ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Nov 21 (Hina) - Protected witness C-061 in the trial against former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic on Thursday told the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague that during the war in Croatia rebel Serb forces were
under the control of the Yugoslav Peoples' Army (JNA), and that their commanders were virtually appointed by Milosevic.
ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Nov 21 (Hina) - Protected witness C-061 in the
trial against former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic on
Thursday told the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague that during
the war in Croatia rebel Serb forces were under the control of the
Yugoslav Peoples' Army (JNA), and that their commanders were
virtually appointed by Milosevic. #L#
The Krajina province territorial defence was subordinate to the JNA
while army commanders were not responsible to the political
leadership, witness C-061 said.
"Until August 1995... Milosevic practically appointed all Krajina
army commanders," the witness stated.
From the testimony of C-061, who has been testifying since Monday
with his image and voice distorted, it transpires that he was a
high-ranking official in the Serb parastate in Croatia, the so-
called Republika Srpska Krajina.
"Milosevic carried out militarisation, he welcomed the setting up
of military forces in Republika Srpska Krajina... appointed
commanders, secured funds, offered logistic back up," the witness
said.
"Krajina's Serb army took over weapons that the JNA left behind"
after it left the region in 1992, the witness added.
Asked by prosecutor Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff whether rebel Serbs
acted independently in Croatia between 1992 and 1995, the witness
said: "No, that was a dependant part of the structure of the
Yugoslav Army."
"Most officers were on the Yugoslav Army's payroll. Commanders in
the army were appointed by the president of Serbia... Krajina
provided manpower and formal-legal coverage for the actions
conducted by those troops," the witness said.
Most of witness C-061's testimony today was closed to the public so
as not to disclose his identity.
Trial chamber president Richard May sustained a request by the
prosecution that witness C-061 give testimony for six days rather
than the four initially planned. The prosecution in exchange
withdrew from bringing a further 14 witnesses to the stand.
The prosecution intended to put 71 witnesses on the stand in the
section of the trial relating to crimes committed in Croatia.
Witness C-061 should continue his testimony on Friday.
(hina) sp/ha sb