BLASKIC CONTINUES TESTIMONY BEFORE ICTY

THE HAGUE, Feb 22 (Hina) - Conflicts between the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina in central Bosnia at the beginning of 1993 were not started as a result of an incident, but were the result of a military plan by the Bosniak side, Tihomir Blaskic said before the International Criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Monday. Blaskic was the commander of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) operative zone for central Bosnia during Croat-Moslem conflicts. He has been indicted of harsh violations of Geneva conventions, war rights and customs and crimes against humanity. The trial against Blaskic began at the end of June 1997. On the fourth day of testifying in his defence, Blaskic used maps of the region of central Bosnia to describe how the Bosnia-Herzegovina Army had prepared the field for gaining command of the area. Instead of deploying troops on front lines against Bosnian Serb forces, the Bosnia-Herzegovina Army in January 1993 deployed the major part of its troops in the centre of central Bosnia, and established control of the main roads on which it opened an increasing number of control points. The central Bosnian operative zone, where Blaskic was commander, was divided into enclaves and isolated from logistics in the south. Attacks of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Army on Bilalovac and Kacuni were a part of a plan to connect several army corps , and were not the result of incidents, Blaskic said. Several days after the start of conflicts between Croats and Bosniaks (Moslems), news began arriving of Bosniaks leaving Busovaca, new Bosnia-Herzegovina Army troops arrival from Zenica to the Lasva Valley, and the holding up of a big ammunition shipment intended for eastern Bosnia, which the Army kept for its troops in Visoki. Blaskic explained the existence of a parallel command system in Herzeg Bosnia. Special units did not belong to his operative centre, but were under direct command of the Defence Ministry. These units were only 'loaned' to him for certain operations. "Mine was to coordinate the troops," Blaskic said. He added the commanders of these units could have a "selective approach" towards his orders, meaning, they could carry them out, or choose not to, by informing him he had no authority over them. These units, although necessary, were a source of problems on the field, he stressed. His battalion sent a report about the looting carried out by units from Herzegovina in Vitez, which encouraged 'local looters'. "I could not sanction these soldiers," Blaskic said. He added the sole possibility was for him to convince the commanders of these units by telephone. As an example of problems with his commanding, Blaskic mentioned long-term negotiations concerning the dismissal of commanders in Kiseljak with civilian town authorities and representatives of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) who had not wished to accept his decision on the appointment of a new commander for the area. Blaskic's defence council on Monday submitted several documents which show that Blaskic had tried to negotiate misunderstandings with the Bosniaks, and had ordered measures aimed at improving the security situation in the field. The trial continues on Tuesday. (hina) lml