- JSO (Special Operations Unit)
-
- For the British parachute troops also known as The Red Berets see The Parachute Regiment. For other airborne units, see maroon beret
Special Operations Unit
(Јединица за специјалне операције - ЈСО/JSO)
JSO logoActive Spring 1996-25 March 2003 Country 
SerbiaBranch Serbian Service of State Security Type elite special unit Nickname Red Berets
FrenkiesEngagements Operation Racak[citation needed] Commanders Notable
commandersFranko Simatović, Special Operations Unit (Serbian: Јединица за специјалне операције - ЈСО, Jedinica za specijalne operacije - JSO), or the Frenkies (Serbian: Френкијевци, Frenkijevci), or the Red Berets (Serbian: Црвене беретке, Crvene beretke), was an elite special unit of the Serbian Service of State Security.
The JSO was founded in 1996 by merging paramilitary units under the command of Željko Ražnatović "Arkan" and Franko Simatović and incorporating them into the security system of the FR Yugoslavia under the auspice of Jovica Stanišić, 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 Zoran Đinđić was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy in which some members of the unit were involved.[1]
Patrons and numerous members and of the unit and its predecessors are sentenced, accused or held responsible for numerous war crimes in Yugoslav wars, 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 rule) are being tried (as of 2006[update]) at International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes. Various other members are convicted or being tried for the Ibarska magistrala assassination and murders of Ivan Stambolić and Slavko Ćuruvija. Also, this unit have been reported for war crimes in the Kosovo War.[2]
Contents
History
The origins of the unit can be traced back to April 1991, on the eve of Croatian War of Independence, when a group of armed men, the predessesors to the JSO; led by Franko Simatović and Dragan Vasiljković set off from Belgrade to Knin. 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.[3]. 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, minister of the interior of Republic of Serbian Krajina, who subordinated a group of fighters under Vasiljković's command, who gave them thorough training and imposed the discipline[3]; the unit would later became known under the name Knindže (a pun on "Knin" and "ninja"), and Vasiljković under the war name "Kapetan Dragan".[4] The name "Red Berets" came after the battle for Glina, when Vasiljković distributed the berets to his men.[3]
The other wing of the unit was apparently formed in May 1991, in Eastern Slavonia. According to the hints given by Simatović, the unit seems to have been involved in Borovo Selo killings 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.[3][5]. 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".[6]
Aftermath
The unit was disbanded by the decision of Government of Serbia on 25 March 2003, 13 days after assassination of Zoran Đinđić.[7]. Its members were sacked or transferred to other police units.
- Milorad "Legija" Ulemek was sentenced to 40 years in prison for assassinations of Ivan Stambolić and Zoran Đinđić each, and 15 years for Ibarska magistrala assassination.
- Jovica Stanišić and Franko "Frenki" Simatović are being tried for crimes against humanity and war crimes in International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia[8]
- Dragan Vasiljković moved to Australia and changed his name, but was arrested on an Interpol warrant on charges from Croatia; case is pending.
- Željko "Arkan" Ražnatović 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 Dačić claims that former members of the Red Berets took part in the G4S helicopter robbery on 23 September 2009.[9]
References
- ^ Zvezdan Jovanović, officer of the JSO and Milorad Ulemek, former commander of the unit, were convicted on May 23, 2007 for their parts in this assassination.
- ^ Serbian Police units that participated in the Cuska massacre
- ^ a b c d Filip Švarm (2006-09-07). "Feljton: Jedinica, Deo I" (in Serbian). Vreme. Archived from the original on 2006-09-25. http://www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_body.cfm?newsid=2227.
- ^ "Dragan Vasiljkovic". Trial Watch. 2007-04-12. http://www.trial-ch.org/en/trial-watch/profile/db/facts/dragan_vasiljkovic_478.html.
- ^ Milan Milosevic and Uros Komlenovic (1997-19-04). "The State And The Mafia". Vreme. http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/serbian_digest/289/t289-1.htm.
- ^ Mirko Klarin (2001-10-13). "ANALYSIS: Milosevic Indicted Over Croatian Crimes". IWPR. http://iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=164101&apc_state=henitri2001.
- ^ "Government disbands police Special Operations Unit". Beta news agency. 2003-03-25. http://www.mfa.gov.rs/Bilteni/Engleski/b260303_e.html#N11.
- ^ "Stanišić and Simatović" (PDF). ICTY. http://www.un.org/icty/cases-e/cis/jstanisic/cis-stanisic.pdf.
- ^ Associated Press (2009-09-28). "Officials: Serbs took part in Sweden chopper heist". Google News. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ghidOYpl2VVu204Us-_AVHMPsEbAD9B0F6R80.
See also
- Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs
- OPG (Operational Group)
External links
- Serbian Police units that participated in the Cuska massacre
- (Serbian) Unofficial Special Operations Unit website
- (Serbian) "Feljton – Jedinica", Filip Švarm, Vreme (7-21 September 2006) Part I, Part II, Part III
Categories:- Special forces of Serbia
- Politics of Serbia
- Military units and formations of the Croatian War of Independence
- Military units and formations of the Bosnian War
- Serbian war crimes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
