THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Continuing his testimony against former Serbian and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic before the Hague war crimes tribunal on Thursday, the last prime minister of the former Yugoslav federation,
Ante Markovic, said that in the 1990s Milosevic "evidently fought for Greater Serbia".
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Continuing his testimony against
former Serbian and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic before
the Hague war crimes tribunal on Thursday, the last prime minister
of the former Yugoslav federation, Ante Markovic, said that in the
1990s Milosevic "evidently fought for Greater Serbia". #L#
"He said one thing and did another, he said he was fighting for
Yugoslavia but it was obvious that he was fighting for Greater
Serbia, although he never told me so personally," said the witness
for the prosecution.
"Milosevic was a ruler and enjoyed absolute control in Serbia.
Every institution obeyed him. If anyone expressed a different view,
they would be ousted from office in less than 24 hours."
Speaking of military operations in 1991, Markovic described the
June 26 attack by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) on Slovenia, of
which Markovic has often been accused. He said he had not been even
notified about it and that in his capacity as PM he had no
jurisdiction over the JNA.
Markovic said he had been informed about the attack by then Slovene
President Milan Kucan, while the then federal Defence Minister
Veljko Kadijevic had told him, "We didn't bother to ask you since we
knew you wouldn't give your consent". Markovic described a trip to
Ljubljana where he "prevented the devastating JNA bombing" and the
war from spreading.
The witness described his participation in peace negotiations at
The Hague in October 1991 as Croatia's Dubrovnik and Vukovar were
being shelled.
On that occasion, Markovic asked Milosevic how he could bomb a city
like Dubrovnik, to which the latter replied that "Dubrovnik isn't
being shelled". When he put the same question to then Croatian
President Franjo Tudjman, the reply was, "You heard what Milosevic
said," said the witness.
"Tudjman wasn't interested in Dubrovnik and Vukovar not being
bombed because he wanted arguments to seek independence."
Markovic described the shelling of the Croatian government
building in October 1991, saying that it had been pure luck that he,
Tudjman, and then Yugoslav Presidency member and incumbent
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic were not killed.
The prosecutor asked if the Markovic-Tudjman-Mesic meeting had
lasted long enough for information about it to filter outside
Croatia and for aircraft to be sent.
Markovic answered in the affirmative, saying that "it lasted four
or five hours and the fastest jets were sent, probably MIG-29, which
fired missiles with precision from an altitude of 14-15 km".
"One missile hit the dining room and had we stayed at the joint lunch
a little longer, I wouldn't be here testifying."
Markovic also spoke of the Brijuni Declaration, which included his
proposal for a three-month moratorium on decisions on Croatia's and
Slovenia's independence so that the federal government could set
measures to prevent the war and the bloodshed. He said he and the
government had not succeeded in that, "mostly because of the
accused".
Markovic also spoke of rifts in the federal Presidency in
connection with the future of the federation, saying that he had
advocated a loose-knit federation whereas Milosevic sought
centralisation and believed that Europe would not let the country
disintegrate.
Markovic answered the prosecutor's questions about the defendant's
relations with JNA top brass and the federal Presidency, Serbia's
infiltration of the monetary system, the witness's opposition to
Serbia's intervention in Kosovo, the demonisation of him in Serbia
and Croatia, and his dramatic last months in Belgrade when he "slept
with a gun under my pillow".
During a brief cross-examination, Milosevic tried to prove that
Markovic had made the decision for the JNA to intervene in Slovenia
citing the minutes of a meeting at which Markovic and Kucan claimed
so.
The witness resolutely denied that, saying that the government's
decision in question had not mentioned the JNA's engagement at all.
He sought the tribunal to protect him from Milosevic, asking, "Am I
the accused or a witness?".
The cross-examination will be resumed at a later date, while the
trial resumes on Tuesday.
(hina) ha