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2004-10-13 Europe
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Milosevic trial told KLA deliberately provoked attacks on civilians
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Testifying for the defence in Slobodan Milosevic's war crimes trial, a German journalist told the court Tuesday that ethnic-Albanian separatists in the former Yugoslavia deliberately attempted to provoke an attack on civilians by Serb troops. The journalist, Franz Josef Hutsch, a former German army major who spent months with the Kosovo Liberation Army in 1998 and 1999, also said the KLA ran drugs and prostitutes into other parts of Europe to finance weapons purchases. Hutsch described the KLA as a well-organized force, assisted by officers from Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco who had trained somewhere in Turkey.
KLA tactics during the ceasefire in late 1998 included staging hit-and-run attacks on Serb patrols designed to "force them into a trap and try to provoke an excessive reaction" in order to hasten foreign intervention, he said. They also tried to lure the Serbs into attacking civilians in early 1999 so the images would be shown during peace negotiations taking place in Rambouillet, France, he added. The testimony came after a month-long recess in which the case resumed much as it had left off - with Milosevic demanding that he be allowed to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. The former Yugoslav president accused his trial judges of offering him only "scraps of rights." But presiding Judge Patrick Robinson cut him short, saying, "I don't want a speech" and told Steven Kay, the appointed defence lawyer, to continue his questioning of Hutsch. Both Kay and the prosecution filed briefs to an appellate court on whether Milosevic should be allowed to again lead his own defence. Kay contended that Milosevic had a "fundamental right" to defend himself, while the prosecution argued that the repeated delays caused by Milosevic's ill health defied the need for a speedy trial. Medical reports have said Milosevic's chronic high blood pressure could become life threatening under the stress of defending himself, something he did during the trial's first two years.
It was not clear when the appeals court would hand down its decision, but in the meantime Kay was continuing the defence case but hampered by Milosevic's refusal to co-operate. The prosecution wrapped up its presentation in February. Dozens of witnesses Milosevic had planned to call have refused to testify unless the former Serb leader is allowed to question them himself. Milosevic is accused of unleashing Serb troops who committed atrocities while quashing a rebellion in Kosovo, a southern province of Serbia dominated by ethnic Albanians. Eventually NATO launched a 78-day bombing campaign to force the Serbs to end the crackdown. Milosevic has described the Kosovo war as a defensive action against terrorists.
Why the hell did we (America) get involved in this conflict? The more I read about it the more it looks as if we helped the friggin jihadis who this year did a little 'ethnic cleansing' by burning down monastaries and churches and killing Serbs because they are Christians. Anyone know enough about this conflict to enlighten me to what the truth is about America getting involved? Lately I think the reason we got involved had nothing to do with genocide (and that the genocide claims were a lie?), and everything to do with being the UN's bitch. Fred? 
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Posted by TS(vice girl) 2004-10-13 4:28:43 PM||
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Posted by Mike Sylwester 2004-10-13 10:14:07 PM||
2004-10-13 10:14:07 PM||
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