Dangerous Dispatch

The International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague asked the producers (Tamouz Media, Reuters TV and Point De Jour) to send them a copy of the documentary along with all accompanying documents; the French opposition attacked the government and called for the forming of a special UN commission to investigate the claims in the film; the French foreign ministry called Point De Jour staff seven times demanding additional information. The airing of the documentary soon in the rest of Europe and the US is expected to draw more reactions. There has been no comment yet from Yugoslavia. VREME got a copy of the documentary and accompanying documents and is publishing the most interesting parts.

What makes the documentary interesting is the approach used by authors Ilan Ziv, David Wyland and Roy Gutmann to highly sensitive intelligence and people in delicate positions in the UN and NATO who were willing to provide some information of critical importance to relations among the Western allies in NATO and UNPROFOR. In the accompanying documents, the authors claim they used Bosnian army intelligence, which is hard to believe since these are transcripts of phone conversations between Pale and Kragujevac and inside the Bosnian Serb Republic. The tapes must have come from some larger intelligence organization (one untranslated transcript includes explanations in English) but the authors have the right to protect their sources.

Other scandalous claims came from anonymous officials whose motives can be guessed: namely, the scandal over the fall of Srebrenica and massacres later were a hard blow to the moral integrity of the UN and the reputations of the great powers in the Balkans. Initially the blame fell on the Dutch battalion in Srebrenica which didn't really have a choice except dying to protect thousands of civilians; it lacked a third of its manpower and had just one sixth of the ammunition it needed; it was surrounded by a superior force and given promises civilians would be evacuated.

The authors of the documentary investigated who was to blame for the fall of Srebrenica and ensuing crimes and pointed their finger at two people: Yasushi Akashi the UN secretary general's special envoy and French General Bertrand Janvier, commander of UNPROFOR.

 

Listening In

 

Excerpts from taped phone calls came with the accompanying documents from the "Dispatches" show of May 29, 1996. Some excerpts were used in the show. The origin of the tapes is unknown but the authors claim they came from Bosnian Army intelligence which does not seem probable: probably they came from a NATO member's intelligence service. Most of the transcripts are in English; if the original was in Serbian it is declared as such. Editing was done by VREME.

Transcript of a phone call from Mirko to Momcilo Krajisnik on June 16, 1995. In English; original not included in documents.

Mirko: There's something Jovica Stanisic is taking over and monitoring, there are dates and deadlines and we have to fit in. Someone has to be in Belgrade at 6:00 and at another place there at 8:00, then they get to the destination and wait there for a few hours and cross tonight...

Momcilo: Would you mind coming to the destination on your own?

Mirko: I wouldn't mind, but when he (the driver) goes through the last stop the police won't let anyone join the convoy.

Momo: I'll find our man. You know Kijac, he'll find you there but you have to tell me where.

Mirko: He'll find me at the place they cross here on this side.

Momo: I'll find him at once, call in 15 minutes and we'll talk.

Mirko: Here's the number, 67-866, code 034, I'm in a restaurant here. It's important that we get to the border on this side.

Next call, 17:50

Momo: I have to have drivers and vehicles.

Mirko: Listen, they turned the guy from here back. They had to go around to Kuzmin.

Momo: What?

Mirko: They're going around.

Momo: OK, just get me drivers, he'll announce them and you'll just say you were announced through Kijac and that's all.

Mirko: OK. His name is Slobodan Vukojevic.

Momo: Yes.

Mirko: (unclear) ... KV is Kraljevo (probably dictating a license plate) and the number is 725-29 and 27-08 (for the trailer).

Momo: 2708 and don't let anyone hear this.

Mirko: I understand you completely.

Momo: It's very important to know who sees what. OK, go on.

Mirko: That's it.

Momo: Wait do you have (unclear)?

Mirko: You don't need that. Everything has been arranged, it's taken care of.

Momo: Are you sure?

Mirko: Yes, absolutely sure. I'm giving him to you because he can't get there.

....

Mirko: That's not it. They wanted it. It's not as if we're deciding.

Momo: I'll find out and let you know.

Mirko: Please, this is very important. You know where it is tonight? The people here are giving the orders.

Momo: OK.

Mirko: The ones here.

Momo: OK.

The restaurant mentioned here is Medno in Kragujevac near a military facility which supplies weapons and ammunition.

Kijac is Dragan Kijac, the Bosnian Serb home affairs minister. Jovica Stanisic is head of the Serbian state security service.

Transcript of a phone call between two unidentified men (No. 2 is a certain Savic who appears in other transcripts, a military man), translated from English.

No 1: Today he'll get approval from Perisic's dad for all parts the top has cleared. I secured a truck through Mirko Krajisnik, I only have to give them fuel and the rest is their expense. The man on the ground has to take that truck (unclear) he'll get the truck parts - all the ones they put aside for us (unclear). Can you ... with Petrovic so that he gives them to them?

Perisic could be General Momcilo Perisic, Yugoslav Army chief of staff or anyone else (it's a frequent name in Yugoslavia); it isn't clear who Perisic's dad is.

Transcript of a phone call between Mirko Krajisnik and an unidentified man.

Mirko: It's Mirko, Mirko Krajisnik, It's me.

Man: Yes, Mirko go ahead.

Mirko: Kulina told me you were asking if there were any (unclear) two times 100?

Man: Yes.

Mirko: Do you know what it's about?

Man: Did you ask...

Call interrupted.

Two times 100 is a weapon that was described earlier.

Transcript of phone call between Mirko and Moma Krajisnik, June 28 1995.

Mirko: I think they'll load up tomorrow.

Momo: Yes?

Mirko: We load tomorrow, I assume.

Momo: Is that right?

Mirko: That's right.

Transcript of phone call between Milena and Mirko Krajisnik's wife, July 1, 1995, 15:15.

Milena: Maybe you know where Mirko is.

Mrs Krajisnik: Mirko is in Kragujevac.

Milena: That area code 034, I have that number is that it?

Mrs Krajisnik: In the technical facility there, if he's there and maybe he's somewhere else.

Milena: Yes. Will he be coming?

Mrs Krajisnik: He should be back if they finish up there by tonight. I don't know, the driver didn't call me. I don't know, maybe he called there, that Mandic who was supposed to cross.

Milena: He didn't.

Mrs Krajisnik: He didn't? Maybe he went there. Because he said (Mirko) that if he calls, he's going there. That means it's up to him if he'll cross the border.

Transcript of phone call between Mirko and Moma Krajisnik, July 1 1995, 23:00. (Mirko called Moma's cabinet, Bojana answered and put him on to Moma)

Momo: ... very important that it goes. Further.

Mirko: No further, it's a tow truck.

Momo: Just that? OK.

Mirko: Everyone else is in a column and going to base.

Momo: Do you have the truck parts?

Mirko: No need, everything's in order.

Momo: Sure?

Mirko: Sure, but I'm giving him (the driver) to you because he won't be able to get there in time.

Momo: OK, I'll tell him, it's important that he goes.

Mirko: Yes.

Momo: And when I see the location I'll tell you.

Mirko: Why?

Momo: I don't know, maybe there's more than one there.

Mirko: No, they set that, not us. He knows where it is, they give him a destination, the ones here. He only has to say that one truck is late, someone didn't get there in time and has to get through.

Transcript of phone call between unidentified men X and Z. X called Y and while he was waiting talked to Z who was there.

X: ... why did they come with the "red berets"...

Z: ...

X :... The ones that came from Serbia...

Z: ...

X: ... that he wants to go back to them but had a problem with a certain commander...

Y didn't answer the call.

"Red berets" is slang for Serbian police special forces operating outside their territory as army troops. The troops that came with Jovica Stanisic for the release of UN hostages on June 13, 1995 and the troops that accompanied international investigators in eastern Bosnia on their search for mass graves belong to those formations. "Red berets" are just one appearance of the same formation; uniforms, insignia are used as necessary.

Transcript of phone call between Colonels Sevic and Nikolic of the BSA, July 13, 1995. It isn't clear who's who.

A: Hello is that the station? What's up, are you OK? I wanted to tell you about .... up in Brcko, from that base, and I waited for him for 3-4 hours. He was out and came in now. He saw the certificates, I mean I don't know about that with Djukic, and Djukic told him he doesn't have to give me all that and cut it down to just one third for three engines and provided the parts. I have 10 and I want to ask you... I have calls from my unit ... so if you could, through Petrovic.

B: Yes, yes, all right, OK.

A: I left Milija Sarenac over there, the supplier, he'll get permission from Perisic for the parts Brkic allowed and I secured a truck through Krajisnik. I have to give them fuel there and the rest is in their ... Sarenac has to go with that truck to (unclear). To get the gearshift parts they rehauled here, I have 10 main and 20 auxiliary so could you see with Petrovic to get him to give it to Sarenac so he can get the engine parts now.

B: Tell me, is it coming today?

