 = Free Derry =

 Free Derry ( Irish : Saor Dhoire ) was a self @-@ declared autonomous nationalist area of Derry , Northern Ireland , that existed between 1969 and 1972 . Its name was taken from a sign painted on a gable wall in the Bogside in January 1969 which read , " You are now entering Free Derry " . The area , which included the Bogside and Creggan neighbourhoods , was secured by community activists for the first time on 5 January 1969 following an incursion into the Bogside by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) . Residents built barricades and carried clubs and similar arms to prevent the RUC from entering . After six days the residents took down the barricades and RUC patrols resumed , but tensions remained high over the following months .
 Violence reached a peak on 12 August 1969 , culminating in the Battle of the Bogside — a three @-@ day pitched battle between residents and the RUC . On 14 August units of the British Army were deployed at the edge of the Bogside and the RUC were withdrawn . The Derry Citizens Defence Association ( DCDA ) declared their intention to hold the area against both the RUC and the British Army until their demands were met . The British Army made no attempt to enter the area . The situation continued until October 1969 when , following publication of the Hunt Report , military police were allowed in .
 The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) began to re @-@ arm and recruit after August 1969 . In December 1969 it split into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA . Both were supported by the people of the Free Derry area . Meanwhile , relations between the British Army and the nationalist community , which were initially good , deteriorated . In July 1971 there was a surge of recruitment into the IRA after two young men were shot and killed by British troops . The government introduced internment on 9 August 1971 , and in response , barricades went up once more in the Bogside and Creggan . This time , Free Derry was a no @-@ go area , defended by armed members of both the Official and Provisional IRA . From within the area they launched attacks on the British Army , and the Provisionals began a bombing campaign in the city centre . As before , unarmed ' auxiliaries ' manned the barricades , and crime was dealt with by a voluntary body known as the Free Derry Police .
 Support for the IRA increased further after Bloody Sunday in January 1972 , when thirteen unarmed men and boys were shot dead by the British Army 's Parachute Regiment at a march in the Bogside ( a 14th man was wounded and died 4 ½ months later ) . The support began to wane after the killing by the Official IRA of a local youth who was home on leave from the British Army . After a Provisional IRA ceasefire , during which it entered talks with the British government , broke down , the British took the decision to move against the " no @-@ go " areas . Free Derry came to an end on 31 July 1972 , when thousands of British troops moved in with armoured cars and bulldozers to occupy the area .

 = = Background = =

 Derry City lies near the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . It has a majority nationalist population , and nationalists won a majority of seats in the 1920 local elections . Despite this , the Ulster Unionist Party controlled the local council , Londonderry Corporation , from 1923 onwards . The Unionists maintained their majority , firstly , by manipulating the constituency boundaries ( gerrymandering ) so that the South Ward , with a nationalist majority , returned eight councillors while the much smaller North Ward and Waterside Ward , with unionist majorities , returned twelve councillors between them ; secondly , by allowing only ratepayers to vote in local elections , rather than one man , one vote , so that a higher number of nationalists , who did not own homes , were disenfranchised ; and thirdly , by denying houses to nationalists outside the South Ward constituency . The result was that there were about 2 @,@ 000 nationalist families , and practically no unionists , on the housing waiting list , and that housing in the nationalist area was crowded and of a very poor condition . The South Ward comprised the Bogside , Brandywell , Creggan , Bishop Street and Foyle Road , and it was this area that would become Free Derry .
 The Derry Housing Action Committee ( DHAC ) was formed in March 1968 by members of the Derry Branch of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the James Connolly Republican Club , including Eamonn McCann and Eamon Melaugh . It disrupted a meeting of Londonderry Corporation in March 1968 and in May blocked traffic by placing a caravan that was home to a family of four in the middle of the Lecky Road in the Bogside and staging a sit @-@ down protest at the opening of the second deck of the Craigavon Bridge . After the meeting of Londonderry Corporation was again disrupted in August , Eamon Melaugh telephoned the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) and invited them to hold a march in Derry . The date chosen was 5 October 1968 , an adhoc committee was formed ( although in reality most of the organizing was done by McCann and Melaugh ) and the route was to take the marchers inside the city walls , where nationalists were traditionally not permitted to march . The Minister of Home Affairs , William Craig , made an order on 3 October prohibiting the march on the grounds that the Apprentice Boys of Derry were intending to hold a march on the same day . In the words of Martin Melaugh of CAIN " this particular tactic ... provided the excuse needed to ban the march . " When the marchers attempted to defy the ban on 5 October they were stopped by a Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) cordon . The police drew their batons and struck marchers , including Stormont MP Eddie McAteer and Westminster MP Gerry Fitt . Subsequently the police " broke ranks and used their batons indiscriminately on people in Duke Street " . Marchers trying to escape met another party of police and " these police also used their batons indiscriminately . " Water cannons were also used . The police action caused outrage in the nationalist area of Derry , and at a meeting four days later the Derry Citizens ' Action Committee ( DCAC ) was formed , with John Hume as chairman and Ivan Cooper as vice @-@ chairman .

 = = The first barricades = =

 Another group formed as a result of the events of 5 October was People 's Democracy , a group of students in Queen 's University Belfast . They organised a march from Belfast to Derry in support of civil rights , starting out with about forty young people on 1 January 1969 . The march met with violent opposition from loyalist counter @-@ demonstrators at several points along the route . Finally , at Burntollet Bridge , five miles outside Derry , they were attacked by a mob of about two hundred wielding clubs — some of them studded with nails — and stones . Half of the attackers were later identified from press photographs as members of the B @-@ Specials . The police , who were at the scene , chatted to the B @-@ Specials as they prepared their ambush , and then failed to protect the marchers , many of whom ran into the river and were pelted with stones from the bank . Dozens of marchers were taken to hospital . The remainder continued on to Derry where they were attacked once more on their way to Craigavon Bridge before they finally reached Guildhall Square , where they held a rally . Rioting broke out after the rally . Police drove rioters into the Bogside , but did not come after them . In the early hours of the following morning , 5 January , members of the RUC charged into St. Columb 's Wells and Lecky Road in the Bogside , breaking windows and beating residents . In his report on the disturbances , Lord Cameron remarked that " for such conduct among members of a disciplined and well @-@ led force there can be no acceptable justification or excuse " and added that " its effect in rousing passions and inspiring hostility towards the police was regrettably great . "
 That afternoon over 1 @,@ 500 Bogside residents built barricades , armed themselves with steel bars , wooden clubs and hurleys , and told the police that they would not be allowed into the area . DCAC chairman John Hume told a meeting of residents that they were to defend the area and no @-@ one was to come in . Groups of men wearing armbands patrolled the streets in shifts . John ' Caker ' Casey , a local activist , painted " You are now entering Free Derry " in white paint on the gable wall of a house on the corner of Lecky Road and Fahan Street . That corner , which was a popular venue for meetings , later became known as " Free Derry Corner " . On 7 January , the barricaded area was extended to include the Creggan , another nationalist area on a hill overlooking the Bogside . A clandestine radio station calling itself " Radio Free Derry " began broadcasting to residents , playing rebel songs and encouraging resistance . On a small number of occasions law @-@ breakers attempted crimes , but were dealt with by the patrols . Despite all this , the Irish Times reported that " the infrastructure of revolutionary control in the area has not been developed beyond the maintenance of patrols . " Following some acts of destruction and of violence late in the week , members of the DCAC including Ivan Cooper addressed residents on Friday , 10 January and called on them to dismantle the barricades . The barricades were taken down the following morning .

 = = April 1969 = =

 Over the next three months there were violent clashes , with local youths throwing stones at police . Violence came to a head on Saturday , 19 April after a planned march from Burntollet Bridge to the city centre was banned . A protest in the city centre led to clashes with " Paisleyites " — unionists in sympathy with the anti @-@ civil rights stance of Ian Paisley . Police attempting to drive the protesters back into the Bogside were themselves driven back to their barracks . A series of pitched battles followed , and barricades were built , often under the supervision of Bernadette Devlin , newly elected MP for Mid Ulster . Police pursuing rioters broke into a house in William Street and severely beat the occupant , Samuel Devenny , his family and two friends . Devenny was brought to hospital " bleeding profusely from a number of head wounds . " At midnight four hundred RUC men in full riot gear and carrying riot shields occupied the Bogside . Convoys of police vehicles drove through the area with headlights blazing .
 The following day , several thousand residents , led by the DCAC , withdrew to the Creggan and issued an ultimatum to the RUC — withdraw within two hours or be driven out . With fifteen minutes of the two hours remaining , the police marched out through the Butcher 's Gate , even as the residents were entering from the far side . The barricades were not maintained on this occasion , and routine patrols were not prevented .
 Samuel Devenny suffered a heart attack four days after his beating . On 17 July he suffered a further heart attack and died . Thousands attended his funeral , and the mood was sufficiently angry that it was clear the annual Apprentice Boys ' parade , scheduled for 12 August , could not take place without causing serious disturbance .

 = = August – October 1969 = =

 The Apprentice Boys ' parade is an annual celebration by unionists of the relief of the Siege of Derry in 1689 , which began when thirteen young apprentice boys shut the city 's gates against the army of King James . At that time the parade was held on 12 August each year . Participants from across Northern Ireland and Britain marched along the city walls above the Bogside , and were often openly hostile to the residents . On 30 July 1969 the Derry Citizens Defence Association ( DCDA ) was formed to try to preserve peace during the period of the parade , and to defend the Bogside and Creggan in the event of an attack . The chairman was Seán Keenan , an Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) veteran ; the vice @-@ chairman was Paddy Doherty , a popular local man sometimes known as " Paddy Bogside " and the secretary was Johnnie White , another leading republican and leader of the James Connolly Republican Club . Street committees were formed under the overall command of the DCDA and barricades were built on the night of 11 August . The parade took place as planned on 12 August . As it passed through Waterloo Place , on the edge of the Bogside , hostilities began between supporters and opponents of the parade . Fighting between the two groups continued for two hours , then the police joined in . They charged up William Street against the Bogsiders , followed by the ' Paisleyites ' . They were met with a hail of stones and petrol bombs . The ensuing battle became known as the Battle of the Bogside . Late in the evening , having been driven back repeatedly , the police fired canisters of CS gas into the crowd . Youths on the roof of a high @-@ rise block of flats on Rossville Street threw petrol bombs down on the police . Walkie @-@ talkies were used to maintain contact between different areas of fighting and DCDA headquarters in Paddy Doherty 's house in Westland Street , and first aid stations were operating , staffed by doctors , nurses and volunteers . Women and girls made milk @-@ bottle crates of petrol bombs for supply to the youths in the front line and " Radio Free Derry " broadcast to the fighters and their families . On the third day of fighting , 14 August , the Northern Ireland Government mobilised the Ulster Special Constabulary ( B @-@ Specials ) , a force greatly feared by nationalists in Derry and elsewhere . Before they engaged , however , British troops were deployed at the scene , carrying automatic rifles and sub @-@ machine guns . The RUC and B @-@ Specials withdrew , and the troops took up positions outside the barricaded area .
 A deputation that included Eamonn McCann met senior army officers and told them that the army would not be allowed in until certain demands were met , including the disarming of the RUC , the disbandment of the B @-@ Specials and the abolition of Stormont ( the Parliament and Government of Northern Ireland ) . The officers agreed that neither troops nor police would enter the Bogside and Creggan districts . A ' peace corps ' was formed to maintain law and order . When the British Home Secretary , Jim Callaghan , visited Northern Ireland and announced his intention to visit the Bogside on 28 August , he was told that he would not be allowed to bring either police or soldiers with him . Callaghan agreed . Accompanied by members of the Defence Committee , he was " swept along by a surging crowd of thousands " up Rossvile Street and into Lecky Road , where he " took refuge " in a local house , and later addressed crowds from an upstairs window . In preparation for Callaghan 's visit the " Free Derry " wall was painted white and the " You are now entering Free Derry " sign was professionally re @-@ painted in black lettering .
 Following Callaghan 's visit , some barricades were breached , but the majority remained while the people awaited concrete evidence of reform . Still the army made no move to enter the area . Law and order was maintained by a ' peace corps ' — volunteers organised by the DCDA to patrol the streets and man the barricades . There was very little crime . Punishment , in the words of Eamonn McCann , " as often as not consisted of a stern lecture from Seán Keenan on the need for solidarity within the area . " In September the barricades were replaced with a white line painted on the road .
 The Hunt Report on the future of policing in Northern Ireland was presented to the Stormont cabinet in early October . Jim Callaghan held talks with the cabinet in Belfast on 10 October , following which the report 's recommendations were accepted and made public . They included the recommendation that the RUC should be ' ordinarily ' unarmed , and that the B @-@ Specials should be phased out and replaced by a new force . The new RUC Chief Constable , Arthur Young , an Englishman , was announced , and travelled to Belfast with Callaghan . The same day , Seán Keenan announced that the DCDA was to be dissolved . On 11 October Callaghan and Young visited Free Derry , and on 12 October the first military police entered the Bogside , on foot and unarmed .

 = = IRA resurgence = =

 The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) had been inactive militarily since the end of the Border Campaign in 1962 . It was low in both personnel and equipment — Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding told Seán Keenan and Paddy Doherty in August 1969 that he " couldn 't defend the Bogside . I haven 't the men nor the guns to do it . " During the 1960s the leadership of the republican movement had moved to the left . Its focus was on class struggle and its aim was to unite the Irish nationalist and unionist working classes in order to overthrow capitalism , both British and Irish . Republican Clubs were formed in Northern Ireland , where Sinn Féin was proscribed . These clubs were involved in the formation of NICRA in 1967 . In Derry , the James Connolly Republican Club worked closely with Labour Party radicals , with whom they set up the Derry Housing Action Committee and Derry Unemployed Action Committee . The Derry Citizens ' Defence Association was formed initially by republicans , who then invited other nationalists to join . Although there were tensions between the younger leaders like Johnnie White and the older , traditional republicans such as Seán Keenan , both sides saw the unrest of 1968 @-@ 69 as a chance to advance republican aims , and the two shared the platform at the Easter Rising commemoration in April 1969 .
 The events of August 1969 in Derry , and more particularly in Belfast where the IRA was unable to prevent loss of life or protect families burned out of their homes , brought to a head the divisions that had already appeared within the movement between the radicals and the traditionalists , and led to a split in December 1969 into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA . Initially , both armies organised for defensive purposes only , although the Provisionals were planning towards an offensive campaign . In Derry there was far less hostility between the two organisations than elsewhere and householders commonly paid subscriptions to both . When rioters were arrested after the Official 's Easter parade in March 1970 , Officials and Provisionals picketed their trial together . At the start the Officials attracted most of the younger members . Martin McGuinness , who in August 1969 had helped defend the barricades , initially joined the Officials , but a few months later left to join the Provisionals .
 Relations between the British Army and the residents had steadily decayed since the first appearance of troops in August 1969 . In September , after clashes between nationalist and unionist crowds that led to the death of a Protestant man , William King , the British Army erected a ' peace ring ' to enclose the nationalist population in the area they had previously controlled . Roads into the city centre were closed at night and people were prevented from walking on certain streets . Although some moderate nationalists accepted this as necessary , there was anger among young people . Clashes between youths and troops became more frequent . The riot following the Officials ' Easter parade in March 1970 marked the first time that the army used ' snatch squads ' , who rushed into the Bogside wielding batons to make arrests . The snatch squads soon became a common feature of army arrest operations . There was also a belief that they were arresting people at random , sometimes days after the alleged offence , and based on the identification of people that they had seen from a considerable distance . The rioters were condemned as hooligans by moderates , who saw the riots as hampering attempts to resolve the situation . The Labour radicals and Official republicans , still working together , tried to turn the youth away from rioting and create socialist organizations — one such organization was named the Young Hooligans Association — but to no avail . The Provisionals , while disapproving of riots , viewed them as the inevitable consequence of British occupation . This philosophy was more attractive to rioters , and some of them joined the Provisional IRA . The deaths of two leading Provisionals in a premature explosion in June 1970 resulted in young militants becoming more prominent in the organization . Nevertheless , up to July 1971 the Provisional IRA remained numerically small .
 Two men , Séamas Cusack and Desmond Beattie , were shot dead in separate incidents in the early morning and afternoon of 8 July 1971 . They were the first people to be killed by the British Army in Derry . In both cases the British Army claimed that the men were attacking them with guns or bombs , while eyewitnesses insisted that both were unarmed . The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP ) , the newly formed party of which John Hume and Ivan Cooper were leading members , withdrew from Stormont in protest , but among residents there was a perception that moderate policies had failed . The result was a surge of support for the IRA . The Provisionals held a meeting the following Sunday at which they called on people to " join the IRA " . Following the meeting , people queued up to join , and there was large @-@ scale rioting . The British Army post at Bligh 's Lane came under sustained attack , and troops there and around the city came under fire from the IRA .

 = = Internment and the third Free Derry = =

 The increasing violence in Derry and elsewhere led to increasing speculation that internment without trial would be introduced in Northern Ireland , and on 9 August 1971 hundreds of republicans and nationalists were arrested in dawn raids . In Derry , residents came out onto the streets to resist the arrests , and fewer people were taken there than elsewhere ; nevertheless leading figures including Seán Keenan and Johnnie White were interned . In response , barricades were erected once again and the third Free Derry came into existence . Unlike its predecessors , this Free Derry was marked by a strong IRA presence , both Official and Provisional . It was defended by armed paramilitaries — a no @-@ go area , one in which British security forces were unable to operate .
 Gun attacks on the British Army increased . Six soldiers were wounded in the first day after internment , and shortly afterwards a soldier was killed — the first to be killed by either IRA in Derry . The army moved in in force on 18 August to dismantle the barricades . A gun battle ensued in which a young Provisional IRA officer , Eamonn Lafferty , was killed . A crowd staging a sit @-@ down protest was hosed down and the protesters , including John Hume and Ivan Cooper , arrested . With barricades re @-@ appearing as quickly as they were removed , the army eventually abandoned their attempt .
 The Derry Provisionals had little contact with the IRA elsewhere . They had few weapons ( about twenty ) which they used mainly for sniping . At the same time , they launched their bombing campaign in Derry . Unlike in Belfast , they were careful to avoid killing or injuring innocent people . Eamonn McCann wrote that " the Derry Provos , under Martin McGuinness , had managed to bomb the city centre until it looked as if it had been hit from the air without causing any civilian casualties . "
 Although both IRAs operated openly , neither was in control of Free Derry . The barricades were manned by unarmed ' auxiliaries ' . Crime was dealt with by a volunteer force called the Free Derry Police , which was headed by Tony O 'Doherty , a Derry footballer and Northern Ireland International .

 = = Bloody Sunday = =

 An anti @-@ internment protest organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( NICRA ) at Magilligan Camp in January 1972 was met with violence from the 1st Battalion , The Parachute Regiment ( 1 Para ) . NICRA had organised a march from the Creggan to Derry city centre , in defiance of a ban , on the following Sunday , 30 January 1972 . Both IRAs were asked , and agreed , to suspend operations on that day to ensure the march passed off peacefully . The British Army erected barricades around the Free Derry area to prevent marchers from reaching the city centre . On the day , march organisers turned the march away from the barriers and up to Free Derry Corner , but some youths proceeded to the barrier at William Street and stoned soldiers . Troops from 1 Para then moved into Free Derry and opened fire , killing thirteen people , all of whom were subsequently found to be unarmed . A fourteenth shooting victim died four months later in June 1972 . Like the killing of Cusack and Beattie the previous year , Bloody Sunday had the effect of hugely increasing recruitment to the IRA , even among people who previously would have been ' moderates ' .

