Karadzic: Eastern Towns Strategically Taken Over

Following the completion of the examination of Reynaud Theunens, the expert witness in military issues whom Karadzic characterised as “biased and malevolent”, the trial before The Hague Tribunal was adjourned for three weeks due to summer vacations.
 
During the course of an additional examination, The Hague Tribunal Prosecution quoted a statement given by the indictee at a parliament session held in August 1995, when he said that Serbs had taken over the towns where they constituted 30 percent of the total population only, but they could not give away the towns where Serbs had a 70 percent share in the total population.
 
“You should remember how many of us lived in Bratunac, Visegrad, Rogatica, Srebrenica…Those were the strategic places and we had to take them over,” Karadzic said in the statement, which was included as evidence.
 
The expert witness mentioned that the statement showed the achievement of the strategic goals for eliminating the River Drina as “a hard” border and separating Serbs from the other peoples.
 
Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska, RS and Supreme Commander, is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war.
 
During the course of the entire cross-examination Karadzic attempted to deny Theunens’ conclusion that the six strategic goals were realised using military resources, saying that the goals were the basis for peace negotiations, while the military activities were conducted in order to protect people and territories.
 
The indictee presented the expert witness with an agreement signed by the Serb side in London in the summer of 1992, when it was “at the peak of power”. Under the agreement the Serbs side undertook to create refugee centres and return a significant part of the territories.
 
“Did we give territories back in Dayton? Only in Sarajevo we gave up the most precious areas like Vogosca and Ilidza…” Karadzic said.
 
The expert witness responded by saying that it was true that the Serb side was at the peak of power in 1992, but he mentioned that the military top (of the RS) said that they were conquering territories in order to secure a better position in negotiations.
 
“You, Sir, are proving that you are biased…I would need many more hours to examine a Prosecution witness of this type, but I hope that the Chamber will not give too much importance to such general statements,” the indictee said.
 
The trial is due to continue on August 16.