Six Croats Released from The Hague Detention at Intervention of Madeleine Albright
Vecernji List - September 19, 2004

by Jasna Babic

Six military and political leaders of the former Herceg Bosna were released from The Hague detention unit at intervention of Madeleine Albright as a secret lobbyist and unofficial envoy of the U.S. Government.

Retired, but still influential, the U.S. State Secretary interceded in favor of Jadranko Prlic. However, as the legal modus was not found for exemption of an individual, it was decided in The Hague to make it possible for the remaining five Croats to defend themselves while on bail. This piece of information was delivered to “Vecernji List” from the unofficial sources within The Hague Tribunal.

At the same time it explains a mysterious difference in The Hague’s treatment of the so called BiH group of Croats and Croatian Generals, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, who were still detained in Scheveningen. Different Hague’s destinies of Prlic and his codefendants, including Cermak and Markac, are explained by more strained relations between The Hague Tribunal Prosecutor’s Office and Tribunal itself. Allegedly estimating that The Hague prosecutors engaged too often in direct negotiations with the indictees and governments of their countries, the last episode in the Cermak-Markac case was ended by their detaining in The Hague Detention Unit.

This time the Tribunal Council allegedly did not accept the agreement between the prosecutors and defense on releasing them to defend themselves while on bail.

Source: VECERNJI LIST (HDZ); Evening Paper, Croatian national daily from Zagreb; 09/19/04; pg 2&3 of 64
Translated by: U.S. Army Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Cell, ACofS G2 MNB(N)

Posted for Fair Use only.