 = = February - July 1972 = =

 Both the Provisional and Official IRA stepped up attacks after Bloody Sunday , with the tacit support of the residents . Local feelings changed , however , with the killing of Ranger William Best by the Official IRA . Best was a 19 @-@ year @-@ old local man who was home on leave from the British Army at his parents ' house in the Creggan . He was abducted , interrogated and shot . The following day 500 women marched to the Republican Club offices in protest . Nine days later , on 29 May , the Official IRA declared a ceasefire . The Provisional IRA initially stated that they would not follow suit , but after informal approaches to the British Government they announced a ceasefire from 26 June . Martin McGuinness was the Derry representative in a party of senior Provisionals who travelled to London for talks with William Whitelaw , the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland . The talks were not resumed after the ending of the truce following a violent confrontation in Belfast when troops prevented Catholic families from taking over houses in the Lenadoon estate .
 Political pressure for the action against the " no @-@ go " areas increased after the events of Bloody Friday in Belfast . A British Army attack was considered inevitable , and the IRA took the decision not to resist it . On 31 July 1972 , Operation Motorman was launched when thousands of British troops , equipped with armoured cars and armoured bulldozers ( AVREs ) , dismantled the barricades and occupied the area .

 = = Subsequent history = =

 After Operation Motorman , the British Army controlled the Bogside and Creggan by stationing large numbers of troops within the area , by conducting large @-@ scale ' search ' operations that were in fact undertaken for purposes of intelligence gathering , and by setting up over a dozen covert observation posts . Over the following years IRA violence in the city was contained to the point where it was possible to believe ' the war was over ' in the area , although there were still frequent street riots . Nationalists — even those who did not support the IRA — remained bitterly opposed to the army and to the state .
 Many of the residents ' original grievances were addressed with the passing of the Local Government ( Northern Ireland ) Act , 1972 , which redrew the electoral boundaries and introduced universal adult suffrage based on the single transferable vote . Elections were held in May 1973 . Nationalists gained a majority on the council for the first time since 1923 . Since then the area has been extensively redeveloped , with modern housing replacing the old houses and flats . The Free Derry era is commemorated by the Free Derry wall , the murals of the Bogside Artists and the Museum of Free Derry .


 = Come What ( ever ) May =

 Come What ( ever ) May is the second studio album by American alternative metal band Stone Sour . It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Studio 606 in Los Angeles , California , and was released on August 1 , 2006 , through Roadrunner Records . Writing for the album began as early as 2003 when vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist James Root were writing material for their other band , Slipknot . In January 2006 Stone Sour began recording the follow @-@ up to their 2002 debut album Stone Sour , during which time drummer Joel Ekman left the band due to family constraints . He was eventually replaced by ex @-@ Soulfly drummer Roy Mayorga who played on all but two tracks on the album .
 Following the release of the album , Stone Sour went on to promote it for over a year ; releasing five singles and touring in several regions , including the United States , Canada , Japan and several countries in Europe . The album received generally positive reviews . It was praised for showing a progression in the band 's song writing ability and musical style . It was also certified Gold in the United States and Canada and the single " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards . On June 26 , 2007 Stone Sour released a special edition version of the album , it included six previously unreleased tracks and a bonus DVD which featured three music videos and a complete live performance of the band in Moscow . It remains their best @-@ selling album to date , mostly due to the success of the single " Through Glass . "

 = = Production = =

 In September 2005 , lead singer Corey Taylor announced that Stone Sour would return with a second album . He said that they had written over 30 songs , some during the writing process of Vol . 3 : ( The Subliminal Verses ) , the third album by vocalist Taylor and guitarist James Root 's other band Slipknot , and that they were working on demoing the tracks before entering the studio . Dave Fortman was originally slated to produce the album , however , on January 22 , 2006 Stone Sour began working on the album with producer Nick Raskulinecz at Dave Grohl 's personal studio ( Studio 606 ) , in Los Angeles . Time in the studio began with a week of pre @-@ production , during which guitarist Josh Rand says producer Raskulinecz " pushed [ the band ] to the brink and back " to help fine @-@ tune the songs they had previously written . Though Rand and Taylor wrote most of the music and lyrics for the first album , respectively , writing for Come What ( ever ) May was done by all members .
 Following this , the band set out to record 18 tracks and work began on recording Joel Ekman 's drum tracks . However , Ekman was forced to leave the studio after four weeks due to his young son 's diagnosis of a brainstem glioma . With the fate of the album in jeopardy , Stone Sour recruited ex @-@ Soulfly member Roy Mayorga as a session drummer . Mayorga recorded drums for all but two tracks on the album , Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin performed on the track " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " and guitarist Root performed drums on the bonus track " The Day I Let Go . " In an interview with Revolver during the recording process vocalist Taylor talked about the differences between this album and their previous album , Stone Sour . He said that pressures from fans and the record label were much larger ; also noting that he " thrives on the pressure , because it gets [ him ] going . " While promising that " the album 's gonna be miles above the first one , " Taylor explained that it is " more melodic and darker " . In late March 2006 , drummer Joel Ekman officially left Stone Sour and the band was talking with a few drummers who could replace him . On April 7 , 2006 the recording sessions for Come What ( ever ) May concluded . A month later session drummer Roy Mayorga joined Stone Sour on a full @-@ time basis .

 = = Promotion = =

 It was announced in March 2006 that Stone Sour 's second album , which was tentatively titled " Come What May , " would be released on July 18 , 2006 . However , the release date for the album was pushed back until August 22 . Due to the delay Stone Sour released a music video for the track " Reborn " , which featured footage of the band working on the album in the studio . The cover artwork from the album was released online on May 20 , 2006 . Shortly after , it was confirmed by a representative from the band 's record label Roadrunner that the release date had been brought forward , and the official release date would be August 1 , 2006 . On July 31 , 2006 , the day before its release the album was made available online for streaming in its entirety through AOL .
 On May 22 , 2006 the first single from the album , " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " , was made available online as a free MP3 download . A music video for the single was shot with director P.R. Brown in Los Angeles , the video received a premier on MTV 's Headbangers Ball on June 3 , 2006 . Prior to the release of the second single from the album , " Through Glass " , radio stations throughout the US showed high support for the song . A music video for the single was shot with director Tony Petrossian and was released on June 9 , 2006 online through Yahoo ! . The third single from the album , " Sillyworld " , began receiving radio airplay in November 2006 . A music video for the single was shot in January 2007 and was released online on March 8 , 2007 . The fourth single from the album , " Made of Scars " , featured a music video which was recorded live on April 7 , 2007 and was posted online on June 5 , 2007 . The fifth and final single from the album , " Zzyzx Rd . " , started receiving radio airplay in Fall 2007 and no music video was made for the single .
 The band began touring in support of the album prior to its release , initiating touring with several free shows in the US . Followed by multiple appearances at festivals in Europe . They then joined Korn for their 2006 edition of Family Values Tour across the US , which featured 33 dates across 3 months . On August 8 , 2006 Stone Sour made a special guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote and perform their second single " Through Glass . " They also performed at the Japanese festival Summer Sonic midway through the Family Values Tour . Then through November and December 2006 , Stone Sour joined Disturbed for their Music as a Weapon Tour . In January 2007 Stone Sour joined Evanescence for a Canadian tour , followed by a headlining tour of Europe . They then headlined the Spring 2007 Jägermeister Music Tour across the US , followed by headlining tours in Australia and Japan . They then started a tour in Europe playing festivals and select headline shows . They wrapped up touring in support of the album with a headlining tour in the US through August and September in 2007 .

 = = = Special edition = = =

 On June 26 , 2007 , Stone Sour released a special edition version of the album with six previously unreleased tracks and a bonus DVD . The DVD featured a full concert performance by the band from October 2006 in Moscow and the music videos for " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 , " " Through Glass , " and " Sillyworld . " When talking about the special edition , vocalist Taylor said , " we really wanted to do something which was really cool , " saying that this shows the band 's different musical elements and them in their live element , which he says " people really gravitate towards . " In addition to this , Stone Sour released a live album of their concert in Moscow exclusively on iTunes , entitled Live in Moscow .

 = = Musical style = =

 In an interview with MTV in 2006 , vocalist Corey Taylor said that Come What ( ever ) May was a return to the roots of the band , stating it is " a lot more from the spirit of what the band started with in 1992 . " Noting how some songs were " very atmospheric , " while others maintained " the hard rock and the heavy stuff . " Jon Wiederhorn of MTV said that " for every thrash riff there 's a tunefully grungy passage , for every flailing guitar line there 's a rock @-@ radio hook . " When talking about the track " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " , he said parts are " bludgeoning , barbed and heavy , " while others are " soaring and triumphant , " with the production of Raskulinecz helping balance the album 's heaviness with its radio @-@ accessibility . Come What ( ever ) May 's lyrics include themes of " pain , pleasure , happiness , and grief . " The diversity in subjects is evident throughout the album , songs including " Come What ( ever ) May " were politically influenced while the track " Socio " is about " social anxiety attacks " that vocalist Taylor suffered . " Zzyzx Rd " is a love song written to Taylor 's wife for helping him in his struggles against alcoholism and contemplation of suicide . " I 've never written anything like that before , but it was very important for me to tell the world not only how much she saved me , but how much she means to me , " said Taylor . Taylor said there is a common thread with the lyrics throughout the album , saying that they are " about never forgetting where you came from , who you are and why you do this . "

 = = Reception = =

 Come What ( ever ) May was met with generally positive critical reviews . Several reviewers noted on how it helped to further establish Stone Sour . Chad Bower of About.com stated that the band had " progressed a lot since their debut " , noting that the album was " very diverse and [ allows ] the band to show many different sides of their musical personality . " Megan Frye of Allmusic opens her review of the album by distinguishing what sets Stone Sour apart musically , stating " [ it 's their ] ability to create smooth , radio @-@ friendly alternative metal songs while simultaneously not boring the people who have heard way too much from post @-@ grunge groups . " On a similar note , Michael Melchor of 411mania said " the band is much better at the craft of songwriting than many of their peers . " However , in contrast , reviewer William Fry of IGN criticized the album , saying " Stone Sour doesn 't do anything inspired , original , or fresh here " even calling the album " completely misdirected , and stonewalled . " A particular point of interest for reviewers was how Come What ( ever ) May is more melodic than their previous album Stone Sour . Melchor of 411mania said the album is " much more liberal with the balladry and acoustic sounds than its predecessor , " noting on the track " Sillyworld " he said " it sounds like what Nickelback could be if Chad Kroeger could write a good melody " . In his review , Chad Bower labeled Come What ( ever ) May as a " very melodic and accessible album " stating that " it has a little something for everyone . " Similarly , Megan Frye triumphed the album as an " unyielding effort from a promising talent " .
 Come What ( ever ) May sold over 80 @,@ 000 copies in its first week and debuted at the fourth spot on the Billboard 200 in the United States , and went on to be certified gold in the UK , Canada and the United States . In 2007 , the single " 30 / 30 @-@ 150 " was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards .

 = = Track listing = =

 All lyrics written by Corey Taylor , all music composed by Stone Sour .
 On the iTunes deluxe version , the pop version of " Zzyzx Rd . " replaced the original version as the 12th track .

 = = = Special edition DVD = = =

 = = Personnel = =

 = = Chart positions = =


 = Chad at the 2008 Summer Olympics =

 Chad sent a delegation of two athletes to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing , China : Moumi Sébergué , who competed in the men 's 100 meters , and Hinikissia Albertine Ndikert , who competed in the women 's 100 meters and also bore the Chadian flag during ceremonies . The appearance of this delegation marked the tenth appearance of Chad at the Summer Olympics , the first been in 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo , Japan , and its seventh appearance since its Olympic hiatus between 1976 and 1980 . Both Sébergué and Ndikert ranked seventh in their respective heats and did not advance past the qualification round . As of the end of the 2012 London Olympics , there have been no medalists from Chad .

 = = Background = =

 Chad is a landlocked country in Africa whose northern region lies within the eastern reaches of the Sahara Desert and whose southern region lies within the eastern portion of the Sahel . It borders Libya to the south , Niger to the east , Sudan to the west , and the Central African Republic to the north . Chad was originally part of French West Africa until 1960 , when it declared independence . Some four years later , the former French colony made its début at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo , Japan . For the next three decades , Chad became embroiled in civil war and experienced invasions by Libya and upheavals by Sudanese @-@ backed rebels ; the civil war ended in 1990 , although rebel threats had persisted between then and 2008 . During Chad 's greatest era of instability , athletes from the country did not attend the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal , Canada or the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow , USSR , although delegations were sent to all other games between 1964 and 2008 .
 The largest Chadian delegation to reach the Olympics appeared in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul , South Korea and at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , Spain ; each time , Chad 's National Olympic Committee sent six athletes . During the 1992 games , the NOC sent the nation 's first female Olympian . Since then ( and up to the Beijing games ) , at least one woman has been a part of the Chadian delegation . The smallest contingency of Chadian Olympians occurred during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens , Greece , when only Kaltouma Nadjina competed on the country 's behalf . The delegation that arrived in Beijing consisted of two athletes — one man ( 30 @-@ year @-@ old Moumi Sébergué ) and one woman ( 15 @-@ year @-@ old Hinikissia Albertine Ndikert ) , both participants in track events . Ndikert was Chad 's flagbearer at the ceremonies . Up to and including the Beijing games , there has yet to have been a medalist from Chad .

 = = Athletics = =

 Competitors in athletics events could qualify for the next round of competition in two ways . Qualifying by right was posting a high result in their own heat , and qualifying by result was posting a high result in overall standings . Ranks shown are thus those within each heat , not in overall standings .
 Moumi Sébergué represented Chad at the Beijing Olympics in the men 's 100 meters dash . Born in 1977 , Sébergué first participated in the Olympics at age 22 when he raced in the men 's 100 meters at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney , Australia , placing seventh in his qualification heat and not progressing to later rounds . He did not attend the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens , Greece , but returned to the Olympics at Beijing at the age of 30 . During the course of the August 14 , 2008 races in his event , when the qualification round took place , Sébergué competed in the tenth heat against seven other athletes . He finished the race in 11 @.@ 14 seconds , placing seventh in the heat ahead of Tuvalu 's Okinali Tinilau ( 11 @.@ 48 seconds ) and behind Gabon 's Wilfried Bingangoye ( 10 @.@ 87 seconds ) in a heat led by the Netherlands Antilles ' Churandy Martina ( 10 @.@ 35 seconds ) and Japan 's Naoki Tsukahara ( 10 @.@ 39 seconds ) . Of the 80 athletes who participated in the events , the Chadian sprinter ranked 70th . He did not advance to later rounds .
 Hinikissia Albertine Ndikert competed on Chad 's behalf as the national delegation 's only female athlete at the Beijing games . She participated in the women 's 100 meters dash , and was 15 years old at the time of the competition . Ndikert had not previously competed in any Olympic games . During the qualification round of the event , which took place on August 15 , 2008 , Ndikert competed in the eighth heat against seven other athletes . She finished the race in 12 @.@ 55 seconds , placing seventh ; she defeated the Democratic Republic of the Congo 's Franka Magali ( 12 @.@ 57 seconds ) and fell behind Papua New Guinea 's Mae Koime ( 11 @.@ 68 seconds ) in a heat led by Nigeria 's Damola Osayomi ( 11 @.@ 13 seconds ) and the Bahamas ' Debbie Ferguson @-@ McKenzie ( 11 @.@ 17 seconds ) . Of the event 's 85 competitors , Ndikert finished in 64th place . Therefore , Ndikert did not advance to round two and beyond .
 Key
 Note – Ranks given for track events are within the athlete 's heat only
 Q
 = Qualified for the next round
 q =
 Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or , in field events , by position without achieving the qualifying target
 NR
 = National record
 N / A =
 Round not applicable for the event
 Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round


 = View of the World from 9th Avenue =

 View of the World from 9th Avenue ( sometimes A Parochial New Yorker 's View of the World , A New Yorker 's View of the World or simply View of the World ) is a 1976 illustration by Saul Steinberg that served as the cover of the March 29 , 1976 , edition of The New Yorker . The work presents the view from Manhattan of the rest of the world showing Manhattan as the center of the world .
 View of the World has been parodied by Ted Rall , Columbia Pictures , The New Yorker , The Economist and Mad Magazine , among others . The work has been imitated and printed without authorization in a variety of ways . The Columbia parody led to a ruling by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc. in favor of Steinberg because of copyright violations by Columbia Pictures . The work is regarded as one of the greatest magazine covers of recent generations and is studied by art students around the world .

 = = Background = =

 Saul Steinberg created 85 covers and 642 internal drawings and illustrations for The New Yorker , including its March 29 , 1976 cover , titled " View of the World from 9th Avenue " . This is regarded as his most famous work . It is considered an example of unintentional fame : Steinberg has noted that the type of fame that resulted from the work has diminished his significance to " the man who did that poster " . The work is sometimes referred to as A Parochial New Yorker 's View of the World or A New Yorker 's View of the World because it depicts a map of the world as seen by self @-@ absorbed New Yorkers . At one point The New Yorker applied for a copyright from the United States Copyright Office for the work . It assigned the copyright to Steinberg and subsequently reproduced posters of the painting .

 = = Detail = =

 The illustration is split in two parts , with the bottom half of the image showing Manhattan 's 9th Avenue , 10th Avenue , and the Hudson River ( appropriately labeled ) , and the top half depicting the rest of the world . It is a westward view over 10th Avenue . The rest of the United States is the size of the three New York City blocks and is drawn as a rectangle bounded by North American neighbors Canada and Mexico , with a thin brown strip along the Hudson representing " Jersey " , the names of five cities ( Los Angeles ; Washington , D.C. ; Las Vegas ; Kansas City ; and Chicago ) and three states ( Texas , Utah , and Nebraska ) scattered among a few rocks for the United States beyond New Jersey , which is in bolder font than the rest of the country beyond the Hudson . Washington , D.C. is depicted as a remote location near Mexico . The Pacific Ocean , slightly wider than the Hudson , separates the United States from three flattened land masses labeled China , Japan and Russia . Notably , the image depicts the world with a back turned to Europe , which is absent from the painting .
 The work is composed in ink , pencil , colored pencil , and watercolor on paper and measures 28 by 19 inches ( 71 cm × 48 cm ) . When exhibiting this work along with alternate versions and sketches , the University of Pennsylvania summarized the work as a " bird 's @-@ eye view of the city from Ninth Avenue in a straight line westward , with space becoming ever more condensed ... " They also described the work as a tongue @-@ in @-@ cheek view of the world . New York interpreted the New York @-@ centric mind 's view of the rest of the world as a set of outer boroughs as iconic . National Post journalist Robert Fulford described the perspective as one in which the entire world is a suburb of Manhattan .

