1 Friday, 22 November 2002

2 [Open session]

3 [The accused entered court]

4 [The witness entered court]

5 --- Upon commencing at 9.02 a.m.

6 JUDGE MAY: Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff, we've been given a copy, we

7 understand it, of the Vance Plan, an extract from a book. We'll give it

8 an exhibit number. The next exhibit, please.

9 THE REGISTRAR: Good morning, Your Honours. This will be

10 Prosecutor's Exhibit 355.

11 JUDGE MAY: Yes. Thank you for that.

12 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honours, we also provided the list of

13 the 14 witnesses. Thank you.

14 WITNESS: WITNESS C-061 [Resumed]

15 [Witness answered through interpreter]

16 Examined by Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff: [Continued]

17 Q. Good morning, Witness. Can you hear me?

18 A. Good morning. Yes.

19 Q. Yesterday, you mentioned the Colonel Smiljanic and his role in

20 providing weapons.

21 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: With the help of the usher, I would like to

22 put to the witness tab 111 of Exhibit 352. And it's actually a letter by

23 Colonel Dusan Smiljanic regarding various matters, including the Martic

24 arrest, of the 15th of October, 1994.

25 Q. Did you have an opportunity to review this letter while you had

1 your conversations with the Prosecutor in The Hague?

2 A. Yes, I did.

3 Q. In relation to the letterhead and the stamp used in this letter

4 and the signature, are they authentic for that time?

5 A. They are.

6 Q. Are you able to identify the signature of Mr. Smiljanic or are you

7 not familiar with it?

8 A. I'm not familiar with the signature.

9 Q. In relation to the contents of this letter, I would like to direct

10 you to page 2. It's page 2 in the English, and I assume it's also page 2

11 in the Serbian version. We have highlighted some paragraphs for you in

12 blue, and I would like you to turn to the first blue mark, and it says

13 here:

14 "I illegally established links with leading figures in the SDS in

15 the Lika, Banija, Kordun, and Banja Luka area with a group of OB security

16 organs and military police at the end of April and the beginning of May,

17 and I began the illegal distribution of arms to Serbian people..."

18 And it continues: "This action continued until the beginning of

19 June 1991..."

20 Can you -- is that correct? Did it happen in that time period in

21 the way described in this paragraph?

22 A. Yes, it did.

23 MR. KAY: May I raise a matter here? Isn't preferable for the

24 witness to give evidence about it rather than commenting on someone else's

25 letter which contains much more detail and information, the authenticity

1 of which cannot be proved through this witness? Isn't it better for him

2 just to give his evidence on the subject about the matter?

3 JUDGE MAY: He can comment on the letter if he has knowledge about

4 it. It's a question of weight, isn't it, as to how much weight one can

5 give a comment of that sort as opposed to the evidence which he chooses to

6 give or he can give?

7 MR. KAY: As I understood it, he had no knowledge of the letter.

8 JUDGE MAY: No, but he has knowledge of the events, which is --

9 MR. KAY: Yes. What I'm --

10 JUDGE MAY: -- the part of the evidence which is important.

11 MR. KAY: What I'm saying is isn't it better that he gives

12 evidence about the event rather than in this form?

13 JUDGE MAY: Well, Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff, you've heard that comment.

14 If you want to expand the witness's evidence on this point, of course you

15 can.

16 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, actually, yesterday the witness

17 has already mentioned that through Mr. Smiljanic, weapons could be

18 ordered, and he also mentioned that it was done through a place in the

19 Bihac airport region. So -- but I can, of course, let him give more

20 details on the matter. I actually thought only to confirm what he said

21 yesterday on this matter.

22 Q. Were weapons organised through Mr. Smiljanic in the time period

23 from April to June 1991, and also later on; and if so, in which way was it

24 done?

25 A. Yes, I know specifically for July and August 1991, in such a way

1 that, from my own personal knowledge, Colonel Smiljanic himself offered

2 his services for the procurement of weapons for the Serbs in Krajina.

3 Q. When you said he offered his services, how did he do that? What

4 did he actually suggest he could do?

5 A. That we should address him for any needs in weapons, and he, or

6 rather, General Nikola Uzelac, the so-called Little Uzelac, the commander

7 of the Zagreb Corps, needed volunteers for tanks.

8 Q. Does that mean Mr. Smiljanic asked you to organise - you in the

9 Krajina, not you personally - organise tank crews?

10 A. Yes. Volunteers who would join tank crews.

11 Q. And did the authorities in the Krajina do that? Did you organise

12 tank crew members?

13 A. Efforts were made along those lines. To what extent they were

14 successful, I don't know for sure.

15 Q. And in relation to the weapons, still in relation to the weapons,

16 when you had requests to make to Mr. Smiljanic, how would that be done in

17 practical terms? What would you do? Would you give him lists? Can you

18 explain it in practical terms what actually happened?

19 A. Men would go to see him who would order weapons, and they -- he

20 would provide them for them from the warehouse and then they would

21 distribute them.

22 Q. And when you say "warehouse," where was the warehouse?

23 A. I know specifically about the warehouse in Zeljava, which is a

24 place close to Bihac airport, which was the place of delivery, for three

25 deliveries of such weapons.

1 Q. And in which time period did these three deliveries take place?

2 A. At the end of July and the beginning of August 1991.

3 Q. In relation to the letter, I would like to refer you now to the

4 second blue mark in the letter. It's on page 3. And it starts with:

5 "Arming the Serbian people," and refers to the time period up to the end

6 of 1991. And it also says here:

7 "Besides this, I also had connections with the Defence Ministry

8 of the Republic of Serbia, given that ministry's then role in conducting

9 the arms struggle."

10 What role did the MOD Serbia have in that arms struggle of the

11 people in the Krajina?

12 A. I am aware of the logistics support it provided.

13 Q. Which logistics support did the Ministry of Defence of Serbia

14 provide, and how was that done?

15 A. In materiel and equipment.

16 Q. And how was that done? In which way, in practical terms?

17 A. Men whose duty it was to do that went there.

18 Q. And which persons went there? Or do we need to go into private

19 session for this?

20 A. I know that the president of the government at the time went on a

21 number of occasions, that is, the prime minister. I know of that

22 specifically.

23 Q. At what times did the prime minister go there? Can you tell us

24 the approximate dates?

25 A. I know of at least one or two occasions in September, and at least

1 one occasion in November, 1991.

2 Q. And to whom did the prime minister then speak when he went there?

3 A. To General Simovic, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of

4 Serbia.

5 Q. And how did then the deliveries arrive for equipment and the other

6 things? How did the deliveries arrive? How was that organised?

7 A. Technically, I don't know how. I just know that it did arrive.

8 Q. I would like to refer you now to the next blue marker, and I will

9 quote from the letter:

10 "Given the great opposition and problems in forming the Brigade,

11 especially in the Lika area and part of Banija in September 1991, I

12 organised meetings of the most advanced reserve officers and the then

13 representatives of the authorities in Gracac and Vrhovine, at which the

14 current president of the RSK, Milan Martic, was present. Following these

15 meetings, a brigade was formed in Gracac, Udbina, Vrhovine, and Plaski.

16 On the afternoon of the same day, I travelled to Novi Grad with Milan

17 Martic intending to resolve some questions about the final capture of

18 Kostajnica. On returning from Novi Grad, we were arrested in Otoka

19 village, as you are aware."

20 Sir, did you know about such meetings with reserve officers to

21 organise the brigade in that region?

22 A. Yes, I have heard of them.

23 Q. Was the prime minister of SAO Krajina present during such

24 meetings?

25 A. Yes.

1 Q. I would like to refer you now to the next chapter in the letter

2 which is marked, and it says:

3 "At the beginning of May 1992, I contacted General Tolimir, who

4 was in Knin. Having regard to the uncertainty and the cause of events, I

5 agreed with Tolimir, with the agreement of the Corps Commander, that a

6 part of the assets and the police equipment should be transferred to the

7 RSK," and he makes special reference to nine armoured combat vehicles.

8 Were such armed combat vehicles -- were they actually taken over

9 by the police, and in which way was that done?

10 A. There was the takeover of such vehicles by the police.

11 Q. And do you know whether from your personal knowledge whether

12 General Tolimir was involved in this takeover?

13 A. No.

14 Q. Then in the next paragraph that is marked in blue it says:

15 "After the famous telegram that officers and soldiers born in the

16 territory of the FRY should withdraw (active military personnel made up 70

17 per cent of the VP battalion), officers born in the FRY were told to go to

18 the VJ, those from BH to the RS, and you Palestinians from the RSK can go

19 to Nis or wherever you want."

20 What do you know from your personal knowledge about this transfer

21 of personnel?

22 A. I know that in the month of May, an order arrived that officers

23 originating from Yugoslavia should immediately abandon the territory of

24 the Republic of Srpska Krajina, and people said that there were even some

25 funny scenes when senior officers abandoned units and literally fled from

1 the territory.

2 Q. Yes. We can turn away from the document. Witness, in this

3 document, it also said that Mr. Smiljanic was arrested together with Milan

4 Martic. Did you know that at that time that he was arrested together with

5 Martic?

6 A. Yes, I did.

7 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Private session, please.

8 [Private session]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Page 13280 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Page 13281 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [Open session]

8 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

9 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: With the help of the usher, I would like to

10 put to the witness the transcript of an intercepted conversation, tab 27

11 of Exhibit 353.

12 JUDGE MAY: I need to speak to the legal officer, please.

13 [Trial Chamber and senior legal officer confer]

14 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

15 Q. Did you have an opportunity to listen in to a conversation between

16 Dobrica Cosic and Radovan Karadzic?

17 A. Yes, I did.

18 Q. Could you identify -- did you recognise the voices of the two?

19 A. Yes, I did. Karadzic and Cosic.

20 Q. Were you familiar with the voice of Dobrica Cosic?

21 A. Yes. I talked to him personally on several occasions.

22 Q. What was his position?

23 A. He was a writer, a member of the Serbian Academy of Science and

24 Art, and later on president of the Federal Republic of Serbia.

25 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: For the usher, could we please put on the

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 ELMO the English version and, in particular, the first marked passage.

2 Q. And Witness, if you look into your Serbian version, there is a

3 first on page 3. It should be on page 3. There is a marked version. The

4 marked version of page 3. And let me read.

