General Ljubisa Velickovic's Death

General Velickovic was born on March 1st 1946 in the village Crljenac near Pozarevac. Apart from military schools of JNA (the Yugoslav National Army) - the Air Force Academy, the Commanding-Staff Academy of AF and AAA, the Commanding-Staff School of Operating - he also graduated in the General Staff Academy 'Voroshilov' in Moscow. He was a pilot, a teacher of pilots, Commander of the flying regiment and Corps, director of the Federal office for flight control, Chief of the General Staff School of the Yugoslav Army, Chief of the General Staff for AF and AAA Sectors, Commander of AF and AAA, and deputy Federal Minister of Defense.

General Velickovic became familiar with greater publicity on the occasion of Aero Meeting 'Batajnica 98'. While, as a Commander of AF and AAA, he demonstrated his extraordinary abilities as a pilot on the plane MIG 29, the official speaker announced the following: "In the tradition of Serbia and Montenegro the commanders never used the command "Go ahead!", instead it was always "Follow me!"

Four months later (October 1998), only fifteen days after the Milosevic-Hallbrooke agreement was signed, the notification by the Federal Secretariat for Information was taken with a great surprise: "Prime Minister of the Federal Government, Momir Bulatovic handed down a decision to appoint Lieutenant-General Ljubisa Velickovic a deputy Minister of Defense". This move, interpreted as replacement of the AF and AAA Commander, was not in accordance with those obligations which the Yugoslav Army took over on the basis of the mentioned agreement, such as a regulation that AAA has to switch off their radio locators while NATO is flying over Kosovo. The same sources published that he refused the NATO demand that their officers sit in the AF and AA centres and control whether the radio locators are switched on, during their, still reconnoitering flights. There was an interpretation that he even required a premature retirement, but that he deserted that idea after the highest office intervention. However, General Velickovic, as a personal delegate of the President of FRY, Slobodan Milosevic, placed a wreath upon the Grave of the unknown soldier on the Avala mountain, on November 29th 1998, on the occasion of the 80th jubilee of Yugoslavia.

General Velickovic took an active part in the war on the territories of former Yugoslavia in 1991, accomplishing military tasks by navigating from the airports at Cerklje, Zadar, Bihac and Pula. Since the NATO air campaign in Yugoslavia began, he performed the duty of the deputy Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command, and as a pilot he flew together with other pilots of the Yugoslav Army in military missions.

Vuk Draskovic, Serbian Renewal Movement Party President

Virtually Identical Views With Those of Milosevic

"In the name of the greater part of this European nation, this ancient European state, I wish to extend my warmest wishes for immediate peace and cooperation with European countries and with the US.  As far as the Serbian country is concerned, including the FRY, from here on we are no longer have hostile relations with the NATO pact, and we expect that the NATO pact will also not exhibit any hostility against us," speaking in English, Vuk Draskovic, President of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), stated this at a press conference held on the occasion of the adoption of the international peace plan.  "We are completely ready to fulfill all obligations we committed to today.  At no moment did we want war.  Various circumstances contributed to the conflict with the NATO pact, and an innocent state and its people were subjected to unprecedented aggression and collective punishment," explained the leader of SPO.

Draskovic stressed that the peace which was announced by the Serbian Parliament also means the obligation of establishing a speedy peace with all countries that are part of the EU and with the US.  "From today hence this country must set as its goal internal democratic, economic and every other sort of transformation so that it can very quickly become part of the EU, getting necessary humanitarian, financial and all other required aid for reconstruction from the international community, the EU and the US," stated Draskovic before journalists, while the bombing alert was in effect and while the windows in the SPO headquarters shook as the NATO air force kept braking the sound barrier above Belgrade.  Draskovic answered in English to all questions posed to him in the Serbian language.  When asked by foreign journalists if when Americans and the British come to Kosovo, he will go there and shake hands with them, Draskovic answered: "Of course."

The SPO President revealed very few details to journalists about the agreed to document, merely reiterating "do not ask me about the text of the document" and "do not ask me any questions of a military nature."  When asked how the Yugoslav forces will be able to withdraw under fire, Draskovic stated that he cannot believe that NATO will bomb a document which it put together with the EU and Russia, and which the Yugoslav side adopted without any comments.

Draskovic said that he spoke with President Milosevic on Wednesday evening, and that the latter presented views which are virtually identical with his.  When asked whether Milosevic demanded of him that SPO members of parliament give their vote to the proposed document, Draskovic answered that he did not and explained: "That was a meeting with representatives of political parties which are represented in the Serbian parliament and he, as its head, presented his view that this document must be adopted."  At this, the gathered journalists broke into laughter.

"It is worth noting," Draskovic stated, "that only one party, SRS (Serbian Radical Party), made a decisive and primitive stand against peace.  This made it clear to our public and the international community at large that this Party has been the principal promoter of unnecessary conflicts with the EU, the world, and with democracy," he concluded.  Draskovic told reporters that "he is looking forward to the future, but that he fails to see the SRS in that picture," and that Vojislav Seselj "was not brave enough" to tell Milosevic that the Radical Party will vote against the adoption of the international plan.

Draskovic, sidled by Milan Komnenic, former Minister of Information, Milan Mikovic, Chief of the SPO MP's group in the Serbian Parliament, and Vojislav Mihajlovic, Mayor of Belgrade, spoke about a new beginning.  "From today this country must take a new direction," stated the former Vice-President of the Federal Government.  "The direction of new political, decisive, concrete reforms of the economic and democratic systems, agreement amongst ourselves, agreement and full cooperation with authorities in the Republic of Montenegro.  It is our wish that the return of refugees to Kosovo, both Albanians and Serbs, begins immediately.  There is place for everyone in a multiethnic, multi cultural Serbia, for a new life, a life based on the highest democratic standards of Europe and the world.  We need the beginning of a rebuilding of a peace between Serbs and Albanians.  SPO will do everything in order that this state be quickly transformed economically, democratically and spiritually, transformed from within, into a European state, an America of the Balkans," Draskovic promised.

When asked whether the adopted document is essentially identical with the one our Government refused in Rambouillet, Draskovic responded that principles from Rambouillet must be respected and that there is no reason for them not to be agreed to.  "We are speaking about principles of the Contact Group which our state accepted in their entirety.  I am not prepared to go into details, but I am a great optimist as far as an agreement in the future is concerned.  I think that such an agreement needs to contain two parallel legal systems.  One system which is European, Serbian, within the legal system of Serbia, and another, Albanian, which they themselves need to define.  If what they want is Muslim law, the blood feud as an institution, tribal system of organization, let them do as they please," Draskovic stated.

One foreign journalist asked: "If the principles of Rambouillet are built into this document, what sort of reaction do you think can be expected among average people in Serbia who suffered two months of bombing because of Rambouillet?"  Draskovic's answer was: "They must thing deeply about what happened in the past, but the most important thing at the present is to arrive at peace, and I am certain that the Serbian people will celebrate the coming of peace.  I believe that in the coming days the whole world will see pictures from the cities of Serbia where the coming of peace and the beginning of a new time of agreement and cooperation will be celebrated."
The SPO Leader stated that discussions will be held regarding the return of his Party into the federal government, and when asked about joining the Parliament of Serbia, he answered: "We will fight for democratic reforms.  That is uppermost."

Zoran B. Nikolic