 = = Parodies = =

 View of the World has been imitated without authorization in a variety of ways . The work has been imitated in postcard format by numerous municipalities , states and nations . Steinberg had stated that he could have retired on royalties from the many parodies made of the painting , had they been paid , a motivation for his eventual copyright lawsuit for the Moscow on the Hudson use . Fulford , writing in The National Post , noted that the metaphor of the world as a suburb of Manhattan was " understood and borrowed " by the whole world . Local artists , especially poster artists , presented similarly compelling depictions of their own provincial perceptions . Fulford demonstrated the prominence of this work by mentioning that a high school in suburban Ottawa made imitating View of the World an assignment in its graphic arts class . He also noted that the results of this assignment was a worldwide variety of global foci from which the students viewed the world .
 The illustration — humorously depicting New Yorkers ' self @-@ image of their place in the world , or perhaps outsiders ' view of New Yorkers ' self @-@ image — inspired many similar works , including the poster for the 1984 film Moscow on the Hudson ; that movie poster led to a lawsuit , Steinberg v. Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc . , 663 F. Supp . 706 ( S.D.N.Y. 1987 ) , which held that Columbia Pictures violated the copyright Steinberg held on his work .
 On June 5 , 2003 , during the first term of George W. Bush 's presidency , Ted Rall presented A View of the World from Pennsylvania Avenue as a Parody of View of the World from 9th Avenue in a Universal Press Syndicate editorial cartoon . He replaced the letters representing The New Yorker with The Bushie .
 The cover was later satirized by Barry Blitt for the cover of The New Yorker on October 6 , 2008 . The cover featured Sarah Palin looking out of her window seeing only Alaska , with Russia in the far background .
 The March 21 , 2009 The Economist included a story entitled " How China sees the World " that presents a parody that is also an homage to the original image , but depicting the viewpoint from Beijing 's Chang 'an Avenue instead of Manhattan . A caption above the illustration reads " Illustration by Jon Berkeley ( with apologies to steinberg and The New Yorker ) " . It accompanied an article that discussed the burgeoning Chinese economy at the time of the contemporary financial crisis .
 The October 1 , 2012 cover of Mad Magazine satirized the problems with the September release of Apple Inc . ' s iOS 6 mobile operating system which included Apple Maps , a replacement for Google Maps . The work presents what View of the World might look like if one had relied upon the September 2012 version of Apple Maps to locate various landmarks .

 = = Critical review = =

 On October 17 , 2005 , American Society of Magazine Editors unveiled its list of the top 40 magazine covers of the prior 40 years and ranked View of the World from 9th Avenue in fourth place . The listing stated that the work " ... has come to represent Manhattan 's telescoped perception of the country beyond the Hudson River . The cartoon showed the supposed limited mental geography of Manhattanites . "


 = Bintulu =

 Bintulu / biːnˈtuːluː / ( Chinese : 民都魯 ; pinyin : Míndūlǔ ; Pe ̍ h @-@ ōe @-@ jī : Bîn @-@ to ͘ -ló ͘ ) is a coastal town on the island of Borneo in the central region of Sarawak , Malaysia . Bintulu is located 610 kilometres ( 380 mi ) northeast of Kuching , 216 kilometres ( 134 mi ) northeast of Sibu , and 200 kilometres ( 120 mi ) southwest of Miri . With a population of 114 @,@ 058 as of 2010 , Bintulu is the capital of the Bintulu District of the Bintulu Division of Sarawak , Malaysia .
 The name of Bintulu was derived from the local native language " Mentu Ulau " ( picking heads ) . Bintulu was a small fishing village when Rajah James Brooke acquired it in 1861 . Brooke later built a fort there in 1862 . In 1867 , the first General Council meeting ( now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) was convened in Bintulu . It is the earliest state legislature system in Malaysia . The construction of the earliest airstrip in Bintulu began in 1934 but was halted in 1938 due to financial difficulties . During World War II , the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces . The British later rebuilt the airstrip , and it became fully operational in 1955 . The old airport was replaced by a new airport in 2002 . Bintulu remained a fishing village until 1969 when oil and gas reserves were discovered off the coast . Since then , Bintulu has become the centre of energy intensive industries such as a Malaysia LNG plant , a Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis plant , and a Bintulu combined cycle power plant . The economy has also expanded into oil palm and forest plantations , palm oil processing , wood @-@ waste processing , and cement manufacturing . The port of Bintulu is the busiest in Sarawak . The town is also a gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park .
 Among the tourist attractions in Bintulu are Similajau National Park , Tumbina Park , Tanjung Batu beach , Jepak village , Kuan Yin Tong temple , Assyakirin mosque , Council Negri monument , Tamu Bintulu , and Pasar Utama markets . The Borneo International Kite Festival is held annually in the town .

 = = Etymology = =

 During the 16th century , Bintulu was named " River de Burulu " by Portuguese cartographers . There are several legends surrounding the name Bintulu . During the Brooke dynasty , the indigenous Iban people practised headhunting to maintain their social status in the community . They threw the heads into the Kemena River , after which the heads had to be collected from the river . The practice of collecting the heads was known as " Mentu Ulau " ( picking heads ) in the local native language . Another story relates that two Iban warriors named Bernik and Jelab built houses along the river . They and their followers frequently carried out preservation of severed heads near a small river stream branching off from Sebezaw River because the river bank was flat and wide . Therefore , the small river stream was named " Mentu Ulau " river . Outsiders who came to Bintulu subsequently pronounced the name as " Mentulau " , and later the name evolved into " Bentulu " and , finally , " Bintulu " .

 = = History = =

 = = = Brooke dynasty = = =

 James Brooke was appointed the White Rajah of Sarawak ( now known as Kuching ) by the Bruneian Empire in 1841 . In 1861 , the Sultanate of Brunei ceded the Bintulu region to Brooke . Bintulu was a small settlement at that time . A wooden fort named Fort Keppel was built in the village , named after Sir Henry Keppel , who was a close friend of the Rajah James and Charles Brooke . Sir Henry Keppel was responsible for crushing the Dayak piracy in the Saribas between 1840 and 1850 . Meanwhile , Charles Brooke was a nephew of James Brooke and would later become the latter 's successor as the second Rajah of Sarawak . Odoardo Beccari , an Italian botanist , visited Bintulu in 1867 . On 4 August , he started his journey on a gunboat named " Heartsease " , which was to send $ 6 @,@ 000 to Brunei for concessions being made to James Brooke in the Mukah and Bintulu regions . He went to Labuan before coming back to Bintulu . He dropped off at Kemena River on 13 August 1867 . His observations of the village were recorded as follows :
 The fort of Bintulu which was built entirely of wood , was in somewhat ruinous condition . It stood nearly on the sea @-@ shore , and just behind it , at a distance of few paces , the primeval forests commenced ... Some chinamen had settled at the vicinity of the fort and had built a small bazaar ; but the village is chiefly formed by the houses of the Melanau beyond the Chinese kampong ( village ) . These Melanaus used to live further up the river , but since the construction of the fort , and the installation of an officer of the Rajah near the mouth of the river , they came to settle near the sea – a thing they would never have dared to do in former days for fear of the attacks of the Lanun pirates and Dayak pirates .
 The houses of the Melanau people were built in rows on both sides of the Kemena River , mostly furnished by Nipah and Sago palms . Each house had its own shed projection into the entrance of the river , which was used for the processing of Sago palms . On 8 September 1867 , the first Sarawak General Council meeting ( now Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) took place here . It was made up of 21 elected local community members ( five British officers and 16 Malay and Melanau local chiefs ) . The Council was formed by Raja Muda Charles Brooke under orders from Rajah James Brooke . The Council is the oldest state legislative assembly in Malaysia .

 = = = Japanese occupation = = =

 During World War II , Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke ordered the construction of airstrips in Kuching , Oya , Mukah , Bintulu , and Miri . Construction of the Bintulu airstrip was started in 1934 under the direction of C. W. Bailey , a Works and Building Inspector for the British Royal Air Force ( RAF ) . All the airstrips were completed except for the Bintulu airstrip , where construction was discontinued in October 1938 due to financial reasons . Japanese forces landed in Miri on 16 December 1941 . Sarawak fell into Japanese hands when they conquered Kuching on 24 December 1941 . When the Japanese invaded Sarawak , Charles Vyner Brooke already left for Sydney ( Australia ) before the attack while his officers were captured by the Japanese and interned at the Batu Lintang camp . During the Japanese occupation , the Japanese used the airstrip for military purposes . However , the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces . The British began reconstruction of the airstrip after the war ; during the project many unexploded bombs were unearthed .
 On 5 September 1942 , Japanese Field Marshal Prince Maida ( 前田利为 ) boarded a plane from Kuching to Labuan to officiate an airport that bears his name . However , he never arrived . One month later , the plane was found to have crashed off the coast of Tanjung Datu , Bintulu . The cause of the plane crash was not known . The Japanese later set up a wooden pole memorial made up of Belian wood in Bintulu . The wooden pole was later taken back to Japan by the family of Prince Maida .
 Chinese sawmill owners at Sibu and Bintulu were instructed by the Japanese to produce timber for repairs at oil fields and ship building . During the Japanese occupation , sawmills at Bintulu produced a total of 4 @,@ 000 tons of sawn timber .

 = = = Post @-@ war period = = =

 In the 1950s , major economic activities in Bintulu were the timber extraction industry , fishing , and Sago processing . In the 1960s , Bintulu was still a small fishing village , with a population of 5 @,@ 000 . No roads were constructed in Bintulu until 1969 when the first untarred road was built to connect Bintulu to Miri . The first bus that serviced the Miri – Bintulu route was owned by Majlis Amanah Rakyat ( MARA ) . The MARA bus line was an initiative by the Malaysian federal government to provide public transportation for the people . The Iban villagers paid the bus driver with " vegetables , chickens , bamboo shoots , and other items " . Before 1960 , Bintulu was connected to Kuching by sea through a ship named " Swee Joo " . After 1960 , the ship " Chin Chin " was added to the route . It took around 36 to 48 hours to reach Bintulu from Kuching , depending on the sea conditions . Due to lack of food supplies from Kuching , the villagers had to make do with limited food , and several villagers resorted to hunting in the jungles to supplement the food supply .
 In 1960 there were only three primary schools in Bintulu . These schools provided classes until Primary 3 level . There were no secondary schools . Villagers could pursue their secondary school studies at either Miri or Kuching by using small boats as there were no roads connecting Bintulu to either Miri or Kuching . Bintulu Government Secondary School was opened in 1964 . In 1967 Bintulu celebrated the first 100 years of the Council Negri meeting ( Sarawak State Legislative Assembly ) . A stone monument was built in front of a government rice storeroom to commemorate the event . Bintulu was a sub @-@ district of Miri Division in the 1970s . The sub @-@ district was upgraded into a district in 1987 .