5 Mr. Radovan Karadzic says:

6 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Because they wanted to get Knin involved too,

7 and so on, I told them not to do anything like that at all.

8 Cosic then:

9 DOBRICA COSIE: Of course, of course.

10 And then:

11 RADOVAN KARADZIC: This Milan guy has just made a stupid mistake,

12 and then my guys ... here, I've just spoken with the vice Premier, he's

13 our man, about this drill in Drvar.

14 And then Cosic asks:

15 DOBRICA COSIC: What drill?

16 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Well, they conducted a drill today in Drvar,

17 with their, um ... unit, a hundred and fifty battalion, one hundred and

18 fifty special forces troops.

19 Witness, do you know from your own knowledge whether there was a

20 drill in Drvar of a unit and who did that?

21 A. There was a drill by the special police force in Knin in the month

22 of July, 1991.

23 Q. Does that mean the special police force of (redacted)

24 conducted an exercise in Drvar?

25 JUDGE KWON: Isn't it Milan Martic?

1 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Milan Martic. Yes. Milan Martic, yes.

2 Milan Martic. I made a mistake. Sorry. Milan Martic.

3 Q. Yes. Did --

4 A. That's right, yes, Milan Martic.

5 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Witness, do you have any idea when this dialogue

6 took place?

7 MR. TAPUSKOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours --

8 JUDGE MAY: Let the witness answer the Judge's question first.

9 JUDGE KWON: Did you follow the question?

10 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] This exercise took place in June

11 1991, and that's when this conversation was held.

12 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

13 Yes, Mr. Tapuskovic.

14 MR. TAPUSKOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, it doesn't say

15 here -- in the text itself, it doesn't say "Milan Martic." It just says

16 "Milan." There's no surname. So on the basis of what grounds is he able

17 to say that,(redacted) Milan is meant,whether it's Milan Martic or (redacted)

18 (redacted)?

19 JUDGE MAY: Very well. We can have a discussion about that in due

20 course. He can be asked.

21 But the troubling matter is this: We've got this arrest in

22 September, and this transcript seems to be dated the 8th of June. Is that

23 right?

24 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes, Your Honour.

25 JUDGE MAY: So we're going back to June now.

1 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: We are actually having one incident preceding

2 this.

3 JUDGE MAY: Very well.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: The witness had referred to the fact that

5 Martic was operating, and I actually have organised it to have that whole

6 incidence and how it is connected.

7 JUDGE MAY: Very well.

8 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

9 Q. Witness, then I would like to clarify a matter with you. Did

10 Milan Martic organise this drill in Drvar?

11 A. That's right. Milan Martic took out the unit, about 100, 150 men,

12 and he publicly held this drill in Drvar. This was common knowledge

13 through the media as well.

14 Q. I would like to refer you now to the next marked passage, and if

15 the usher would put the English version, page 4 of the transcript, here.

16 Mr. Karadzic and Mr. Cosic are discussing the border crossing, and

17 it says:

18 RADOVAN KARADZIC: And most concretely here, say, it could cause

19 the Bosnian MUP to control their border crossing more intensely.

20 DOBRICA COSIC: Of course, anything could happen.

21 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Well, I can't prevent that, and that is the

22 only place where they can be helped, through, which...

23 And then Radovan Karadzic also says: "That's where their food

24 supplies are going through, their blankets and so on. And then, the only

25 border which he should have spared of incidents, he is making stupid

1 mistakes there."

2 Did the fact that Mr. Martic organised an exercise in that region,

3 Drvar, did that really endanger the supply routes to the Krajina?

4 A. No, it did not.

5 Q. Were blankets -- reference is made here to food supplies and

6 blankets. Were also weapons transported this route?

7 A. That's right. Yes, it was the only entrance towards the Dalmatia

8 and Lika part of the SAO Krajina, this entrance through Yugoslav

9 territory.

10 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: We can turn now to the next intercept, and

11 that's actually an intercept that needs to be played, at least in part.

12 And I would request to have that played in private session, for an obvious

13 reason. Your Honour, I forgot to tell you: It's tab 12 in the intercept

14 binder, Exhibit 353.

15 [Private session]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Page 13288 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Page 13289 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Page 13290 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Page 13291 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [Open session]

13 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

14 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: It's track 9, for the technical booth. Can

15 we please have that played. And beforehand, I have to tell you: In the

16 English version, it starts on page 1, with the sentence: "I have an

17 information, I don't know whether it's true, that Martic was arrested,"

18 and it ends on page 2 with the sentence: "It is all scenario that they

19 prepared."

20 JUDGE KWON: Before that, I have a question.

21 Mr. Witness, was it also popular among the politicians to call

22 weapons as blankets or medicines or something like that?

23 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes. Yes. It was moderately coded,

24 of course.

25 JUDGE KWON: What else were the weapons called other than blankets

1 and medicines?

2 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Planks, wooden boards. That was the

3 first term used. Flour, sugar, batteries.

4 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

5 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. We could play now the intercept, the

6 part of it.

7 [Intercept played]

8 JS: I have a piece of information, I don't know whether it's

9 true, that Martic was arrested somewhere in Bosanska Krupa.

10 RK: No, no, it's not Martic, but Martic's men allegedly, three

11 Martic men were arrested, and then a truckload of Martic men came and

12 liberated -- those three Martic men and allegedly some Television Belgrade

13 journalist in some ...

14 JS: Martic wasn't there.

15 RK: No, no, Martic wasn't there. But I just called Babic, he

16 says he has no knowledge that any of their men were there. I think it is

17 a provocation, that it is them, we will deny it resolutely. We can also

18 affirmatively prove that there is a lot of MUP Croatia men in Capljina and

19 Mostar walking around freely, and no one can prove that Martic's men were

20 there because there is no information that they were there or that they

21 needed to go there, to go through Krupa. Someone wants to close the roads

22 to SAO Krajina.

23 JS: Yes, yes, want to close roads, correct.

24 RK: And they're using, they're using provocation and want to

25 close the roads. I think it's them, they need a crisis and I think they

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 staged it all.

2 JS: Staged, right.

3 RK: Yes, and the arrival of that truck. Hello.

4 JS: Yes, yes, I can hear you.

5 RK: The arrival of that truck and everything else, the kidnapping

6 and it wouldn't be possible, I think it's all lies and staged. It's all

7 staged because Babic has no information about it, he investigated whether

8 any groups went anywhere, and there's nothing about any of that. They had

9 no need to go there otherwise and they should be told not to go anywhere

10 in Bosnia because in our municipalities we keep things in our own hands,

11 no need for everyone to come anywhere.

12 JS: Yes, yes they won't, won't come, nor do they have a need to.

13 RK: They have no need to come at all. Those are not Martic's men

14 for sure but they need a crisis and drama and so on. He wants to

15 internationalise, Alija Izetbegovic wants to internationalise Bosnia and

16 therefore he shouldn't be helped in doing that. Here, I told Babic down

17 there tough discipline should be imposed not to move, no one to move

18 outside. All military factors should be under single command, and total

19 military factors should be in agreement with the political factor, because

20 we have information, we know what they want.

21 JS: Aha.

22 RK: They wanted to, they banged the army near Okucani and they

23 banged ours near Okucani. They were looking for an opportunity for

24 someone to make a move so they can fuck up the conference in The Hague.

25 Because if a fax arrived that we moved and that was confirmed, Tudjman and

1 Genscher would have left the conference and Croatia would have been

2 recognised, troops would be sent there, et cetera. It's all scenario that

3 they prepared.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Thank you.

5 Q. Witness, who -- did you recognise the voices of the people who

6 spoke?

7 A. Yes, I did. Jovica Stanisic and Radovan Karadzic.

8 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: I would like to turn now to the next

9 intercept, and this is not an intercept to be played. It's tab 13 in the

10 intercept binder, and I just want to discuss some marked passages with the

11 witness. The first is on page 28 of the English, 28, in the middle, in

12 the middle of the page, actually. On the ELMO. Yes

13 Q. Witness, if you look at your first marked part in the Serbian

14 transcript, it says here:

15 K: So this information is certain. Milan Martic, make a note of

16 this, to convey, the information, to Mr. Cengic. Milan Martic, and,

17 Lieutenant Colonel Dusan Biljanic, one of his escorts.

18 R: Were they all in uniform?

19 K: I don't know how they were, dressed but anyway, Milan Martic,

20 Dusan Biljanic, one of his escorts who is a Lieutenant Colonel, our men

21 and Milan Boric staff sergeant were there.

22 Did you have an opportunity to listen to this intercept while you

23 had your conversations with the Prosecutor; and if so, did you recognise

24 who was speaking?

25 A. Yes, I did. I recognised the voice of Radovan Karadzic.

1 Q. Did you recognise the voice of this other person who is here

2 called -- who introduce themselves as "I am Lieutenant Colonel Kostic"?

3 A. No, I did not.

4 Q. Did this intercept refer to the arrest of Milan Martic?

5 A. Yes, that was mentioned.

6 Q. And the Lieutenant Colonel Dusan Biljanic who was mentioned here,

7 is that correct or is the name misspelled?

8 A. It is Smiljanic. Smiljanic was there. "Biljanic" is incorrect.

9 Q. And following the -- following the transcript --

10 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, we have to go into private

11 session for one short moment.

12 [Private session]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1 [Open session]

2 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

3 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

4 Q. Did you also have the opportunity to listen to this conversation

5 that you have now in written form in front of you, another intercept

6 between Karadzic and Colonel Kostic, referring to 3.000 people coming to

7 the police station?

8 A. Yes.

9 Q. Did you get information that actually 3.000 people were gathering

10 there?

11 A. Yes, that's right.

12 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: We can now turn to the next intercept. It's

13 tab 8, and we are actually playing a part of it. And for the technical

14 booth, it's track 10, and for Your Honours it is tab 8, and the part that

15 is played actually starts on page 1 with the word "Hallo," and ends -- the

16 part we play ends on ten page -- sorry, page 10, and ends with the

17 sentence:

18 M: I'll deal with. I'll try to get hold of Veljko.

19 [Intercept played]

20 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover]

21 XY: Hallo.

22 R: Hallo. I'm sorry, Sarajevo calling again. It's very urgent.

23 I have to speak to the president.

24 XY: Just a moment.

25 M: Good morning. What's the time?

1 R: It's two o'clock. I'm sorry, we've been calling you all day,

2 but we didn't manage to...

