THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - Former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith told a Hague war crimes tribunal on Wednesday ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic left Croatian Serbs' self-styled Republic of Serb Krajina to
Croatia in 1995, believing he would keep parts of Croatia's eastern Slavonia.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - Former U.S. Ambassador to
Croatia Peter Galbraith told a Hague war crimes tribunal on
Wednesday ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic left Croatian
Serbs' self-styled Republic of Serb Krajina to Croatia in 1995,
believing he would keep parts of Croatia's eastern Slavonia. #L#
Galbraith told the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia it was his
understanding that the accused had hoped, from the start of the wars
in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, he would be able to create a
Greater Serbia.
At that time Milosevic, then president of Serbia, was receiving
signals to the effect that parts of Croatian territory might be
taken, something in which he was backed by some international
community representatives like Lord David Owen, said Galbraith.
He added that Croatia's then President Franjo Tudjman from time to
time had been sending out some signals that he would give up parts of
eastern Slavonia.
Galbraith held the ambassador's office in Croatia from 1993 through
1998.
During cross-examination, he insisted Operation Storm occurred
because the Serb side, with Milosevic at the helm, had rejected plan
Z-4, which guaranteed a high level of autonomy for Croatia's Serb
community.
Milosevic countered by saying he had not turned down Z-4 and Storm
had been launched because Croatia's leadership had not been
interested in a peaceful solution as, otherwise, they would not
have been "able to expel 250,000 Serbs".
Galbraith asked Milosevic why he had turned down a plan which would
have given Serbs in Krajina a very high level of autonomy and a
chance to stay there. He asked why on August 2 and 3, 1995 he had not
met with Krajina Serb leader Milan Babic and had refused to meet the
U.S. charge d'affaires.
Milosevic said he had not met with the U.S. representative because
he had been on vacation.
Galbraith said Milosevic had refused Z-4 because it gave Serbs in
Croatia significant autonomy, thus setting a precedent in favour of
ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
The former U.S. ambassador ended his testimony today. The trial
resumed with a new witness for the prosecution, a Muslim testifying
about crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(hina) ha sb