 = = = Discovery of oil and gas reserves = = =

 Large reserves of natural gas were discovered off the coast of Bintulu in 1969 . Following this , a feasibility study was done in 1975 , and Tanjung Kidurong was found to be a suitable site for a deep @-@ water port . On 14 June 1978 , Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd ( MLNG Satu ) was established by Petronas , a Malaysian national oil and gas company for Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) processing at Bintulu . On 8 July 1978 , the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) was established by the Sarawak state government for infrastructure development and to promote industrial investment in the area . On 15 August 1981 , the Bintulu Port Authority was established at Tanjung Kidurong , starting operation on 1 January 1983 . Since the establishment of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy ( SCORE ) in 2008 , Bintulu become the gateway to Samalajau Industrial Park , which is located 62 kilometres ( 39 mi ) away from Bintulu . The industrial park is a centre of heavy , energy @-@ intensive industry . Among the companies that started their operations in the industrial park are Tokuyama Malaysia Sdn Bhd , Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd , and OM Materials Sdn Bhd .
 Rural – urban migration is significant in Bintulu because of greater job availability in the town . Since 2007 , new residents have started several squatter areas in Bintulu due to inability to find affordable housing , around Kidurong Industrial estate and Sungai Sebatang . To address the issue , several low @-@ cost housing projects were initiated by BDA and Sarawak state government to relocate the squatters . The state government planned to achieve zero squatters status by the year 2020 . Bintulu also saw the rise in the number of residential and commercial properties such as double @-@ storeyed terraced houses , terraced shopoffices , Kidurong Commercial Centre , and Time Square Shopping Mall . Residential properties has shown a 20 % price increase from 2011 to 2013 .

 = = Governance = =

 Bintulu is represented by Bintulu parliamentary seat ( P. 217 ) in the Parliament of Malaysia . The town is also represented by three state assembly seats – Jepak , Kidurong ( later was split by two state assembly namely Tanjung Batu and Samalaju ) , and Kemena – in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly .

 = = = Local authorities = = =

 Since 1978 the town of Bintulu has been administered by the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) , with offices located along Jalan Tanjung Kidurong . The town is located within the boundary of Bintulu District , with a population of 183 @,@ 402 and a total area of 7 @,@ 220 @.@ 40 square kilometres ( 2 @,@ 787 @.@ 81 sq mi ) . Bintulu Division was formerly a Bintulu District under the jurisdiction of Miri Division . The former Bintulu District was upgraded to Bintulu Division on 1 January 1987 . At the same time , Bintulu sub @-@ district was upgraded to the present @-@ day Bintulu District . Both the Bintulu Resident and District offices are located inside Wisma Residen , Pisang Keling Street , Bintulu .

 = = Geography = =

 Bintulu is located 610 kilometres ( 380 mi ) northeast of Kuching 216 kilometres ( 134 mi ) northeast of Sibu , and 200 kilometres ( 120 mi ) southwest of Miri . Bintulu is located near the mouth of the Kemena River , in the coastal region of central Sarawak . Geology of the coastal area was formed during the Pleistocene period ; silt , clay , and gravel can be found here . Geological formation from the Oligocene period is found in the inland area , which contains limestone , siltstone , and sandstone . The soil is generally soft .

 = = = Climate = = =

 There are two monsoon seasons in the Bintulu : the northeast moonsoon ( November to March ) and the southwest moonsoon ( May to September ) . The calm period between these two moonsoons is known as the transitional period . In the coastal region , maximum rainfall occurs in the month of January , while minimal rainfall occurs from the period June to August . Rainfall is more evenly distributed in the inland areas . The annual rainfall of the Bintulu region is about 3 @,@ 750 mm ( 148 in ) annually . The mean daily hours of sunshine at Bintulu is about 5 @.@ 0 to 5 @.@ 5 hours . Bintulu receives on average 14 to 15 mJ / m2 of radiation throughout the year . Bintulu 's relative humidity is 85 % .

 = = Demographics = =

 The growth of Bintulu 's population is shown below :
 The issue of gangsters in Bintulu was first raised in 2007 by the member of parliament ( MP ) for Bintulu . The gangsters may have run businesses related to illegal logging , controlling the prices of diesel , eggs , fertiliser and gas cylinders . Bintulu police have been cracking down on gangster activities in the town . Unscrupulous businessmen who seek cheap labour have caused a rise in the number of illegal immigrants in Bintulu . The number may have reached 50 @,@ 000 in 2009 . Bintulu immigration department has performed several operations to deport illegal immigrants back to their home country .

 = = = Ethnicity = = =

 As of the 2010 Malaysian census , the population of the town of Bintulu is 114 @,@ 058 . Indigenous people accounted for the largest proportion of the town population ( 61 @.@ 2 % , 69 @,@ 782 ) , followed by Chinese ( 25 @.@ 0 % , 28 @,@ 512 ) , Non @-@ Malaysians ( 13 @.@ 1 % , 14 @,@ 939 ) , and Indians ( 0 @.@ 28 % , 319 ) . Among the indigenous groups , there are Iban ( 32 @,@ 992 ) , Malay ( 14 @,@ 945 ) , Melanau ( 14 @,@ 179 ) , Bidayuh ( 1 @,@ 598 ) , and other indigenous tribes ( 6 @,@ 068 ) . According to government sources , there are 229 Iban longhouses in the Bintulu District . The Ibans moved into Kemena and Tatau basins in the mid @-@ 19th and early 20th century with permission of the Brooke government . Other indigenous tribes that form the minority are Kayan , Kenyah , and Punan . The Chinese in Bintulu are mainly composed of dialect groups such as Hakka , Fuzhou , and Teochews . The Chinese have been living in the town of Tatau since the era of Bruneian Empire . Later , Fuzhou Chinese from Sibu moved in , dominating the timber and plantation businesses in Bintulu . There is also a large number of foreigners working there . Most of them come from Britain , Australia , the Netherlands , Germany , South Africa , New Zealand , Japan , China , the United States , and Indonesia .

 = = = Languages = = =

 While Malay is the official language of Sarawak ; English is widely spoken there . Local ethnic languages and Chinese dialects are spoken by the respective ethnic groups . Standard Chinese is also spoken by ethnic Chinese in Bintulu . Bintulu is spoken by communities living along the Kemena River , with 4 @,@ 200 native speakers . These speakers are now recognised as part of the Melanau ethnic group , where their main language is Malay . Bintulu is classified as one of the endangered languages in Sarawak because of the isolated usage of the language in a small community .

 = = = Religion = = =

 The majority of the Bintulu population are adherents of Christian denominations due to Christian missionaries operating during the Brooke dynasty ; followed by Islam , Buddhism , and Hinduism . Among the notable places of worship in Bintulu are the Bintulu Mosque ( Masjid Assyakirin ) , Masjid Jepak , Tua Pek Kong Temple , Eng Kwang Methodist Church , and St. Thomas Church . The respective religious groups are free to hold processions in the town .

 = = Economy = =

 There are five industrial estates in Bintulu . They are : Kemena Industrial Estate ( for wood @-@ based industries ) , Jepak Industries Estate ( wood @-@ based industries ) , Kidurong Industrial Area ( for medium and light industries ) , Kidurong Light Industrial Estate ( medium and light industries ) , and Bintulu Light Industrial Estate ( light industry ) .

 = = = Oil and gas = = =

 Malaysia LNG is a Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) manufacturing complex located in Bintulu that currently contains eight LNG trains with a ninth one currently under construction . The complex was built by the Malaysian national oil and gas company , Petronas . The manufacturing complex has a production capacity of 25 @.@ 7 million tonnes per annum . Petronas is also planning to open Floating LNG ( FLNG ) offshore Bintulu , which is used specifically to harvest natural gas from small and isolated gas fields . Transportation of natural gas from the neighouring state of Kimanis , Sabah , to the LNG complex at Bintulu is facilitated by a 512 @-@ kilometre ( 318 mi ) pipeline known as the " Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline " . Currently , 45 % of Malaysian natural gas is found at Central Luconia off the coast of Bintulu . The largest importers of Malaysia LNG productions are Japan ( 62 % ) , Korea ( 17 % ) , Taiwan ( 12 % ) , and China ( 9 % ) .
 The Sarawak Shell Bintulu Plant ( SSBP ) , formerly known as Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal ( BCOT ) , was established in 1979 . It consists of three crude oil storage tanks , each with a capacity of 410 @,@ 000 barrels . It has three major areas of operation : Crude Oil Operations , Condensate Stabilisation , and Gas Sales Facilities . Royal Dutch Shell started to establish the world 's first Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis plant ( Shell MDS ) in 1993 . It is also known as Bintulu Gas @-@ To @-@ Liquid plant ( Bintulu GTL ) . The plant has a production capacity of 14 @,@ 770 barrels per day with a total investment of over US $ 1 billion as of the year 2010 . The plant is staffed with 380 people , of whom 93 % are Malaysians , with 80 % of the staff coming from Sarawak .