3 M: No problem. I didn't have your phone here.

4 R: So here's what this is about. The problem is serious. The

5 SUP of Bosnia and Herzegovina were there - the Otoka public security

6 station which comes under Bosanska Krupa - has detained a colonel, a

7 sergeant, and Martic, and his escort. And now the SDA over there has

8 probably organised a gathering of people. There are already 3.000 people

9 with tractors and whatnot, and one can't do anything, the army, until

10 someone from the top does something. But there will be a disaster. The

11 Serbs from Bosnian Krajina and from SAO Krajina will rush in and the

12 danger will be great. I mean, we won't be able to control it at all.

13 M: Right. Aren't there any HDZ members there who could...

14 R: No, the HDZ has nothing to do with it. The entire region is

15 Serbian and Muslim.

16 M: And neither is the SDA which could...

17 R: No. The SAO is influential there, and they could top it. I'm

18 in touch with Cengic now and I'll try to...

19 M: They have been detained by the MUP?

20 R: Yes, that's right. They came for some kind of discussions and

21 were detained, and now the people have gathered there. Even these

22 military circles don't believe it's spontaneous either. Now the danger is

23 increasing from one minute to the next.

24 M: Who has assembled there? Have the SDA members assembled?

25 R: Yes, yes. The SDA too, and that colonel is there. They

1 offered to let the colonel go but he didn't want to, and those from the

2 army didn't allow it either.

3 M: So, they are together, is that right?

4 R: Yes, yes.

5 M: Where is this exactly?

6 R: It's in Otoka, Bosanska Krupa. Otoka is on the border towards

7 Bosanski Novi. And now the Serbian forces in Dvor na Uni and in Knin have

8 been aroused and they want to set off from the two directions below.

9 M: How far is it from there?

10 R: I don't know. I don't have it here on the map, but we'll be

11 there in three or four hours. The aircraft can't take off now.

12 Helicopters can't get through. And 10, 15, 20 policemen will come from

13 Bihac, but that is nothing, nothing. The army must get involved.

14 M: It must. How long until dawn, two hours at least? There's no

15 helicopter. It's not possible to leave either.

16 R: Yes, it's not possible before dawn, and in the dark it's risky

17 business for both the pilot and the helicopter, but they have to know

18 about this. They know about this in the General Staff, but they don't

19 have the initiative.

20 M: So what are they waiting for, God's blessing?

21 R: Yes.

22 M: It's at Bosanski Novi, you say. So Otoka.

23 R: At the border between Bosanski Novi and Bosanska Krupa, but it

24 comes under Bosanska Krupa.

25 M: Uh-huh, right.

1 R: It's a matter of minutes here. It can certainly be ... the

2 whole of Knin is on its feet, their special units stirring and they are

3 very, very ... they must be quickly told that they have to be released,

4 otherwise there will be serious problems.

5 M: I'll deal with it. I'll get hold of Veljko.

6 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Thank you.

7 Q. Who -- did you recognise the voices of the two speakers?

8 A. Yes, I did. Radovan Karadzic and Slobodan Milosevic.

9 Q. When did that conversation take place? Can you tell from the

10 contents?

11 A. It took place between the 8th and 9th or the 9th and 10th of

12 September, 1991.

13 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, on the transcript is the wrong

14 date.

15 Q. Were you aware that Mr. Milosevic got involved?

16 A. Yes.

17 Q. And Mr. Milosevic says at the end of the tape that we played, he

18 says:

19 M: I'll deal with it. I'll try to get hold of Veljko.

20 Do you know of which Veljko he's speaking?

21 A. General Veljko Kadijevic.

22 Q. What is the basis of this? Why do you think he's referring to

23 Veljko Kadijevic?

24 A. So that the army would be engaged in liberating Martic, in freeing

25 Martic from Krupa.

1 Q. Witness, Mr. Karadzic and Mr. Milosevic are discussing this as a

2 very serious event, and they make references that the Serbs from Bosnian

3 Krajina and from the SAO Krajina will rush in and the danger will be

4 great. Did this actually -- this event actually cause the -- did -- was

5 there actually danger that a war would break out if something would happen

6 to Martic?

7 A. There was a danger that an ethnic conflict would break out between

8 the Serbs and the Muslims.

9 Q. And were --

10 JUDGE KWON: Excuse me, Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff. Was Mr. Martic

11 arrested at this time, 8th of September?

12 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

13 Q. Was he arrested on the 8th of September?

14 A. Yes. He was arrested in Otoka, in the municipality of Bosanska

15 Krupa, in the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina, or he was detained, or he

16 was kept in custody at the police station. Perhaps that would be the

17 right wording.

18 JUDGE KWON: As of 8th of September.

19 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. The witness actually had said he wasn't

20 sure whether it was the 8th or the 9th or the 7th or the 8th. So he

21 couldn't be precise as to the exact day. One day or the other, the 8th

22 or --

23 Q. But let me confirm with you.

24 JUDGE MAY: I think he gave, because I asked him, and he gave a

25 broader spread of dates. Between the 7th and the 11th he gave.

1 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. Is that --

2 JUDGE MAY: Yes. Let's move on.

3 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes.

4 Q. Did actually the Serbs in the SAO Krajina prepare to move in to

5 free Mr. Martic? Do you know that?

6 A. Yes. They were preparing, the special police was, from the

7 direction of Dvor na Uni and Bosanski Novi.

8 Q. We can turn to the next intercept, but it would have to be in

9 closed session again. It's also something that we are going to play

10 partly. And for the technical booth, it's track 11, and for Your Honours

11 it's tab 9 of the exhibit binder, and we are actually playing page 1, 2,

12 and up to the last paragraph of page 3 of the English transcript.

13 [Private session]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 Pages 13304-13308 – redacted – private session

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [Open session]

6 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

7 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

8 Q. Witness, the next intercept is tab 10 in the intercept binder, and

9 for the technical booth, it is track 12, and we also play a part of it,

10 and we play -- from the English transcripts it's page 15, we play

11 entirely. And from page 16, we play only up till "Certainly suits Tudjman

12 and perhaps Alija too."

13 [Intercept played]

14 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover]

15 R: Hello.

16 M: Hello, Radovan. I've spoken to him --

17 R: Uh-huh, what does he say?

18 M: He didn't know anything. He was sleeping. He -- it was

19 probably one of his men from the General Staff who received the

20 information you told me. I told him I was informed that we were informed,

21 and I presented the situation to him as being very serious. He

22 immediately took measures, and he said he would immediately take

23 measures. Banja Luka is the nearest place in which there are substantial

24 forces which can deal with it immediately. It is night-time and

25 helicopters can't fly immediately, but we'll see how to deal it as soon as

1 it dawns. Jovica tells me that some helicopter has left to get this

2 person.

3 R: Nothing has left and that's the problem. I'm afraid that MUP,

4 the Muslim part of MUP, shall hand him over to the Croatian MUP. Someone

5 might arrange this. And then it will be war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

6 Then no one will be able to stop it.

7 M: No one could stop it then.

8 R: No one would be able to stop it then. And I don't know to

9 what extent war would suit Alija, because he wants to...

10 M: Uh-huh. Vajnes was with me for about 15 minutes just now, and

11 I suggested to Jovica, since he was in touch with Milan, to say that

12 Martic should sign this protocol on this technical ... on the supervision

13 of the cease-fire and respect -- no one shall open fire first.

14 R: Uh-huh, Uh-huh.

15 M: Babic agreed to this and didn't sign because they didn't want

16 him to say that he was the president of the government of Krajina but

17 instead wanted him to accept him as the representative of the Serbs in

18 Croatia who is signing this in their name.

19 R: Uh-huh.

20 M: So I told Jovica to say that Martic would sign and that that

21 would be an additional reason for which he should have to be free for this

22 to work.

23 R: No, we'll take political advantage of this today. I have a

24 meeting with Izetbegovic again today. They are simply heading towards a

25 division of Bosnia-Herzegovina. We will carry out the establishment of

1 regions and set up our MUPs wherever we are in power because what they

2 have done is intolerable. We don't believe in any sort of spontaneity on

3 their part, spontaneity of the gathering. The SDA has influence and power

4 over there, and it all goes towards their ... but if the army doesn't sent

5 a helicopter or an armoured personnel carrier as soon as possible to get

6 the man out, then the danger will be great. Milan Brzakse has a permanent

7 line to the MUP of Bosnia-Herzegovina , to the part that is not under our

8 control. It is a great danger. It would be a disaster if it happened.

9 M: I told the mechanism to tell Kadijevic that this should be

10 quieted down.

11 R: Yes, but we can check with Adzic what they have done?

12 M: I was in touch with Kadijevic and he said that he would see

13 how things stood. I haven't spoken to Adzic again this morning but I'll

14 call him now.

15 R: Uh-huh. Do you want me to call him? It would be better for

16 me to call him?

17 M: It will be better for me to call him, but you can call him

18 too. My call needn't exclude yours.

19 R: All right.

20 M: Tell him things are the way they are and that I told you that

21 I had spoken to him last night and that you were surprised that they

22 haven't finished with it yet.

23 R: Their colonel is there too and a staff sergeant, but I mean

24 this is incredible. We don't at all know who is in touch with the

25 Ustashas from the Bosnia-Herzegovina MUP, and internationalising chaos in

1 Bosnia-Herzegovina certainly suits Tudjman and perhaps Alija too.

2 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Thank you.

3 Q. Witness, who is speaking, and do you know when this conversation

4 took place?

5 A. Radovan Karadzic and Slobodan Milosevic. This was on the 8th or

6 9th of September, 1991, in relation to Martic's arrest in Otoka.

7 Q. All these conversations that we heard, were they actually -- did

8 they actually occur on that same day or through the same night?

