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Serb ex-minister praises Milosevic in suicide note Reuters 13 April 2002 -"I give my life, as the Federal Parliament deputy, at the very entrance to the Parliament building... as a symbol of the people's ongoing struggle for constitutionality, lawfulness and national dignity," Stojiljkovic wrote. -Parliament passed the law on cooperation with the tribunal only under pressure from the United States, which froze financial aid this month after Belgrade failed to extradite more suspects. -"By this act I want to join the ranks of heroes, my policemen, members of the army and people who, showing patriotism, unprecedented heroism, readiness and decisiveness, gave their lives defending their country and people from criminals." -In sharp contrast, Stojiljkovic accused new Serb and Yugoslav leaders who ousted Milosevic in October 2000 of introducing "a fascist dictatorship". -"My death will also be a small contribution to the rightful demands for early elections that will be won by those who will represent the true interests of the workers, the farmers and all the patriotic citizens of this country," Stojiljkovic wrote. BELGRADE: In his suicide note, former Serbian Interior Minister and accused war criminal Vlajko Stojiljkovic praised his former boss and friend Slobodan Milosevic and blamed reformers for his decision to end his life. Stojiljkovic, who shot himself outside the Yugoslav Parliament yesterday hours after it passed a law to send him and other suspects to a UN court, left behind the 15-page message explaining why he had chosen death rather than trial. He was in a critical condition in a Belgrade hospital in the early hours of yesterday morning (local time) after emergency surgery. "I give my life, as the Federal Parliament deputy, at the very entrance to the Parliament building... as a symbol of the people's ongoing struggle for constitutionality, lawfulness and national dignity," Stojiljkovic wrote. His lawyer Branimir Gugl distributed copies of the handwritten message at a news conference yesterday, saying his client had been planning to commit suicide since June 2001, after reformers handed Milosevic over to the Hague tribunal. Parliament passed the law on cooperation with the tribunal only under pressure from the United States, which froze financial aid this month after Belgrade failed to extradite more suspects. Serb nationalists called it an act of treason. "By this act I want to join the ranks of heroes, my policemen, members of the army and people who, showing patriotism, unprecedented heroism, readiness and decisiveness, gave their lives defending their country and people from criminals." As the minister in charge of Milosevic's feared police, Stojiljkovic was charged by the tribunal along with his ex-boss for atrocities committed by Serb forces in Kosovo in 1999. But Stojiljkovic had this to say: "I'm proud of my work in the Ministry of Interior from April 1997 to September 2000." Writing about his former chief, he said: "I know Slobodan Milosevic from his youth days... A man of great charisma... I worked with him most closely as the chairman of the (Yugoslav) Chamber of Commerce and as the interior minister." "He (Milosevic) had great confidence in me, I used to tell him the truth." In sharp contrast, Stojiljkovic accused new Serb and Yugoslav leaders who ousted Milosevic in October 2000 of introducing "a fascist dictatorship". He said he blamed Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, along with some other reformists' leaders for his own death. "My death will also be a small contribution to the rightful demands for early elections that will be won by those who will represent the true interests of the workers, the farmers and all the patriotic citizens of this country," Stojiljkovic wrote. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.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 ==^================================================================
