Subject: Death threat for Milosevic
Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 13:30:09 +0200
From: global reflexion <office@...>
To: office@...
The Global Reflexion Foundation contributes, according to her ability,
to
the distribution of information on international issues that in the
media
does not recieve proper attention or is presented in a distorted way. We
receive information from different sources, that does not necessary
reflect
our opinion. If you don't want to receive it, please send us an e-mail.
See also http://emperors-clothes.com/ and http://www.targets.org/
*********************************************************
Wednesday, april 4, 2001
1. Death threat for Milosevic
2. Milosevic's lawyer appeals detention decision
3. Milosevic says process against him political staged
4. US pressures on Yugoslavia could cause serious rift
5. Statement of Gennady Zyuganov
6. Yugoslav leader distances himself from arrest of predecessor
7. Milosevic arrest heightens feud
**********************************************************
DEATH THREAT FOR MILOSEVIC
Milosevic may choose to go to The Hague sais interior minister
VIENNA, April 2 (Reuters) - Serbia's interior minister said on Monday
that
former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic might choose to go to The
Hague to face war crimes charges in order to avoid the death penalty at
home.
Dusan Mihajlovic, in a brief interview with Austria's ORF television
after
his arrival for an official visit to Austria, added that the discomfort
of
Belgrade prisons might be a further incentive for Milosevic.
"He will certainly come to a court hearing in Belgrade and perhaps he
may
wish to be handed over to The Hague," Mihajlovic said.
When the interviewer questioned whether the former Yugoslav ruler would
really choose to go to the
international war crimes tribunal voluntarily, Mihajlovic replied:
"There
is an essential difference between The Hague and Serbia. Serbian
criminal
law envisages the death penalty. Also the prisons in Serbia are far from
being very comfortable."
Milosevic, arrested in Belgrade on Sunday after a standoff with security
forces, was indicted by the Hague Tribunal in 1999 for alleged
atrocities
against Kosovo Albanians. Justice authorities in Serbia have not so far
accused Milosevic of any offence serious enough to carry the death
penalty.
He currently faces charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy.
However,
many of his opponents have accused him of involvement in politically
motivated killings, which could in theory result in the death penalty.
The
penalty has not, though, been carried out in Serbia for many years.
Mihajlovic, speaking through an interpreter, said Milosevic had hoped to
encourage destabilisation in Serbia which could have paved the way for a
comeback. "These were just dreams of Milosevic. He hoped there would be
a
destabilisation of democratic forces in Serbia. He hoped that in the
difficult economic and social conditions there would be unrest among the
population. He hoped he would get the support of his party friends," the
minister said. "His hopes were not fulfilled. Milosevic is today in
prison
and Serbia is free."
http://www.serbianna.com/news/04_02/20.shtml
********************************************
MILOSEVIC'S LAWYER APPEALS DETENTION DECISION
BELGRADE, April 2 (Tanjug) - The lawyer of former Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic, Toma Fila, said on Monday that he appealed the
decision
of Belgrade district court on the pre-trial detention of Milosevic.
Fila
told Tanjug that the appeal in question was written by Milosevic
himself,
and that he (Fila) previosuly submitted his own appeal. Fila told Tanjug
that the results of the appeal were expected within 48 hours. "We will
have
an answer most probably Tuesday morning. I think it will be a negative
one."
"We are not against the investigation, because we consider that every
citizen against whom proceedings are underway must respond to the
summons
of a judge," Fila said. It is a lie, and the former president wrote that
in
his appeal, that he refuses to be held accountable in his country, Fila
aid, stressing that Milosevic does not want to go to The Hague. Fila
said
that Milosevic is feeling very well, "as well as a person can feel when
in
prison."
************************************************
MILOSEVIC SAYS PROCESS AGAINST HIM POLITICAL STAGED
BELGRADE, April 3 (Tanjug) - Former Yugoslav president Slobodan
Milosevic
said in a complaint filed with the Belgrade District Court on Monday
against the court decision on his detention that the process against him
was politically staged. "I believe the court proceedings against me are
politically staged, at the orders of the new authorities, with the
purpose
of tarnishing and discrediting my long-term work, and, in particular,
because I opposed world power-wielders in the interests of the state and
the people," Milosevic said.
