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CNN Live At Daybreak

First Witness Called in Milosevic Trial

Aired February 19, 2002 - 06:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: At The Hague, the prosecution is presenting its first witnesses in the war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic. The witness, a former communist party official, told of a "scorched earth" plan to kill Kosovo Muslims and wipe out their villages.

Senior International Correspondent Walter Rodgers says the testimony followed harsh words to the court by the former Yugoslav president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Mahmut Bakalli was part of a failed mission to Belgrade in 1998, which appealed to Slobodan Milosevic to stop Serbian crimes against Albanians in Kosovo. Bakalli, a former communist leader in Kosovo, told the war crimes tribunal he personally warned Milosevic that Serbian police were massacring entire Kosovar Albanian families.

MAHMUT BAKALLI, FMR. COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER (through translator): Unfortunately he reacted to -- without showing any emotion of guilt. But I told you that the words, the term, he used -- he said, "But we gave them two hours to get away."

RODGERS: Milosevic at times smiled. At other times, he was passive as the first witness helped the prosecution build its case against the former Yugoslav Serb leader on trial for alleged war crimes.

BAKALLI (through translator): The police force committed a great crime -- the Serbian police force there -- and killed the whole Jashari family in Prekaz in the Intronetza (ph) region. And I said, "You are killing civilians. You're killing women and children, as in Prekaz." Milosevic commented saying, "We are fighting against terrorists."

RODGERS: The former Yugoslav president finished his opening presentation belligerent to the end, hectoring judges and never discussing the charges against him of alleged genocide war crimes, or even acknowledging the legitimacy of the tribunal.

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC, FMR. YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT (through translator): I am here before this false court, so that they would be not -- so that the would not be facing a true court. I have nothing to defend myself from. I can only be proud and I can only accuse my accusers and their bosses.

RODGERS: Milosevic's strategy of ignoring the charges against him and constantly attacking NATO and the West is not without risk, according to legal analysts.

GEOFFREY ROBINSON, LEGAL ANALYST: His paranoia and his megalomania is such that he's purporting to defend himself. He's not making good legal points. He will -- he's made the tribunal look fair and effective because it's now got an adversary procedure.

RODGERS: Next chapter, Milosevic gets to cross-examine Mr. Bakalli, the first witness against him.

Walter Rodgers, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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