Milosevic: [Clinton] Was Ally of Al Qaeda in Kosovo

Reuters via Yahoo! News ^ | Fri Feb 15, 1:08 PM ET | Andrew Roche

[Spar]

osevic: U.S. Was Ally of Al Qaeda in Kosovo

Fri Feb 15, 1:08 PM ET

By Andrew Roche

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Slobodan Milosevic (news - web sites) told his war crimes trial on Friday "genocidal" U.S. forces had been the unwitting ally of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) in Kosovo, and demanded Bill Clinton and other Western leaders come to testify.

Bin Laden's al Qaeda was "one of the fundamentalist groups which sent a unit to fight in Kosovo" alongside Muslim Kosovo Albanians aided by the United States against Serb forces in 1998-9, the fallen Yugoslav leader told The Hague (news - web sites) tribunal.

"The attacks on New York and Washington show what the terrorism you sponsored looks like when it turns against you," he said in a speech that ranged across centuries of history and much of the globe, and exhausted court interpreters.

Milosevic, 60, was extradited from Belgrade seven months ago to a jail cell in The Hague. On Tuesday his trial began for crimes against humanity in Kosovo in 1999 and in Croatia in 1991-2, and for genocide in the 1992-5 Bosnian war.

Prosecutors have this week portrayed him as prime mover in a decade of massacres, torture, mass rape and expulsions by Serbs.

In a second day of reply to prosecutors' opening addresses, he blamed the carnage entirely on his Balkan enemies and NATO (news - web sites). Echoing the language of his indictment, he said the West itself had committed "genocide and crimes against humanity."

"I'm asking what kind of tribunal this is, if you refuse to try people for these crimes by the leaders and armies of NATO countries," a coolly pugnacious Milosevic told judges.

On the fourth day of what is forecast to be a marathon case, he insisted the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians who fled Kosovo in 1999 during the NATO air war against Yugoslavia had been driven out not by Serbs but by their fellow Albanians.

The guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) "referred to all Albanians who did not flee Kosovo as traitors," he said, creating an "illusion of exodus." "There were hundreds of cameras waiting at the borders to show alleged Serb misdeeds."

The motive was to justify NATO's attack, said Milosevic, showing the court pictures of carbonized bodies of civilians killed by NATO bombs in Kosovo and the rest of Serbia in 1999.

CHINESE EMBASSY BOMBING

NATO missiles destroyed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, in what Washington insisted was a mistake by Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites) target planners using an outdated map.

"It is quite clear that (former U.S. president) Clinton wanted to go down in history as the first man to bomb Chinese territory by bombing the Chinese embassy," Milosevic said. "This was no accident."

Milosevic accused Germany of setting out to destroy old communist Yugoslavia by its support for Slovenian and Croatian independence, and by secret backing of Albanian "terrorists."

"The German intelligence service rallied up criminals from all over Europe. They were pushed to Kosovo," he said.

Bin Laden, meanwhile, used anarchic Albania as a launchpad for violence in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe, he said.

Some Muslim "terrorists" in Kosovo, had they not been jailed by Serbia, would now be "going in chains to Guantanamo Bay" from Afghanistan (news - web sites) instead, the white-haired Milosevic insisted.

"While Americans transport al Qaeda terrorists to Guantanamo...at the same time they demand all Albanian terrorists be freed from prisons in Yugoslavia," he added.

The involvement in the Balkans of Mujahideen guerrillas from Arab states and Afghanistan is well-documented, and U.S. agents followed the trail of bin Laden and his followers in Albania and Kosovo itself, before the September 11 attacks.

Accusing NATO of the use of especially lethal cluster bombs, he showed the court a photograph of a Serb woman killed while plowing her field and corpses of children in pajamas.

"This is an example of bestiality, targeting people in this way," he said, adding NATO bombed at night to maximize deaths among sleeping civilians. He showed pictures of shattered hospitals, an old people's home, buses, houses and workplaces, some strewn with charred and bloodied bodies.

After NATO occupied Kosovo in June 1999, they allowed Serbs to be killed or forced out by Albanian "terrorists" and "savages." More than 100 Serb Orthodox churches were razed in a campaign he likened to Taliban destruction of Buddhist statues.

Kosovo, seen by Serbs as a historic heartland, was now run by an "Albanian drug mafia" and the sex-slave trade, he said.