 = = = Wood @-@ based industries and plantations = = =

 Since the opening up of the Bintulu – Miri road in the 1970s , large @-@ scale plantations of oil palm and cocoa has been developed in rural areas of Bintulu Division . Currently , there are 57 @,@ 740 hectares ( 577 @.@ 4 km2 ( 223 sq mi ) ) of oil palm , 2 @,@ 000 hectares ( 200 km2 ( 77 sq mi ) ) of Rattan , and 815 hectares ( 8 @.@ 15 km2 ( 3 sq mi ) ) of pepper plantations .
 The first Bintulu palm oil refinery , Bintulu Edible Oil Sdn Bhd , was established in June 1991 . Bintulu currently has four palm oil refineries : Bintulu Edible Oils Sdn Bhd ( operated under PGEO Group , a subsidiary of Wilmar International ) , Sime Darby Austral Edible Oil Sdn Bhd , Kirana Palm Oil Refinery Sdn Bhd , and Sarawak Oil Palm Bhd . However , as of 2015 , Wilmar no longer buys raw palm oil produced from cleared forests and peat swamps in Sarawak because of environmental concerns .
 The Bintulu Division has been designated as a Planted Forests Zone ( PFZ ) by the Sarawak state government since 1998 . As of 30 June 2011 , a total of 124 @,@ 618 hectares ( 1 @,@ 246 @.@ 18 km2 ( 481 sq mi ) ) has been planted with acacia trees . Other trees that are planned for plantations are kelampayan , engkabang , durian , batai , eucalyptus , and rubber trees . Sarawak Planted Forest Sdn Bhd , a company wholly owned by the Sarawak state government , has been granted a license to replant forests for 60 years . However , the company has been suffering financial losses from 2009 to 2011 .
 There are three mills in Bintulu that process wood @-@ waste products . Two are Medium @-@ density fibreboard ( MDF ) plants and the third is a charcoal briquette plant , with a total installed capacity of 246 @,@ 000 cubic metres ( 8 @,@ 700 @,@ 000 cu ft ) per year . MDF plants utilise wood waste purchased from sawmills and plywood mills in the Bintulu area and occasionally from the Tanjung Manis timber processing zone located at the mouth of the Rajang River . Synthetic resins , which are required to hold wood dust together , constituted 20 % of the total production cost of the wood panel products . MDF plants in Bintulu are operated by Daiken Sarawak Sdn Bhd , which was founded on 15 February 1994 . The briquette plant is operated by Cipta Briquette Sdn Bhd . A glue / adhesive factory in Bintulu is owned by Bintulu Adhesive & Chemicals Sdn Bhd . It produces urea formaldehyde resin and phenol formaldehyde resin for plywood and chipboard manufacturing at Kemena Industrial Estate . Urea precondensate is also produced to supply ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser ( ABF ) plant .

 = = = Others = = =

 The Bintulu Port Authority was established in 1981 . It started port operation in 1983 at Tanjung Kidurong . Following a privatisation exercise , Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd ( BPSB ) was founded on 23 December 1992 and commenced operation on 1 January 1993 . BPA is currently responsible for regulatory exercises and security of the port . Meanwhile , BPSB is responsible for cargo handling at the Bintulu International Container Terminal ( BICT ) . The port also provides Vessel traffic service to shipping vessels . The annual total cargo throughput is 45 @.@ 4 million tonnes , consisting of 58 % LNG and 42 % non @-@ LNG products . As of 31 December 2014 , it generated a total revenue of RM 552 @.@ 3 million per year . Bintulu Port is the busiest port in Sarawak .
 The ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser plant is the anhydrous ammonia and granular plant operated by ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser Sdn Bhd ( ABF ) , which is partly owned by Petronas . The company was formed on 6 December 1980 . The plant started operation on 1 October 1985 . It is also one of the largest granular urea plants in Asia . It is a joint venture by five ASEAN countries : Malaysia ( 63 @.@ 5 % shares ) , Thailand ( 13 % ) , Indonesia ( 13 % ) , the Philippines ( 9 @.@ 5 % ) , and Singapore ( 1 % ) .
 Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad ( CMSB ) , one of the largest publicly traded companies in Sarawak , set up a cement plant in Bintulu at Kidurong Industrial Estate . The plant , manned by 40 people , produces ordinary Portland cement and Portland blast furnace cement . It currently has a combined production capacity of 2 @.@ 75 million MT ( million tonnes ) .
 The Bintulu combined cycle power plant was started in early 2010 with a capacity of 317 megawatts . The power plant is registered under the United Nations Clean Development Management ( CDM ) scheme as of 18 September 2010 . The plant is built to ensure efficient use of energy and reduce green house gas emissions . It is the first CDM power plant in Malaysia , currently operated by Sarawak Power Generation Sdn Bhd ( SPG ) , a wholly owned subsidiary of Sarawak Energy .

 = = Transportation = =

 = = = Land = = =

 All roads in Bintulu are maintained by the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) . Bintulu is connected to Miri and Sibu by the Pan Borneo Highway . Bintulu is also connected to Mukah and Samalaju Industrial Park . Kemena Bridge crosses the Kemena River . It is the second bridge in Malaysia built using the incremental launch method . Keppel Road in Bintulu is named after a friend of James Brooke , Sir Henry Keppel .

 = = = = Public transportation = = = =

 Bintulu has a long @-@ distance bus station , located at Medan Jaya , 5 km ( 3 mi ) northeast of the town centre . Among the areas served by the bus station are : Miri , Sibu , Kuching , Mukah , Sarikei , Oya , Dalat , Balingian , and Pontianak , Indonesia . The bus companies that serve the station are the Syarikat Baram Sdn . Bhd , MTC , Biaramas , and Suria bus lines . There are also buses that serve the town area . Taxi service is also available .

 = = = Air = = =

 The old Bintulu airport was built in 1955 in the town centre . It once held the Guinness World Record of nearest airport to town . On 19 December 2002 , the airport was replaced by a new airport , which is located 23 km ( 14 mi ) away from the town centre . The surroundings of the old airport were developed into commercial and residential projects while the runaway is reserved for Bintulu International Kite Festival . The new airport has a runway measuring 2 @,@ 745 m ( 9 @,@ 006 ft ) , capable of handling planes as large as the Airbus A330 . The airport currently serves three major airlines : Malaysia Airlines ( MAS ) , Air Asia , and MASwings , connecting to domestic destinations such as : Sibu , Miri , Kuching , Kuala Lumpur , and Kota Kinabalu .

 = = = Water = = =

 There is a wharf terminal at Bintulu that serves the rural areas of Bintulu Division . Among the destinations that can be reached by express boat from Bintulu are : Sebauh , Pandan , Labang , Tubau , and Binyo .

 = = Other utilities = =

 = = = Courts of law and legal enforcement = = =

 The current court complex is located at Pisang Emas Road . It comprises the High Court , the Sessions Court , and the Magistrate Court . Bintulu also has Syariah Subordinate Court , located at Tanjung Kidurong , whose area of jurisdiction covers Bintulu District and Tatau districts . The Bintulu central police station is located at Tun Hussein Onn Road , with other police stations located at Tanjung Kidurong , Tubau , and Sebauh . There is also a central prison in Bintulu , which doubles as a correctional centre .

 = = = Healthcare = = =

 Bintulu Hospital started operation in 1968 . It is located at Nyabau Road , 12 km ( 7 @.@ 5 mi ) from the town centre . Following renovations completed on 21 May 2000 , the hospital is now equipped with 200 beds . As of 2011 , the hospital provides speciality services in seven medical disciplines . Bintulu also has one polyclinic , Polyclinic Bintulu . There are two private hospitals in Bintulu : Columbia Asia Hospital and Bintulu Medical Centre .

 = = = Education = = =

 There are about 50 primary and eight secondary schools in Bintulu . All the schools under the National Education System are managed by the Bintulu District Education Office . The oldest primary schools in Miri are St Anthony 's Primary School ( Roman Catholic Mission School ) , Chung Hua Primary School , and the Orang Kaya Mohammad Primary School , which were established in the early 1960s . The Bintulu Government Secondary School was built in 1964 . It is now known as SMK Bintulu , the oldest secondary school in the town . Bintulu also has one Chinese independent school , Kai Dee Middle School ( 开智中学 ) . The Shell Oil Company established the Kidurong International School in 1982 to meet the primary education needs of Shell employees ' children . The school provides English National Curriculum ( ENC ) for literacy and numeracy and International Primary Curriculum ( IPC ) for other subjects .
 UPM Bintulu Sarawak Campus was started as the National Resource Training Centre , Kuching , in 1974 . The oldest campus in Sarawak , it was relocated to Bintulu in 1987 as a branch campus of the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia ( UPM ) . The campus was closed down in 1992 before reopening in 2001 as Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ) . During this period of closure , the campus was used as the site for Maktab Perguruan Sains Bintulu ( Bintulu Science Teachers ' Training College ) from 1994 to July 1999 when it was moved to Kota Samarahan as Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tun Abdul Razak ( Tun Abdul Razak Teachers ' Training Institute Campus ) . The UPM campus is currently located 13 km ( 8 mi ) away from the town centre , occupying 715 ha ( 1 @,@ 767 acres ) , which can accommodate up to 2 @,@ 200 students . This branch campus currently has only one faculty , the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences , consisting of five academic departments . In 2015 UPM was ranked 41st in the UI @-@ Greenmetric World University rankings . SEDAMAI College , established in November 1999 , offers courses in business , information technology , language , and engineering .
 There is also a technical school located 15 km ( 9 mi ) away from the town , near Tanjung Kidurong , occupying 20 ha ( 49 acres ) of land . The school was built in 1982 with a maximum capacity of 900 students . Among the courses offered are : automotive , mechanical and civil engineering , commerce , and fashion . Gulf Golden International Flying Academy ( GGIFA ) , the first and only flying academy in Sarawak , was closed in 2012 due to financial difficulties .

 = = = Libraries = = =

 The first public library in Bintulu was built in 1971 by Bintulu District Council ( BDC ) . In 1988 the library was demolished to make way for car parks . Books from the library were moved into the former BDC building . On 29 May 2000 , the Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA ) public library was built near the Bintulu Civic Centre , which is 2 km ( 1 @.@ 2 mi ) from the town . The public library has three branches : at Kidurong , Tatau , and Sebauh .

