ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Dec 18 (Hina) - The trial of retired Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) General Pavle Strugar, indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague for violations of the laws and customs of war during attacks on Dubrovnik
in 1991, resumed on Thursday with the cross-examination of Adrian Paul Stringer, a member of the European Commission's Monitoring Mission in the area of Dubrovnik in October 1991.
ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Dec 18 (Hina) - The trial of retired Yugoslav
People's Army (JNA) General Pavle Strugar, indicted by the UN war
crimes tribunal in The Hague for violations of the laws and customs of
war during attacks on Dubrovnik in 1991, resumed on Thursday with the
cross-examination of Adrian Paul Stringer, a member of the European
Commission's Monitoring Mission in the area of Dubrovnik in October
1991.#L#
Today was the third day of the trial of the retired general, who is
indicted on nine counts for violations of the laws and customs of war,
killings, cruel treatment, attacks on civilians, and the destruction
of religious and cultural facilities and historical monuments in
Dubrovnik area.
Answering questions from Strugar's defence, Briton Stringer said he
believed that there was no obvious reason for the JNA to launch an
attack on Dubrovnik.
JNA barracks in the area were not encircled by Croatian forces and
Dubrovnik was a demilitarised zone, Stringer said.
He also confirmed that during his mission in Dubrovnik in October
1991, areas around the city, especially Cavtat and villages near
Dubrovnik airport, had been shelled.
Strugar's defence tried to challenge the testimony, pointing to some
minor inconsistencies in Stringer's statement.
The cross-examination of the witness should be completed on Friday,
after which the prosecution will introduce another witness.
(Hina) rml sb