Milosevic rejected the reasons for his detention, explaining that "over
the
past six months I was accused and condemned for every possible criminal
act
in the entire press of the current regime, and yet I did not flee." "I
am
filing this complaint strictly in the interest of truth. I do not mind
any
investigation into anything I have done in my life, but I mind being
treated like a criminal for what I did for my state to the best of my
ability," Milosevic said in the complaint, adding that he was ready at
any
time to appear before the judicial organs of his country.
*************************************************
US PRESSURES ON YUGOSLAVIA COULD CAUSE SERIOUS RIFT
MOSCOW, April 2 (Tanjug) - Russian Duma international relations
committee
chairman Dmitry Rogozin warned on Monday that US pressures on the
Yugoslav
leadership to extradite Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague show that the
United States is interfering in the internal affairs of the country and
threatens to provoke a serious rift in Yugoslavia. Such a rift int he
country could provoke wide-ranging conflicts in the center of Europe,
Rogozin said.
According to him, the armtwisting and issuing of ultimatums to Yugoslav
leaders, including deadlines for the extradition of the former Yugoslav
president and its linking to economic aid, constitute planned
activities,
which are strongly destabilizing the democratic forces of the country.
The
provoking of such the crisis could be extremely dangerous for the whole
of
Europe, Rogozin said.
********************************************
STATEMENT OF GENNADY ZYUGANOV
Chairman of the People's Patriotic Union of Russia
Moscow, April 2, 2001
Slobodan Milosevic, Chairman of the Serbian Socialist Party and former
President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, was arrested in
Belgrade.
All circumstances directly indicate that this action was ordered by the
United States. The intensity of pressure on the Yugoslav government was
unprecedented, and the decision to arrest Mr. Milosevic was made under
the
threat of vicious economic and political blackmail.
This represents the most deplorable interference in the internal affairs
of
a sovereign state and a fresh violation of international legal norms,
already shaken by the rogue bombings of Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and
especially
the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999.
By arresting a former head of a foreign country, the United States is
introducing a dangerous element into international relations. The
consequences of this precedent could be far-reaching for any head of
state
trying to run an independent foreign and domestic policy, including the
leaders of Russia and Belarus.
With that in mind, the deafening silence of the Russian Federation s
Foreign Ministry is simply shocking. Those forces in Yugoslavia that
favor
the preservation of the historical friendship between the Yugoslav
people
and Russia are being openly harassed. The continuance of the current
faceless policy of the Russian Foreign Ministry is bound to lead to
Russia
s removal from the Balkans altogether.
The decision of the Yugoslav regime to arrest its former head of state
for
the sake of financial "aid" is contemptible - especially since it is
obvious that the demand for Slobodan Milosevic's arrest came from the
leaders of NATO, convicted by a Yugoslav court for crimes against the
people of Yugoslavia and responsible for war damages in excess of tens
of
billions of dollars.
The People's Patriotic Union of Russia condemns the persecution of
Slobodan
Milosevic, as it will further increase tensions in Yugoslavia, contrary
to
our desires for peace and stability in that country.
Judging that the persecution of the Serbian Socialist Party leader
represents an attempt to impose the American "New World Order," the
People's Patriotic Union of Russia calls for an international campaign
to
cease political persecution of Slobodan Milosevic and support the
patriotic
forces in Yugoslavia, which continue to resist the expansion of NATO.
*********************************************
YUGOSLAV LEADER DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM ARREST OF PREDECESSOR
BELGRADE, April 3 (AFP) - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica
distanced
himself Tuesday from his predecessor Slobodan Milosevic's arrest but
stressed he has no say in whether the man wanted by a UN court for war
crimes will be transferred to The Hague.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since a weekend siege ended in
Milosevic's arrest on corruption charges, Kostunica said the police
action
had been "clumsy", uncoordinated with army guards at the residence, and
was
not reported to him until it had already bogged down in an armed
stand-off.
