White Eagles (paramilitary)

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For the other Serbian military group named White Eagles, see White Eagles (anticommunist). For other uses, see White Eagles.
Sholder patch of the paramilitary group the White Eagles. The patch reads Beli Orlovi 1st para Battalion
Sholder patch of the paramilitary group the White Eagles. The patch reads Beli Orlovi 1st para Battalion

The White Eagles or Beli Orlovi (Serbian Cyrillic: Бели Орлови) (1991-1995) were a Serbian paramilitary group associated with the Serbian National Renewal and the Serbian Radical Party[1] [2]. This association has been denied by SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj.[3] The White Eagles fought in Croatia and the Bosnian conflict.[1] [2]

Although the group's members were occasionally referred to as Chetniks[4], they are not to be confused with the Serbian anticommunist guerilla group during and after World War II also known as the White Eagles and also referred to as Chetniks.

White Eagle refers to the national symbol of Serbia, the double headed white eagle under a crown. The name White Eagles comes from an anti-communist organization that was formed during World War II and continued a guerilla war against Tito’s government after the war.

The new White Eagles were formed in 1991-1992 by Dragoslav Bokan and Mirko Jović.[5][6][7] Šešelj states that the group was started by Jović but they got out of his control.[8] Testimony at the International War Crimes Tribunal indicates that the White Eagles were responsible for a number of atrocities[2] during the Croatian and Bosnian wars, including: the Voćin massacre[9][10], Višegrad massacre, crimes at Foča[11], Gacko[12] and others. Various members of the White Eagles were indicted by the Tribunal, including Milan Lukić[13] and Mitar Vasiljević.[14]

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[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b "Profile: Vojislav Seselj" BBC News 27 November 2006
  2. ^ a b c Allen, Beverly (1996) Rape Warfare: The Hidden Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pp. 154-155, ISBN 0816628181
  3. ^ "In previous wars (Bosnia, Croatia) there was a small paramilitary organisation called White Eagles, but the Serb Radical Party had absolutely nothing to do with them."Testimony of Vojislav Šešelj, Transcript of 23 August 2005, p. 43081, lines 16-18
  4. ^ United Nations Commission on Breaches of Geneva Law in Former Yugoslavia
  5. ^ Glenny, Misha (1992) The Fall of Yugoslavia: The Third Balkan War Penguin, London, p. 39, ISBN 0-14-017288-2
  6. ^ Tanner, Marcus (1997) Croatia: a nation forged in war Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, p. 245, ISBN 0-300-07668-1
  7. ^ THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA Case No. IT-02-54-T, Prosecution's Second Pre-Trial Brief (Croatia and Bosnia Indictments) 31 May 2002, p. 90
  8. ^ Testimony of Vojislav Šešelj, Transcript of 24 August 2005, p. 43128, lines 6-8
  9. ^ Blaskovich, Jerry (1 November 2002) "The Ghastly Slaughter of Vocin Revisited:Lest We Forget" The New Generation Hrvatski Vjesnik--English supplement
  10. ^ Testimony of Djuro Matovina, Transcript of 7 October 2002, p. 11049, lines 12-16
  11. ^ Testimony of Witness 52, Transcript of 27 March 2000
  12. ^ Testimony of Witness 192, Transcript of 4 May 2000
  13. ^ "AU Washington College of Law: War Crimes Research Office - ICTY Status Reports" 21 February 2006
  14. ^ Croatian "Evening News" 9 September 2001

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