FORMER CROATIAN SERB REBEL LEADER POSTPONES ENTERING PLEA

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Nov 26 (Hina) - The former head of government of the self-styled Republic of Serb Krajina in Croatia, Milan Babic, made his initial appearance before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Wednesday, but did not enter a plea. Babic's lawyer, Peter Michael Mueller, said his client would plead at a later date. Under the tribunal's rules, the accused should enter a plea within a period of not more than 30 days of their initial appearance in court, and their failure to do so within the prescribed time frame is regarded as a plea of not guilty. Since the 30th day falls on a holiday when the tribunal is closed, Judge Amin el Mahdi ruled that Babic enter his plea by January 15 next year. The former Serb rebel leader is charged with one count of crimes against humanity and four counts of violations of the laws and customs of war committed from August 1, 1991 to February 15, 1992, during which time most of the Croats and other non-Serbs were driven out of rebel-held areas of Croatia. In December last year, Babic appeared before the tribunal as a prosecution witness in the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. The tribunal would not reveal Babic's whereabouts from his testimony in December 2002 until his initial appearance as an accused. (hina) vm sb