Posted on 10/27/2005 4:39:04 PM PDT by joan
October 27, 2005
BIH, HR
Text of report in English by Croatian news agency HINA
The Hague, 27 October: A Bosnian Croat wartime commander, who pleaded guilty at the Hague war crimes tribunal on Wednesday [26 October] to grave breaches of the Geneva conventions committed during the Croat-Muslim war in 1993, confirmed in a plea agreement with the prosecution that Croatia had been involved in the international armed conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Ivica Rajic, who commanded Croatian Defence Council (HVO) troops in Kiseljak, 20 kilometres west of Sarajevo, agreed under the plea agreement that the prosecution evidence would prove beyond a reasonable doubt that "at all times relevant to the amended indictment (from 1 October to 30 December 1993), a state of international armed conflict existed in Bosnia and Hercegovina involving the independent State of the Republic of Croatia and its government, armed forces and representatives in an armed conflict against Bosnian Muslims on the territory of the independent State of Bosnia and Hercegovina".
The document, entitled the factual basis of the plea agreement, added that "the crimes charged in the amended indictment were committed in the context of and with a connection to this conflict".
Rajic pleaded guilty to four counts of grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva conventions governing the protection of civilians and prisoners in international conflicts. He also agreed to "full and substantial cooperation" with the prosecution, which in return dismissed the remaining six counts of the indictment and recommended a prison sentence ranging from 12 and to 15 years.
The factual basis also contains allegations and attached documents charging Rajic's superiors, including Tihomir Blaskic, Milivoj Petkovic and Slobodan Praljak, with incitement to commit and conceal crimes. Also charged are his subordinates, the commanders of such HVO units as the Kiseljak-based Ban Josip Jelacic Brigade and the special purposes units, Maturice and Apostoli.
The document cites orders, such as one issued by General Praljak, which said: "Sort out the situation in Vares without showing no mercy to anyone. Find the people who are up to both the times and the tasks," and reports by Rajic to his superiors, including one saying: "The town of Vares has been mopped up and all Muslims of military age placed under surveillance."
The document says that Petkovic ordered Rajic to change his name to Viktor Andric following crimes committed in the village of Stupni Do on 23 October 1993 and cites a decision by General Blaskic relieving Colonel Rajic of his duties due to demonstrated weaknesses and appointing Colonel Andric as HVO commander in Kiseljak.
On the instructions of his HVO superiors, including Petkovic, Rajic participated in a cover-up concerning the crimes committed in and around Vares and Stupni do. The purpose of that false investigation, mounted by the Security and Information Service (SIS), was to appease the international community, according to the document.
The document also describes other crimes committed in the municipalities of Kiseljak, Vares and Kakanj, which were within Rajic's area of responsibility.
Source: BBC Monitoring / HINA news agency, Zagreb
bttp
Did you brother ever name specific places in Bosnia were he saw this - was he stationed in a limited, specific part or parts, or did he go all over Bosnia? What timeframe was he there?
Did he witness any fighting? Killings of civilians? Weapons and foreign fighters coming in under cover of humanitarian and medical aid?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.