The Croatian government, in agreement with NATO has started a "benefit campaign" to change the population's thinking which is strongly against (only 29% support) entering NATO [1]. This objective of change in population's thinking is having full support of all political parties in Croatian parliament which is creating good question of right on different thinking?
Against
editOn day of people in love (14.02.2007) this membership benefit campaign [2] has received face because a newspaper under total government control (Vjesnik) has published 7 benefits why Croatia needs to enter NATO. A few days later the Croatian Ministry of Defence has put on web site this page of newspaper where are written these benefits:
- 1) After entering NATO Croatia spending for defence will be lower of today.
- 2) Entering NATO Croatia will have teritorial security.
- 3) Entering NATO Croatia will become member of organization where are must important political and economical powers of the world.
- 4) Creating of NATO military bases is not always demanded of countries which are members of organization.
- 5) Now do not exist reasons political or strategic reasons or projects for building of new military bases on teritory of Croatia.
- 6) Croatia will be in not good position if she stay outside NATO, because she will be outside decisions which will make influence on her future.
- 7) After entering NATO Croatia will recieve new dimension in international policy, new place in world order and national power of Croatia will become greater.
Pros
editNow after seeing this „benefits“ we must see how much truth is in that. Answers will be similar to benefits points for points:
- 1) This is false because all countries which has entereted NATO from 1999 to today are having raise in military spending [3].
- 2) Nobody today are question teritorial integrity of Croatia, but this argument has been used even in 2003 from Voice of America [4].
- 3) False because China, Japan and Russia are not part of NATO
- 4) They are not answering that NATO bases will not be created. This point only say that nobody in croatian population want this base in Croatia. Good example about that has been fight to put radar on Učka mountain against will of people and popular demonstrations [5].
- 5) Similar like 4. but now they say that Croatia military bases can be given to NATO because this points is nothing speaking about today military bases. In the end if we believe words od Miomir Žužul Croatian minister of foreign affairs (in 2003) for Vjesnik Croatia will must give military bases to NATO
- 6) Now they say that NATO is aggresive organization which can make in question territorial integrity of Croatia [6].
- 7) Yes Croatia will recieve new dimension in international policy. Only question is if that place will be good or bad because Croatia is now in very good relationship with many muslim countries (example: Iran, Syria, Lybia) which will change very fast after entering NATO.
References
edit- ^ http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2006/12/04/feature-01
- ^ http://www.morh.hr/n_pic/nato_hrvatska.pdf (Croatian language)
- ^ http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=2665&sequence=3
- ^ http://www.voanews.com/croatian/archive/2003-05/a-2003-05-09-2-1.cfm (Croatian language)
- ^ http://ssla.oneworld.net/article/view/86327/1/2627 (Croatian language).
- ^ http://www.vjesnik.hr/html/2003/12/29/Clanak.asp?r=unu&c=2