The German Defence Ministry said German soldiers played “a decisive role” in the arrest attempt, but the nationality of the wounded soldiers was not immediately released.German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping said Janjic threw a hand grenade during the arrest. He was severely injured and died shortly afterward, Scharping said. Glusac, the police spokesman in Banja Luka, said two explosions were heard. One of Janjic’s relatives also was wounded.NATO headquarters in Brussels said four soldiers of SFOR, the NATO peacekeeping force in Bosnia, were wounded Scharping said they were out of danger. The soldiers “did not fire their weapons” during the arrest attempt, NATO said.It was the first time troops belonging to the NATO force, dispatched to the former Yugoslav territory after the 1995 Dayton Agreement, had suffered casualties making an arrest on behalf of the tribunal.A statement from the chief war crimes prosecutor in The Hague, Carla Del Ponte, commended the courage of the troops and said “we share a sense of regret that the attempt ended in tragedy.”According to a 1996 indictment, Janjic was responsible for running the Buk Bijela detention center where “women were interrogated and sexually assaulted throughout July 1992.” The NATO statement said he was wanted for crimes committed during a 10-month period until February 1993, the height of the Bosnian war.Janjic, a prewar car mechanic, became one of the subcommanders of the Serb military police and a paramilitary leader in Foca. He was involved in the attack on Foca and its surrounding villages and the arrest of civilians.Janjic’s sister-in-law, Nada Janjic, was arrested on Thursday but later released, said the Serb policeman, Glusac.Scharping said Germany would not be deterred by the abortive arrest from fulfilling future tasks for the tribunal. The tribunal has no enforcement arm of its own and must rely on the NATO troops to bring in indicted criminals for extradition to The Hague for trial.”The pursuit of war crimes suspects and further cooperation with the War Crimes Tribunal remains essential in the future,” said Scharping.NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson also pledged continued efforts to arrest suspects “NATO deeply regrets the loss of life,” he said.
“NATO is committed to arresting indicted war criminals and delivering them to The Hague.”Del Ponte’s spokesman Paul Risley said Janjic had vowed in the past not to surrender alive and had threatened journalists with a hand grenade.”We recognize that the application of justice to a region that is still not at peace continues to be a dangerous business,” said Del Ponte’s statement. “The events of last night only underscore the necessity that those who are publicly accused must voluntarily surrendered at the earliest possible date.”. A lonely, beleaguered outpost has fallen. The French Foreign Legion, celebrated for rearguard actions for 170 years, will soon have to admit female, as well as male, romantics, misfits, runaways and petty criminals from all over the world
A lonely, beleaguered outpost has fallen.
The French Foreign Legion, celebrated for rearguard actions for 170 years, will soon have to admit female, as well as male, romantics, misfits, runaways and petty criminals from all over the world.
The French government overruled protests by légionnaires past and present and yesterday ordered that the Legion should open its barracks gates at Aubagne, near Marseilles, to women.A year ago, the commandant of the Legion, General Christian Piquemal, snorted: “The presence of women is incompatible with the very nature of the Legion. Our founding principle is cohesion and camaraderie between men Women would mean the end of the Legion. They have their place in the army, but not with us.”Within a few days of making that statement, he retired. His successor, General Bernard Grail, has been forced to bow to the increasing feminisation, and professionalisation, of the French armed forces.Like General Piquemal, many légionnaires and former légionnaires fear the days of the Legion itself – 8,600 men from 139 nations – may be numbered. With the abolition of conscription in 2002, the Légion Etrangÿre will lose its status as the only fully professional force in the French army.Other units of the French military have been pushing for the Legion to be more “integrated” – in other words, treated like any other part of the army; forced to admit women; and made to perform routine, unglamorous tours of duty..
Yugoslavia’s new President, Vojislav Kostunica, yesterday admitted he is not yet in full control of Yugoslavia, saying he faced “almost as much trouble from my friends as from my enemies”. Yugoslavia’s new President, Vojislav Kostunica, yesterday admitted he is not yet in full control of Yugoslavia, saying he faced “almost as much trouble from my friends as from my enemies”.
