Otkos 10 and Papuk), more than 2,200 sq. km. of occupied territory in Western Slavonia. In 1992, the area of Nos Kalik between Šibenik and Drniš was liberated in early March and the Križ Hill near Zadar in May. About 1,500 sq. km. were liberated between April and late October in southern Croatia (“Southern Front”) and the blockade of Dubrovnik lifted. In June about 150 sq. km. were liberated on the Miljevac plateau in the Šibenik hinterland. In January 1993 1,050 sq. km. were liberated in the Zadar hinterland (Novsko Ždrilo and Maslenica, Rovanjska, Zemunik airport, parts of Velebit range), including the Peruča hydro-power plant. In September about 225 sq. km. were liberated in Lika – the villages of Počitelj, Čitluk and Divoselo (the so-called Medak pocket near Gospić). The small but strategically important town of Kupres in Bosnia and Herzegovina was liberated during Operation Cincar in early November 1994. Between December 1994 and mid-August 1995 Croatian forces liberated the Dinara range and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina (operations “Zima ‘94” [Winter] – November-December 1994; “Skok 1” [Leap] – April 1995; “Skok 2” – June 1995; Ljeto ‘95” [Summer] – July 1995. The liberation of the remaining occupied territories followed: 600 sq. km. in Western Slavonia (Operation “Bljesak” [Flash] 1 to 4 May 1995), and 10,500 sq. km. in Dalmatia, Lika, Banovina and Kordun (Operation “Oluja” [Storm], 4 to 10 August 1995). In September 1995 (after Storm) Croatian forces liberated about 2,500 sq.km. of territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Operation Maestral, 8-15 September 1995) and about 800 sq.km. in Operation Južni potez ( 9-11 October 1995). Croatia’s decision regarding the military option and Storm was not rash, and Croatia was not in the position to lose time in useless negotiations with the representatives of the rebel Serbs. This conclusion is borne out by the following facts: –– Because of the intransigent leadership of the rebel Serbs in Croatia since 1990 (refusal of all 193
GREATER-SERBIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST CROATIA IN THE 1990s
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