Liberal Democrat News 6 August 2004 Issue 816

I am concerned that due to Iraq, the Liberal Democrats
have forgotten about ex-Yugoslavia, where scrutiny is
needed.

The UN appeals court overturned the conviction of
Croat General Tihomir Blaskic for war crimes, his
sentence reduced from 45 years to 9. A similar fate
may await fugitive Croat General Ante Gotovina, whose
case I have written extensively on. The UN have
charged him and two others with the American
controlled Croat offensive ’Operation Storm’ in 1995
which stopped Milosevic, saving Croatia and Bosnia.
The UN - which supported the Serbs throughout the war
- ludicrously claim Operation Storm to be a war crime.
These charges should now be dropped, not least
because the prosecutors have contradicted them with
evidence in the Milosevic trial. Must we wait for
justice at an appeal?

Extensively reported in Croatia, British Intelligence
are apparently falsely claiming to international
officials that Croatia is harbouring General Gotovina
in an attempt to sabotage Croatia’s EU entry. Sadly,
anti-British feeling is thus rife in Croatia.

Elsewhere - and virtually ignored - Hungarians and
Croats are being violently attacked by Serb extremists
in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. The Liberal
Democrats should start taking a interest - and to be
sceptical of Foreign Office policy.

Brian Gallagher
London