BLASKIC DENIES CONTACTS WITH CRO BODIES DURING CRO-MUSLIM WAR

THE HAGUE, Apr 9 (Hina) - Bosnian Croat General Tihomir Blaskic continued his defence testimony at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague by saying that he learned about his transfer from the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) to the Croatian Army Main Inspectorate from the media in late 1995. "There were no consultations with me. I learned about the appointment on HTV (Croatian Television)", Blaskic said. Blaskic resumed his defence testimony after a ten-day break. He is accused of war crimes committed during the Croat-Muslim conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina between mid-1992 and early 1994. Also from the media the defendant learned about The Hague tribunal's indictment in early November 1995, when his wife told him the news had been read on HTV. Blaskic said he never received commands from Zagreb nor submitted any sort of reports to Croatian bodies, not even at the time of the Croat-Muslim conflict in Lasva Valley in central Bosnia, nor later, when joint forces in Bosnia's Croat-Muslim Federation were being established. "I never received a command from the Croatian Army Chief-Of-Staff, nor any instruction or command from the (Croatian) Defence Ministry, nor did I ever forward reports to those institutions," the defendant said. He communicated with superiors at the HVO HQ and the Defence Office in Mostar, and later with federal bodies. Blaskic confirmed he had never received any command from Croatia during his stay in Lasva Valley. Completing his detailed chronological testimony about the time when the crimes he is charged with were committed, Blaskic said he had been appointed HVO Deputy Chief-Of-Staff and promoted to Major General in late April 1994. He was appointed HVO Chief-Of-Staff in August 1994, at which time he was also appointed joint commander of the armed forces of the then established Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina together Muslim General Rasim Delic. The defendant said then current federal President Kresimir Zubak told him he had been chosen to establish a joint Croat-Muslim federal army for his "expertise and honesty." As far as the defendant knew, Muslim top officials never complained about his choice as the person who was to form the joint Croat- Muslim forces. Blaskic never felt any problems during contacts with junior officers of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina either. "There was never any animosity," the defendant told the tribunal, adding there had been no complaints from top Muslim politicians either. Blaskic said he came to central Bosnia in 1992 to organise a defence from Bosnian Serb aggression. When that battlefield gained in strength and a joint Croat-Muslim command was formed, Blaskic said he made efforts to organise Croat military forces comprised of the armed population. The defendant's chief task as of April 16, 1993, when the conflict in Lasva Valley broke out, was survival in the valley, he said. Asked by his attorney Anto Nobilo if he had ever planned a war against Muslims, Blaskic said, "I never planned that war with the Muslims and I responsibly claim that not one of my associates in the Operational Zone took part in drawing a war plan against the Muslims." Asked if anybody had ever requested him or if he himself had ever ordered his forces to take part in ethnic cleansing, the defendant said, "Nobody ever requested me to do that, and if they had, I would never have granted permission." Asked by the defence attorney why he had not resigned when he faced problems in organising the defence, Blaskic said he believed it was his "duty, responsibility and conscience to help." Participation in the defence of Lasva Valley did not bring him any financial rewards, he said. "I didn't earn any money, nor did we in 1992 and 1993 have any income apart from food packages (...) we did not have a budget." Cross-examination should begin next week. (hina) ha