MILAN BABIC ENDS TESTIMONY AGAINST MILOSEVIC BEFORE ICTY

ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Dec 9 (Hina) - The former head of the so-called Republika Srpska Krajina (area of central Croatia under Serb ocupation), Milan Babic, on Monday ended his testimony before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. #L# Babic was on the witness stand for only 30 minutes on Monday, answering additional questions by the Prosecution which wanted to remove some doubts that Milosevic created by cross-examining the witness last week. Babic confirmed the involvement of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Arkan paramilitary-units in the conflicts in the central Croatian region of Petrinja in late 1991. The witness also confirmed the authenticity of some documents connecting the JNA (Gojko Krstic, Milan Torbica, Cedo Bulat) with the war in Croatia. The former head of the so-called Republika Srpska Krajina reiterated that Franko Simatovic and Milan Martic had led the units which attacked the central Croatian town of Lovinac, and started the persecution of Croatians from the Gracac region. The witness also said that the region had been looted. In conclusion, Babic confirmed the authenticity of a document from a parliamentary session of the para-state in Croatia, held in Banja Luka (Bosnian Serb entity), which refuted the allegations made by Slobodan Milosevic that Ratko Mladic and Milan Martic did not cooperate during the attack on Kijevo (southern Croatia). The testimony of Milan Babic, whom the ICTY Prosecution holds as one of the most important witnesses in the Milosevic trial, lasted for 12 days. During the first ten days, Babic testified in the status of a protected witness, but he was stripped off that status according to his own wish. The Milosevic trial resumed with the testimony of protected witness C-025. (hina) it