THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, June 24 (Hina) - Michael Williams, a former adviser to the head of the UN Mission to former Yugoslavia, Yasushi Akashi, testified at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Tuesday about the influence former
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and the authorities in Belgrade exerted on Serbs in Bosnia and Croatia.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, June 24 (Hina) - Michael Williams, a former
adviser to the head of the UN Mission to former Yugoslavia, Yasushi
Akashi, testified at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague on
Tuesday about the influence former Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic and the authorities in Belgrade exerted on Serbs in
Bosnia and Croatia. #L#
The region had no chance of survival as an independent unit... its
leadership leaned towards Belgrade because it practically had no
other choice, Williams said describing relations between Knin and
Belgrade.
People in the region survived thanks to international humanitarian
aid and direct assistance from Belgrade, he said.
Based on several meetings between the UN Mission's chief with
Milosevic and the Bosnian Serb leadership, Williams gained the
impression that Milosevic had great influence on the Bosnian Serb
leadership despite sanctions which followed their refusal of peace
plans.
Williams said that the attack on the U.N. protected zone of Gorazde
in 1994 had been planned and conducted without any attempts to avoid
civilian victims, with the use of tanks and heavy artillery.
He said that Muslim forces in Gorazde were poorly armed.
The trial of the former Yugoslav president continues on Wednesday
with the cross-examination of the witness.
Milosevic is charged with genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and
crimes against humanity in Croatia and Kosovo.
(hina) sp rml