CALLS CLINTON, ALBRIGHT, BLAIR, SCHROEDER

"I am going to call witnesses here and I want it to be possible to question Clinton and Albright and Kinkel and Schroeder and Kohl and Dini... Kofi Annan (news - web sites)... Blair," he said, listing Western and U.N. leaders involved in Balkan peace talks.

Milosevic wants them to testify that the West used him as a peacemaker in the Bosnian war before turning against him.

Under the tribunal's procedures Milosevic is expected to produce a list of witnesses he wants called. The three judges have the final say on whether witnesses are subpoenaed.

The reformist Yugoslav government, which handed Milosevic to The Hague, on Friday called his testimony "disgusting." But the Russian parliament branded the tribunal a "political" court which had failed to charge NATO states for atrocities.

During his afternoon speech, Milosevic compared Clinton's strategy in fighting the Kosovo war to that of Adolf Hitler's: to establish a strategic base from which to attack Russia. He described the policy the Austro-Hungarian empire had adopted toward the territories of the crumbling Ottoman empire in the 19th and 20th centuries, that of keeping Serbia weak and the Balkans divided, he said. Presiding Judge Richard May urged Milosevic to slow down so interpreters could keep up.

Dressed in a navy suit and a tie in the red, blue and white Serbian colors, Milosevic sits flanked by seated guards in a courtroom sealed off from the public gallery by a bullet-proof glass wall and equipped with computer screens and cameras.

Milosevic is conducting his own defense, after refusing to appoint counsel or enter a formal plea on the grounds the court has no right to judge him, but is advised by Belgrade lawyers.

Judges have entered not guilty pleas on his behalf and appointed three lawyers as "friends of the court" to ensure he gets a fair trial. The "friends" on Friday appealed for judges to give him leeway in the length of his address, and he was allowed to continue on Monday until 1 p.m.

Milosevic could face life in prison if convicted at the end of an epic trial some expect to last at least two years.

[pepsionice]

After watching bits and pieces...Slobo is actually doing a dang good job! He might be able to show that he is just a small time player in the game....and that Bill Clinton might need to come in to explain himself. These judges are in for a difficult situation. Slobo can present enough eviedence to show that the Muslims were just as bad as he was.

[stencil]

The fact that there was essentially no domestic dissent to the Clinton campaign in the Balkans does not bode well for the coverage of more vital conflicts in the future.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Bin Laden's al Qaeda was "one of the fundamentalist groups which sent a unit to fight in Kosovo" alongside Muslim Kosovo Albanians aided by the United States against Serb forces in 1998-9, the fallen Yugoslav leader told The Hague (news - web sites) tribunal.

I wouldn't doubt this for a minute. This is the sort of indiscretions that arise when military policy is based on, "how many bombs will cover up my latest sexual escapades"

[He Rides A White Horse]

Some Muslim "terrorists" in Kosovo, had they not been jailed by Serbia, would now be "going in chains to Guantanamo Bay" from Afghanistan (news - web sites) instead, the white-haired Milosevic insisted.

Sorry; can't shake the nagging feeling that these things are true.

[He Rides A White Horse]

The guerrilla slave trading, prostitute dealing, heroin smuggling Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) "referred to all Albanians who did not flee Kosovo as traitors," he said, creating an "illusion of exodus."

[Vojvodina]

I hadn't heard that one before but I have heard stories that the Chinese embassy was used by the Yugoslav Army for communication purposes. I have no idea if it's true but regardless - the bombing was a war crime, pure and simple. They actually bombed the Chinese territory.

They also damaged the Swiss, Swedish and Greek embassies as well as the Greek Consulate in the city of Nish.

[Vojvodina]

The Royalists (the Serbian Chetniks led by Col. [later Gen.] Mihailovich) had saved more than 500 US airmen back in 1943/1944. General Drazha Mihailovich was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour, albeit posthumously.

The Germans knew the airmen were alive, but they couldn't find them so they started murdering Serbian villagers, probably thinking the villagers would reveal where the pilots had hidden after a few dozen executions. Well, the Krauts were wrong.

After the war, in July of 1946 I believe, Gen. Mihailovich was executed by the Communists - "for treason".

Serbia was one of America's most loyal allies in both World Wars. In both wars, Serbia was surrounded by Austrian/German vassals, but she chose to fight on the side of the good... against all odds.

Gen. Mihailovich, 1943 Check this out: Major Felman's speech

[Vojvodina]

Trtipod bastards! Here's another photo of the hero:

[Quila]

The American press was thoroughly state-run during the bombing, too, don't doubt that for a moment.

