MILOSEVIC BECOMING MORE ARROGANT TOWARD TRIAL CHAMBER PRESIDENT

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - As the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic before the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague progresses, his test of strength with trial chamber president Richard May gains momentum, with Milosevic's answers to the British judge's interventions becoming increasingly arrogant. "Mr May, I expect of you to act objectively... I am entitled to cross-examine," Milosevic said on Tuesday after Judge May interrupted his interrogation of a witness several times by stating the witness had already answered Milosevic's questions. May said Milosevic was entitled to cross-examine but added the tribunal had the obligation to conduct an efficient trial. What you are doing is full of comments and full of repetition, he told Milosevic. When the witness told Milosevic he was talking "nonsense," the defendant shot another arrow to the judges by saying, "I hope Mr May will warn the witness to refrain from making comments." A few minutes later, Judge May again interrupted Milosevic, saying the latest question was unnecessary. "Mr May, you won't even let me finish the question," countered Milosevic, angrily explaining what he wanted to ask and why. May interrupted a series of Milosevic's questions about the witness's knowledge of Kosovo Liberation Army activities by stating it was evident from the answers the witness knew nothing about them. "This is the only case in the world that a tribunal, even an illegal one like this one, sides with terrorism," said Milosevic with a raised tone. Judge May ended the discussion by telling Milosevic that after two hours of interrogating the witness he had ten more minutes to complete the cross-examination. After referring to the president of the trial chamber as "Judge May at the beginning of the trial, Milosevic has recently switched to "Mr May." The practice at the Hague tribunal is to refer to the judges as "Your Honour." (hina) ha