Jedinica za Specijalne Operacije
Encyclopedia
- For the British parachute troops also known as The Red Berets see The Parachute Regiment. For other airborne units, see maroon beretMaroon beretThe maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
Special Operations Unit , or the Frenkies , or the Red Berets , was an elite special unit of the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Service of State Security.
The JSO was founded in 1996 by merging paramilitary units under the command of Željko Ražnatović "Arkan"
Željko Ražnatovic
Željko Ražnatović , widely known as Arkan was a Serbian career criminal and later a paramilitary leader who was notable for organizing and leading a paramilitary force in the Yugoslav Wars...
and Franko Simatović
Franko Simatovic
Franko "Frenki" Simatović was the head of the Serbian secret police of Slobodan Milošević, the Special Forces of State Security of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was the founder of the "Special Operations Unit"....
and incorporating them into the security system of the FR Yugoslavia under the auspice of Jovica Stanišić
Jovica Stanišic
Jovica Stanišić is a former head of the State Security Service now BIA within the Serbian Ministry of the Interior. He is facing trial at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for his role in the wars in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, head of Serbian security service (Resor državne bezbednosti, RDB). From 1996 to November 2001, it was formally under the competence of the RDB. The unit was finally disbanded in March 2003, after the Prime Minister of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
Zoran Đinđić was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy in which some members of the unit were involved.
Patrons and numerous members and of the unit and its predecessors are sentenced, accused or held responsible for numerous war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s in Yugoslav wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, as well as political assassinations in Serbia. The unit's official commander Franko Simatović and its gray eminence Jovica Stanišić (head of RDS during Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
rule) are being tried at International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
for war crimes. Various other members are convicted or being tried for the Ibarska magistrala assassination
Ibarska magistrala assassination
The Ibar highway assassination attempt refers to the events of October 3, 1999 when active members of the Yugoslav state security's Special Operations Unit attempted to murder Vuk Drašković on the Ibar highway by slamming a truck full of sand into his two-car motorcade...
and murders of Ivan Stambolić
Ivan Stambolic
Ivan Stambolić was a Communist Party of Yugoslavia official and the President of the Republic of Serbia in the 1980s who was later victim of an assassination....
and Slavko Ćuruvija
Slavko Curuvija
Slavko Ćuruvija was a Serbian journalist and newspaper publisher. His brutal murder on 11 April 1999 in Belgrade, Serbia provoked international outrage and wide condemnation...
. Also, this unit have been reported for war crimes in the Kosovo War
War crimes in the Kosovo War
The War crimes in the Kosovo War were a series of war crimes committed during the Kosovo War . Yugoslav security forces invaded Kosovo and killed many Albanian civilians; there were also attacks on on Yugoslav security forces and moderate Albanians by the Kosovo Liberation Army...
.
History
The origins of the unit can be traced back to April 1991, on the eve of Croatian War of IndependenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, when a group of armed men, the predessesors to the JSO; led by Franko Simatović and Dragan Vasiljković
Dragan Vasiljkovic
Dragan Vasiljković nicknamed Captain Dragan was a founder and captain of the Serbian paramilitary unit called the Knindže . Currently imprisoned in Australia, he is accused of war crimes by the Republic of Croatia, wanted by Interpol...
set off from Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
. Several days earlier, on March 16, Milošević promised "preparations of appropriate units capable of defending interests of Serbia and Serb people outside Serbia" in a closed session with Serbian municipal presidents.. The order of creating such a unit was given to Jovica Stanišić, Milošević's strongman and head of RDB, which committed the task to Stanišić. The unit had not have any formal connections with Belgrade, so the operation was taken solely within RDB, without involvement of Serbian Ministry of the Interior. In Knin, Simatović and Vasiljković contacted Milan Martić
Milan Martic
Milan Martić is a Serbian politician, former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina...
, minister of the interior of Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
, who subordinated a group of fighters under Vasiljković's command, who gave them thorough training and imposed the discipline; the unit would later became known under the name Knindže (a pun on "Knin" and "ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
"), and Vasiljković under the war name "Kapetan Dragan". The name "Red Berets" came after the battle for Glina
Glina, Croatia
Glina is a small town in central Croatia, located southwest of Petrinja and Sisak in the Sisak-Moslavina county. It lies on the eponymous river of Glina.-History:...
