THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - The counter-intelligence (KOS) of the former Yugoslav army (JNA) in the early 1990s tried to destabilise Croatian authorities and foment animosity towards Croatia through intensive propaganda and
terrorist operations, a former KOS operative said in the Slobodan Milosevic trial on Monday.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - The counter-intelligence (KOS) of
the former Yugoslav army (JNA) in the early 1990s tried to
destabilise Croatian authorities and foment animosity towards
Croatia through intensive propaganda and terrorist operations, a
former KOS operative said in the Slobodan Milosevic trial on
Monday. #L#
The mining of Jewish tombs at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery was staged
as part of Operation Labrador, with a joint Jewish grave mined in
August 1991, Mustafa Candic told the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague in the trial against
the former Yugoslav president, who is charged with war crimes
committed in Croatia and genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"The goal was to present Croatian authorities as pro-fascist and to
instigate animosity among the Jews," said Candic, the 12th witness
for the prosecution.
He also mentioned a terrorist operation planned against Zagreb's
Jewish community which failed after the perpetrators were
discovered and fled to Belgrade.
Operation Labrador was coordinated by Lt. Col. Slobodan Rakocevic
from Zemun and led in Zagreb by Lt. Col. Ivan Sabolovic and Major
Cedo Knezevic, said the witness.
Candic was employed with the Zemun headquarters of the air force's
Counter-Operations Group (KOG). He left the JNA in February 1992.
Candic said KOS had a strong spy network in Croatia's State Security
Service as well as among the then ruling Croatian Democratic Union
party (HDZ).
He described how television was used for anti-Croatian propaganda
through Operation Opera. Footage of killed Croats from the
Slavonija region was presented as Serb victims of Croatian crimes.
To stir up animosity towards Croatia, Belgrade television aired an
alleged conversation between HDZ branch leaders from Zagreb and
Ilok in which Zagreb was ordering the mobilisation of the Croatian
population in northern Yugoslavia's Vojvodina region, said
Candic.
"The speakers were actually Radenko Radojcic and Ivan Sabolovic...
I recognised their voices," said the witness naming the two KOS
members who impersonated the HDZ officials. The purpose of the
broadcast was to give a false explanation for the departure of
Croats from Vojvodina who were under attack by Arkan's and Seselj's
paramilitary units, he said.
Candic also described how taped conversations were tampered with,
citing as an example an edited exchange between Croatian Generals
Antun Tus and Mile Dedakovic.
"The conversation was made of edited segments," the witness said
referring to a conversation alleging that Dedakovic, who headed the
defence of the eastern town of Vukovar, asked Tus for assistance in
the form of arms. Tus appeared to say Dedakovic should not count on
any help.
Candic also described a sabotage KOS staged on rail tracks near
Vinkovci in an attempt to ascribe it to then Croatian President
Franjo Tudjman. When the operation succeeded, military operative
Radojko Radojcic did not hide his satisfaction, he said.
He also stated that the incumbent Croatian President's military
advisor, Imra Agotic, had been replaced from a post at KOG by Lt.
Col. Rakocevic, then head of air force security, because Rakocevic
did not want to recruit those who were close to the authorities in
Zagreb.
The Milosevic trial resumed today after an eight-day break due to
the defendant's exhaustion.
(hina) ha