Secretary Rice & Ambassador Bolton

March 6, 2006  

Dear Secretary Rice and Ambassador Bolton,  

As you probably aware, Milan Babic has committed suicide at The Hague detention center.   According to Dutch authorities, they are not releasing how this suicide happened, nor, did they acknowledge where he was serving his sentence before testifying at The Hague again. We emphasize this event is of concern to current detainees at The Hague.  Why all the secrecy? This court is predominately supported by the U.S. Government and in the U.S., we do not have this "secrecy" in our court system.  Every major news media outlet reported today: Croatian Serbs set up a self-proclaimed republic, with Babic as Presdent." Associated Press (AP). The Serbs set up a republic within an internationally recognized sovereign country, the Republic of Croatia.   Before sentencing, he apologized to the Croatian people.

"I stand before this tribunal with a deep sense of shame and remorse. I allowed myself to participate in the persecution of the worst kind against people only because they were Croats, not Serbs," he said. "I ask my brother Croats to forgive us, their brother Serbs." (Associated Press).  

Why is General Ante Gotovina at The Hague indicted and awaiting trial?   Will the U.S. Government be requesting an official investigation as to the cause of death of Milan Babic since the ICTY is only stating it was a "suicide" and have provided no further details or reports.  If in fact it was a "suicide," will an ICTY official release the medical report to the public showing exactly how Mr. Babic passed away. This is of our deep concern and of crucial importance because we are worried about the condition of current Croatian detainees held at The Hague. Mr. Babic provided testimony that would clear Croatian Generals of false charges against them.  

According to the Association of Defense Counsel at The Hague www.adcicty.org, under Permission to Visit a Detainee: “(B) The Registrar may refuse to allow a person to visit a detainee if he has reason to believe that the purpose of the visit is to obtain information which may be subsequently reported in the media.” Again, why all the secrecy? We request an official investigation be launched and remove the “media ban” rule indirectly imposed on detainees and their visitors at The Hague.   Thank you, Jackie Prkic President Croatian Worldwide Association  

For more information read SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC'S SECRET "KRAJINA STRATEGY," SENSE, March 3, 2006

Sense News Agency
3 March 2006

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC'S SECRET "KRAJINA STRATEGY"

In his cross-examination by Milan Martic's defense counsel, Krajina
insider Milan Babic repeats his claims about Belgrade's secret strategy
behind the overt efforts to "keep Yugoslavia together". According to
him, the strategy was to cause incidents in Krajina, thus creating the
climate for the JNA to intervene in Croatia, the objective being the annexation
of parts of Croatia to Greater Serbia.  He labeled the accused Martic
as the main agent of the policy in Krajina.

THE HAGUE, 3.3. (SENSE)  -  In 1991, the Belgrade leadership wanted the
Serbs in Krajina was to cause incidents and to provoke the Croatian
police into reacting, so that the JNA could intervene and carry out a military
coup in Croatia.  Krajina insider Milan Babic repeated this claim as
Milan Martic's trial continued with his cross-examination by Martic's
defense counsel.

Jovan Raskovic, then the president of the Krajina SDS, was the first
to tell him about the scenario, Babic said.  After a few incidents in
August 1990, he told him that "spilling blood is not in the interest
of any of the parties in Croatia, but of a third party who could then
get involved and intervene militarily".  The witness says he was sure
Raskovic meant the Belgrade authorities as the "third party".

Babic in fact saw this himself, he claims now, in January 1991, when
he met with Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade.  The Serbian president
explained to him that the JNA was planning to "arrest the ministers
in the Croatian government" and to "carry out a military coup" in the
country. He advised Babic to stay in Belgrade, under police protection,
until the situation calmed down.

As he questioned Babic about the referendum held in the SAO Krajina
in May 1991, Martic's defense counsel tried to prove that Belgrade
had no influence over the Knin authorities and that there could be
no "joint criminal enterprise", as alleged in the indictment. He
claimed that Slobodan Milosevic's suggestion to phrase the referendum question,
"Are you in favor of staying in Yugoslavia?" instead of "Are you in
favor of joining Serbia?" was rejected.

Babic said that the referendum question had been changed after
Milosevic's intervention.  In the end, it was phrased, "Are you
in favor of joining Serbia and staying in Yugoslavia?" He took the
opportunity to describe once again the public and secret strategies
pursued by Belgrade. In essence, as he described it, Belgrade publicly
espoused "keeping Yugoslavia together", while in secret it worked on
creating Greater Serbia, or "establishment of the de facto status",
as Milosevic called it euphemistically.

By asking the question about the annexation of Krajina to Serbia,
Babic wanted to exert pressure on Milosevic, to make him show his hand,
to say publicly what he had been doing secretly. Milosevic's key man in
implementing the secret strategy in Krajina was the accused Milan
Martic, Babic claims.

Milan Babic's cross-examination will continue over the next few days.