THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Dec 19 (Hina) - The trial of retired Yugoslav army general Pavle Strugar for his role in a 1991 Yugoslav army attack on the ancient Croatian walled city of Dubrovnik continued before the UN war crimes tribunal in The
Hague on Friday with the cross-examination of Adrian Paul Stringer, a British national who was a member of the European Community Monitoring Mission in the Dubrovnik area in the early 1990s.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Dec 19 (Hina) - The trial of retired Yugoslav army
general Pavle Strugar for his role in a 1991 Yugoslav army attack on
the ancient Croatian walled city of Dubrovnik continued before the UN
war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Friday with the cross-examination
of Adrian Paul Stringer, a British national who was a member of the
European Community Monitoring Mission in the Dubrovnik area in the
early 1990s.#L#
Strugar is charged with nine counts of violations of the laws and
customs of war, killings, cruel treatment, attacks on civilians and
the destruction of religious, cultural and historical sites in the
Dubrovnik area.
Speaking of events in Cavtat in October 1991, Stringer told judges
that he had informed the JNA leadership of an attack on a children's
hospital and hotels in which about 1,000 refugees were staying.
Asked by Strugar's lawyer Goran Rodic if he had ever personally talked
to or met his client, Stringer replied in the negative.
Asked by the defence if he was sure that the messages he had received
were really messages from Strugar, Stringer said he believed the
messages had come from the Commander of the Second Operations Group,
General Pavle Strugar.
The witness had earlier confirmed that communication took place via
naval officers, Admiral Miodrag Jokic, Admiral Zec and other officers
and interpreters, and that the Dubrovnik Crisis Staff was also used
for communication with the Yugoslav army.
Rodic wanted to know if the Croatian forces had artillery and other
heavy weapons and if they were positioned inside Dubrovnik's Old
Town.
The Croats possessed light defence weapons, but no, I did not see
artillery or anti-tank weapons in the Old Town, Stringer replied.
Stringer expressed confidence that in terms of command, General
Strugar had all the units under his control. He added that the accused
also had under him the Ninth Naval Sector that was commanded by
Miodrag Jokic.
The Yugoslav army had absolute supremacy and there was no chance of
the Croats leaving the area, the witness said.
During his mission in Dubrovnik, Stringer kept notes and a diary,
which he said helped him recall numerous events and put together a
chronology.
The Yugoslav army forces under Strugar, the Ninth Naval Sector under
Jokic and the Third Battalion of the Trebinje Motorised Brigade under
Vladimir Kovacevic attacked Dubrovnik from Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Montenegro and the sea.
The fourth day of the trial ended with the screening of a film showing
the damage inflicted on the city that is listed as a historical
heritage site by UNESCO.
The trial will continue at 1500 hours on January 12, 2004.
(Hina) vm