Posted on 10/06/2002 2:13:05 PM PDT by vooch
THE HAGUE, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Slobodan Milosevic slammed the credibility of evidence from Croatia's president on Wednesday, saying Stjepan Mesic had Serb villages torched in the Balkan conflicts of the early 1990s.
The two repeatedly clashed as former Yugoslav president Milosevic cross-examined Mesic.
"I see you have a real hang-up about Milosevic. You mentioned me in every other sentence yesterday," said Milosevic, charged with committing genocide in Bosnia and crimes against humanity in Croatia.
"According to your instructions Serb villages (in Croatia) were destroyed," Milosevic, who is conducting his own defence, told Mesic. "That has nothing to do with the actual facts. I heard about the torching of villages and lodged a complaint with (late Croatian) President (Franjo) Tudjman," Mesic replied.
Mesic was the last to hold the presidency of communist Yugoslavia before its bloody collapse in 1991 and later went on to lead Croatia.
In earlier testimony on Tuesday, Mesic, 67, portrayed Milosevic as an unfeeling warmonger bent on breaking up Yugoslavia and seizing Croat land.
But Milosevic, who became Yugoslav president in 1997, said any insurgency by Serbs living in Croatia was the result of oppression by Croats.
"Is it correct that...through the culmination of ethnic intolerance towards Serbs...(and) through the adoption of many laws, the Croatian authorities instigated discrimination and chauvinism?" Milosevic said.
He quoted comments he said were made by officials of the Croatian Democratic Union -- a political party Mesic co-founded with Tudjman -- which included: "Outside the boys are singing we're going to slaughter the Serbs."
Mesic dismissed allegations that Serbs lived in an atmosphere of fear as an "exaggeration," saying: "Those who wanted to cut off parts of Croatia are those who are to be blamed for radical statements."
Milosevic has refused to plead out of scorn for the Hague tribunal. Judges have entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
Prosecutors at the U.N. court last month wrapped up their case on Kosovo and have now turned to Croatia and Bosnia.
10/06/02 11:01 ET
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited
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THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Slobodan Milosevic, on trial for war crimes, slammed the credibility of evidence from Croatia's president on Wednesday, saying Stjepan Mesic had Serb villages torched in the Balkan conflicts of the early 1990s.
The two repeatedly clashed as former Yugoslav president Milosevic cross-examined Mesic -- the first head of state to testify at the biggest international war crimes trial in Europe since Hitler's henchmen were tried at Nuremberg.
"I see you have a real hang-up about Milosevic. You mentioned me in every other sentence yesterday," said Milosevic, charged with committing genocide in Bosnia and crimes against humanity in Croatia as part of a plan to create an ethnically pure Greater Serbia.
"According to your instructions Serb villages (in Croatia) were destroyed," Milosevic, who is conducting his own defense, told Mesic. "I heard about the torching of villages and lodged a complaint with (late Croatian) President (Franjo) Tudjman."
Mesic, who was the last to hold the rotating presidency of the old Yugoslav federation before its bloody collapse in 1991 and who later went on to lead Croatia, denied the accusation.
In earlier testimony on Tuesday, Mesic, 67, portrayed Milosevic as an unfeeling warmonger bent on breaking up Yugoslavia and seizing Croat land.
But Milosevic, who became Yugoslav president in 1997 after seven years as leader of Serbia, said any insurgency by Serbs living in Croatia was the result of oppression by Croats.
"Is it correct that...through the culmination of ethnic intolerance toward Serbs...(and) through the adoption of many laws, the Croatian authorities instigated discrimination and chauvinism?" Milosevic said.
He quoted comments he said were made by officials of the Croatian Democratic Union -- a political party Mesic co-founded with Tudjman -- which included: "Outside the boys are singing we're going to slaughter the Serbs."
Mesic dismissed allegations that Serbs lived in an atmosphere of fear as an "exaggeration," saying: "Those who wanted to cut off parts of Croatia are those who are to be blamed for radical statements."
Milosevic has refused to plead out of scorn for the Hague tribunal. Judges have entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
Contained in the indictment against Milosevic is the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica in Bosnia, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II where up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed after Serb forces overran the U.N. "safe area."
Prosecutors at the U.N. court last month wrapped up their case on Kosovo, where Milosevic and former aides are accused of expelling almost one third of the Albanian population from the Serbian province, and have now turned to Croatia and Bosnia.
My hunch was right that the title was changedOf course it might have been changed, but unless the source is presented it's hard to know. In fact, the media outlets often change the titles themselves after recieving the article from a wire service. One should also note that the wires come out in several version, where the first might differ quite a lot from the last - the journalists want to be first with the breaking news. Somewhat similar stories can be found here as well:
Milosevic grills Croat president (CNN)
Milosevic Hits Back At Mesic (SKY News)
Milosevic Accuses Croatian President of War Crimes (FindLaw)
You sound more and more like Hoplite with your "lateral thinking"approach!
You know,wery well,that Mesich was the last president of Yugoslavia(Former)!Or,was he?After all last Yugoslav president is Kostunica,right??????
We know what is this duel between Milosevic and that scumbag Mesich all about but...your problem is "URL????Title????"What else???Maybe spelling??
But,what can we expect from the Livno Croat.
Maybe Mesic should check with the Pakrac Serbs in 1987, when my friend was forced many times to run through thrown stones with her Serb friends WHO had to cross a guantlet of thrown stones from their Croat neighbors.
Where does the above fall under what classification?
If you are right about the title(and I think that you are) than vooch has made a stupid mistake.For what what purpose!?Mesich was not a communist when he was a President of Yugoslav Presidency,for sure.I don`t know his biography well.
"Lateral thinking" implies that you don`t comment on article and trial but discuss technicalities!I hope that you understand what I mean?
Time to share!
But,I can`t sing gange,Tropi!LOOOL
PS. Who will provide meze?Offers,anyone???
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