In Kovcanja Cove, one of the most stunning coves on the island of Losinj, 4 kilometres from the town of Mali Losinj, and in the immediate vicinity to the road that leads to the town, the military brass has, in these difficult times, decided to build a residential complex and resort - without the proper building permits. And this is no renovation or repair of the barracks as can often be heard from the defence ministry in an attempt to cover up the real reason for the construction, but is in fact the erection of completely new apartment buildings being built with the blessings of the defence ministry's department of construction, a fact that Nacional has established when it last week shot photographic footage of the entire area covered by Kovcanja military base. To date not a single construction inspection team has been in the field to inspect the work that has been done in Kovcanja base over the past two years, although there were calls for it to do so.

Comparing satellite shots from the air made a few years ago with the help of the Google Earth program and last week's aerial photos shot by Nacional, it can be said without a doubt that at least six new structures have been built in Kovcanja military base without building permits. That there are plans to build a residential settlement there, and not just to repair the existing structures, is revealed by an official defence ministry document, the 2007 Annual Report On Defence Readiness, where, among other things related to future construction or renovation projects, it states that the "...building of the Defence Directorate in Dubrovnik, the renovation of the buildings at the Domobranska military base in Karlovac, a replacement barracks in Gasince, a residential apartment building in Kovcanja military base, communication towers on Ucka and Rota and the main entrance to the Croatia military base."

When Nacional learned of the construction of new buildings in Kovcanja base, and not just the renovation or repair of existing structures, the defence ministry was asked to explain, because it was learned off the record from military sources that this was in fact a resort for top military officials, and that all other activities in the base were in fact a smoke screen to cover it up. And although Nacional was not allowed, for inexplicable reasons, to visit, tour or photograph the cited structures, which are fenced in within Kovcanja base - the first such ban when it comes to military bases - as if it was some kind of missile base with underground tunnels or the like, Nacional has succeeded in photographing the entire Kovcanja area from the air and has seen for itself that all of the buildings are quite new, not consistent with typical accommodation structures in other military bases in Croatia, and some lack only their façade.

A promenade with lighting has been constructed along the shoreline, and there are three newly constructed bungalows right on the seaside opposite the auxiliary entrance to the base. To build these three houses the army tore down two of a total of four storage facilities, and there are several new structures hidden under the canopy of the pine woods. There is a flawlessly mown lawn along these three houses with tables, chairs and sunshades. A hundred metres further down there are children bathing and some "tourists" were also spotted fishing. In the immediate vicinity of the shoreline we observed parked automobiles with roof rack luggage bins. There are tables, chairs and sunshades on the terraces of the apartment buildings.Josip Lucic, Croatian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff

Next to the largest building, which looks like a small hotel, just on the seaside in the cove, a large terrace has been built with a built in sunshade bearing the words "Special Operations Battalion", and a small stone house with a grill and barbeque spit has been built for the good cheer of the "tourists". If coming by car from the direction of Osor, then the main entry to Kovcanja base and the side road that leads to it is visible. Driving on the main road a further two kilometres along the base there is another side road to the right that, after some 300 metres, ends at the second entrance to the base. It is on this part of the access route that there are privately owned homes whose owners have to request a defence ministry permit before undertaking any kind of construction while the army is at the same time building without permits. It would be interesting to see what the situation was when the former Yugoslav People's Army left and to compare it to the present situation.

Along with the apartment buildings a religious structure has also been built at the base. It is quite certain that the former Yugoslav People's Army did not have a single religious structure at Kovcanja. Now this has been changed, as General Josip Lucic saw to it personally, because of his close ties with the military ordinariate and the Church in general, that a Catholic religious structure be erected at Kovcanja. It was back in 2008 that the General Vicar of the military ordinariate, Monsignor Josip Santic met with General Josip Lucic.

They toured the base together with representatives of the defence ministry's construction department and determined the concrete requirements of the military ordinariate for a permanent facility in Kovcanja base and the deadlines and details for its construction. And so the Church too has found accommodation at this elite location. And in the meantime young conscripts, who were being intensively called upon to volunteer for military service, will lose their supplementary health insurance because of a lack of funds, while professional soldiers visit shopping malls immediately ahead of their departure on missions to pick up equipment for the transport of equipment, and the military base of the 21st century in Petrinja remains a subject of science fiction. While Croatian troops still lack decent kitchens in the bases, the military brass has elite tourism on its mind. Not only have the Armed Forces started construction of a resort in contravention of documents adopted in Croatian Parliament, such as the Long Term Armed Forces Development Plan, but a tender for construction works in Kovcanja base has been issued in the midst of the greatest financial crisis the country has ever seen, on 7 July 2009.

KOVCANJA BETTER AND BETTER FOR TOURISM One of the two buildings in the area of the back entrance to the military base has been completely renovated – fresh stucco is visible on the façade, new isolation and new roof tilesThe official defence ministry documents state categorically that the construction work at Kovcanja base will be carried out from 2011 to 2015, i.e. two years from now, and Kovcanja base has been designated the lowest, third, priority for reconstruction. But what is written in these documents is clearly of no consequence to generals. When asked last week by a Nacional reporter why the public, i.e. the press, were not allowed to tour Kovcanja base and photograph the buildings, a high-ranking military officer responded saying that he saw no reason for any such ban, but on the other hand that he too was not entirely certain as to the what kind of base it was, whether it was a resort, diving instruction centre or something else.

Nacional's source was, in fact, in the right, because we received an official response from the defence ministry in which there was not one word answering questions on how many square metres of the base and buildings were under construction, what funds have been spent and how much they plan to spend. The answer from the defence ministry states that the "Buildings have a broad application for both the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. A decision of Croatian Government declared Kovcanja a military harbour. Of the great number of activities that this location is used for, we shall state only the most important. The location in question houses a search and rescue maritime and submarine activities unit. Also stationed at Kovcanja during the fire-fighting season are search and rescue helicopters and their crews. A decision by the Minister of Defence established a Croatian Armed Forces Rehabilitation Centre for members of the Armed Forces and their families after their return from tours of duty in peacekeeping missions, as one of the exceptionally important activities. Kovcanja is also the site of various forms of education for Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces troops and staff, expert training and defence-related mini-conferences.

Kovcanja military harbour is also used by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces for international military exchange programs with allied nations. The building is used for religious retreats organised for members of the Armed Forces by the military ordinariate. The military ordinariate also organises vacations for the children of members of the Armed Forces and Homeland War vets. There is also a camp organised there for the cadets of Croatian Armed Forces military academies. Pursuant to a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the Croatian Olympic Committee, the military harbour is also used by sports clubs. Summer schools are also organised in Kovcanja in collaboration with the Faculty of Political Science. Foreign military delegations are also received at the military harbour, Furthermore, Kovcanja military harbour is used by the Coast Guard."

It is evident from all of the above mentioned that this is in fact a typical apartment resort, because children, students, sports clubs and the like have access to it. Of course, the military brass could not build apartments only for themselves, so to justify the investment it stated in documents that it would be a centre for just about everything, and in reality it will be used mostly by them. And so Kovcanja will be the site of religious retreats - as if soldiers do not have churches were they live. The building of the military ordinariate in Zagreb is so big that spiritual retreats could be held there every week for hundreds of Croatian army troops.THE CURRENT SITUATION Two hangars have been torn down, three houses built and the surrounding land has been cleared

The most absurd thing of all is the existence of some kind of rehabilitation centre for soldiers returning from tours of duty in peacekeeping missions - with their families to boot. In reality, they all when coming back to their families after a six month tour of duty want at all costs to go as far from the army, wire fences, rifles and uniforms as they can for a real vacation. Instead, in Kovcanja they and their children would watch commandos in war paint going to their daily physical exercises. What a rehabilitation that would be. It is evident that free elite tourism for Croatian generals had to be covered up with these kinds of centres, summer workshops and the like, because all of this could have been organised in any other part of Croatia.