, when Vasiljković distributed the berets to his men.
The other wing of the unit was apparently formed in May 1991, in Eastern Slavonia
Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem
Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was a self-proclaimed Serb political entity in eastern Croatia, established during Yugoslav wars. Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was one of three SAO Krajina proclaimed at the territory of Socialist Republic of Croatia and last and the...
. According to the hints given by Simatović, the unit seems to have been involved in Borovo Selo killings
Borovo Selo killings
The Borovo Selo killings of 2 May 1991 was one of the first military engagements which led to the breakup of Yugoslavia...
on 1-2 May, when 12 Croatian policemen were killed and several tens wounded. May 4 will later be taken as the unit's anniversary. According to several witness accounts, Radovan Stojičić "Badža", an official of Serbian ministry of interior, was in charge for operations in Eastern Slavonia.. Upon the arrival in the Eastern Slavonia theater, Željko Ražnatović "Arkan" took over the paramilitary unit under the name of "Serbian Volunteer Guard", better known as "Arkan's Tigers".
Aftermath
The unit was disbanded by the decision of Government of SerbiaGovernment of Serbia (2001-2004)
In the first post-Milošević Serbian parliamentary elections held on December 20, 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition won 64.7% of the popular vote translating into 176 seats in the Serbian National Assembly ....
on 25 March 2003, 13 days after assassination of Zoran Đinđić.. Its members were sacked or transferred to other police units.
- Milorad "Legija" UlemekMilorad UlemekMilorad "Legija" Ulemek , also known as Milorad Luković is a former commander of the Serbian secret police special unit, the Red Berets , convicted of the assassinations of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and former Serbian President Ivan Stambolic and organiser of the attempted murder of the...
was sentenced to 40 years in prison for assassinations of Ivan Stambolić and Zoran Đinđić each, and 15 years for Ibarska magistrala assassination. - Jovica StanišićJovica StanišicJovica Stanišić is a former head of the State Security Service now BIA within the Serbian Ministry of the Interior. He is facing trial at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for his role in the wars in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
and Franko "Frenki" SimatovićFranko SimatovicFranko "Frenki" Simatović was the head of the Serbian secret police of Slobodan Milošević, the Special Forces of State Security of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was the founder of the "Special Operations Unit"....
are being tried for crimes against humanity and war crimes in International Criminal Tribunal for the former YugoslaviaInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former YugoslaviaThe International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a... - Dragan VasiljkovićDragan VasiljkovicDragan Vasiljković nicknamed Captain Dragan was a founder and captain of the Serbian paramilitary unit called the Knindže . Currently imprisoned in Australia, he is accused of war crimes by the Republic of Croatia, wanted by Interpol...
moved to Australia and changed his name, but was arrested on an Interpol warrant on charges from Croatia; case is pending. - Željko "Arkan" RažnatovićŽeljko RažnatovicŽeljko Ražnatović , widely known as Arkan was a Serbian career criminal and later a paramilitary leader who was notable for organizing and leading a paramilitary force in the Yugoslav Wars...
was assassinated on 15 January 2000 in Belgrade. His assassins, from Serbian criminal circles, were arrested and tried but the speculations on political background remained. - Radovan "Badža" Stojičić was assassinated on April 11, 1997 in Belgrade. His assassins are still at large.
- Serbian Interior Minister Ivica DačićIvica DacicIvica Dačić is a Serbian politician. He is the leader of Socialist Party of Serbia and is First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Internal Affairs....
claims that former members of the Red Berets took part in the G4S helicopter robberyG4S helicopter robberyThe Västberga helicopter robbery occurred on 23 September 2009 at 05:15 CET when a G4S cash service depot was robbed in Västberga in southern Stockholm, Sweden. The robbers used a stolen Bell 206 Jet Ranger as transport and landed on the rooftop of the G4S building...
on 23 September 2009.
External links
- Serbian Police units that participated in the Cuska massacre Unofficial Special Operations Unit website "Feljton – Jedinica", Filip Švarm, VremeVremeVreme is a weekly newsmagazine based in Belgrade, Serbia.After being prepared for seven months throughout 1990 by liberal Serbian intellectuals dissatisfied with the regime's control of the media, its first issue came out on October 29, 1990. Most of its original staff were journalists from...
(7-21 September 2006) Part I, Part II, Part III