Although his grip on power, under pressure from allies of the deposed president Slobodan Milosevic, was boosted by a United States decision to relax sanctions, a move by the IMF to reopen its doors to Belgrade and a British request for the restoration of diplomatic relations, Mr Kostunica complained in an interview with the New York Times that some of his allies were issuing policy statements he did not agree with.In comments which indicated the first cracks in the opposition alliance that toppled Mr Milosevic, the new president singled out Zoran Djindjic, his most powerful backer, who has taken a number of moves on his own initiative that have caused problems – including suggesting that the army chief of staff should resign, which provoked a furious response from the army.Mr Kostunica also admitted the scramble by opposition members to grab control of ministries and state-owned companies was out of control, and was being pursued with scant regard for the law.”I cannot justify all that’s going on,” he said. “On the surface there is a peaceful, democratic transition, but below the surface is a kind of volcano.”In an interview with Italian television Mr Kostunica also hinted that he would not stand in the way of a break up of the federation of Serbia and Montenegro. “If the will of the Montenegrins is to not belong to the federation, this will be respected,” he said.Mr Kostunica’s new authorities held urgent meetings with Mr Milosevic’s allies, ahead of a deadline today by which time they have warned the deposed president’s men to hand over power or face renewed anger on the streets.The government of Serbia, the larger of federal Yugoslavia’s two republics, is still technically in power, but is under pressure to accept new elections on 17 December.On Wednesday, it ordered police to seize back control of television stations and other state institutions. But so far, the police have made no move, and the Serbian vice-Prime Minister, Vojislav Seselj, yesterday acknowledged that the Serbian government no longer controls the police, claiming in an extraordinary speech that police were now under the control of the CIA.A former Milosevic ally yesterday said that the Serbian government’s refusal to hand over power had been ordered by Mr Milosevic himself, and was part of a deliberate policy to “create obstruction, chaos and anarchy” in order to seize back power.”Milosevic is desperately trying to stabilise his ranks, conducting very high activity,” said Dusan Mihajlovic, who is known to have strong connections with the secret police, much of which remains loyal to Mr Milosevic.The deposed president remains out of sight.
He is believed to be holed up in his Belgrade residence, guarded by 100 paramilitaries commanded by his personal bodyguard, General Senta Milenkovic.But there are signs that many among Mr Milosevic’s allies are giving up. The notorious “Frankie’s Boys” paramilitaries, believed to be responsible for much of the violence in Kosovo, have switched sides, and are now backing Mr Kostunica.. Europe’s leaders will be challenged today to agree to an instant package of up to 200m euros (£118m) in emergency assistance for Yugoslavia amid divisions over long-term financial EU aid for a democratic Serbia. Europe’s leaders will be challenged today to agree to an instant package of up to 200m euros (£118m) in emergency assistance for Yugoslavia amid divisions over long-term financial EU aid for a democratic Serbia.
With no agreement on the amount of EU cash for Belgrade, and the new Yugoslavian President, Vojislav Kostunica, expected to arrive at an EU summit tomorrow, Europe’s leaders will be asked to make a symbolic gesture.Germany wants a package of up to 200m euros for “start-up” aid in humanitarian assistance and the support for non-governmental organisations which, it says, could be diverted from existing budgets.But other countries, including Britain, are unhappy at the prospect of specific pledges before the European Commission has made a comprehensive assessment of Serbia’s needs. The first visit from officials to Belgrade began on Wednesday and one diplomat said the countries were working for a political commitment to tackle pressing problems such as the winter fuel crisis, rather than a precise aid figure.Mr Kostunica’s visit is seen as a big symbolic event and the culmination of a successful EU foreign policy, but there is anxiety that the lack of an aid package could raise questions about Europe’s commitment.The Commission proposed 2.3bn euros of aid for 2001-06, but that has not been approved by the EU member states or the European Parliament. Economists allied to Mr Kostunica say £825m is needed to repair the basic infrastructure, including hospitals and bridges destroyed by Nato attacks.. In the corridors of power of the new Serbia, one name is on everybody’s lips.