He insisted the arrest had nothing to do with US pressure to move
against
the ex-leader by midnight Saturday or lose millions of dollars in
badly-needed aid, which Washington on Monday freed up as promised.
Kostunica said US President George W. Bush would have signed the release
anyway based on democratic changes his reformers had carried out since
toppling Milosevic in October.
But the president's opposition to extraditing Milosevic to a UN war
crimes
court -- which he accused of only prosecuting Serb suspects -- earned
him a
rebuke from one of Europe's top rights bodies. The Council of Europe
said
he risked ruining his reputation as a reformer by refusing to hand over
Milosevic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia
(ICTY) in The Hague.
Milosevic was locked up in a Belgrade prison after his arrest early
Sunday,
as investigators probe him on charges of stealing public funds to prop
up
his authoritarian regime, which was isolated by the international
community
and then bombed by NATO over its Kosovo policies in 1999.
Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic said on a visit to Vienna
that
Milosevic could be tried for "serious crimes" which carry the death
penalty. "But we are talking at the moment about an enquiry, we still
need
proof," he said.
A judicial board rejected Milosevic's appeal to be released from 30 days
investigative custody. He was detained after a gun battle with police
outside his residence which left four officers injured, one of them
seriously.
The appeal, drafted and signed by Milosevic himself, claimed that he had
used the missing state money to finance Serb armies fighting in Bosnia
and
Croatia as the republics broke away from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
The admission increased pressure on Belgrade to cooperate with the ICTY,
but also threatened to rekindle nationalist sentiment among supporters
who
had turned away from him among mounting accusations of corruption.
As Milosevic's wife Mira Markovic visited her husband in jail, and was
booed by teenagers waiting outside, one of his key aides was being
quizzed
by investigators on the same charges as his former boss.
Former Yugoslav customs chief Mihalj Kertes was questioned for six hours
before leaving a district courthouse in Belgarde without speaking to
reporters. Kertes was briefly detained earlier this year but was
released
after citing his immunity as a member of parliament.
Two other top Milosevic aides also showed up in the courthouse but it
was
not known if they faced questioning.
And the shockwaves of Milosevic's dramatic arrest were felt in the
Socialist Party (SPS) he founded a decade ago and which he still heads.
Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, the last Milosevic ally to hold on
to
a top government post after six months of reforms, resigned from the
high-level SPS posts he held, citing "increased pressure" from the
party.
The SPS has accused Milutinovic -- who like Milosevic has been indicted
by
the ICTY for war crimes in Kosovo -- of being too close to the new
authorities. He also has, along with the Kostunica, the power to pardon
his
former boss.
Kostunica insisted Tuesday that Milosevic stand trial in Serbia,
accusing
the ICTY of practising "selective justice" in not prosecuting high-level
Bosnian, Croatian or even NATO leaders, all of whom he said bore some
responsibility for crimes committed in the Balkans in the past decade.
He
added that he had ordered a South African-style truth and reconciliation
committee to look into Yugoslavia's recent history.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010403/1/ly2n.html
*******************************************
MILOSEVIC ARREST HEIGHTENS FEUD
Stratfor.com, 2345 GMT, 010330 - The apparent arrest of Former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic marks the beginning of a stand-off among
Yugoslav officials. For the past few weeks, Serbian Justice Minister
Vladan
Batic has encouraged compliance to European Union and U.S. demands to
indict Milosevic for war crimes, and see his trial in The Hague.
Batic's concern anticipated a harsh U.S. response and suspension of aid.
Batic has the full support of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. But
Yugoslav President Kostunica has rejected the gestures of cooperation by
Djindjic and Batic, aggressively contesting the pretension. But the row
between the officials is not yet over since the arrest of Milosevic is
short of full compliance with EU and U.S. demands.
