Now, I am not gonna bother you with all the details but this is a thing that I am looking forward to hear more. On wikipedia.org there is written that "amongst other reason some claim that it was a ethnical cleaning but not all historicians agree on this.
On wikipedia.it they talk about mass repression of those who opposed the Tito's regime, fascists, civils, .... and to terrorize Italian population.
On the Croatian page foibes aren't even mentioned.
Croatian flag
Mesic Overreaction Right on the Mark
RispondiEliminaFirst of all, the foibe killings were committed on territory that is now in Croatia, but it was the Yugoslav Partisans who were responsible for the massacre. The Partisans, of course, were made up of Serbs, Slovenes, and others, not just Croats.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic's suggestion to open a mutual commission to investigate crimes committed during and after World War II in the Istria region of Croatia should also include an investigation into crimes committed before that war. It's about time the internationally community realizes that the light that it may shine on any war crimes Croatians committed will also reveal the war crimes committed against Croats, especially in Istria and Dalmatia, by Italian fascists under the reign of Mussolini around the same time period.
It seems Croatia bashing has a long tradition among some in Italy, Serbia and even now in Slovenia. It's done mostly to score political points domestically, and it has little cost internationally because Croatia is a tiny country and probably its most powerful friend, Germany, has been muzzled because of its own role in World War II.
I'm guessing that Italian President Giorgio Napolitano's speech was also for EU consumption designed in part to put more pressure on Croatia to compensate Italians who lost property right after WWII.
Some may say Mesic's reaction to Napolitano's words about the foibe killings by Yugoslav Partisans may have been an overreaction, however, it may well be the impetus needed for countries like Italy, and Serbia, to shut up about events in Croatia during WWII, or, it may finally force the light of day to shine on the dirty laundry that are the crimes committed by their own countrymen against segments of the Croatian population during, after and before that same war.
Defining President Napolitano's word revisionist and racist it is not exactly a "suggestion to open a mutual commission to investigate crimes committed during and after".
RispondiEliminaIt is simply denying facts.
I am not saying that Italians were the only victims there -it was a war after all. I am just saying that when Italy remembers its deads - and Italy has the right to do it, as any country - nobody should spit on the losses or memory or insult them. Nothing forbid Croatian and Serbian to have their memory day.