Croatians in Syria(I)
Marinko Kresic, President of 'Croatian generals choir': Assad crashes and hundreds of Croatian soldiers
After Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt ... Balkan mercenaries have found a new destination - Syria. They fight on the side of government, and rebel forces. Does Croats among them? Of course it has - specifically suits Major General Marinko Kresic, president of the "Croatian generals choir", stating that the Croats little fight in Africa, some in Asia ...
- Unfortunately, I know that the Croatian mercenaries fighting in Syria today. By my estimation, and that based on the information from the field and from their fellow soldiers in the country is located between 80 and 100 of our citizens, aged 40 to 60 years. They were in Iraq, Libya, Tunisia and even Egypt, and moved to the services offered to open up to the focal point of the war.
Mercenaries fight somewhere on the side of the rebels, and somewhere on the side of government forces. The country is located between 80 and 100 of our citizens, aged 40-60 years - honest general Kresic. It is the first time that a senior officer so specifically talking about our mercenaries abroad.
Looking for a better
Krešić emphasizes that he does not condemn these people. "They're looking for a better," he adds. They're going to kill and to get money - we threw general counter-attack.
-I can not judge. Some security guards, a trained army, while others, unfortunately, have to kill and it's their job. Our rarely returned as killed or wounded, they are very well trained, they are the ones who would rather kill than be killed. They go because they have no one to pay the loans, children books for school ...
Maybe we were hungry and it was probably their only option. They go because they have to, not because they want to, although there are occasional adventurer who lives for the war because it is his natural environment - says general Kresic, stating that our people on the price because they are experienced, they passed battlefields in Croatia and Bosnia, and some they were trained at military schools, but left the MOD.
-Now that experience and knowledge unovÄuju somewhere. I do not support it, but nor do I have anything against that. The last war in Europe was in this area and it is logical that the agencies that recruit mercenaries turning Croatia and countries in our environment, because there are thousands of people, hardened fighters who have fought for years, and now their knowledge no one uses. And then they siromaÅ¡nji accept the offer and leaving the country. Rarely whom say where they go - revealing general details. KreÅ¡ića we asked whether and asked him to connect some people with agencies seeking mercenaries.
Foreign Legion
-Yes, on several occasions, but I wanted to do because I do not want someone to carry on the soul. I know people in Croatia recruited these guys, but I would not have the names, however, is not nice to someone on the newspaper reads that sends groups of mercenaries in the country.
Companies that have private armies have their own people in the country, it is known. Who wants to go, he knows which channels go to such a job. And other officers with whom we contacted confirmed kresic words.
I know for some professionals who have been in Iraq, and later perhaps in Libya. I do not know how many there are, but I'm sure that dozens of them in Syria because it is there for them now most of the work. They are fighting on the side of the rebels, who have rich foreign donors, and Assad has a regular army.
Most of the time we are talking about older people who carry experience. In addition to our warriors I found out that there are several Croats from the Foreign Legion who left the French troops, and then they went to fight in Africa. Legions of foreign doctors already have camps on the continent, and they are easy and credible. I think though that the most, if we look the former state, a Serb mercenaries.
You know, we've edited question soldiers and there is no need for someone to lose his head for a few thousand dollars - says the "free" one senior officer, whose word is confirmed by the recent finding of Greeks Michel Koutouzisa, expert in organized crime. Experts spent several months wandering Africa and wrote an interesting report for the EU and the UN. According to sources, mercenaries come from the Balkans, mostly Serbs, followed by soldiers from Belarus, Ukraine, but there are also Polish, British, Greeks ...
Mercenaries fighting "affordable prices" come from other African countries and European fighters are paid a lot more because, says Koutouzis, specialists in heavy weapons and military tactics and commanding.
-In these countries, corruption is at a high level, and some countries, such as Libya, had stolen billions of people, and which are used for weapons. He was not a problem to buy the legal or black market any weapons, but the problem was who would manage a helicopter, tanks, planes ...
That's why leaders from Asia and Africa, as well as rebel leaders resort to the experiences of our people. And it's expensive to pay. Gaddafi is a one time premium paid mercenaries to $ 2,000 per day - says our source, stating that mercenaries, including those Croatian, do not enjoy any protection.
SASA JADRIJEVIĆ TOMAS
-
Serbs are the most
There were advertisements in which they asked for our people, but it is mostly going to the recommendation - general Kresic says, noting that the Balkan wars of the most moving and warriors Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, because in these countries the economic situation is worse than us.
Salary up to $ 2,000 a day
Mercenaries often engage rebel forces, but sometimes the authorities, as was the case in Libya. Most are looking for mercenaries with war experience, and the last wars in Europe were fought, we know, in this area. Also, the wealth of belligerency can make members of the U.S. special forces. Foreigners in Libya are earning between four and seven thousand dollars a month, while individuals who are trained troops, ii earn five times more. Greek expert on organized crime Michel Koutouzis in his report to the UN claimed it was mercenaries who received even $ 2,000 a day.
Anyone can kill them
Mercenaries can kill anyone he wants. The Geneva Convention does not protect them. They will not even seduce as victims. Hated because they do not have a goal, an ideal - and only their essential money. If they get caught, they are treated worse than spies - warns an officer who knows the state of the world's battlefields.
Source: Marinko Krešić, predsjednik udruge 'Hrvatski generalski zbor': Assada ruši i stotinu hrvatskih bojovnika > Slobodna Dalmacija > Hrvatska - In Croatian. Translated by Google.