Zeljko Raznatovic

He was born in Brežice, Slovenia. His father was Montenegrin who was Yugoslav army air force officer. He took his nickname Arkan after character from a comic strip. However word arkan in Latin means deep mystery. At age twenty he went over border of homeland in Europe to make his hapiness and name of respect through criminal career. He was a petty criminal already in his early teenage years, before graduating to more serious offenses as adult. As an armed robber he had convictions or warrants in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. He was imprisoned in Belgium in 1974, escaping in 1977. Rearrested in the Netherlands in 1979 he escaped again in 1981. He was wounded several times in clashes with police. He escaped from dozens of European prisons, including the building where today is high secured prison for war criminals in Hague suburb Scheveningen.

In his youth Arkan was a ward of Slovene politician Stane Dolanc chief of secret police who was close associate of Communst leader Josip Broz Tito. Whenever Arkan was in trouble Dolanc helped him in favor for his actions commited for Yugoslav police secret service (UDBA). Arkan also worked as undercovered agent from 1973 removing political emigrants and opponents of then communist regime.

He returned to Serbia in 1981 after nine years of dangerous and turbulent life spent in Europe. He continued his career, also opening a number of businesses. As ethnic political and religious situation in former Yugoslavia went to state of alert, he under the permitance of federal army general staff on October 11, 1990 created a paramilitary group, named the Serb Volunteer Guard, primary a organization of soccer club supporters Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda). He was arrested by Croatian police at border crossing between Croatia and Bosnia with five other men for gun-running on November 29, 1990, and was first political prisoner in Croatia. He was released from prison under unclear circumstances, actually under secret agreement of governments in June 1991, after sensational trial was mantained in Croatian capital Zagreb.

Nicknamed the Arkan's Tigers they had their headquarters with base and training camp in place Erdut. His volunteer army saw action from mid 1991 to late 1995, initially in eastern Slavonia. There are informations that his army was compromised of 10, 000 well trained and equiped men, including tanks and choppers. It is estimated that at least some 1,000 of his soldiers perished it the battlefield, while many lefted crippled invalids for life, although casualties were considerably reduced for public opinion.

When war began in Bosnia in April 1992, he and his units moved to Bijeljina, Zvornik, Sarajevo, Brčko, and other cities and regions to fight a severe combat against Bosnian Muslims and Croats. He was linked with the Vukovar hospital massacre and other acts of ethnic cleansing. Arkan himself was associated with looting and smuggling operations of war plunder. Arkan decorated his bravest soldiers with medals. His units were known for high discipline and unseen brutallity on non-serb population. 'Tigers' executed any captured prisoners.

He was feared and hated from neighboring nations as butcher. He was regarded from western nations as extremist and was proclamed as notorious Warlord for commiting alleged atrocities against civilians. He was dangerous man despite having a baby face look. He was known for his rough behavior toward his soldiers during wartime. He worked in cooperation with Biljana Plavsic, and under surveillance of Radovan Karadzic. In Serb rebel republic of Krajina his troops were stationed there to fight against Croatian army, and he and local leader of serbs Milan Martic together organized defend of republic. Arkan was acquaintance of Zoran Djindjic and during NATO bombing campaign he advised him to leave the country because his life was in danger from secret state service. He had friendly contacts and political plans with Russian ultranationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

He was very controversial person and powerful man with strong contacts and connections. In private he was a man of his word, decisive, cruel, unforeseeable, mysterious, and sometimes even compassionate, emotional, and humorous, he had many faces and characters of his personallity. Arkan made enemies primary because of being so demonstrative and opened in public. He also organized and financed humanitarian aid for poor families and orphans by trucks.

In August 1998, Arkan wrote letter of support to U.S. president Bill Clinton over Bin Laden's, Al-Qaeda Bombings of U.S. Embassy in Kenya and Tanzania. In letter he gaved his words of grieve for American victims that died in the attack, and warned Clinton on dangers of islamic fundamentalism. Excerp from his letter: "Mr, President do not allow that terrorism continues in this part of Balkan in Serbian state, who is for centuries friend of your country". Clinton ignored his letter and never answered him.

He was praised and glorified among nationalistic part of common Serbs, enjoyed war fame, there were war songs about him. Others hated and slandered him, mainly because of his swaggering life style and his enormous wealth. Arkan highly respected Serbian Orthodox Church, and serbian Partriarch Pavle. Arkan was pious and frequently celebrated religious holidays.

He spoke English fluently, and understood Italian, French, German, Swedish, and Dutch languages.

He had fathered nine children by five different women and was a womanizer. His eldest son Mihajlo (b.March 1975) from relation with swedish woman went to war with his father. Arkan had lived with three older sisters and mother, his parents devorced in his youth. His father Veljko often beated him when he was young, and Arkan said he treated to him and family badly as his army subordinates.

Family Raznjatović is one of the most prominent families in Montenegro and one Arkan's far ancentor killed turkish pasha by cutting his head off in revenge for massive slaughter of serbs by Turks. That historiacal fact entered all serbian libraries of resistance and heroism against turkish tyranny of five centuries long occupation and slavery of serbs under Ottoman empire.

In November 1993 Arkan with his followers founded Serbian Unity Party, and was elected its president, but party lost elections several times despite energy promotive campaign because of prevailing popularity of Milosevic's socialists.

He married Svetlana 'Ceca' Veličković, a popular folk singer ("turbo-folk"), on February 19, 1995. They functioned as prestigeous amd glamourous pair often appearing in public. Their children are Veljko (b. December 1996) and Anastasija (b. May 1998).

Serb Volunteer Guard was officialy disbanded in April 1996. In the postwar period after the Dayton agreement was signed, Arkan returned to sport and private business, took over an second class soccer team "Obilić" which later under his tutorship advanced and become national champion in one season. UEFA permited Obilic further participation in European league because of its connections with war crimes. But Arkan steped away from place of president of club and gave that seat to his wife Ceca, so the club played a few matches against teams abroad. Arkan's "business" was mainly based on protection business, smuggling of oil, cars and cigarettes. Later he legalized a good part of his jobs. He owned a casinos, discos, pastry shops, bakeries and weightlifting rooms.

He was allied unofficialy with Slobodan Milosevic, and moved under his control, although Arkan was completely independent in front's actions and decisions. Contacts between them were done over mediator Radovan Stojicičić Badža, chief of internal affairs who was killed in restaurant on April, 11 1997. From his funeral exist a famous photograph where Arkan stands right behind saddened Milosevic and watches him distrustfuly. Both Raznjatovic and Milosevic were very careful to distance from each other in publicity.

When war broke out in unstable Serbian province of Kosovo in 1998 - 1999 he ordered his commanders and units to join army and police in fight against Albanian rebels, but he personally did not went there to supervise front situation. In center of Pristina he owned a a bakery "Kruna" and Hotel "Grand" for tourists until NATO invasion in June 1999.

He was indicted on secret list for tribunal's chief judge Richard May by ICTY, branch of Hague Tribunal of international justice on September 30, 1997 for war crimes of killing civilians, crimes against humanity and violating of Geneva convention of 1949 for customs and traditions of war. The warrant was kept sealed and was not made public until March 31, 1999, when joint NATO operation against Yugoslavia already started weak earlier. Arkan's indictment was made public by Louise Arbour, then U.N. court's chief prosecutor. The publication of Arkan's indictment was interpreted as a maneuver aimed at preventing him from deploying his "Tigers" paramilitary unit in the escalating conflict in Kosovo, where Serbs were trying to drove out ethnic Albanians. He decisively denied all war crimes charges against him in interviews he gave to CNN, BBC stations and other foreign reporters during bombing of Serbia. Arkan blamed NATO for bombing of civilians and creating refugees of all ethnicities.

Process of liquidating those close to Arkan in order to weaken him and his organization began immediately after end of war. Serbian secret state service killed his most devoted colonels, majors, bodyguards, bussines associates, partners, and long-standing friends in very short period of time.

Arkan was assassinated, on January 15, 2000, at lobby of elite Intercontinental Hotel, Belgrade, full of hotel guests at evening. Assassin Dobrosav Gavrić, 23 years old policeman on sick leave who briefly was member of Arkan's militia sneaked up alone toward him from behind. Arkan was seating and chating with two of his friends. Gavrić used elements of calm, surprise and relaxed atmosphere in hotel to set an ambush and suddenly fire bullets from pistol. Arkan was shot three times in back of the head and fell on spot fataly wounded from close range. His companions Milenko Mandić and Dragan Garić were also killed with him, while one woman was seriosly wounded in the further shoot out. Gavrić was injured immediately after by Arkan's bodyguard and fell unconscious. He survived and remained an invalid wheel chair bound as result of spinal wound. He never admit that he commited the hideous crime. He was sentenced to 20 years of jail, his accomplices received from 15 to 3 years each. However court verdict has been canceled recently and new trial is to be conducted.

Arkan was still alive when bodyguard put him in the car that drove him to emergency center where reanimation attempts failed, and doctors could only conclude his death, he actually passed away on wife's arms on the way to hospital.

According to some reliable sources his liquidation was of well prepared and thought-out plan that lasted some seven months. It was a conspiracy against him of gang leaders, businessmans, policemans, and top of then leadership, who all got together to get rid of him, all from their own reasons. Conspirators numbered many people. Large account of money was promised for his murder, about 4, 500, 000 DM which after bloody job done they would split among themselves, as they dealed.

