AMERICAN HISTORIAN TESTIFIES ON SERB REBELLION IN CROATIA

( Editorial: --> 5845 ) THE HAGUE, 20 Jan (Hina)- In their case against Slavko Dokmanović, the former mayor of Vukovar, ICTY's prosecutors presented their first witness, historian Mark Willer, who spoke on circumstances surrounding disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and the outbreak of the Serb rebellion in Croatia. Professor Willer, an American who has been living in Britain for the past 28 years, got a PhD in history from the Cambridge University. His speciality is history of Yugoslav peoples,especially during Second World War. Willer, who speaks Croatian, taught at several British and American universities. He also headed an UNTAES's expert PR team in the Danube region in 1996. The witness said that Slobodan Milošević was the first secessionist in the former Yugoslavia, although he often stressed his committment to the preservation of Yugoslavia. In order to have an easier time centralising Yugoslavia, which had been transformed from a federation into confederation by the constitution of 1974,Milošević encouraged Slovenes to leave. After a democratic election in Croatia, the Serbs reacted to the victory of Dr. Franjo Tudjman's HDZ with "alarm". Tudjman's rash policies alarmed the Serbs in the rural areas of Croatia, who were then used by Milošević for his expansionist plans in Croatia and BH, said the witness. Disorientated after the disintegration of Yugoslav institutions, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) disarmed territorial defence units in former republics to arm the Serbs. In the spring of 1991 Serb paramilitary units dug in in eastern Slavonia and the JNA openly backed the Serb party, said Willer. In August 1991 the JNA and Serb paramilitary units staged an all out offensive against Vukovar. Although the city was defended by only 1,000-1,800 persons, they were attacked by about 30,000 troops. After three months the Serbs managed to capture the town. By conquering Vukovar the Serbs "won a battle but lost a war", said Willer. (Hina)jn mr 202212 MET jan 98