9 A. That's right, the night and the day, the morning after.

10 Q. And in this conversation, reference is made to "Jovica." Which

11 Jovica?

12 A. Jovica Stanisic.

13 Q. Was there any other Jovica in -- closely associated with the MUP,

14 Serbia, or Mr. Milosevic that could have been meant other than Stanisic?

15 A. I don't know about anything like that.

16 Q. Witness, there is a reference also made to the fact that Martic

17 should sign this protocol. What kind of a protocol is talked about in

18 relation to Wijnaendts?

19 A. Mr. Wijnaendts was representative of the international community

20 or, rather, the European Community. This was a protocol relating to the

21 cease-fire, and this was actually in preparation of The Hague conference.

22 Q. There is also mention made in this -- in this conversation to a

23 person Adzic. Do you know who, who is meant?

24 A. General Adzic.

25 Q. And there is also mentioned a certain Milan Brzakse. Do you know

1 who that is?

2 A. Milan Brzakse, Minister or Deputy Minister of the MUP of Croatia.

3 Q. Yes. That's enough for this intercept.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: I would like to put to the witness two

5 intercepts now, just very briefly, also dealing with that same issue, and

6 it's tab 35 and --

7 JUDGE MAY: We're still in closed session -- private session. If

8 so, we should go into open session.

9 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

10 JUDGE MAY: We are in open session. Very well.

11 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: I would like to put to the witness tab 35 and

12 tab 34.

13 Q. Witness, during your conversation with the Prosecutor and while

14 you were listening in to intercepts, did you hear two conversations

15 between Karadzic and Nikola Koljevic dealing and referring to the Martic

16 arrest?

17 A. I did.

18 Q. Did you recognise the voices?

19 A. I did.

20 Q. Were you familiar with Mr. Koljevic's voice, and what kind of a

21 voice did he have?

22 A. Yes. A soft voice, soft.

23 Q. Did you have opportunity to speak to him and hear his voice?

24 A. Yes, many times.

25 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honours, those texts and transcripts

1 speak for themselves, and I wouldn't need to discuss them with the

2 witness.

3 JUDGE MAY: Very well.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

5 Q. The next intercept is tab 11, and we will play a part of it. For

6 the technical booth, it's track 13, and for you, Your Honour, for your

7 orientation, it's -- in the translation, it's page 21, starting with, "I

8 assume that you've been informed," and ending on page 22 with the half

9 sentence, "... as we do towards ourselves."

10 [Intercept played]

11 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover]

12 M: I assume that you've been informed about this thing, I told

13 them to inform you about Martic.

14 R: Yes, but it was mainly Aco who did it.

15 M: Aco Vasiljevic, that is. That's Veljko and Adzic.

16 R: No. I understand Alija very well now, and I'm very

17 disappointed. I had to tell him this, otherwise he said he had to consult

18 lawyers. You don't need lawyers if there's no arrest warrant. This is

19 not a federal arrest warrant. We don't recognise the government, and we

20 don't want to get involved in these things. He's not a drugs smuggler.

21 The whole thing has misfired for him now since he wanted to hand this one

22 over to them, but now he has been saved and Alija doesn't know what to do

23 now.

24 R: All of this goes to show what kind of government we would be

25 living under if we left Yugoslavia. I'm grateful to them because they are

1 screwing us. We are who we are.

2 M: Please, we are on our way. No more concessions to anyone.

3 And if they want to fight, we're here and they can go to hell. We're here

4 for whoever wants to fight and we're stronger.

5 R: And if they want to live in peace, we're here. No one will be

6 either better or worse off than we are.

7 M: Whoever wants to follow Alija and fight against us can do so.

8 They will lose and it will be a pleasure for us, but if they want to be

9 honest and decent towards us, we will behave towards them as we do towards

10 ourselves.

11 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. Thank you.

12 Q. Witness, do you recognise the voices?

13 A. Yes. Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic.

14 JUDGE MAY: Just a moment.

15 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] On the transcript it said tab 13.

16 Tab 13 is a conversation between Karadzic and General Kostic. So I don't

17 know what it is. It says tab 13. That's what the transcript says.

18 JUDGE MAY: It's tab 11. I don't know why the transcript got it

19 wrong if it did. Counsel clearly said tab 11.

20 So you can follow it, Mr. Milosevic, if you go to tab 11 and then

21 if you look at the passage which has been played, it's been the bottom of

22 page 21. If you look at the bottom, there are some page numbers.

23 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] All right. All right. This was

24 just a technical matter, Mr. May. There is often quite a bit of confusion

25 amongst these documents of theirs. You see for yourself that it was 13

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 that was written here. Okay.

2 JUDGE MAY: Yes.

3 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes.

4 Q. Do you know when this conversation took place? From the contents,

5 can you say?

6 A. On the 9th or 10th of September, 1991.

7 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, the date on the transcript is

8 wrong.

9 JUDGE KWON: And for the fairness of the record, I note the

10 Prosecutor said tab 11 and track 13 for the audio-video unit.

11 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

12 Q. Witness, in relation to this intercept, I have a question which

13 relates to a part that was not played, but immediately above the part

14 where we started to play - and it's on page 21, Your Honours - there is

15 reference made by Mr. Milosevic, and I quote:

16 M: I'll tell Goran now that he should get information on the

17 names from your people, to call them all and then cause some trouble.

18 Which Goran is mentioned? Do you know that? Which Goran is

19 referred to? Can you see it from the contents?

20 A. Goran the chef de cabinet of president. It was Goran Milicevic.

21 I think that Milicevic is what Goran's last name is.

22 Q. And after the text that we played there is another -- another

23 quote I want to make and put to you. It's actually a few lines below the

24 played text.

25 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And it is on page 22, Your Honours, almost at

1 the end of it.

2 Q. Mr. Milosevic says:

3 M: Please give Krajisnik good instructions. Let him go to

4 Strasbourg and get in touch with Ajga. They can go together on the

5 federal plane.

6 Do you know which -- what was going on in Strasbourg and what

7 Mr. Milosevic refers to here?

8 A. Some meeting. I don't know exactly.

9 Q. Thank you.

10 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And in the context of the Martic arrest there

11 is one more intercept, and it's tab 1 in the intercept binder, and I just

12 want to put it briefly. It's tab 1A, I'm just informed; not tab 1, but

13 tab 1A.

14 Q. While you listened in to all the tapes in the Prosecutor's office

15 during your stay in The Hague, did you hear also this telephone

16 conversation with Radovan Karadzic and again Lieutenant Colonel Kostic,

17 referring to all -- the fact that all four are safe? On the first page

18 there is the mentioning: "All four are safe." Do you recall to have

19 heard that?

20 A. Yes, I remember this.

21 Q. And Mr. Radovan Karadzic says: "Excellent. Thank you very much,

22 and many thanks to Aco." Do you know to which Aco he is referring?

23 A. Aco Vasiljevic, head of security of the JNA.

24 Q. Thank you.

25 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honours, this concludes the

1 Martic-arrest-related intercepts, and I would now return to some other

2 intercepts that refer to incidents that the witness has already spoken

3 about, in particular, international conferences.

4 JUDGE MAY: This would obviously be a convenient time to break.

5 We'll adjourn now, 20 minutes.

6 --- Recess taken at 10.29 a.m.

7 --- On resuming at 10.56 a.m.

8 JUDGE MAY: Yes.

9 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Thank you, Your Honour.

10 Your Honour, before I turn to the next intercept, my colleague

11 Ms. Bauer has told me and reminded me that in relation to Mr. Milan

12 Martic, we have four outstanding exhibits explaining his position, and I

13 just want to tender them and discuss them briefly. And can the witness be

14 shown exhibits -- tab 50, 51, 52 and 53 of Exhibit 352. And we actually

15 do not need to discuss them. The witness should just briefly look at it.

16 Q. Tab 50 is a document regarding a decision to establish the

17 Secretariat of Interior of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Krajina from

18 January 1991.

19 Witness, this document is not signed. Was it passed? Was a

20 decision --

21 A. Yes. Yes.

22 Q. And the next tab, 51, is appointment of Martic as Secretary of

23 Interior in January of 1991; tab 52 are the minutes of the Executive

24 Council related to these decisions; and tab 53 is the decree on internal

25 organisation of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs from January 1991.

1 You would not need to look into these exhibits, just to -- could

2 you confirm the authenticity of these documents?

3 A. Yes, they are authentic.

4 Q. Thank you.

5 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: That should be enough for the documents.

6 Your Honours, when we tried to play this intercept -- this is the

7 intercept that we tried to play, when we gave it up for a while. That's

8 the intercept where there was quite some noise in the beginning, and I

9 have to say that we were not able to actually reduce the noise, but I have

10 to tell you that it's only lasting for a brief period. And for some

11 technical reason I cannot explain, this noise cannot -- this part of the

12 intercept cannot be cut out. But the intercept that actually the -- the

13 important section of the intercept is then understood clearly, so I would

14 have to ask you to endure the noise and wait until the text comes.

15 What it is is the intercept tab 30, and for the technical booth,

16 it's track 4. And actually, the translation of the part that we are going

17 to hear is page 1, the lower -- the bottom section, starting with: "Three

18 months are out of question..." And it stops on page 2 with the sentence:

19 "Milan from down there, and, and, if it's needed, Momir from down there,

20 and, I don't know, sit for an hour or two, till..." This is the section

21 we are going to play and that will be understandable.

22 JUDGE MAY: Very well.

23 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. Thank you.

24 Could you start it?

25 [Intercept played]

1 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Three months are out of the question. I

2 think that some things should be radically changed now, radically.

3 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

4 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: And that there is no place in the army which

5 is pro-Yugoslavian by orientation for those shooting at its soldiers'

6 backs.

7 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: You see, that is that.

9 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes. What can make additional problems is

10 that we decided to keep here, yes, to have them be late so that they

11 cannot join them anywhere, well, I think they are having their three-day

12 rest, and there Gligorov and this man are going to work again and so on.

13 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: They have nothing more to do. Now we are the

14 ones making the move, it's time for our move now. Gligorov and that man

15 can do whatever they want, they won't ... the thing is clear there, we

16 can't discuss it in detail now. They want to separate.

17 RADOVAN KARADZIC: That's clear.

18 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That's clear and they should be allowed to

19 separate.

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

21 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Now there is only one question left, to have

22 disintegration in line with our inclinations.

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

24 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Nothing more.

