At an extraordinary press conference, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic revealed that on Sunday, September 5, at 4:30, the chain of command for the transport operation of Patriarch Porfirije and Metropolitan Joanikije of the Church of Serbia to the Cetinje Monastery was interrupted and that only after his ultimatum to he would risk his life and get on a helicopter, the action was “taken over by professionals”, but he did not want to reveal the names of those people.
– The turning point happened at 4:30 when I said: “I'm going, I don't care who will protect me. My life is not worth a penny if Montenegro is introduced into the civil war, I am going with the patriarch.” Only then did part of the Police Directorate initiate a command process that lasted until 11 a.m. Then the command system was left to professionals – the Montenegrin Prime Minister confided.
Although Krivokapic wanted to take all the credit for himself in a public address on Monday, he was probably shocked by the praise that came directly from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic – that “Krivokapic did a good job” – this statement by the Montenegrin prime minister is a key confirmation that there was a rift at the top of the police.
The Prime Minister revealed that “part of the Police Administration started the command process”, which means that one part – did not want to take action! Although he did not give their names, he painted portraits of the director of the Police Directorate, Zoran Brdjanin, and the Minister of the Interior, Sergej Sekulović.
Whether Brdjanin and Sekulovic refused obedience will be known, the Prime Minister announced, in seven days, “when analyzes are made”, but the already assembled mosaic of events from the 4th and, especially during the early morning of September 5, shows that it is not only the Montenegrin prime minister decided on the chain of command of the “landing enthronement” operation.
MAXIMUM RISK
The assessment of Montenegrin security structures during Saturday night and Sunday was that it was impossible to break the blockade on Belvedere, that it was not feasible to transfer the top and clergy of the Church of Serbia to Cetinje by land, and that helicopter transport carries a great risk due to the possibility of activating numerous drones. they suspected that they were ready to get up and hinder the descent to the lawn in front of the Monastery.
According to Pobjeda, the director of the Police Administration, Zoran Brđanin, as an experienced and trained police officer, estimated that such an action would be a kind of adventure with possible tragic consequences, primarily referring to the request to break the blockade on Belvedere.
Police and ANB operatives, who were infiltrated in the crowd on the spot, reported on a “professionally made barricade”, but also on the readiness of thousands of people for extreme resistance to the passage of the church cordon that way.
According to the sources of our paper, both Brdjanin and the Minister of the Interior, Sergej Sekulović, assessed that “large-scale conflicts” must not be risked.
STOPPING AND ACTION
Then, according to the same sources, the top of the Church of Serbia gave up the enthronement and proposed that it be postponed or, eventually, moved to Podgorica or the Ostrog Monastery.
Shortly afterwards, about half an hour after midnight, Serbian media close to the authorities in Belgrade – RTS, Tanjug, Kurir and others – broadcast, under the label “latest news”, information that the enthronement in Cetinje had been postponed.
It is not entirely known what happened in the next thirty minutes, but the Serbian media immediately changed the original exclusive news and published a new exclusive: Patriarch Porfirije announces that he will enthrone Metropolitan Joanikije in Cetinje!
It is known, however, that, a few hours later, the patriarch Porfirije and Metropolitan Joanikije were “delivered” to the Cetinje monastery by a helicopter of the Army of Montenegro, because previously the police pilots refused to perform their duty.
It remained in the shadows – who really managed the action operationally?
According to information from Pobjeda from several sources from Belgrade and Podgorica, it was the top of Serbian security who told their president Vučić that there were “two very loyal and brave men, who are loyal to the Serbian Orthodox Church and who could complete the task, unlike the hesitant Brdjanin and the unaccustomed Sekulović.”
After consultations with the director of the ANB, Vukšić, Minister Spajić and some people from his close circle, Krivokapić accepted the suggestion from Belgrade: Miloš Rakonjac, Deputy Director of the Police Directorate, and Petar Knežević, a member of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (PTJ), should be holders of the action”.
Rakonjac is a staff member of the “old government”, a lawyer by education who graduated from the FBI Academy in 2015. He also had family ties which, in addition to his personal abilities, recommended him to be at the top of the police sector, and Brđanin chose him as a loyal man.
The other main player, Petar Knezevic, is a more interesting person – he is a dedicated Serb, completely loyal to the Church of Serbia. Serbian media point out that he was a participant in the fight at Košare in 1999 and that he had previously received communion at the Decani Monastery. During the litija in 2020, he clearly expressed his enthusiasm, and his political affiliation was known even before August 30 last year.
All these, obviously, were key references for Vučić to suggest, and Krivokapić to accept the offered solution. Brdjanin and Sekulovic remained, for the most part, observers.
It turned out that the Serbian security guards correctly estimated that these two would be completely loyal to them. This is proven by footage and photographs. Knezevic is the special man in the phantom who, when the monastery bells rang, put down the machine gun and – crossed himself, as a kind of vow to Porfirije and Joanikije who entered the Cetinje monastery.
PLAN FROM BELGRADE
The sources of our paper point out that these two played a key operational role, and that the specific action plan was developed outside Montenegro – in Belgrade and Podgorica, minimally modified.
In general, the decision was made not to attack the barricade on Belvedere, because the final assessment said that it was an “impossible mission” and that for such an action, which could lead to loss of life, there is no mood among most Montenegrin police officers.
That is why they decided on the only possible solution: for the priests of the Church of Serbia to be transferred by helicopter, for the rest of the clergy not to leave Podgorica, but to make a maneuver as if they had intentions: that is why from the roundabout at the exit from Podgorica.
In the action of “transport delivery”, in any case, two helicopters were used, one went as a “fake” in the wrong direction, while the other made a maneuver and from Podgorica went to the sea and from that direction landed in front of the Monastery. In addition to Rakonjac, two members of “Cobra” and three Montenegrin members of the unit for personal protection were in the helicopter.
In the meantime, the Montenegrin police in the city center of Cetinje were ordered to – at all costs and regardless of the fact that there is no unrest and assault – drop as much tear gas as possible, in order to completely eliminate any possibility of anyone getting closer to the Monastery.
Thus ended the action which, as Prime Minister Krivokapić announced, “will be studied in textbooks”. Although he meant security textbooks, the Montenegrin prime minister guessed at least one thing – political and sociological science does not remember a similar example of a government humiliating a state ruled by declaring part of the citizens, national Montenegrins, second-class citizens. That will, of course, be written in a history book.
Until that happens, it would be good for the Prime Minister to fulfill at least one of his promises: to find out in the next seven days which “part of the Police Administration” refused obedience and “did not do what it was supposed to do.”
It would also be useful to find out who the real creator of that simple plan is – to enthrone the clergyman of the Church of Serbia, and for all the gathered citizens to “bathe in tear gas” and declare themselves terrorists and social apostates.
GAME OF MIMICRY: Krivokapić criticized the security sector and hosted and praised them?!
– The Prime Minister of Montenegro Zdravko Krivokapić hosted members of the security sector in Villa “Gorica” to pay tribute to them and thank them for the sacrifice and professionalism they showed during the protests in Cetinje, as well as for managing to preserve peace and enable the enthronement of Joanikije, the Montenegrin and the Littoral metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
According to Pobjeda sources, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, who is the coordinator of the security sector, Interior Minister Sergej Sekulovic and Director of the Police Administration Zoran Brdjanin, but it is noticeable that the Government's photos do not show their joint photos with the Prime Minister.
On Monday, Krivokapic fiercely criticized the security sector, announcing purges, stating that the unity of the command in the police was established only when he told them before dawn that he was going to Cetinje at any cost and that he was not interested in having protection. In a conversation with the leaders of the parliamentary majority, the Prime Minister announced that he would initiate the removal of Sekulović and Brđanin.
– We had only one goal – not to drop a single drop of blood. Will there be a drop of tears, of course, in addition to the use of chemicals, the sea – Krivokapić pointed out, saying that thanks to the police, only a few minor injuries were recorded that happen on the street, and not in such situations.
Krivokapić said that the Government would reward members of the Ministry of the Interior, who had successfully completed their tasks, with gratitude at the next session.
– You have brightened the face of Montenegro. By your actions, you have shown that Montenegro can be different – Krivokapić said.