Veterans who walked did not visit with General Gotovina at The Hague

Veterans who walked from Pakoštane, Croatia did not visit with General Gotovina at The Hague
  
ZAGREB -  Veterans who made the pilgrimage and walked by foot all the way from Pakoštane to The Hague to show support for jailed Gen. Gotovina were not able to visit with the General.  They did speak to the General by telephone, says Ivan Pandza, President of Zagreb HVIDRA, a veterans organization whose members also traveled to The Hague to visit with the General.

The visit with the General was denied to the veterans and no explanation was given why.

The veterans who walked and around fifteen additional individuals, spoke to Gen. Gotovina by telephone, said Pandza.

Pandza said Gotovina, although they were not able to visit with him, was very happy with their arrivial and their show of support they expressed.

The veterans, in particular those who made the 50 day pilgrimage, had an extremely difficult time dealing that their request of visiting with the General was denied.  They planned on giving the General books and messages of support from citizens, said the President of Zagreb HVIDRA.

After the veterans attend a holy mass, they will return to Croatia, and are expected to arrive in Zagreb around noon tomorrow.

Under the slogan "The chain of truth about General Gotovina and Croatia's Homeland War,"  twelve veterans walked over 1762 kilometers from the General's birth-place of Pakoštane to The Hague where he is in prison for alleged war crimes.

The veterans began their pilgrimage on April 25, with the goal they would meet with the General today, the feast and holy day of St. Anthony.

A bus with over 40 HVIDRA veterans also traveled from Zagreb to The Hague and met with the veterans who made the pilgrimage to show thier support to General Gotovina.

(HINA)