Bosnian Serb Leaders Not Responsible for Srebrenica Genocide, Mladic Witness Says

Mladic, the former commander of the Main Headquarters of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with the genocide of more than 7000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica. He is also on trial for acts of genocide committed in other municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the persecution of the non-Serb population, terrorizing the citizens of Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.

During cross-examination, Kovac said foreign intelligence services, paramilitary formations, mercenaries and Bosnian Serb Army security officers shared responsibility for the genocide.

Kovac said the Srebrenica genocide was used as a smokescreen by the media to hide the “ethnic cleansing and genocide” committed against Serbs in Kninska Krajina and western Bosnia during the Oluja (“Storm”) military operation in August 1995.

Prosecutor Peter McCloskey asked Kovac who planned the Srebrenica killings, if not Serb leaders. Kovac didn’t give a concrete answer.

Kovac said “elements of the international community’s intelligence services” probably influenced Bosniaks and Serb leaders. He said this influence lead to “irrational decisions,” such as the Bosnian Serb Army’s decision to enter Srebrenica.

Kovac said Mladic didn’t bear command responsibility for the Srebrenica genocide. He said it took place “as per someone else’s plans” and was committed by “mercenaries and paramilitary formations who probably worked in coordination with some security officers and an external factor.”

Kovac said the mercenaries he mentioned were members of the Skorpioni (Scorpions) paramilitary formation, which killed six men and boys from Srebrenica in the vicinity of Trnovo in July 1995 and recorded the murder.

“The professional executioners made the recording with the aim of selling it later on and causing detriment to the people’s fight,” Kovac said.

When asked to name the Serb security officers who were allegedly involved in the Srebrenica genocide, Kovac said the coordination between the Drinski Corps and the Zvornicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army was conducted through security bodies. Responding to a suggestion by the prosecutor, Kovac also said the security officer of the Main Headquarters of the Bosnian Serb Army was involved as well.

Kovac said security officers Ljubisa Beara, Vujadin Popovic and Drago Nikolic were involved in the transfer of captives from Srebrenica to Zvornik, where they were shot.

Under a second instance verdict, the Hague Tribunal previously found Beara and Popovic guilty of genocide in Srebrenica and were sentenced to life imprisonment. Drago Nikolic was sentenced to 35 years in prison for assisting in the commission of genocide, but died this year.

“They were responsible for the treatment of captives,” Kovac said.

McCloskey asked Kovac whether he was claiming that Beara, the chief security officer of the Bosnian Serb Army’s Main Headquarters, acted independently and without orders from Mladic.

“Yes, I think so, because this issue involved the accommodation of captives. Unfortunately, it wasn’t done properly,” Kovac said.

The judges asked Kovac whether Mladic had initiated disciplinary procedures against Beara as a result. Kovac answered negatively.

The Mladic trial will continue on Monday, November 30.