ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, June 25 (Hina) - Describing the politicians he met while U.S. ambassador to Croatia, Peter Galbraith told the Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on Wednesday Franjo Tudjman was a nationalist with a
vision, Milan Martic a man of limited intelligence, and Milan Babic a coward.
ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, June 25 (Hina) - Describing the politicians he
met while U.S. ambassador to Croatia, Peter Galbraith told the
Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on Wednesday
Franjo Tudjman was a nationalist with a vision, Milan Martic a man
of limited intelligence, and Milan Babic a coward. #L#
Testifying in the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic, Galbraith said the late Tudjman, Croatia's first
president, was an efficient leader who knew where to take Croatia.
Tudjman was a nationalist with a 19th century vision of Croatia and
scarce respect for human rights, said Galbraith, ambassador to
Croatia from 1993 through 1998.
He described Martic, former president of rebel Croatian Serbs'
self-styled Republic of Serb Krajina, as a man of limited
intelligence who was under the influence of Milosevic and ex-
Yugoslav army leaders.
Although he was part of the Croatian Serb leadership, he was not
interested in the people of Krajina and was openly against
coexistence between Serbs and Croats, Galbraith said.
As for Babic, a former Krajina prime minister, Galbraith said he was
a man easily intimidated by Milosevic and Martic.
Babic was a nationalist who took part in expelling Croats but was
also Krajina's most charismatic politician and unlike Martic, was
in favour of Serb-Croat coexistence, Galbraith said.
(hina) ha sb