The U.S. Congress determined March 31, 2001 as the deadline for
Yugoslavia
to demonstrate good faith to the international community. If deemed an
ally, the United States would clear $100 million dollars in aid to the
new
government, formed last October when a popular uprising forced strongman
Slobodan Milosevic from office. If deemed an adversary, Washington would
suspend funding.
The ultimate decision was left to Secretary of State Colin Powell, who
decided on March 30 to delay a verdict through the weekend. Reason for
the
delay is unclear, though Powell is likely gauging the political
consequences of Milosevic's arrest.
Reports of Milosevic's arrest conflicted throughout the day March 30,
but
several news sources, including Reuters, Tass and AFP, reported
Milosevic
was taken from his home outside Belgrade and ushered to the Palace of
Justice in Belgrade by a handful of Serbia's Interior Ministry Police.
It was later reported by international news organizations and news
outlets
in Belgrade that Milosevic had returned home and appeared before
reporters
and supporters outside his home. Details of the proceedings inside the
courthouse have not been disclosed.
Milosevic is expected to stand trial in Serbia with no immediate risk of
extradition to The Hague. But the significance of the day's events are
interwoven with the move by the two Serbian ministers against President
Kostunica. Kostunica has a higher diplomatic profile than the Serb prime
minister and justice minister and even garnered support from France for
the
United States to delay its decision.
Kostunica will now have to rally against ministers Batic and Djindjic
and
their attempt to arrest Milosevic. Such a move may turn Kostunica to
rouse
fashionable, populist sentiments in defense of Yugoslavia's sovereignty.
Batic and Djindjic are attempting to isolate Kostunica and potentially
cow
him politically before the Serb public. Kostunica is appealing to Milo
supporters and conservatives to expand his popularity, according to IWPR
analyst Zeljko Cvijanovic.
Djindjic's move against Milosevic is a swift challenge, and Kostunica is
likely to invoke nationalist sentiments as a shield against his more
moderate partners. This may result in less cooperation from Yugoslavia,
and
may even flaunt the will of EU and U.S. representatives.
***********************************************
Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 13:30:09 +0200
From: global reflexion <office@...>
To: office@...
The Global Reflexion Foundation contributes, according to her ability,
to
the distribution of information on international issues that in the
media
does not recieve proper attention or is presented in a distorted way. We
receive information from different sources, that does not necessary
reflect
our opinion. If you don't want to receive it, please send us an e-mail.
See also http://emperors-clothes.com/ and http://www.targets.org/
*********************************************************
Wednesday, april 4, 2001
1. Death threat for Milosevic
2. Milosevic's lawyer appeals detention decision
3. Milosevic says process against him political staged
4. US pressures on Yugoslavia could cause serious rift
5. Statement of Gennady Zyuganov
6. Yugoslav leader distances himself from arrest of predecessor
7. Milosevic arrest heightens feud
**********************************************************
DEATH THREAT FOR MILOSEVIC
Milosevic may choose to go to The Hague sais interior minister
VIENNA, April 2 (Reuters) - Serbia's interior minister said on Monday
that
former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic might choose to go to The
Hague to face war crimes charges in order to avoid the death penalty at
home.
Dusan Mihajlovic, in a brief interview with Austria's ORF television
after
his arrival for an official visit to Austria, added that the discomfort
of
Belgrade prisons might be a further incentive for Milosevic.
"He will certainly come to a court hearing in Belgrade and perhaps he
may
wish to be handed over to The Hague," Mihajlovic said.
When the interviewer questioned whether the former Yugoslav ruler would
really choose to go to the
international war crimes tribunal voluntarily, Mihajlovic replied:
"There
is an essential difference between The Hague and Serbia. Serbian
criminal
law envisages the death penalty. Also the prisons in Serbia are far from
being very comfortable."
Milosevic, arrested in Belgrade on Sunday after a standoff with security
forces, was indicted by the Hague Tribunal in 1999 for alleged
atrocities
against Kosovo Albanians. Justice authorities in Serbia have not so far
accused Milosevic of any offence serious enough to carry the death
penalty.