25 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Okay. They cannot wait for that man any more,

1 because they are in a hurry, aren't they?

2 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Who are they expecting?

3 RADOVAN KARADZIC: The first one expected by them is this man of

4 ours. Bosnia.

5 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Well, they mustn't wait for him, no,

6 concerning Slovenia, I would let them go immediately.

7 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Let them go immediately, and the others as

9 well after they have settled the issue of borders with us. And I cannot

10 let your man, because your man cannot even bring it to you.

11 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

12 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: You do not permit him to.

13 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes. That's true, it's the truth for the

14 moment being, but if ... you see, tonight we have had them shooting, they

15 have shot at, at the uncle's windows ... they have had a burst fired at

16 his window. These are now some trial actions, adaptations, etc. So that

17 what is, what is, should be good to be done is to do things very quickly.

18 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: We should take radical steps, and speed up

19 things. It's a completely clear thing.

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

21 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Take radical steps and speed things up, and

22 we shall see if the European Community is going to fulfil their

23 guarantees, if they are going to stop that violence and if they are going

24 to suspend their decisions.

25 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Is the issue in connection with Serbian

1 violence in Croatia, is that the condition?

2 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Everything is inside, any violence must be

3 stopped.

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes. Yes. Well, I think it would be necessary

5 to sit, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we from here, Milan from down

6 there, and, if needed, Momir from down there, and, I don't know, sit for

7 an hour or two, till...

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: The best is tomorrow.

9 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Nikola would like to come, as well.

10 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: The best would be tomorrow.

11 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. We can stop. We can stop here. Thank

12 you.

13 Q. Witness, who -- do you recognise the voices?

14 A. Yes, I do. Radovan Karadzic and Slobodan Milosevic.

15 Q. From the contents of what you heard and what you have in front of

16 you, can you say at what time this conversation took place?

17 A. At the beginning of July, before the 8th of July, in 1991.

18 Q. How do you know that?

19 A. Because they're referring to the -- to suspending of the decisions

20 of Croatia and Slovenia to secede for three months, and the involvement of

21 international mediators in the matter.

22 Q. Mr. Milosevic is speaking, and we heard here that radical

23 changes -- to be correct here: "I think that some things should be

24 radically changed now." What was discussed -- what, if any, radical steps

25 were discussed at that time? Do you know?

1 A. Actually, to force Croatia and Slovenia to leave Yugoslavia, and

2 once they leave, what remains should be the new state, the new Yugoslavia

3 that Slobodan Milosevic was making.

4 Q. Was this discussed at that time?

5 A. It was discussed, in various ways, yes, at that time.

6 Q. There is also the reference of Mr. Radovan Karadzic saying:

7 "...the issue in connection with Serbian violence in Croatia ..." and he

8 says: "Is that the condition?" What is -- was there a condition that the

9 Serbian violence in Croatia has to stop; and if so, whose condition was

10 that?

11 A. The European Community set the condition that hostilities should

12 cease and a political agreement be reached in three months' time on the

13 restructuring of Yugoslavia.

14 Q. Mr. Milosevic then says: "Everything is inside, any violence must

15 be stopped." Did he take measures? Did he take steps to stop the

16 violence in the -- in Croatia?

17 A. No.

18 Q. Did the violence continue, the violence from the Serbian side,

19 that is?

20 A. Yes, provocations and armed attacks continued.

21 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Private session for one question, please,

22 Your Honour.

23 [Private session]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [Open session]

24 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

25 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: The next is tab 22, and I have marked a

1 passage for the witness, and also a passage to be put on the ELMO. It is

2 tab 22. It's on the first page. And there is a passage in there --

3 Q. First of all, did you listen to a conversation between Radovan

4 Karadzic and Mr. Milosevic where they speak about Wijnaendts' visit, a

5 visit?

6 A. I did.

7 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, we have to go into private

8 session. I just see that it cannot be discussed in the open.

9 [Private session]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [Open session]

18 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

19 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

20 Q. And now I will quote Mr. Slobodan Milosevic, and he says:

21 "And he told me yesterday that when he had been in that place over

22 there, they had shown him that the effects had been particularly

23 disastrous where they had been attacked by some Serbs, and so on. He saw

24 big craters. I don't know ... from these shells, and so on. I don't

25 believe they showed him everything that those Martic's forces had done,

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 but probably that they themselves had done and then made it seem as if it

2 were that."

3 Sir, in the beginning of this transcript, we see the name Gospic

4 mentioned. What had happened in Gospic that was shown to Mr. Wijnaendts

5 and Mr. Milosevic is referring to?

6 A. There was fighting around Gospic between Serbian forces, which

7 were attacking Gospic, intending to gain control over eastern Gospic, and

8 forces of the Croatian government that were defending Gospic.

9 Q. Had Martic's forces done disastrous things?

10 A. Yes.

11 Q. What? Can you be more specific?

12 A. Mortar fire was used.

13 Q. Against civilian targets or just against the army?

14 A. I didn't have precise insight into what was happening on the

15 ground, but as a rule, targets -- were targeted non-selectively.

16 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And I would like to go now further in this

17 intercept and to the next marked page. Your Honour, it's on page 3, on

18 the -- actually, on top of the page, and I would like to quote:

19 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That, probably, wasn't done by Serbs, but by

20 this lot. So, he should absolutely, independently of that conversation of

21 theirs for which he should, implying that he doesn't know of it, point out

22 the consequences in Gospic.

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right. I'll ring him now. I think that

24 he's not enough ... he is a bit inflexible. He is not enough, er, enough

25 flexible and wise to do so. Yes, he ... he has that minor flaw and he

1 doesn't understand that you have to play the game when they set things up

2 in that way. This lot are great masters of that.

3 JUDGE MAY: We can't find this passage.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: It's on page 3, and it's on the ELMO.

5 JUDGE KWON: Page 2.

6 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: It's page 2?

7 JUDGE KWON: Yes.

8 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: I have a slightly older version of it.

9 JUDGE MAY: Yes, we have it now.

10 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. It's on the ELMO also now, in the

11 middle, actually. Yes. Stop. Stop. It's right there. And I was

12 reading -- and now it's Mr. Milosevic: "That's why I'm telling you. It

13 should be counterbalanced in a way, that ... his impression now that that

14 lot did something in Gospic, caused great destruction, and so on. He

15 should also tell him, they did this and that over there."

16 I have to go for one question into private session related to this

17 sector.

18 [Private session]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [Open session]

20 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

21 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

22 Q. So Mr. Milosevic -- Mr. Karadzic asked what -- in reference to

23 Kostajnica, what had happened in Kostajnica at that point in time? And we

24 are talking about September 1991.

25 A. There was fighting between the forces of the Yugoslav People's

1 Army and the Serbian forces that were endeavouring to capture Kostajnica,

2 that was being held by the forces of the government of Croatia.

3 Q. And a little bit further down in the text, Mr. Karadzic asks:

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Okucani hasn't been taken, has it?"

5 And Mr. Milosevic answers:

6 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: The results were good up there. Very good

7 results up there, very good. We'll talk later, we can't now over the

8 phone. There were all kinds of things there.

9 RADOVAN KARADZIC: I'm afraid that, that ... the army has

10 retreated over there, and I'm afraid that they'll fail to keep Okucani.

11 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Well, I'll see what the situation is like.

12 RADOVAN KARADZIC: It mustn't happen. I think that Joca has

13 assessed it properly. That's the spine! That's the spine! When you

14 control that, you control the road to Pakrac and everything.

15 What had happened at that time, if anything, in Okucani?

16 A. There was fighting around Okucani.

17 Q. And this Joca mentioned here, who is that? Do you know that?

18 A. Stanisic.

19 Q. Was this a nickname he was referred to?

20 A. Yes. It was a name of endearment for close associates.

21 Q. And I would like to go down now to actually the last page. That's

22 page 5 in the English, and I assume it's also in the Serbian, the last

23 page. And there is another reference to Jovica, and it says here Radovan

24 Karadzic says:

25 "Okay, if you can. This Aca was brilliant in all of this, but

1 it's necessary now just to -- I think that Jovica has assessed it

2 wonderfully. We mustn't ... because then they can bargain more easily and

3 in a different way. We must hold that road to Pakrac and all of that."

4 First of all, who is Aca who was brilliant?

5 A. Aca Vasiljevic.

6 Q. How do you know that? What did he do in relation to Okucani?

7 A. I don't know exactly, but he was the head of military security.

8 He was mentioned also in the events surrounding Martic.

9 Q. And here this reference to Jovica?

10 A. Those are two men who had information about combat activities.

11 They were heads of services that were involved.

12 Q. What was the importance of the road to Pakrac, if anything? Do

13 you know?

14 A. Yes. It was important for the Serbs because it linked the

15 territory of Western Slavonia with Serb territories in Bosnia and

16 Yugoslavia, or Serbia, rather.

17 Q. Thank you. We can now turn to the next intercept, and it's tab

18 22. And I also do not intend --

19 JUDGE MAY: We just dealt with 22.

20 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Oh, sorry. 21. 21. Tab 21. And I again do

21 not intend to have it played but just discuss one section with the

22 witness. And the section I would like to discuss is on page 10, starting

23 on page 10, the last line, and it's going over into page 11.

24 Q. Witness, first of all, did you -- looking at this transcript, did

25 you have -- did you listen in to a conversation between Slobodan Milosevic

1 and Radovan Karadzic --

2 A. Yes.

3 Q. -- on the 9th of August, 1991? And I quote now from page 10:

4 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: No one fights on the borders of Croatia.

5 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

6 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: To the contrary...

7 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Inside.

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: There, inside Croatia, on the edges of the

9 Serbian territories.

10 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes. Are ... are ... the positions such

11 that this would be suitable if it was done, right?

12 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: I think they almost are.

13 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Almost? A little bit up there, Petrinja and

14 Sisak?

15 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Almost like there, there is no, nothing else,

16 no ... any greater difference.

17 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes. They should put it naturally, the

18 sooner the better. If Europe is in a hurry to finish the things, there

19 you go. Let them finish the things.

20 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes, yes. So, let us start slowly, brother,

21 working, and later on we go for a summer holiday, right?

22 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

23 Q. Witness, at what time was this conversation made, and what was

24 ongoing at that time on the international level? Do you know?

