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http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=306332002 The Scotsman March 20, 2002 Serbian PM resigns over spy claims ALEX TODOROVIC In Belgrade -Milosevic has been on trial for the past month for war crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia, but prosecutors in The Hague still lack evidence from Yugoslav army files showing a clear command structure in the army. Investigators have been scouring Belgrade for such documents, reportedly to no avail. -Mr Neighbor is believed by Yuoslav intelligence sources to be the top CIA official in the Balkans.... -According to Serbian media and other sources, Perisic collaborated with Lt Col Miodrag Sekulic, who was also arrested. They reportedly gave the documents to Mr Neighbor for cash. -In addition to material for Milosevic’s trial, the documents included tapes of high-level army meetings pertaining to the present security situation in southern Serbia.... -Yugoslav media, quoting army sources, said Mr Neighbor admitted to his interrogators that he was the CIA station chief for the Balkans.... MOMCILO Perisic, the Serbian deputy prime minister, resigned his post yesterday following his arrest last week for handing a US diplomat classified Yugoslav army documents. The documents were to be used as evidence against Slobodan Milosevic in his war crimes trial in The Hague. The incident led to a diplomatic row with Washington and worsened already strained relations between the Yugoslav and Serbian governments. Milosevic has been on trial for the past month for war crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia, but prosecutors in The Hague still lack evidence from Yugoslav army files showing a clear command structure in the army. Investigators have been scouring Belgrade for such documents, reportedly to no avail. The Yugoslav army is still filled with former Milosevic loyalists. Perisic, who was chief of the Yugoslav army until 1998 and who later joined the democratic reformists in toppling Milosevic, was reportedly passing classified army documents to John David Neighbor, first secretary of the US embassy in Belgrade, when the two were arrested. Mr Neighbor is believed by Yuoslav intelligence sources to be the top CIA official in the Balkans and the documents reportedly included materials that Hague prosecutors would be eager to present as evidence in their case against Milosevic. According to Serbian media and other sources, Perisic collaborated with Lt Col Miodrag Sekulic, who was also arrested. They reportedly gave the documents to Mr Neighbor for cash. In addition to material for Milosevic’s trial, the documents included tapes of high-level army meetings pertaining to the present security situation in southern Serbia, as well as other materials. Perisic and Mr Neighbor, who had had met numerous times prior to their arrest, had ordered drinks at a motel-restaurant eight miles from central Belgrade when several Yugoslav army specialists burst in and ordered them to freeze. The soldiers, said to be from an élite unit known as the Cobras, were in civilian clothes and did not present identification. Two of them filmed the incident. The film is being held by the military prosecutor. The recordings of conversations between Perisic and Mr Neighbor were said to be so convincing that Zoran Djindjic, the prime minister, could no longer stand by his minister, even though his government initially condemned the arrest as a set-up. The Cobras forced Mr Neighbor’s head on to a table and handcuffed him. They later put a rubbish bag over his head and drove him to an undisclosed location, where they interrogated him for 15 hours, flouting all diplomatic protocol. The diplomat was not allowed to place a phone call for 15 hours. Yugoslav media, quoting army sources, said Mr Neighbor admitted to his interrogators that he was the CIA station chief for the Balkans and was generally relaxed during the questioning. However, Mr Neighbor’s treatment caused a furious diplomatic row. The United States formally protested with Yugoslav authorities and Richard Boucher, the US state department spokesman, said if there were any classified materials in Mr Neighbor’s briefcase, they had been placed there. Yugoslavia yesterday issued an apology which was accepted. Mr Neighbor has been spirited back to Washington. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