There's a difference, we have a free press with people who can investigate and report their results in contrary to what the official word is. Serbia had a completely closed press, those who did not spout the party line got shut down and possibly put in jail.

[A. Pole]

There's a difference, we have a free press with people who can investigate and report their results in contrary to what the official word is.

You must be kidding. Press is privately owned by the few rich individuals and run for profit or political influence. The journalists are hirelings whe can be kicked out if they do not toe the line. But the system is not monolithic and some owners are more willing than others to permit some freedom. You exagerate in favour of West.

Serbia had a completely closed press, those who did not spout the party line got shut down and possibly put in jail.

Again it is false. Serbia had multiparty system and non monolitic media. The degree of freedom was more or less the same as here. You exagerate in disfavour of Serbia.

[hoosierham]

Miloslovic and Traficant remind me of each other;and neither is nearly as dangerous as the clintoon!.

[Quila]

Press is privately owned by the few rich individuals and run for profit or political influence.

True, but then how do we end up with all of these stories critical of the government, its policies and what it does? Exposees on government malfeasance bring in lots of advertising revenue.

Again it is false. Serbia had multiparty system and non monolitic media. The degree of freedom was more or less the same as here. You exagerate in disfavour of Serbia.

Don't fool yourself. Milosovic was in control of the media and used it to keep his party in power. Remember how hard it was for his own people to oust him after he finally lost in a free election? He would still be in power if the military hadn't bailed on him.

[kimosabe31]

Nightstalker, you're an Asshole...where are the 200,000 albanians massacred by the Serbs according to clinton. NATO has been footdragging for 2 1/2 years any announcement that mass graves do not exist and it was all a lie to cover for a war of islamic expansion. Idiots like you unceasingly believe the big lie.

[mikeIII]

"The only Kosovo killer was Clinton and Osama Bin Laden's people. In Kosovo if you supported Clinton policies you supported al-Qaeda polices as well."

Damn! How much damage can one create in just 8 years, all over the world?

[Abbalon]

You mean that several hundreds of muslim men were not separated form their families and shot? Can I assume that the many mass graves full of young boys and men are fake?

[Zviadist]

The thing is there has been little in the way of tangible differences between Clinton and Bush policy.

Bingo! Many people here want to scream and blame this whole thing on Clinton and his immoral and anti-American foreign policy. I agree with them on the nature of Clinton's foreign policy, but if Bush is so much better why has he not lifted a finger to right any of these wrongs? Indeed, all indications thus far are that Bush supports wholeheartedly all of Clinton's adventures in the Balkans. So where does that leave the Bush-bots?

[Quila]

Indeed, all indications thus far are that Bush supports wholeheartedly all of Clinton's adventures in the Balkans. So where does that leave the Bush-bots?

To be fair to Bush, Clinton and the U.N., throughout history it's always been next to impossible to keep the peace in the Balkans. They are always fighting each other, always revenging some 20- or 200-year-old vendetta, etc. The Romans took I believe two legions to conquer the area and several more just to keep the peace there. Historically, the only way to have peace there is to rule with an iron fist and immediately kill anyone or any group who gets out of line, as in Tito's method.

Sometimes I think we're really fooling ourselves to think we can do any better.

[A. Pole]

Again it is false. Serbia had multiparty system and non monolitic media. The degree of freedom was more or less the same as here. You exagerate in disfavour of Serbia.

Don't fool yourself. Milosovic was in control of the media and used it to keep his party in power. Remember how hard it was for his own people to oust him after he finally lost in a free election? He would still be in power if the military hadn't bailed on him.

I think that it is you who has been fooled. I was following the events closely and it was clear that Serbian media were much less uniform than the Western ones. Also the small Serbia being in the middle of Europe was not isolated like USA separated by the oceans. The foreign TV is easily picked by Serbs. Serbian Parlament contained many parties and Milosevic was facing a strong opposition as well as he had many supporters.

Serbia had functioning democratic system. Only after West poured huge number of money into financing subversive groups like Otpor the anti-democratic coup took place. Kostunica who had some popularity on the level of Milosevic was a figure-head. The real agents were Djinjic and his equally evil twin Djucanovic who work on dismembering and enslaving Serbia. Djinjic as opposed to Milosevic who had support of maybe 40% has support in single digits. Still he is promoted by the West as a slavemaster.

[sandydipper]

The only things Bill Clinton "worked on" was getting another hummer and making an easy buck. Everything else was photo op.