25 A. At the beginning of August 1991, the European Community had

1 initiated negotiations on a political settlement for Yugoslavia. So this

2 was a follow-up of the activities of the European Community of July 1991.

3 It was a follow-up to those activities.

4 Q. And there is this reference to fighting inside, on the edges of

5 the Serbian territories, and there's also the remark -- the question of

6 Radovan Karadzic in relation to Petrinja and Sisak. What was happening

7 there at that time?

8 A. There was fighting around Petrinja and Sisak.

9 Q. Between whom?

10 A. On the one side, the JNA garrison from Petrinja and Serb volunteer

11 units; and on the other, the forces of the government of Croatia.

12 Q. Thank you.

13 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: We are now going to tab 39, and that's

14 actually an intercept that will be played partly. And in relation

15 to -- oh, sorry. Sorry. I think we have already played this one.

16 JUDGE KWON: I don't think so.

17 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: No, we haven't. Sorry. 39. And we will

18 play -- in the English translation it will be page 3, starting right in

19 the middle, with the name "Zulfikar was there..." And we will play it

20 until page 5, the first -- the fourth line from the top, ending with:

21 "Yes, yes. Fine. He is here in 'Intercontinental.'" That's the part

22 that we are going to play. And for the technical booth, it's track 5.

23 [Intercept played]

24 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Zulfikar was here, he said he would put it on

25 Television Sarajevo, if they would want to broadcast his show, this Kadic

1 was stating that volunteers from Bosnia were raping the Muslim women,

2 setting the houses on fire, et cetera, they said all that on TV, and he

3 said they wanted to start a war in BiH.

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: It is over, he started the war, here, I have

5 them here, in front of me, the faxes that Doko sent, by his authorisation,

6 they are transferring all the conscripts that had not been deployed to the

7 reserve forces of the police, actually, who would know if they were

8 deployed or not, since they did not give the records to the army. They

9 are, they are making, today, on 23 September, they started making a state

10 army.

11 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes, yes.

12 RADOVAN KARADZIC: And I informed the Main Staff about it, Acic

13 was not there, but I told it to the duty officer, we now have to, I don't

14 know whether to advise our people to respond or not to respond.

15 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: To respond, by all means, by all means,

16 because they will clash with the army.

17 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

18 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: And then you will have the army on one side

19 and those on others on the other.

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

21 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Respond, by all means, as there is nobody but

22 the army.

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: No, no. To respond to the police reserve

24 forces, that is what I'm asking you.

25 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Who? Ours?

1 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

2 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: No way, brother.

3 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Well, no, but if they respond, they will get

4 the weapons, to, and they will not be able to...

5 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: I know, but they have to respond to the army

6 and, and...

7 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Fine. They're responding to the army. The

8 response here is not that bad.

9 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Well, I know, but look what they're doing.

10 There are all kinds of instigators here, and did you see what Martic said

11 yesterday, here, for Draskovic?

12 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes. I saw, he let us know.

13 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: It should also come from people, similarly.

14 Here, SPS? He did say something, not about Draskovic, but about this...

15 RADOVAN KARADZIC: We had it the other day also. I read it to

16 you. I see they corrected it slightly in politics, but fine. It is...

17 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Fine. But, do it again today, this

18 regarding ... in the line of what Martic said, and to absolutely support

19 the army.

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Right. Did you ... did you see what Biljana

21 and Nikola did?

22 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: I haven't seen it yet.

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Well, it was sent to Mira. Please, let them,

24 let them...

25 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: It has been up to now, BBC was, then ... this

1 Adil came by to say, to say a few words...

2 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Can Aco do that for him, no?

3 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Well, I hope he can. Here, we will see now.

4 Is this dossier related to him?

5 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes. To him there.

6 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: To Aliju?

7 RADOVAN KARADZIC: No, not to Sabic.

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: To Sabic. Yes.

9 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

10 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes, yes. I hope it is possible, I...

11 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Let them, let the two of them make ... let Aco

12 immediately make contact with him directly. It will be for the best.

13 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes, yes, fine. He is here in the

14 "Intercontinental." Then we will see.

15 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. Thank you.

16 Q. Witness, which -- do you recognise the voices?

17 A. Yes. Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic.

18 Q. Can you say when -- from the contents of this conversation, can

19 you say when it took place?

20 A. It took place when the mobilisation was stepped up in Serbia, when

21 the opposition protested and when Vuk Draskovic was criticised, saying

22 that he was opposed to the mobilisation.

23 Q. And when was that? When did that take place?

24 A. In September 1991.

25 Q. There is a reference made to Martic, that he actually -- what --

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 that he said something about Draskovic. Do you recall whether Martic at

2 that time made speeches against Vuk Draskovic?

3 A. Yes. Yes, he did make statements.

4 Q. What did he say?

5 A. I don't know exactly, but generally speaking, he criticised him.

6 Q. Mr. Milosevic and Mr. Karadzic speak about mobilisation of Bosnian

7 forces. Are you aware that at that time also mobilisation took place in

8 Bosnia in September 1991? Do you know anything about that?

9 A. Yes, I do, for the area of Bosanska Krajina.

10 Q. Yes. What do you know?

11 A. That people were mobilised into the Banja Luka Corps of the JNA.

12 Q. Why is it important to -- that the people get mobilised into the

13 army and not the reserve police? Can you explain that?

14 A. The army was under the authority of Belgrade, or rather, Slobodan

15 Milosevic, and the Yugoslav state presidency, and the police force was

16 under the authority in Bosnia-Herzegovina of Alija Izetbegovic.

17 Q. And there is also mentioning again of Aco, twice, actually. Who

18 is that?

19 A. Aco Vasiljevic. That's the only Aco I know.

20 Q. A little bit further down from the text that we actually heard,

21 there is a mentioning on that same page, actually, there is mentioned

22 Dubica. Mr. Karadzic says -- it's on page 5, Your Honours, on the

23 second-last line: "Yes, yes. I instructed them in Krajina to see that.

24 It is something in Dubica, some partisan follies. They are now fiddling

25 about the five pointed star about foolish things that Dubica was a

1 partisan town now it will not be partisan."

2 What Dubica is he talking about?

3 A. Bosanska Dubica.

4 Q. Yes. Thank you. That finishes this tab, and now we go to tab 31,

5 and it is also a conversation that we have to play.

6 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And, Your Honours, for your orientation, we

7 play from page 2, bottom line, when actually two people are starting to

8 speak while others were ahead of that, and we play it until the very end.

9 And for the technical booth, it's track 7.

10 [Intercept played]

11 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover]

12 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Hello.

13 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Radovan.

14 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

15 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: I spoke to the highest place.

16 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Right.

17 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Please, you need to understand this, because

18 as they, I don't have ... I cannot explain everything.

19 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right.

20 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: It's of strategic importance for the future

21 RAM, you know what RAM is?

22 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, I know, I know everything.

23 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That the Banja Luka group is ready and

24 mobile.

25 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right.

1 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: There is why you must first make sure that it

2 is able and mobile and that it has no problems. And secondly, all in one

3 hour call Uzelac and invite him to an agreement at the highest level.

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right.

5 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: All the additional people that you can

6 provide.

7 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes.

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That they need to stay and keep their houses

9 and the territory and block those centres of the HDZ, et cetera. They

10 should be armed. They should be provided with everything. We shall fly

11 the helicopters in and all that ...

12 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Excellent. I also ask you to...

13 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Accordingly, I ask you to personally regulate

14 one and two. And this other matter, Kupres, is very important.

15 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Right.

16 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: And the third I told you, the rally, it is

17 very important because of the international community.

18 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, that's under way. But tell me, can we

19 arrange the same thing, that they give me back the armament of the TO in

20 Sipovo and Mrkonjic.

21 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That's a small matter.

22 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right. Let them arm them there. Here

23 I ... we've got 170 ready in Mrkonjic and 150 in Sipovo and they are ready

24 to go to Kupres.

25 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Is Uzelac also in charge of that?

1 RADOVAN KARADZIC: No, no, this, er, I think that it is him

2 himself yes, yes.

3 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Tell him that, brother, no problems.

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right.

5 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: We cannot discuss every small detail.

6 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right, all right these 150 and 170 shall go

7 to Kupres, and there we've got 750 people...

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes. It is also important for us that this

9 battalion, which was mobilised by the army, is in Kupres and that

10 everything be as it should be.

11 RADOVAN KARADZIC: It will be, but if they receive this. Those

12 who stay under their command, because Kupres is terribly ... that's 50-50

13 and the Serbs suffered horribly there during the war.

14 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Let me tell you something. Even this crazy

15 Seselj fucked the opposition yesterday.

16 RADOVAN KARADZIC: I saw. I heard.

17 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: You know what he told them? He said, "Did

18 you decide to attack the JNA now when the JNA needs to defend the Serb

19 people?"

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes that's...

21 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That says the one with the tie of a

22 Zimmerman's waiter.

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

24 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Fucking hell.

25 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

1 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: It's even clear to him...

2 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Clear, clear, certainly.

3 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: And it's not clear to these traitors.

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: I saw it, I saw.

5 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yesterday in direct contact with Mesic.

6 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Have you got a number for Uzelac by any

7 chance?

8 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: I don't but you shall find it.

9 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

10 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Let them find it for you. And please tell

11 him that I wish to secure a maximum political support...

12 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Is he going to accept more of our boys if he

13 needs them or just the ones that already...

14 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: He will receive them if needed. But you give

15 him as many as you judge necessary should stay there. Everything shall be

16 transported for them in the helicopters so they've got everything, so that

17 they stay and guard.

18 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right, agreed.

19 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Accordingly you've got everything.

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Agreed.

21 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: But now it is to be or not to be concerning

22 Krajina because they wish to cut off Krajina.

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

24 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: They don't want to go to Knin because many

25 would get killed, but they do want to come from behind.

1 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes now we shall...

2 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: ...in the JNA, that shan't stop them there.

3 How is it going to stop them with the armour alone if there is no

4 brigade?

5 RADOVAN KARADZIC: All right, agreed. Everything will be all

6 right.

7 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: What I mean now is, as they say, war and this

8 is one of the sides.

9 RADOVAN KARADZIC: There are no problems whatsoever.

10 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Please take care of it.