He currently faces charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy.
However,
many of his opponents have accused him of involvement in politically
motivated killings, which could in theory result in the death penalty.
The
penalty has not, though, been carried out in Serbia for many years.
Mihajlovic, speaking through an interpreter, said Milosevic had hoped to
encourage destabilisation in Serbia which could have paved the way for a
comeback. "These were just dreams of Milosevic. He hoped there would be
a
destabilisation of democratic forces in Serbia. He hoped that in the
difficult economic and social conditions there would be unrest among the
population. He hoped he would get the support of his party friends," the
minister said. "His hopes were not fulfilled. Milosevic is today in
prison
and Serbia is free."
http://www.serbianna.com/news/04_02/20.shtml
********************************************
MILOSEVIC'S LAWYER APPEALS DETENTION DECISION
BELGRADE, April 2 (Tanjug) - The lawyer of former Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic, Toma Fila, said on Monday that he appealed the
decision
of Belgrade district court on the pre-trial detention of Milosevic.
Fila
told Tanjug that the appeal in question was written by Milosevic
himself,
and that he (Fila) previosuly submitted his own appeal. Fila told Tanjug
that the results of the appeal were expected within 48 hours. "We will
have
an answer most probably Tuesday morning. I think it will be a negative
one."
"We are not against the investigation, because we consider that every
citizen against whom proceedings are underway must respond to the
summons
of a judge," Fila said. It is a lie, and the former president wrote that
in
his appeal, that he refuses to be held accountable in his country, Fila
aid, stressing that Milosevic does not want to go to The Hague. Fila
said
that Milosevic is feeling very well, "as well as a person can feel when
in
prison."
************************************************
MILOSEVIC SAYS PROCESS AGAINST HIM POLITICAL STAGED
BELGRADE, April 3 (Tanjug) - Former Yugoslav president Slobodan
Milosevic
said in a complaint filed with the Belgrade District Court on Monday
against the court decision on his detention that the process against him
was politically staged. "I believe the court proceedings against me are
politically staged, at the orders of the new authorities, with the
purpose
of tarnishing and discrediting my long-term work, and, in particular,
because I opposed world power-wielders in the interests of the state and
the people," Milosevic said.
Milosevic rejected the reasons for his detention, explaining that "over
the
past six months I was accused and condemned for every possible criminal
act
in the entire press of the current regime, and yet I did not flee." "I
am
filing this complaint strictly in the interest of truth. I do not mind
any
investigation into anything I have done in my life, but I mind being
treated like a criminal for what I did for my state to the best of my
ability," Milosevic said in the complaint, adding that he was ready at
any
time to appear before the judicial organs of his country.
*************************************************
US PRESSURES ON YUGOSLAVIA COULD CAUSE SERIOUS RIFT
MOSCOW, April 2 (Tanjug) - Russian Duma international relations
committee
chairman Dmitry Rogozin warned on Monday that US pressures on the
Yugoslav
leadership to extradite Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague show that the
United States is interfering in the internal affairs of the country and
threatens to provoke a serious rift in Yugoslavia. Such a rift int he
country could provoke wide-ranging conflicts in the center of Europe,
Rogozin said.
According to him, the armtwisting and issuing of ultimatums to Yugoslav
leaders, including deadlines for the extradition of the former Yugoslav
president and its linking to economic aid, constitute planned
activities,
which are strongly destabilizing the democratic forces of the country.
The
provoking of such the crisis could be extremely dangerous for the whole
of
Europe, Rogozin said.
********************************************
STATEMENT OF GENNADY ZYUGANOV
Chairman of the People's Patriotic Union of Russia
Moscow, April 2, 2001
Slobodan Milosevic, Chairman of the Serbian Socialist Party and former
President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, was arrested in
Belgrade.
All circumstances directly indicate that this action was ordered by the
United States. The intensity of pressure on the Yugoslav government was
unprecedented, and the decision to arrest Mr. Milosevic was made under
the
threat of vicious economic and political blackmail.