A: Not today, I think it'll come tomorrow. Today he gets permission from Perisic because he has to go to Prijepolje tomorrow to get tent canvas from Ljubicev's and Glagolicev's.

B: Yes.

A: He has to get the canvas and go to Cacak from there to get it and then he'll be in Pozega.

The parts could be tank parts.

Transcript of phone call between Mirko Krajisnik and Colonel Dragan Djokic in the BSA headquarters in Han Pijesak, August 4, 1995, 21:45.

Djokic: Yes.

Mirko: Mirko, Mirko Krajisnik.

Djokic: Mirko!

Mirko: Yes Colonel.

Djokic: Go ahead Mirko.

Mirko: Kulina told me you asked if there were any messages in connection with two times 100.

Djokic: Yes.

Mirko: You know what it's about?

Djokic: Did you ask for it?

Mirko: I did, we made a request in regard to the plan we agreed with the general and verified at all levels and agreed that with some form of support from these municipalities, we would buy it because we can't do it differently... I went there and then we managed to reach agreement with, I won't mention ranks, Brkic and our General Djukic was there by accident and myself before they approved it without pay with a change in our request. Djukic was up there then, I saw him the second day with Brkic who said I should bring the new request in a new version for approval and get the load assembled. I don't know what you've heard of all this. Is that it?

Djokic: That's it.

Mirko: Did the general tell you?

Djokic: No, Grubisa.

Mirko: Who's Grubisa?

Djokic: He's a colonel over there in the air force technical administration.

Mirko: Probably that General Mirko of his, he...

Djokic: He told me that the big boss, said if you want to buy go straight to Krusik and deal (ha, ha) that he won't sell that we should go through regular channels and they'd give it to us.

Mirko: When we were up there, we knew about the purchase but the deal was: with a request and explanation, Krusik would be paid and they would deliver promptly, as soon as we got the rest of the job done. And then in a talk with him, especially that Brkic, general, we agreed: we'll give you this and they can spend the money for other things normally, there are priorities. I'm telling you this is from an agreed plan at the level of all municipalities, who also agreed to finance this, and the generals but if we run out of money we'll solve it easily (ha, ha) to spend it on other smart things.

Mirko: Tell me is it for your brigade?

Djokic: No, for the Sarajevo-Romanija corps, with a tendency to direct it mainly to around the city because it has been declared a strategic thing for those zones.

Mirko: So then the corps command has to speak to us...yes, that has been completed, I have a request for that: I thought tomorrow because I saw the general and he said to come up when I asked him to regulate this right away but they need the request. I thought I'd come up tomorrow, I need to go to Pale to the ministry and I'll continue over to you because I have to go across in that direction.

Djokic: No need to come because of this, we just need it in writing.

Mirko: I'm passing through and bringing the paper, colonel.

Djokic: OK.

Mirko: Will you be up there, can I come to you...

Djokic: I was up there until a month and a half ago...

Mirko: (ha,ha) Where are you?

Djokic: I talked to Grubisa this morning and I realized what has to be done and I thought that .... You can get it done in the CKM, find General Djukic and I'm down here to the south.

Mirko: Where the electricity is?

Djokic: Yes, 15 km lower.

Mirko: Yes, I know, and that's not good because I'm going up and I'm in a hurry, we agreed that colonel Pajic from technical services could, if general Djukic isn't there, just so you know we'll get it done.

Djokic: See Pajic, no problem.

Mirko: That was also agreed up there, that I should go to General Brkic to finish this and the headquarters and others will ....

Djokic: Nothing to do with Brkic, go to the owner and that's the airforce and air defence.

Mirko: Yes, I know, no problem.

Djokic: They'll decide, and Brkic and they will give approval in writing and then do their job.

Mirko: Yes, I know OK. All right colonel.

Djokic: Good, that's how it'll be.

Mirko: ... payment nothing is left ... work with that money and buy fuel and whatever else.

Djokic: I know, small things, you know how it is ... and we'll do it like this.

Mirko: OK, colonel, good luck.

Djokic: Good-bye.

The two times 100 code refers to 100 kilogram aerial bombs attached to a rocket engine which can be of various type, often one of the stages of antiquated Russian twin stage anti-aircraft missiles. The first use of the secret weapon which was launched from a truck mounted launcher was in 1994 when Bihac was bombed. Several of the missiles fell on Sarajevo in 1995 and the best known case of this was when a missile hit the Sarajevo TV building wounding foreign reporters. The air force and air defenses own the missiles.

Krusik is the factory in Valjevo which is part of the military industry.

General Djukic is the late General Djordje Djukic who was in the Hague.