Monday, October 18, 2010

Hmmm...

The Hague, 18 Oct. (AKI) - A witness for the prosecution testifying in the trial of wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, told the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), that the Bosnian Muslim army at least on one occasion fired at their own people to blame the Serbs during 1992-1995 war.

Canadian general David Fraser, who served with the UN peacekeepers in Bosnia, told the tribunal that Bosnian Serbs shelled the capital Sarajevo “excessively and unselectively” during 44-month siege,

But “at least in one case”, it was determined that a mortar fired from Muslim positions hit the centre of the city, previously shelled by the Serbs. “It looked as if Muslim intention was to create more casualties and blame the Serbs,” Fraser said.

“A joint investigation we carried out with Muslim side showed that, immediately after Serb attack, a mortar was fired from Muslim positions,” Fraser said. The UN peacekeepers protested to both sides on that occasion he added.

Fraser said he never claimed that it was a “military policy” of Bosnian Muslims to fire at their own people. “But Muslims were responsible for targeting civilians, just like the Serbs,” he added.

Cross-examining the witness, Karadzic asked him whether he saw a French video clip showing Muslims firing at their own people. Fraser replied he “heard about it, but never saw the clip”.

Karadzic has been indicted on eleven counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The indictment is focusing on the shelling of Sarajevo and a massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in eastern town of Srebrenica in July 1995.

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