Slobodan Milošević gaved secret order for urgent removal of Arkan in June 1999 to his henchman, former chief of secret state service Radomir Marković. Marković ordered his outside operative a "businessman" Andrija Drašković; to found the killers and coordinate rest of job. Drašković hired Belgrade criminals Dragan Nikolić; called Gagi and Zoran Uskoković; called Skole. Together they secretly planed and organized Arkan' s murder. Four months with their men they permanently followed Arkan's movement, whereabouts learning his habits. He gained too much power and become dangerous for regime especially after publication of Milosevic's indicment in May that year. After Kosovo defeat Arkan did not needed them any longer and now he becomed unpleasant witness to Milosevic secret sponsorship and state involvement in wars. Akan knew a lot about state inside function and they were afraid they could not control him any more. But the hidden reason why they wanted to slew him is vanity, hatred and envy they felt toward him.

After his violent death many concluded that he "get what he deserved", "died in same manner as he lived". But for some serbs he still represents a patriot and legend. Many people were shocked on news of his murder. In last time of his life he thought to calm himself turning to family, friends and business, abandoning contacts in the underground and began living a normal life. He thought to wrote a self biography and memoirs. Title of that book would be as he once said to journalists "I, Arkan." His enemies did not allowed him to grow old in peace, to live longer to remorse for his deeds nor to defend himself on trial by rights of law.

Zeljko Raznjatovic Arkan was buried with full military honors and orthodox mourning ceremonial on January 20, 2000 some 20, 000 people attended his funeral. There are still many speculations and doubts among serbian public concerning his life and legacy.

Quotes

His famous quotes:

"Better to live one day as a lion, than hundred years as worm. "

"I am going to become a Serb Wiesenthal."

"If only Russia was stronger, this chaos which is happening to us Serbs would have never happened."

"It is obvious that political platform of my party is much more in spirit of Dayton agreement then any of leading national parties in Bosnia and because of that my party is deserved to be subsidized by OSCE."

"Milosevic is a true serb leader."

"I never hated Croats, I just shooted at them."

"I was first for democracy after communism fell, but America must know that democracy is not imposed with bombs."

"As a proud serb I would be more glad if those people bravely died in battlefield and that we can remeber them as heroes which defended territories instead as disgracely escaped wretched refugees."

"Serbia isn't Somalia."

"We are tigers and we certanly shall not allow that serbian people be taken to slaughterhouse again. If they don't comprehend that, we do not left anything else than to march on Zagreb and completely military defeat them."

"Security doesn't exist even here because our enemies draw in, among us."

"I am watching all of you idlers."

"My only supreme commander is my partriarch."

"Here doesn't exist line of front, this is hellish war."

"Yes I was on the other side of law, but I wouldn't recomend it to no one, that is not way to solve any problems, just with decent life and sports."

"Did I ever said I was a good boy in my childhood or that I finished high school with success, no I was a mischievous little devil."

"They don't have to rape nobody. Serbian women adore my 'tigers'."

"We are in sanctions and isolation. Reason: we lost a media war."

"If we have managed to survive 500 years under Turks we can endure at least 100 years more in sanctions."

"I am sending a message to all who make us all this problems: keep yourselves from a Serb Volunteer Guard and Serbian people."

"I am fighting against Islam, dangerous disease which is spreading rapidly in Europe."

"The Muslims in Bosnia have gon mad like vampires, and they don't want to realize that they are Serb martyrs who out of great misfortune turkized themselves."

"We can won everyone, even the whole world."

"They slaughtered my soldiers, what did you expect from me to do to set free those prisoners?"

"I am not a rich man, I have raised credits in bad time, so I am in large debts now."

"I loved only two women in my life, I never was womanizer."

"If somebody wants to kill me he will do it no matter what stands on his way."

"There where we are, wrote freely, Tudjman got no chance."

"We shall manure Kosovo soil with terrorists."

"I have nine children I would be crazy if I want a war."

"I attacked in wedge of enemy like Ceasar... When we finish with foreign enemies, we shall turn to Serbian traitors. We shall not kill or pursue them, we are gonna whip them 50 times by ass to set them straight."

"I am not afraid of anyone and anything."

"First let them call in Hague Tribunal those who destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki those who killed civilians in that two towns, who attacked Panama and Grenada and after them me. When I was defending somebody else's houses and women I was defending my self."

"Hague to judge me? That is funny. I don' give a damn about that. I can only judge them."

"To talk me about murder, I got threats from everyone, it is silly, simply those things doesn't touch me at all."

"If you would have followed my entire life story way I do, you would see I am men of my own so I am not someone' s man."

"Brothers Serbs, what a cattle you are."

"I am proud if NATO is my enemy, that means I am good Serb."

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