MILOSEVIC TRIAL SYNOPSIS FOR JUNE 05 2003
www.slobodan-milosevic.org -
June 5, 2003
Written by: Andy Wilcoxson
The secret witness “B-24”
claimed to have been a member of the crisis staff in the Serb Municipality of
Zvornik from the inception of the crisis staff until 12 April 1992, while
serving in the crisis staff “B-24” says that he was the commander of the police
station. “B-24” also claimed that he was a member of the SDS, and president of
the local government in Zvornik (i.e. he was the Mayor) from February 1993 until
September 1993.
"B-24" provided some useful information, but it was also apparent that he was testifying under threat.
We will start with the useful information that Mr. “B-24” provided. First and foremost, under cross-examination from President Milosevic, “B-24” explained the sequence of events that lead up to the Serbian counterinsurgency operation that took place on 8 April 1992 in Zvornik.
“B-24” explained that the Muslims began to form armed paramilitary formations of the so-called “Patriotic League” in 1991 before the outbreak of any hostilities in Bosnia. He said that the Muslims had substantial man power, and that they were well armed.
“B-24” explained how the Muslim paramilitaries would recruit criminals, arm the criminals, and then make the criminals into the police, and that they did this with a view to intimidating the Serbs.
“B-24” explained how the Serb population fled from Zvornik and how the counterinsurgency operation of 8 April 1992 enabled them to return, along with some 15,000 Serb refugees who had fled from central Bosnia.
“B-24” explained that the Muslim paramilitaries seized control of Zvornik on 5 April 1992.
“B-24” explained that on 6 April 1992 five soldiers of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) were massacred in Zvornik by the Muslim armed extremists. 6 April 1992 was the 2nd day of Muslim control over Zvornik. 6 April 1992 was also the day that Bosnia was recognized as an independent state, and in addition to that 6 April is the anniversary of Hitler’s first attacks on Yugoslavia.
On 8 April 1992 the Territorial Defense (T.O.) of the Serb Municipality of Zvornik, along with, various volunteers, and Arkan’s Serbian Volunteer Guard (SDG) launched a counterinsurgency operation and took control of Zvornik away from the Muslim paramilitaries.
“B-24” explained that no JNA personnel and no government personnel from Serbia took part in the counterinsurgency operation.
“B-24” explained that the Serbian authorities in Zvornik did all they could to protect the Muslim civilian population of Zvornik, but as the war raged on they couldn’t maintain control over the municipality, and illegal paramilitaries, criminals out to exploit the situation, and civilians angry at the whole situation made it so there was virtually no government in Zvornik from roughly May to June of 1992. And that in this chaotic situation Muslims were victimized, their mosques were destroyed, and they fled.
Contrast this with the situation in just across the Drina River in Mali Zvornik (in Serbia). As President Milosevic pointed out, passions were high there too, but the authorities of Serbia managed to keep order and nobody harmed that town’s 20% Muslim population, or laid a finger on their Mosque, which was being guarded around the clock by the MUP of Serbia.
It was also noted by Milosevic, and confirmed by “B-24” that members of an illegal paramilitary formation that victimized Muslims at the Chelopek Cultural Center were arrested and prosecuted by the Government of Serbia on the basis of information provided by the authorities of the Republika Srpska.
In spite of these useful things that “B-24” explained it was apparent that he was at the Tribunal under threat of an indictment against himself.
As I stated above “B-24” was a member of the crisis staff and served as the commander of the police station in the Serb Municipality of Zvornik. He held this position during the counterinsurgency operation.
“B-24’s” story about how the counterinsurgency operation came about is a little odd. “B-24” claimed that Arkan and 24 of his men beat-up the members of the Zvornik crisis staff and forced the T.O., which numbered over 500, to launch the operation against their will. So are we are to believe that Arkan and 24 members of the SDG were able to force the 500 member T.O. to do something that it didn’t want to do?
“B-24” systematically avoided taking any responsibility even though he was in a command position. Instead he blamed Arkan, in an effort to remove command responsibility from himself.
“B-24’s” story doesn’t make sense here, because he told Milosevic in the cross-examination that he was the one who personally went and got Arkan and his men, brought them back, and arranged for their accommodations. So it looks as if the plan was already made when Arkan was brought in.
“B-24” tried to link Arkan to Milosevic by saying that he saw Arkan getting out of a vehicle that had a license plate that indicated that it belonged to the federal SUP, and that he had acquired Arkan’s services on the advice of * a friend of his * who just happened to be a member of the Serbian MUP.
The part about Arkan using the federal SUP’s vehicle is as much of a lie as the part about Arkan and his 24 men beating-up the whole crisis staff and forcing the 500 man T.O. to launch an operation against their will. Arkan had his own vehicles, why on Earth would he use the vehicle of the federal SUP? It doesn’t make sense.
I believe that “B-24” said this stuff about Arkan because the Tribunal made a deal with him. I think that they sat “B-24” down and said, “Testify against Milosevic or else we will slap a war crimes indictment on you.”
The last question Mr. Groome
asked “B-24” in his examination in chief was: “Are you getting anything in
exchange for your testimony?” To which B-24 said, “No.” The real question is
what B-24 was * not * getting in exchange for his testimony? Was he * not *
getting indicted for war crimes perhaps?
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FOR 5 JUNE 2003: