LORD OWEN TESTIFIES AT MILOSEVIC TRIAL

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Nov 3 (Hina) - Lord David Owen, former EU peace mediator for the ex-Yugoslavia, on Monday began testifying at the Slobodan Milosevic trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). #L# Lord Owen testified about the defendant's influence on Bosnian Serbs, the control over Serb forces outside Serbia, the media control and other issues. The British diplomat, who is not testifying as a witness for the prosecution but for the Trial Chamber, was the co-chairman of the Peace Conference on the former Yugoslavia between 1992 and 1995. In that capacity he conducted peace negotiations in Bosnia and was also active in the peace process in Croatia. Prosecutor Geoffrey Nice asked questions in connections to the Vance-Owen peace plan and Milosevic's alleged support to the plan. In a written statement, Owen said that Bosnian Serbs and Milosevic drifted apart after Bosnian Serbs refused to accept the 1993 plan. According to Owen, Milosevic then abandoned the idea of a Greater Serbia and in the next two years advocated the adoption of the peace plan in Bosnia. Reading the transcripts of the speeches delivered by Milosevic, Ratko Mladic and others which have previously been introduced as evidence, Prosecutor Nice showed that Owen had no insight into the events and that he unreasonably trusted Milosevic. Milosevic publicly advocated the Vance-Owen peace plan while in 1993 at a meeting of the council for the harmonisation of the policy with Republika Srpska and Republika Srpska Krajina, Milosevic said that "the integrity of the Serb people was de facto raised and that in a year or two this must be transferred into a de iure situation", adding that despite the blockade of the border, assistance to Serbs in Bosnia was delivered on a daily basis. Owen said he was not aware that such a council existed nor that such a speech was delivered. Asked by presiding judge Richard May whether he accepted the fact that Milosevic had an ambition to unite all Serb lands, Owen was not specific. He said Milosevic was a pragmatic and that Republika Srpska could have joined Serbia and Herzeg Bosnia could have became a part of Croatia. At the end he said he in fact did not know. Owen also spoke about an agreement between Milosevic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman about the division of Bosnia, stating that both Tudjman and Milosevic denied the present of their forces in Bosnia and did not agree to an independent Bosnia. The British diplomat also spoke about the crisis in Srebrenica. He said that in the summer of 1993 Milosevic was worried that a massacre could take place. Asked about the civilians who were killed because they were in Srebrenica, Owen said there were very few people in Srebrenica who could not be blamed for anything. Milosevic then cross-examined the witness. Owen will end his testimony on Tuesday. (hina) it