 = = Culture and leisure = =

 = = = Attractions and recreational spots = = =

 = = = = Cultural = = = =

 Kampung Jepak ( Jepak village ) is a Melanau fishing village in Bintulu located near Kemena River . Among the daily activities in this village are Sago processing , fish drying , and the manufacturing of Belacan , Cencaluk ( salted shrimp ) , Terendak ( Melanau headgear ) , and Tutop ( a type of food cover ) . Kuan Yin Tong temple is located at KM2 Jalan Sultan Iskandar . It has a structural design with a rock garden courtyard , man @-@ made waterfall , and dragon fencing . Assyakirin mosque , meaning " Gratefulness to God " , has a man @-@ made waterfall , a fountain , and a landscape planted with flowers . The Borneo International Kite Festival has been held yearly since 2005 at the old Bintulu airport runway . It usually lasts for four to five days in September .

 = = = = Historical = = = =

 In 1987 a clock tower and a fountain were erected at Council Negri Monument . A centenary stone that was erected in 1967 to commemorate the event is kept under the clock tower . The Bintulu Tua Pek Kong temple ( near Tamu Bintulu ) is believed to have been built in the 1890s to purge the town from evil spirits . The temple survived World War II , and was rebuilt after the discovery of oil and gas reserves offshore .

 = = = = Leisure and conservation areas = = = =

 Similajau National Park is located 30 km ( 19 mi ) northeast of the town . The park was gazetted in 1976 , covering an area of 8 @,@ 996 ha ( 22 @,@ 230 acres ) ( 89 @.@ 96 km2 ( 35 sq mi ) with sandy beaches , rocky headlands , jungle streams , and forests . Other national parks that can be accessed along the Miri – Bintulu road are the Lambir Hills National Park and Niah National Park .
 Tanjung Batu beach ( Temasya beach ) is located 3 km ( 1 @.@ 9 mi ) from the town centre . Meanwhile , Taman Tumbina ( Tumbina Park ) is located 4 km ( 2 @.@ 5 mi ) from the town centre . The park has a hornbill aviary , a butterfly garden , and a mini @-@ zoo .

 = = = = Other attractions = = = =

 Kidurong Tower is an observation tower located at Tanjung Kidurong . It offers a view of the Bintulu oil and gas facilities shortly after nightfall . Bintulu Promenade is a 3 @-@ kilometre ( 2 mi ) walkway along the Bintulu coastline with the Kemena River mouth as its focal point . It has the observation points offering sunset views . There is also an 18 @-@ hole golf course at Bintulu .

 = = = = Shopping = = = =

 There are several shopping malls in Bintulu : ParkCity Mall , City Point , Ngiu Kee Departmental Stores , Farley shopping complex , Sing Kwong Supermarkets , and MDS @-@ Mart . Time Square Mall is currently under development in Bintulu , with Everrise as the anchor tenant .
 Tamu Bintulu and Pasar Utama are the two main markets in the town . Both places have a unique cone @-@ shaped roof that symbolises the traditional Melanau headgear named Terendak . Tamu Bintulu offers items ranging from jungle produce to native home @-@ made specialties such as Belacan . Meanwhile , Pasar Utama houses both wet market and dry market under one roof , providing fresh vegetables , fruits , fish , and dairy products . The first floor of Pasar Utama offers a variety of fast food such as Laksa , Kolok Mee , Jawa Mee , Pulut Panggang , ais batu campur , cendol , and teh tarik . The Bintulu night market is located on Kampung Dagang road . There are over 150 stalls selling a variety of items such as garments , electric goods , vegetables , fruits , food and drinks .


 = Zrinski Battalion =

 The Zrinski Battalion ( Croatian : Bojna Zrinski ) was a special forces unit of the Croatian National Guard ( Zbor narodne garde – ZNG ) and later of the Croatian Army ( Hrvatska vojska – HV ) established in Kumrovec on 18 May 1991 , during the Croatian War of Independence . The unit drew personnel from the special police forces and a former French Foreign Legion troops serving as its core . The battalion was set up and initially commanded by Ante Roso , while Major Miljenko Filipović took over as the commanding officer in August .
 The Zrinski Battalion trained volunteer troops in Vukovar in June 1991 before it saw action in Hrvatska Kostajnica , the Battle of Gospić and near Slano in 1991 . By the end of 1991 , the unit 's personnel were tasked with setting up an additional special forces unit of the HV . The next year its elements took part in the Battle of Kupres and Operation Tiger aimed at lifting the Siege of Dubrovnik . It also and helped develop and train the Croatian Defence Council ( Hrvatsko vijeće obrane – HVO ) , setting up a training camp in Tomislavgrad . In 1993 , the battalion took part in Operation Maslenica . In February 1994 , the Zrinski Battalion was amalgamated with several other HV special forces units into the 1st Croatian Guards Brigade ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zdrug ) , a component of the 1st Croatian Guards Corps ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zbor ) .

 = = Background = =

 In 1990 , following the electoral defeat of the government of the Socialist Republic of Croatia , ethnic tensions between Croats and Croatian Serbs worsened . The Yugoslav People 's Army ( Jugoslavenska narodna armija – JNA ) believed Croatia would use the Croatian Territorial Defence Force 's ( Teritorijalna obrana – TO ) equipment to build its own army and confront the JNA itself . In order to minimize the expected resistance , the JNA confiscated the TO weapons . On 17 August , the tensions escalated into an open revolt of the Croatian Serbs .
 In the beginning of 1991 , Croatia had no regular army . In an effort to bolster its defence , Croatia doubled the size of its police force to about 20 @,@ 000 . The most effective part of the force was the 3 @,@ 000 @-@ strong special police that were deployed in 12 battalions , adopting military organisation . In addition there were 9 @,@ 000 – 10 @,@ 000 regionally organised reserve police . The reserve police were set up in 16 battalions and 10 companies , but they lacked weapons needed to arm many of the troops .
 Preparations to set up the Croatian National Guard ( Zbor narodne garde – ZNG ) began on 12 April 1991 . Establishment of the ZNG as a police force with military capabilities was thought necessary by the Croatian authorities following armed clashes in Pakrac and at Plitvice Lakes in March and due to the possibility of further confrontation with the JNA . The ZNG , formally established on 23 April , was tasked with protection of the constitutional order , maintenance of public order , anti @-@ terrorist operations , protection of Croatia 's borders , territory , coast and territorial waters , as well as the protection of high @-@ value structures and high @-@ profile persons .

 = = Service = =

 On 18 May 1991 , the Zrinski Battalion was established as a special forces unit of the ZNG . The core of the unit consisted of 27 volunteers drawn from the Kumrovec Special Police Unit ( SPU ) . Initially , it relied on former French Foreign Legion troops . The most senior among the former legionnaires was Ante Roso , previously a Sous @-@ Officier ( non @-@ commissioned officer – NCO ) in the 4th Foreign Regiment . In consequence , Roso was tasked with setting up the unit as its initial commander . Major Miljenko Filipović , likewise a former French Foreign Legion member , was assigned the battalions deputy commander . The unit was based in the village of Kumrovec in the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje , on the grounds of the former " Josip Broz Tito " political school . The site , adjacent to the border of Slovenia , was selected to be inaccessible to Yugoslav Air Force raids without violation of Slovene or possibly Austrian airspace . In June 1991 , the Kumrovec SPU was transferred to Sljeme Peak north of Zagreb leaving Kumrovec base to the Zrinski Battalion , as well as the second special forces unit , the Frankopan Battalion .
 The Zrinski Battalion was deployed for the first time on 15 June . It was stationed in Vukovar , tasked with preparation of city defences and organisation of volunteer troops . In August , Filipović took over command of the battalion from Roso . The same month , the Zrinski Battalion was deployed to the Banovina , where it pushed the Croatian Serb forces out of the town of Hrvatska Kostajnica . In September , the battalion was deployed to Gospić , where it took part in battle to control Gospić against the JNA . Troops assigned to the battalion captured Kaniža barracks in Gospić . During combat in Gospić , 30 troops of the Zrinski Battalion , assisted by Lučko SPU , captured JNA Major General Trajče Krstevski , along with three armoured personnel carriers ( APCs ) and 32 soldiers . The unit was deployed to Metković on 28 October , tasked with recapturing Slano from the JNA . After the deployment to Gospić , a part of the unit personnel left to Bosnia and Herzegovina anticipating further conflict there , while the remainder of the unit returned to Kumrovec . The ZNG was renamed the Croatian Army ( Hrvatska vojska – HV ) on 3 November 1991 . In late 1991 , personnel of the Zrinski Battalion set up another special forces unit of the HV — the Matija Vlačić Battalion based in Opatija .
 In 1992 , elements of the Zrinski Battalion took part in the Battle of Kupres , before setting up a training camp in the town of Tomislavgrad . There the battalion personnel assisted in setting up and trained the Croatian Defence Council ( Hrvatsko vijeće obrane – HVO ) . Later that year , elements of the battalion took part in Operation Tiger — aimed at lifting of the Siege of Dubrovnik . In 1993 , elements of the Zrinski Battalion took part in Operation Maslenica , fighting in the area of Škabrnja . The Central Intelligence Agency assessed the Zrinski Battalion as one of the best units of the HV .

 = = Amalgamation = =

 On 25 February 1994 , the Zrinski Battalion was amalgamated with parts of other special forces units of the HV : Frankopan Battalion , Ban Jelačić Battalion , Matija Vlačić Battalion , Ferdo Sučić Battalion and part of 8th Light Assault Brigade forming the 1st Croatian Guards Brigade ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zdrug ) , a component of the 1st Croatian Guards Corps ( 1 @.@  hrvatski gardijski zbor ) , directly subordinated to the Ministry of Defence rather than the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia .