XI SUMMARY THE ABSURDITY OF YU WARS The absurdity of waging wars can be proved by an analysis of the war events in the territory of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As a veteran of the National Liberation War in Yugoslavia (1941-1945) who fought from the beginning of the war, and as a professional soldier who has performed numerous distinguished military functions, ending his career in the capacity of general in the Yugoslav People´s Army, and deputy federal defence secretary, Ilija Radaković presents his expert comments in this book regarding the tragic end of the former Yugoslav state and its army. His account of the events is a significant contribution to providing a comprehensive overview of the causes and consequences of the fall of Yugoslavia, a survey will be possible only in the time to come, since, at this moment, many of the indispensable conditions for a through appraisal have not yet been created. Many of the relevant sources of facts are inaccessible, many of the basic truths have been buried deep under the layers of propaganda conducted by the warring sides and particularly by those who have been endeavouring to hide their guilty conscience and wash blood from their hands, avoiding the responsibility for their indisputable crimes against man and humanity. Pointing to the catastrophic consequences of the war in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and bearing in mind that Serbia and Montenegro, i.e. the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, were involved in the events, despite the fact that direct war operations were not conducted in their territory, the author underscores, apart from other things, that nobody has the right to keep silent in the face of the tragedy, and that it is necessary to eliminate all taboos in order to be able to reveal the full truth and to have all the actors - who have caused the immeasurable human tragedy and suffering along with the enormous material destruction by annihilating, in an instant, the half-a-century-long endeavours of the whole Yugoslav community face with their responsibility. The author explains the view that it was indispensable to introduce reforms and to reorganize the now disintegrated state and its army, claiming that there was not a single justified reason for the brutal war. “Splitting up within the framework of the same geographical territory is impossible, the author points out, however, if this had to be done, it could have been carried out without bloodshed, the way it was done in certain not so remote countries.” The book is divided into three sections, each being self-contained in a certain way, however, all three being mutually related and integral in their essence. The direct cause of the appearance of the first section was the book “My View of the Disintegration-A Military Without a State” by general Veljko Kadijević who was the federal defence secretary and head of the Supreme Military Headquarters at a crucial moment for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In discussing all the events within a broader context of causes and consequences, Radaković presents a critical analysis of all the statements made bv the author of the above book, pointing to their vagueness and insufficiently clear wording, deliberate omissions of facts, contradictory views, and particularly, the responsibility- of the Supreme Military Headquarters for the war as the worst possible choice that could have been made. Within that context, the author discusses the absurdity of the Yugoslav war, explaining the essence of the attack against the concept of the total national self-defence, and discussing the participation and responsibility of the intelligentsia, creeds and paramilitary forces. The second part of the book by Radaković includes documents and notes he took in the period preceding the war and at the time when the developments indicated the possibility of a Yugoslav disintegration. Their concreteness is what makes them a significant contribution to a better understanding of the first part of the book, all the more so considering the fact that mention is made of many key figures and the public is given the possibility of reviewing the facts that cotlld previously be heard only “behind the closed door”. The third part - “We Did Not Keep Silent”, presents the pleas made by distinguished Yugoslav military, political and other figures, who kept cautioning the public, since 1988, about the looming danger demanding that the course set for war be changed. These appeals were harshly rejected at the time and were regarded as Don Quixotian. However, already now, they are a testimony about the tact that during that unreasonable time, there were forces guided by reason that now have an even greater moral right to demand a full explanation and assuming of responsibility by those who are liable, because, otherwise, there will be no real and lasting peace in this region, nor any integration in the modern European and international trends. All this has been supplemented by a chronology of the events including the comments and reflections ot the author, a national hero and now retired general, which he has presented from military point of view, emphasizing that while writing this book, his partizan experience, which was pervaded by the struggle to promote the idea of brotherhood and unity of the Yugoslav peoples during the most difficult temptations of World War II, intertwined with the pain he shared with all those who suffered, at the time, watching all that being destroyed because of irrational claim that living together is impossible, although, despite everything, living together is something we must all accept. “Also, my feeling of affiliation with the Yugoslav Peoples´ Army has intermingled with the feeling of anger because of the fact that due to the stupidity- of the conceited “politicians” and “military leaders”. it was abused, humiliated and annihilated, without deserving such a destiny.”