11 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Only if the numbers work, I think it shall be

12 completed.

13 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: You've got everything? Everything must work.

14 RADOVAN KARADZIC: I will, I will. All right. Talk to you, do

15 call again.

16 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

17 Q. Witness, did you recognise the voices of the two persons

18 speaking?

19 A. Yes. Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic were the people

20 having a conversation.

21 Q. And they are speaking about a person, Uzelac. Who is that?

22 A. General Nikola Uzelac, Commander of the Banja Luka Corps. Nikola

23 Uzelac, the big one.

24 Q. From the contents, could you say when this conversation took place

25 and what was actually happening on the ground at that time?

1 A. Well, in the middle of the war in 1991. The month was July,

2 before the beginning of August, that is.

3 Q. What was happening at that time on the ground involving Uzelac,

4 Knin, Krajina? Can you explain what the two men are talking about?

5 A. About collecting people together to form the Banja Luka Corps.

6 Q. And how do you know that? What did you observe yourself at that

7 time?

8 A. Well, I was present at a meeting between Karadzic and Uzelac.

9 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Can we go into private session briefly?

10 [Private session]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [Open session]

14 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

15 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: The next tab, the intercept is number 40, and

16 it is -- I do not intend to have that played, just I have highlighted a

17 few sections, and the first highlighted section is on page 7 of the

18 English, and it's actually on the bottom of the page and also on the -- it

19 goes over into the following page on top. Can we have it on the ELMO?

20 Q. And, Witness, it's actually the first marked part in your Serbian

21 script.

22 Mr. Karadzic says:

23 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Uh-huh, this Minister over here and the deputy

24 of ours were at the General Staff. Some kind of agreement was made for

25 the police ... for MUP and army to maintain the order down there in the

1 Neretva valley. And reserves should be situated in Bileca and in Trebinje

2 at the barracks. I think that's not a bad idea?

3 And Mr. Milosevic:

4 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Well, it's not, especially for Trebinje and

5 Bileca as well.

6 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yeah, it's all close to Neretva, and people

7 will be safer. They will be at the barracks. That's a different thing,

8 you know.

9 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: That is OK, but up there is very important.

10 Krajina, that's very important.

11 Witness, first of all, did you listen to this conversation during

12 your talks with the Prosecutor here in The Hague, and, if so, did you

13 recognise who was speaking?

14 A. Yes, I did. I listened to it. It was a conversation between

15 Karadzic and Milosevic.

16 Q. And what I just quoted to you, what -- what is the -- what is the

17 background of this conversation about Bileca, Trebinje, the Neretva

18 valley, and Krajina?

19 A. In the context of mobilisation and putting up the reservists from

20 Serbia in the area.

21 Q. Can you be a little bit more precise? What was going on at that

22 time? And can you tell us, first of all, at what time did this

23 conversation take place?

24 A. In September 1991. That's when the conversation probably took

25 place, which was the period when there was a mass mobilisation in Serbia,

1 and the reservists who had been mobilised, the units, were sent towards

2 Krajina via Bosnia-Herzegovina.

3 Q. The Neretva valley, is that an important strategic valley for --

4 in relation to the Krajina?

5 A. No. No. Not in relation to Krajina but in relation to Dubrovnik

6 and a confrontation there. That is where Serbian and Croatian territories

7 meet in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as Karadzic explained.

8 Q. We can now go to the next highlighted section. And the reference

9 for Your Honours, it's on page 10. It starts actually in the middle, in

10 the middle of this page with Mr. Milosevic saying, "Be careful..." and it

11 ends actually on the next page.

12 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Be careful, can you secure the normal passage

13 of units through Bosnia with this part, this one from Serbia? Towards,

14 towards, for example, Krajina?

15 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Towards Krajina?

16 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes.

17 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Well, I think we will be able to do it.

18 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Come, concentrate on this question, because

19 the answer to this question is very important to me.

20 RADOVAN KARADZIC: I think we will be able, I mean, on the Doboj

21 line, and then there.

22 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Well, check that, and then we will see.

23 Because I see that these, these have problems, these people to, to...

24 RADOVAN KARADZIC: To have them transferred?

25 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: To have them transferred, even to have

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 medicine, food transferred.

2 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

3 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: All that needs help there, those people

4 there.

5 RADOVAN KARADZIC: I think we can ensure that, there will be no

6 problems.

7 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Yes, that is...

8 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Because we will secure one of the lines and I

9 will notify, I mean.

10 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Good, notify. But notify in a safe way.

11 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, yes.

12 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Right.

13 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Good, just so we know in advance, so.

14 Torbavica informed me yesterday night at 12.00 that he will be setting off

15 at 04.00 and then I, we secure the first convoy, and then four got lost.

16 Do you know about convoys through -- from Serbia through Bosnia to

17 the Krajina? Do you know of such convoys?

18 A. They were brigades, JNA brigades.

19 Q. From where did they come and where did they go at that time?

20 A. The brigades were coming from, as far as I know, Vojvodina

21 province, Sabac, Loznica, and other areas.

22 Q. And where were they going?

23 A. As far as I know, some of those units were deployed in Banija and

24 Kordun, Lika, and some of the others elsewhere.

25 Q. And how do you know about these matters?

1 A. I had an insight from the field, on the ground.

2 Q. And there is also a person mentioned, Torbavica. Do you know who

3 that is? That was actually in the last part that I read. Do you know who

4 that is?

5 A. In this context, it could have been General Torbavica.

6 Q. General of what units and what position? Do you know?

7 A. A JNA General. I think he was commander of the Uzice Corps or,

8 rather, some units which were in the region.

9 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Thank you. We can now turn to the next tab,

10 and it's also one I do not want to play. It's tab 15. And I have

11 highlighted a few passages for the witness and to be put on the ELMO.

12 And, Your Honours, it starts on page 3 of the English text, in the middle

13 of the text after the references to Wijnaendts. After the references to

14 Wijnaendts, Radovan Karadzic says:

15 RADOVAN KARADZIC: OK, what can be done here? Could Jovica do

16 something about this?

17 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: No, he cannot do anything.

18 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Because, there he has those other, he, he,

19 there, there he has a strong opposition among those smarter people.

20 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: To tell you the truth, I don't know what to

21 do ... what, what is worth talking with them and I don't -- in what

22 capacity can I support them when they are refusing to participate in the

23 talks anyway?

24 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Yes, unbelievable. You know what would be

25 good? It would be good if Jovica would invite ten or so, that ten or so,

1 to go there, smart people. I could also come to the meeting, and some

2 things could be determined. They cannot do so, can they?

3 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: Absolutely!

4 RADOVAN KARADZIC: There can't be, there can't be an opposition to

5 force him. Not the one to relieve him from the office, but to force him.

6 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Private session, please.

7 [Private session]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [Open session]

9 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

10 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

11 Q. And I forgot to ask you, did you listen to the entire tape while

12 you had your conversations with --

13 A. Yes.

14 Q. -- the Prosecutor, and did you recognise the voices of

15 Mr. Karadzic and Mr. Milosevic?

16 A. Yes, I did listen to the entire tape, and yes, I did recognise

17 their voices.

18 Q. And at around what time did this conversation take place?

19 A. It means it was conducted around the 8th of October, 1991.

20 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: I would like to turn now to tab 42, and it's

21 also nothing to be played, and I have highlighted for the witness actually

22 two parts. I'm just told that it's not highlighted, but it's easy to

23 find.

24 For Your Honours, on the first page, on the first page, on the

25 bottom, the last few sentences.

1 Q. And, Witness, it should also be on your first page. There is a

2 reference, when you put the first page on the ELMO, the translation, yes.

3 Mr. Milosevic -- first of all, I have to ask you. Did you listen to this

4 tape and did you recognise the voices?

5 A. Yes, I did.

6 Q. And I quote first from the first page.

7 MR. MILOSEVIC: Well, it seems so. You know, he wants complete

8 serenity and independence like Macedonia, fuck it.

9 And Radovan says.

10 RADOVAN KARADZIC: Well, that's unbelievable. How will those

11 people over there answer him? There's a large meeting of Montenegrins at

12 the Sava Centre tomorrow.

13 Witness, seeing this quote, what -- what kind of a meeting was at

14 the Sava Centre? Do you know that, and who wanted complete sovereignty

15 they are talking about here?

16 A. It was about criticism of Momir Bulatovic and the campaign which

17 Milosevic launched against him for him to change his position with respect

18 to The Hague conference and the acceptance of Carrington's plan for

19 Yugoslavia.

20 Q. How do you know that Mr. Milosevic launched a campaign to change

21 Mr. Bulatovic's position? How do you know that?

22 A. I heard this personally from Milosevic. I heard this personally

23 from Milosevic.

24 Q. Is that the occasion that you already talked about when he was

25 complaining about Mr. Bulatovic?

1 A. That's right. On the 20th of October, 1991.

2 Q. What did he actually say --

3 JUDGE MAY: Yes, Mr. Tapuskovic.

4 MR. TAPUSKOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, I think that what

5 must be borne in mind is that something that is not contained in these

6 conversations cannot be interpreted. If the names that the witness is

7 mentioning are not in here, he cannot mention them. He cannot interpret

8 them in the context of what it says here. I think that would be right.

9 He recognised the voices, but he cannot interpret something about which we

10 do have enough information here. Especially, he should not mention names

11 that do not exist in this text.

12 JUDGE MAY: He says they do. I wonder really whether it takes us

13 very much further. We have heard evidence about this.

14 Do you want to refer to any other passages?

15 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes, Your Honour. And actually, the witness

16 had mentioned in relation to the Sava Centre a Montenegrin gathering. He

17 concluded that the person talked about is -- but, yes, I would like to --

18 just one more quote here, and it's -- in the English text it's page 5, and

19 it's --

20 JUDGE KWON: I think we've heard it already, page 5.

21 JUDGE MAY: Yes.

22 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes.

23 JUDGE MAY: Yes. I have it marked.

24 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Okay. Thank you. I wasn't aware that I had

25 already discussed this one. Thank you very much.

1 The next tab -- the next one is tab 44, and it's also not to be

2 played. I just would like to have the witness have a look at it.