This represents the most deplorable interference in the internal affairs
of
a sovereign state and a fresh violation of international legal norms,
already shaken by the rogue bombings of Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and
especially
the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999.
By arresting a former head of a foreign country, the United States is
introducing a dangerous element into international relations. The
consequences of this precedent could be far-reaching for any head of
state
trying to run an independent foreign and domestic policy, including the
leaders of Russia and Belarus.
With that in mind, the deafening silence of the Russian Federation s
Foreign Ministry is simply shocking. Those forces in Yugoslavia that
favor
the preservation of the historical friendship between the Yugoslav
people
and Russia are being openly harassed. The continuance of the current
faceless policy of the Russian Foreign Ministry is bound to lead to
Russia
s removal from the Balkans altogether.
The decision of the Yugoslav regime to arrest its former head of state
for
the sake of financial "aid" is contemptible - especially since it is
obvious that the demand for Slobodan Milosevic's arrest came from the
leaders of NATO, convicted by a Yugoslav court for crimes against the
people of Yugoslavia and responsible for war damages in excess of tens
of
billions of dollars.
The People's Patriotic Union of Russia condemns the persecution of
Slobodan
Milosevic, as it will further increase tensions in Yugoslavia, contrary
to
our desires for peace and stability in that country.
Judging that the persecution of the Serbian Socialist Party leader
represents an attempt to impose the American "New World Order," the
People's Patriotic Union of Russia calls for an international campaign
to
cease political persecution of Slobodan Milosevic and support the
patriotic
forces in Yugoslavia, which continue to resist the expansion of NATO.
*********************************************
YUGOSLAV LEADER DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM ARREST OF PREDECESSOR
BELGRADE, April 3 (AFP) - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica
distanced
himself Tuesday from his predecessor Slobodan Milosevic's arrest but
stressed he has no say in whether the man wanted by a UN court for war
crimes will be transferred to The Hague.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since a weekend siege ended in
Milosevic's arrest on corruption charges, Kostunica said the police
action
had been "clumsy", uncoordinated with army guards at the residence, and
was
not reported to him until it had already bogged down in an armed
stand-off.
He insisted the arrest had nothing to do with US pressure to move
against
the ex-leader by midnight Saturday or lose millions of dollars in
badly-needed aid, which Washington on Monday freed up as promised.
Kostunica said US President George W. Bush would have signed the release
anyway based on democratic changes his reformers had carried out since
toppling Milosevic in October.
But the president's opposition to extraditing Milosevic to a UN war
crimes
court -- which he accused of only prosecuting Serb suspects -- earned
him a
rebuke from one of Europe's top rights bodies. The Council of Europe
said
he risked ruining his reputation as a reformer by refusing to hand over
Milosevic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia
(ICTY) in The Hague.
Milosevic was locked up in a Belgrade prison after his arrest early
Sunday,
as investigators probe him on charges of stealing public funds to prop
up
his authoritarian regime, which was isolated by the international
community
and then bombed by NATO over its Kosovo policies in 1999.
Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic said on a visit to Vienna
that
Milosevic could be tried for "serious crimes" which carry the death
penalty. "But we are talking at the moment about an enquiry, we still
need
proof," he said.
A judicial board rejected Milosevic's appeal to be released from 30 days
investigative custody. He was detained after a gun battle with police
outside his residence which left four officers injured, one of them
seriously.
The appeal, drafted and signed by Milosevic himself, claimed that he had
used the missing state money to finance Serb armies fighting in Bosnia
and
Croatia as the republics broke away from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
The admission increased pressure on Belgrade to cooperate with the ICTY,
but also threatened to rekindle nationalist sentiment among supporters
who
had turned away from him among mounting accusations of corruption.
As Milosevic's wife Mira Markovic visited her husband in jail, and was
booed by teenagers waiting outside, one of his key aides was being
quizzed
by investigators on the same charges as his former boss.
