ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Dec 6 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Friday continued the cross-examination of witness Milan Babic, a former premier of the Croatian Serb rebel state, who in the past ten days testified as a
protected witness.
ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Dec 6 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic on Friday continued the cross-examination of witness
Milan Babic, a former premier of the Croatian Serb rebel state, who
in the past ten days testified as a protected witness. #L#
The key witness for the prosecution in the part of Milosevic's trial
before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague that refers to war
crimes in Croatia, with code name C-061, Babic himself asked that
the court reveal his identity.
Milosevic continued cross-examining Babic, trying to justify his
involvement in the rebellion of Croatian Serbs by quoting UN
reports on crimes Croatian forces committed against Serbs,
particularly in the 1993 Medak Pocket operation and the 1995
operations "Flash" and "Storm".
"It is true that the Croatian army committed a mass crime against
Serbs in the Medak Pocket area. I feel sorry for those people more
than you do, and the fact is that there was a war conflict in the area
at the time.... (Croatian crimes) correspond to what the JNA did in
other parts of Croatia," Babic said.
"The way (former Croatian President Franjo) Tudjman waged the war
against the Serb people in 1993 and 1995 is the same as the one you
waged in 1991 through the JNA," Babic said.
After Milosevic repeatedly tried to accuse him of "playing into the
hands of Croats with his frantic radicalism" and of being "an ace in
Tudjman's sleeve", Babic lost his patience.
"Mr. Milosevic, in 1991 you waged a horrible war into which you
dragged the Serbian people. You made the Serb people lose their
face, and inflicted suffering on the Croats, Muslims and eventually
the Serbs," he said.
Milosevic then again tried to prove that the JNA (the former
Yugoslav People's Army) in 1991 had acted as a buffer between rebel
Serb forces and Croatian police trying to "prevent conflicts until
it was attacked".
"The JNA had been deploying since March 1991 and it was officially
stated that the purpose was to separate the forces," Babic said.
"I was speaking about what I know, it always started the same way.
First there would be an exchange of fire, in most cases the Krajina
police and the Serbian State Security (intelligence) service would
open fire on the Croatian police, the Croatian police would return
fire, after which the Serb forces would fire from mortars, the
Croatian forces would respond, and eventually the JNA would join in
and open artillery fire on Croatian targets," Babic said.
"Does that mean that Krajina fighters attacked Croatia and not
vice-versa?," Milosevic asked.
"I have already explained how the conflicts started," Babic said.
"Do you agree that while attempting to unblock its barracks the JNA
refrained from using drastic measures, but rather negotiated
continually, trying to maintain peace?," Milosevic asked.
"To my knowledge, the JNA used the most drastic means at its
disposal, heavy artillery, even jets," Babic said.
The former Yugoslav president then asked if it was true that tens of
thousands of Serbs had fled western Slavonia in 1991.
"The Serbs were withdrawing when the JNA was withdrawing. If you
want my opinion now, that was the consequence of your policy towards
Serbs and Croats," Babic replied.
Trying to prove that he was not personally responsible for the
rebellion of Croatian Serbs, Milosevic said during the cross-
examination that he had met Babic "once in 1992, once in 1993, once
in 1994, that is, once a year".
"Between October 1990 and late 1991 I met with you in Belgrade 25
times," Babic said.
Milosevic's cross-examination of the witness was completed today
and amicus curiae Branislav Tapuskovic continued questioning the
witness.
Having testified for ten days under maximum measures of protection,
which included the protection of personal data, the electronic
distortion of his voice, his face being hidden and numerous
hearings being closed for public, Babic on Friday requested that
his identity be revealed.
The spokeswoman for the ICTY prosecution, Florence Hartmann, said
in a phone interview with Hina that there were several reasons for
the request.
The media published a lot of information that revealed Babic's
identity, including photos. Babic also believed that it was in the
interest of the public to hear what he and Milosevic were talking
about in the courtroom, which had not been possible previously
because he gave a large part of his testimony at closed hearings.
Hartmann also said that Babic had been exposed to threats and
pressures. Another reason for his request that his identity be
revealed is his wish to contribute to reconciliation, she said.
The part of the indictment against Milosevic which refers to crimes
in Croatia names Babic as one of the participants in the joint
criminal enterprise the purpose of which was to annexe to Serbia
ethnically cleansed parts of Croatia.
Babic has been testifying in the presence of an attorney as the
prosecution has stated it might indict him.
(hina) rml sb