3 Q. And on the first page, Mr. Milosevic -- first of all, did you

4 listen to this tape during your conversation, and did you recognise the

5 voices?

6 A. Yes, I did. I recognised the voices of Karadzic and Milosevic.

7 Q. We -- on the first page there is marked -- there are marked

8 actually three different parts:

9 SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC: The maps were shown to me yesterday. The

10 whole Eastern Slavonia was placed on them; Western Slavonia was partly

11 presented on them, just like an island that will be authorised by UN.

12 After that Krajina without Knin, without Knin, without Obrovac, Benkovac,

13 Donji Lapac...

14 Seeing this quote, do you know at what time this conversation took

15 place and to which maps Mr. Milosevic is referring to? What maps were

16 discussed at that time?

17 A. The discussion was on the 21st of November, 1991, and then it went

18 on. It was the end of November. And this was regarding the maps of the

19 Vance-Owen Plan.

20 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. And I think the rest of the text speaks

21 for itself, and we would not need to discuss it. The highlighted parts

22 also speak for themselves. The witness has already described what was

23 discussed with whom at that time.

24 The next tab is 45.

25 Q. Witness, did you listen in to this tape?

1 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And we have to go into private session for

2 this one.

3 [Private session]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [redacted]

21 [redacted]

22 [redacted]

23 [redacted]

24 [redacted]

25 [redacted]

1 [redacted]

2 [redacted]

3 [redacted]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [Open session]

9 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

10 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

11 Q. Witness, tab 50, the first marked section. First of all, did you

12 listen in to this conversation?

13 A. Yes, I did.

14 Q. And did you recognise the voices?

15 A. Yes, I did. Karadzic and Dobrica Cosic.

16 Q. On -- in this marked passage, Mr. Karadzic refers to ecological

17 data and cartographers "...have produced the fairest variant in which we

18 have sixty-one point three per cent of the land." And then they discuss

19 these figures further. Did Mr. Karadzic make those kind of arguments when

20 discussing about the land that should be under Serb control? Did he make

21 these kind of arguments?

22 A. I know about talks with the representatives of Franjo Tudjman and

23 the Croatian government, that is to say between them and Karadzic and the

24 representatives of the authorities of Republika Srpska. I also know of a

25 conversation I already mentioned at Slobodan Milosevic's in this context.

1 Q. Yes. And the next passage I have marked is on page 12. It's the

2 top of page 12. Mr. Cosic and Mr. Karadzic speak about a removal of a

3 person, and they speak about tomorrow.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honours, we have to go into private

5 session for this.

6 [Private session]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [redacted]

17 [redacted]

18 [redacted]

19 [redacted]

20 [Open session]

21 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

22 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, the next series of intercepts I

23 do not want to discuss or play with the witness in detail. I just want to

24 ask him some general questions about intercepts that he heard in a certain

25 context and only speak about a very few voices that are heard on these

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 intercepts and how he is familiar with these voices, because he had

2 actually made this declaration reference to all of these intercepts and

3 explained in this declaration whom he recognised, and I would just find

4 out in relation to several of those intercepts mentioned in the

5 declaration how he knows the voices.

6 JUDGE MAY: Well, that would be a suitable matter to deal with

7 after the adjournment.

8 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Thank you.

9 JUDGE MAY: We're on page 64, I take it, paragraph 319; is that

10 right? You can tell us afterwards.

11 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes.

12 JUDGE MAY: We will adjourn now. Twenty minutes.

13 --- Recess taken at 12.14 p.m.

14 --- On resuming at 12.37 p.m.

15 JUDGE MAY: Yes.

16 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: With the help of the usher, I would like to

17 put to the witness only briefly the transcripts of the intercepted

18 conversations 23, 25, and tab 2.

19 Q. The first one is an intercepted conversation between Karadzic and

20 Grahovac of the 24th of June, 1991, Witness. And the second one is a

21 conversation between Karadzic and Vukic from that same day, and the third

22 one is a conversation between Karadzic and Mr. Milosevic of the 9th of

23 July, 1991.

24 Did you have opportunity to listen in to these three

25 conversations?

1 A. Yes.

2 Q. In relation to --

3 JUDGE MAY: Yes?

4 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Tab 2? I have under tab 2 a

5 conversation with Karadzic; tab 3, Karadzic, Cosic. I don't know what the

6 point is.

7 JUDGE MAY: Let's deal with tab 2, Karadzic and Cosic. Tab 23.

8 Was that the next one you had, Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff?

9 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, I had tab 23, tab 25, and

10 tab 2.

11 JUDGE MAY: Yes. And tab 2 is an intercept between Karadzic and

12 Mr. Milosevic, dated the 9th of July, 1991.

13 JUDGE MAY: Yes. I have that.

14 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes.

15 JUDGE MAY: Yes. Yes, let's go on.

16 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

17 Q. The voice of -- how familiar are you with the voice of

18 Mr. Grahovac? Do you know his voice and how?

19 A. Yes. We talked often.

20 Q. And this other person, Vukic, would you know who that is? The

21 conversation Karadzic, Vukic.

22 A. Dr. Vukic from Banja Luka, president of the Municipal Board of the

23 SDS in Banja Luka.

24 Q. Are you familiar with his voice?

25 A. I'm not sure. I'm not sure about his voice.

1 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Private session for one question, Your

2 Honour.

3 [Private session]

4 [redacted]

5 [redacted]

6 [redacted]

7 [redacted]

8 [redacted]

9 [redacted]

10 [redacted]

11 [redacted]

12 [redacted]

13 [redacted]

14 [redacted]

15 [redacted]

16 [Open session]

17 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session.

18 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF:

19 Q. The other day, you also mentioned that despite the criticism

20 against the unification of the two Krajinas, later on the -- Mr. Karadzic

21 himself pursued that same aim, and in relation to that, I would like to

22 put to the witness the exhibit -- tab 107 of Exhibit 352, and it's just

23 for you to have a look at it and whether you can authenticate this

24 document. It's the "Prijedor declaration on the Unification of the RSK

25 and the RS," of the 31st of October, 1992.

1 A. That's right.

2 Q. Yes. Thank you. And I would like to move now on with the

3 intercepts.

4 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And for your orientation, Your Honour, the

5 three intercepts we just mentioned in relation to the unification and this

6 issue was paragraph 163 of the proofing summary, and we are now back on

7 319, where a lot of intercepts are actually listed.

8 Q. In relation to the intercepts listed under this paragraph, I would

9 like to put to the witness just briefly the intercepts tab 4 and tab 5.

10 Witness, these two intercepts are of -- are of unclear date. It's

11 not given. But in both of these intercepts, reference is made to a

12 referendum in Bosnia. Can you tell us from their contents on what -- at

13 what time these conversations may have taken place giving these contents?

14 A. Beginning of November. The end of October -- no. November more

15 probably, 1991, after the referendum was held when part of the MPs of the

16 Assembly of Bosnia-Herzegovina, those who were of Serb ethnicity, and the

17 SDS, when they conducted this referendum in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

18 Q. Yes. Thank you. I do not want to put the other exhibits to the

19 witness except for these -- where I mentioned we haven't yet spoken about

20 the names -- the voices of these people.

21 Did you listen in to an intercept between Karadzic and Vucurevic?

22 And that would be tab 32.

23 A. Yes, I did.

24 Q. Are you -- how are you familiar, if at all, with the voice of

25 Mr. Vucurevic?

1 A. Yes. Although I met him only once or two or three times, but I

2 listened to his speeches. He has such a characteristic voice that one has

3 to recognise it.

4 Q. What is characteristic about the voice of Mr. Vucurevic?

5 A. Well, the intonation, the depth, the mode of speech, the accent a

6 very special type of voice.

7 Q. What kind of an accent does he have?

8 A. Herzegovinian.

9 Q. We have also intercepts with the voice of -- it's actually tab 41

10 is an intercept between Karadzic and Jovic, and I would like to know from

11 you how familiar you are with the voice of Mr. Jovic and whether you are

12 able to recognise his voice?

13 A. Yes. I know it well.

14 Q. And how?

15 A. From many personal contacts and meetings I had with him, I know

16 him very well.

17 Q. We have also one intercept. It's tab 46. One intercept between

18 Mr. Karadzic and Mrs. Plavsic, Biljana Plavsic. Did you listen into this

19 intercept as well, and did you recognise the voices?

20 A. I did. I recognised both the voices of Karadzic and Plavsic.

21 Q. How familiar are you with Mrs. Plavsic's voice? How do you know

22 it?

23 A. I have frequently had meetings with her in person.

24 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Your Honour, I do not think that I have to

25 put now all the other intercepts with Karadzic in front of the witness. I

1 think they should be accepted in the form of the declaration, because I

2 would not need to discuss the contents.

3 JUDGE MAY: Well, the matter is still, of course, for the Chamber

4 to decide whether they'll be admitted or not. They have been marked for

5 identification, but of course, there is no need for this witness to go

6 through them.

7 MS. UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Yes. Thank you, Your Honour. I will now

8 continue with paragraph 320 in the proofing summary and turn to the

9 military formations on the ground in the SAO Krajina, in particular in the

10 regions where crimes were committed according to the indictment against

11 Mr. Milosevic.

12 Q. The northern part of the SAO Krajina, in particular the region of

13 Kostajnica and Korenica, did they belong to the 5th Military District of

14 the JNA with headquarters in Zagreb?

15 A. Yes, that's right.

16 Q. And who was the commander of the 5th Military District?

17 A. I don't know exactly. I think it was General Raseta. He was

18 either the commander or deputy commander.

19 Q. Which JNA corps covered these regions?

20 A. The Zagreb Corps and the Rijeka Corps.

21 Q. The Rijeka Corps, did they also -- did they also belong to the

22 5th Military District?

23 A. I think they did. They were between the Military Naval District

24 and the 5th Military District. I'm not sure, though, whether they were

25 the 5th District or the Military Naval District.

1 Q. In this region of -- in this region that I just mentioned,

2 Kostajnica and Korenica, were there any military barracks, and if so,

3 where were they and --

4 A. I know of the JNA barracks in Petrinja, the JNA barracks in

5 Karlovac, the military training ground for the artillery close to Slunj.

6 Q. Do you know who was the commander of this artillery training

7 ground in Slunj?