Former Yugoslav customs chief Mihalj Kertes was questioned for six hours
before leaving a district courthouse in Belgarde without speaking to
reporters. Kertes was briefly detained earlier this year but was
released
after citing his immunity as a member of parliament.
Two other top Milosevic aides also showed up in the courthouse but it
was
not known if they faced questioning.
And the shockwaves of Milosevic's dramatic arrest were felt in the
Socialist Party (SPS) he founded a decade ago and which he still heads.
Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, the last Milosevic ally to hold on
to
a top government post after six months of reforms, resigned from the
high-level SPS posts he held, citing "increased pressure" from the
party.
The SPS has accused Milutinovic -- who like Milosevic has been indicted
by
the ICTY for war crimes in Kosovo -- of being too close to the new
authorities. He also has, along with the Kostunica, the power to pardon
his
former boss.
Kostunica insisted Tuesday that Milosevic stand trial in Serbia,
accusing
the ICTY of practising "selective justice" in not prosecuting high-level
Bosnian, Croatian or even NATO leaders, all of whom he said bore some
responsibility for crimes committed in the Balkans in the past decade.
He
added that he had ordered a South African-style truth and reconciliation
committee to look into Yugoslavia's recent history.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010403/1/ly2n.html
*******************************************
MILOSEVIC ARREST HEIGHTENS FEUD
Stratfor.com, 2345 GMT, 010330 - The apparent arrest of Former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic marks the beginning of a stand-off among
Yugoslav officials. For the past few weeks, Serbian Justice Minister
Vladan
Batic has encouraged compliance to European Union and U.S. demands to
indict Milosevic for war crimes, and see his trial in The Hague.
Batic's concern anticipated a harsh U.S. response and suspension of aid.
Batic has the full support of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. But
Yugoslav President Kostunica has rejected the gestures of cooperation by
Djindjic and Batic, aggressively contesting the pretension. But the row
between the officials is not yet over since the arrest of Milosevic is
short of full compliance with EU and U.S. demands.
The U.S. Congress determined March 31, 2001 as the deadline for
Yugoslavia
to demonstrate good faith to the international community. If deemed an
ally, the United States would clear $100 million dollars in aid to the
new
government, formed last October when a popular uprising forced strongman
Slobodan Milosevic from office. If deemed an adversary, Washington would
suspend funding.
The ultimate decision was left to Secretary of State Colin Powell, who
decided on March 30 to delay a verdict through the weekend. Reason for
the
delay is unclear, though Powell is likely gauging the political
consequences of Milosevic's arrest.
Reports of Milosevic's arrest conflicted throughout the day March 30,
but
several news sources, including Reuters, Tass and AFP, reported
Milosevic
was taken from his home outside Belgrade and ushered to the Palace of
Justice in Belgrade by a handful of Serbia's Interior Ministry Police.
It was later reported by international news organizations and news
outlets
in Belgrade that Milosevic had returned home and appeared before
reporters
and supporters outside his home. Details of the proceedings inside the
courthouse have not been disclosed.
Milosevic is expected to stand trial in Serbia with no immediate risk of
extradition to The Hague. But the significance of the day's events are
interwoven with the move by the two Serbian ministers against President
Kostunica. Kostunica has a higher diplomatic profile than the Serb prime
minister and justice minister and even garnered support from France for
the
United States to delay its decision.
Kostunica will now have to rally against ministers Batic and Djindjic
and
their attempt to arrest Milosevic. Such a move may turn Kostunica to
rouse
fashionable, populist sentiments in defense of Yugoslavia's sovereignty.
Batic and Djindjic are attempting to isolate Kostunica and potentially
cow
him politically before the Serb public. Kostunica is appealing to Milo
supporters and conservatives to expand his popularity, according to IWPR
analyst Zeljko Cvijanovic.
Djindjic's move against Milosevic is a swift challenge, and Kostunica is
likely to invoke nationalist sentiments as a shield against his more
moderate partners. This may result in less cooperation from Yugoslavia,
and
may even flaunt the will of EU and U.S. representatives.
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