimes they try to achieve something more, but General Veličković very successfully returns them to our position. Our team members very competently parry all assumptions. It would seem that we will reach an agreement without major problems. We concluded the day by agreeing to begin drafting a written agreement the following day. In the evening, I informed General Perišić about the results of the negotiations, as well as about the very competent and principled conduct of the negotiations by General Veličković. "Just so that someone doesn't spoil it tonight," Perišić remarked out loud.
Tomorrow, October 10, we continue negotiations. General Veličković behaves as if we have just opened negotiations. It presents new dilemmas and demands. The NATO side is confused, but also very cooperative. In an appropriate way, I try to make the negotiations more flexible, but Ljubiša is tightening up more and more. The whole day passed us in "stretching", without any tangible results. At the end of that failed day, General Short very sincerely addressed General Veličković with the words: "Mr. General, in addition to the military responsibility I have to avoid an armed conflict at all costs, I have a personal emotional reason not to enter the conflict. My son is a pilot on the A10 plane and if there is a conflict, he will participate in those missions". He was honest.
We ended the meeting that day with the conclusion that each side will report to their superiors and that we are waiting for their decision. After the negotiations, I reported to General Perišić: "I cannot recognize Ljubiša, as if he is not the one from yesterday". "Logical, because he was on Brdo last night," replied Perišić, alluding that Veličković was with Milošević that night.
Surprised by the question, Holbrook replied: "General, everything is exactly the other way around"
In the morning, on October 11, General Perišić gave me an order to inform General Veličković that negotiations would continue that day with the presence of Richard Holbrooke, then the duty "conductor" for the FRY in front of the State Department.
We are continuing negotiations. General Veličković is even tougher in his views. Basically, I can't tell what he wants, but it's obvious that he rejects everything.
Holbrook is calm and tolerant at first. When he "figured out" the matter, all his violence broke out of him and, addressing General Short, he concluded almost in an orderly manner: "You have nothing more to do here, return to your command and prepare for what you will have to do."
The negotiations break off, and Holbrook leaves the room furiously. I ran after him and asked him to talk for a while. For the sake of accuracy in communicating in English, but also for the sake of witnesses in the dialogue, I asked him to call the lady who was the official translator. He accepted.
In the presence of the translator, I said the following: "Mr. Ambassador, we persistently want to be with you, and you persistently reject us, please tell me why?".
I asked him the question for two reasons: first, I am buying time in cooling down a red-hot state; and secondly, the question has a political meaning and requires a political answer.
Surprised by the question, Holbrook answered: "Mr. General, probably my eyes will never see you again, but for the sake of truth, know that everything is exactly the other way around."
(Tomorrow: Going to Minsk - The finger is on the trigger - General games)
Bonus video:
