Former Member of Biseri Speaks about Conspiracies
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Witness KW-586, whose face was blurred and voice electronically altered during his testimony, said that, in his capacity as member of Biseri Special Unit, he safeguarded the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose members held sessions in the National Bank building in Sarajevo. Karadzic quoted a document issued by Bosnian authorities in the courtroom in order to prove that the witness was indeed member of Biseri Unit.
KW-568 said that he had a chance to hear what Presidency Chairman Izetbegovic, his son Bakir, Reis-ul-ulama Mustafa Ceric, leader of the Islamic Community in BiH, and other officials said during meetings.
According to the witness testimony, Reis-ul-ulama Ceric had the most powerful influence on Izetbegovic. Izetbegovics main goal was to cause an intervention by the West in favour of Muslims by causing mass suffering in Sarajevo and Srebrenica and provoking Serbs to respond to fire by targeting civil buildings, including hospitals.
Karadzic, the then President of Republika Srpska and supreme Commander of its armed forces, is charged with terrorising civilians in Sarajevo through long-lasting shelling and sniping, as well as committing genocide against about 7,000 Muslims from Srebrenica.
Witness KW-586 said that, in the spring of 1994 Izetbegovic and Reis-ul-ulama Ceric met Naser Oric, Commander of the 28th Division of ABiH in Srebrenica, and ordered him to organise attacks on the surrounding Serb villages in order to provoke a response by Serbs, pointing out that victims are not important on Gods path.
As he said, the witness soon heard that Srebrenica was shelled. He said that it was possible that the grenades were fired by Muslim forces.
KW-586 said that he heard Izetbegovic and Ceric discussing what would happen if a grenade fell on Markale. It actually happened a couple of days later, on February 5, 1994, said the witness. He said that ABiH fired the grenade on Markale from the Mrkovici village region and that it was done by a unit commanded by general Mustafa Hajrulahovic, known as Talijan, as per an order by ABiH general Sefer Halilovic.
Alija told (ABiH general) Sefer (Halilovic) that it should be done. Sefer turned towards Talijan and said: Talijan will do it the witness said.
In the first attempt the grenade fell in the vicinity of the market place. Prior to making the second attempt, they waited for the same crew to be on duty at the UNPROFOR observation point, because an agreement was made with them not to count our grenades.
During the cross-examination Prosecutor Carolin Edgerton said that the witness testimony was a multiple conspiracy theory, claiming that he made it all up in order to ingratiate himself with those, who are protecting him now.
No, you can interpret it as you wish. Whatever I said is true, the witness said.
He confirmed that he was not Izetbegovics bodyguard and that he was not with him all the time, but he stuck to his allegation that he could hear what was discussed during the State Presidency meetings.
In the Banks basement. They did not hide it from me. I guess they had confidence in me.
While saying that his testimony was a pure fiction, the Prosecutor reminded the witness that general Halilovic had already been deposed prior to the first explosion on Markale and that he was not even member of ABiH.
KW-586 responded by saying that Izetbegovic deposed Sefer under pressure, but he did not throw him out of the Army.
It is very hard to say something against your own people, but sometimes you have to do it, the witness said, adding that everybody should be tried for his crimes.
Karadzic, who is also charged with the persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, is due to continue presenting his defence tomorrow, February 18.
