MILOSEVIC CONCLUDES HIS OPENING STATEMENT
www.slobodan-milosevic.org - September 1, 2004

SEPTEMBER 1, 2004, WEDNESDAY - President Milosevic finished making his opening statement today. He began the day by speaking of the environmental catastrophe caused by NATO's 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia, how the bombing of petrochemical plants caused environmental contamination and damage to the public health.

Milosevic spoke about the collaboration between the Clinton administration and Islamic terror organizations such as Al-Qaeda in the Balkans. He said that this link would not remain hidden. He read out from reports of the U.S. Senate that spoke of a link between Clinton and the Iranian Government to arms trafficking and the infiltration of the Mujahedeen in Bosnia.

Milosevic described the pre-war situation in Croatia, he talked about the Croat "mass-movement" of the 1970's, and he listed off a litany of crimes that were committed against Serbs in the late '80s and early '90s by the Croat secessionists. He spoke of how Tudjman resurrected the symbols and ideology of the Ustasha, and how the Serbs were thrown out of the Croatian Constitution, and lost their status as a constituent people.

Milosevic spoke of the Krajina Serbs' resistance in the Log Rebellion, and he noted Croatia's response where Spegelj (the Croatian Defense Minister) reacted to the Serb barricades by promising to "massacre the Serbs."

Milosevic spoke of Alija Izetbegovics past activities as a member of the Nazi-linked Young Muslims organization during the Second World War. He read out quotes from Izetbegovic's "Islamic Declaration" where Izetbegovic speaks of creating an Islamic state stretching from Europe to Africa, and out to Indonesia, and where Izetbegovic says that there can be no peace or co-existence between Islamic and non-Islamic social and political institutions.

Milosevic talked about the pre-war arming and preparation by Izetbegovic's forces. He pointed out Izetbegovic's infamous statement of February 7, 1991 where he said "I would sacrifice peace for a sovereign Bosnia-Herzegovina."

Milosevic branded the prosecution's assertions about 7,000 massacred at Srebrenica as being a "myth" and said that the propagation of such myths was "an insult to both the living and the dead." He pointed out how one witness testified to the number of 7,000 massacre victims, not on the basis of his own knowledge, but on the basis of a plea-agreement in which he agreed not to challenge the prosecution's numbers.

Milosevic spoke of the pathetic failure of the prosecution to prove its case. He pointed out that not a single shred of proof exists to prove the existence of the so-called joint criminal enterprise. He said, "You have all the evidence of crimes by the Croat and Muslim leadership, but nothing against the Serbian leadership, nor against the leadership of the Republic of Srpska nor the Republic of Srpska Krajina."

Milosevic said that the very idea of the "joint criminal enterprise" was a smoke-screen set-up by the prosecution to cover up the fact that they have no proof of crimes being ordered or even tolerated by the Serbian leadership.

Milosevic said that he will produce hundreds of documents from Serbian military prosecutors, proving that Serbia actively sought to prevent war crimes, and vigorously prosecuted war criminals when crimes did occur. Milosevic strongly defended the four Serbian generals recently indicted by the tribunal, saying that they are completely innocent.

Milosevic ended his opening statement by telling the tribunal, "You can not even imagine what a privilege it is, even in these conditions that you've imposed upon me, to have truth and justice as my allies. I am sure that you can not even conceive this."

After Milosevic concluded his opening statement, some procedural matters were dealt with. Carla del Ponte briefly spoke, and in her speech she advocated the imposition of a lawyer on Milosevic against his will.

After Ms. Del Ponte spoke, Mr. Nice took the floor and proceeded to also advocate the imposition of a lawyer on Milosevic. In doing this, Mr. Nice embarked on a campaign of insults and lies against Milosevic.

Mr. Nice said that Milosevic was "irrational" and that he "wastes too much time." Nice said that Milosevic was "non-compliant" and therefore should not be allowed to present his defense at all; a lawyer should do it for him according to Nice.

The tribunal discussed Milosevic's personal health matters in public session in spite of his objections. I would not even speak of what they said due to respect for his privacy, but I see that the New York Times has already published the information in a misleading manner, and so I am forced to discuss the issue.

Mr. Nice said that Milosevic was "refusing to take his medicine." Mr. Nice concluded on that basis that Milosevic was intentionally making himself sick.

Mr. Nice is lying. Milosevic is not refusing to take his medication. He takes his medicine. It is administered to him in the prison. He takes the medicine in the presence of the prison guards, and they write it all down in a book.

He did refuse to take some medicine a year ago, because the side-effects were making him feel worse. He informed the doctors that he could not tolerate the side-effects, and a new drug regiment was established.

Milosevic repeated his earlier request to be treated by doctors of his own choosing. He asked to be examined by medical professionals from Serbia, Russia, and Greece.

Milosevic claims that the tribunal is panicked over the defense that he will mount. He asks why they would allow him to cross-examine the prosecutions' witnesses, but not to examine his own.

The tribunal cloaks their attempts to shut him up with a feigned concern for his well being, but their real agenda is obvious. They are scared to death. They know that if he questions his own witnesses, then the truth will come out, and the truth is something that they can not tolerate. Their whole indictment, and the whole media campaign surrounding this so-called "trial" is based on lies. They desperately need to conceal the truth, and they are trying to achieve this objective by ramming a lawyer down Milosevic's throat, so that the lawyer and not Milosevic will examine the witnesses.

In spite of the Tribunal's maneuvers, Milosevic remains stead-fast in his determination to wage his own defense, and to fully reveal the truth of what happened in Yugoslavia. He will not accept nor cooperate with any lawyers being forced on him.

The matter is still being debated by the so-called "court" and the debate will continue into tomorrows session.
 

# # #