KOSTIC CONCLUDES HIS EXAMINATION-IN-CHIEF WITH TESTIMONY ABOUT THE WAR IN BOSNIA
www.slobodan-milosevic.org - February 7, 2006

Written by: Andy Wilcoxson

The trial of Slobodan Milosevic resumed on Tuesday with the continued testimony of Prof. Branko Kostic, the former SFRY presidency member from Montenegro.

Milosevic spent questioned Kostic about the war in Bosnia. Kostic testified that Bosnia was a civil war, and to bear that point out Milosevic read a passage from Lord Owen’s book “Balkan Odyssey” where he categorizes the war in Bosnia as a civil war between Bosnian-Serbs, Bosnian-Croats, and Bosnian-Muslims.

The indictment claims that Bosnia was an “international armed conflict” and an “occupation.” Kostic dismissed the indictment’s assertions as nonsensical. He pointed out that the indictment calls Bosnia an “international armed conflict” eight months before Bosnia was recognized as independent from Yugoslavia. Obviously, one can not carry out an international armed conflict with a country that does not exist.

Kostic testified that Milosevic supported the “Belgrade Initiative.” The Belgrade Initiative was a plan negotiated in late 1991 between Mr. Adil Zulfikarpasic on behalf of the Bosnian Muslims, and the Serbian leadership in Belgrade.

Under the Belgrade Initiative, Bosnia would have remained in Yugoslavia. Under the plan, the first president of the new Yugoslavia would have been Alija Izetbegovic for a term of five years.

Kostic testified that Milosevic’s support for the Belgrade Initiative proves that he was not trying to create Greater Serbia. Kostic rhetorically asked the tribunal “What sort of Greater-Serbia would have been possible with Alija Izetbegovic as president?”

Unfortunately, Izetbegovic opted for war and did not accept the Belgrade Initiative.

Kostic testified that Alija Izetbegovic was an Islamic fundamentalist. He quoted Izetbegovic’s “Islamic Declaration” where Izetbegovic writes among other things: “There can be neither peace nor coexistence between the Islamic faith and non-Islamic social and political institutions." and "The Islamic movement must and can, take over political power as soon as it is morally and numerically so strong that it can not only destroy the existing non-Islamic power, but also to build up a new Islamic one".

In order to prove that Izetbegovic was a full-fledged Islamic fundamentalist Milosevic played a video of Izetbegovic reviewing a squadron of Arab Mujahedeens in central Bosnia.

In addition to Islamic fundamentalism, Serbs had reason to fear the prospect of out-voting in the Bosnian government. Kostic said that the decision to call the independence referendum was reached while Serbian MPs were not present in the parliament.

Kostic testified that the best chance to avoid the Bosnian war was the Cutliero Plan. Under the Cutliero Plan, Bosnia would have seceded from Yugoslavia and become an independent state made up of cantons similar to Switzerland. The cantons would correspond to the majority ethnic population in the area, and Sarajevo would have a special status as Bosnia’s capital.

The leaders of all three Bosnian factions signed the Cutliero plan. Karadzic signed it on behalf of the Bosnian Serbs, Boban signed it on behalf of the Bosnian Croats, and Izetbegovic signed it on behalf of the Bosnian Muslims.

Kostic said that the Yugoslav and Serbian leadership supported the plan. He said that Slobodan Milosevic personally supported the plan, adding that the plan would have completely stymied any plans for “greater Serbia.”

Kostic testified that the agreement fell through because Izetbegovic withdrew his signature at the request of the American ambassador Warren Zimmerman.
In early 1992, Kostic had a meeting with Alija Izetbegovic in Skopje. At this meeting Izetbegovic agreed that the JNA should remain in Bosnia for five years. Izetbegovic also admitted that the ethnic make-up of the JNA was predominantly Serb because the Croat, Slovene, and Muslim leadership were telling respective peoples not to send recruits. When asked, Izetbegovic did not have a single complaint about the conduct of the JNA towards the Muslims. Milosevic proved that Izetbegovic said the things he said by producing a transcript of the meeting.

Unfortunately, Alija Izetbegovic was not a man of his word. Two days after the meeting Izetbegovic, publicly accused the JNA of committing crimes and “occupying” Bosnia.

Kostic testified that the Yugoslav State presidency ordered the JNA to withdraw from Bosnia on May 4, 1992. He said that pursuant to the order the withdrawal was completed on May 19, 1992.

Unfortunately, the JNA would not be permitted to leave Bosnia in peace. The Bosnian-Muslims attacked the JNA as it was trying to evacuate the territory.

The most serious instances occurred on May 3, 1992 as JNA column was attacked on Dobrovoljacka St. in Sarajevo as it was attempting to leave the territory, and on May 15, 1992 the JNA was attacked as it was attempting to leave Tuzla.

Kostic recalled how JNA soldiers were massacred in Muslim-ambushes. He said that hundreds of soldiers were killed. He told the tribunal that Bosnian Muslims executed wounded JNA soldiers and set others on fire, burning them alive.

While Yugoslavia was withdrawing its troops from Bosnia, Croatia was sending its troops in. Kostic testified that Croatia had tens of thousands of soldiers on Bosnian territory during the war.

To bear this point out Milosevic read a report of the UN Secretary General, which literally said that Belgrade withdrew all of its troops in May 1992, but that Croatia - in spite of its public denials - had a substantial number of troops in Bosnia.

Kostic testified that Milosevic had no control over the JNA or Bosnian-Serb troops. The indictment accuses Milosevic of carrying out a Joint Criminal Enterprise in Bosnia together with Veljko Kadijevic and Blagoje Adzic. Kostic pointed out that Kadijevic and Adzic had both retired before the war in Bosnia even started. The witness marveled at the carelessness that went into the drafting of the indictment. He rhetorically asked, “how could Milosevic carry out a JCE through pensioners who no longer had any authority?”

Kostic said that all of Milosevic’s actions with respect to Bosnia were directed towards finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Following the conclusion of the examination-in-chief. Ms. Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff cross-examined the witness on behalf of the prosecution.

Kostic had testified that the SFRY state presidency was the supreme commander of the JNA, not Slobodan Milosevic.

Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff tried to get Kostic to change his testimony by threatening him with criminal prosecution. Since Kostic was a member of the SFRY state presidency, Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff pointed out that he could be held responsible if the trial chamber ruled that the JNA had committed crimes.

Kostic said that he was not aware of the JNA committing any crimes, and reiterated his testimony that the SFRY state presidency was the JNA’s supreme commander.

The fact that Prof. Kostic stood-up and told the truth, even-though he was being threatened with criminal prosecution, speaks volumes about the strength of his character. And the fact that Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff resorted to threatening the witness says certain things about her character too.

Kostic will continue his testimony when the trial resumes tomorrow.

# # #