storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

PROSECUTOR UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Did you explain to these three gentlemen that
you wanted to accept the Z-4 plan and discuss it with Mr. Milošević?
BABIĆ: Th at’s right. I said that I had accepted this with Galbraith, and they looked at
each other in a slightly hostile fashion. Th ey were a little hostile. But they did put me in
touch with Milošević.
PROSECUTOR UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And what did Mr. Milošević say to you in relation
to the Z-4 plan?
BABIĆ: He repeated - or rather, he mumbled something. To give an example, it’s as if
he was speaking out of a dream. He just said, “Yes. Yes. Just slowly, slowly, everything
should be conducted calmly.” Th ose were his words over the phone. And he said, “Contact
Vlatko Jovanović. Consult him.”
PROSECUTOR UERTZ-RETZLAFF: And did you do that?
BABIĆ: Yes, I did. I met Minister ... foreign aff airs minister Vlatko Jovanović in the
ministry building.
JUDGE MAY: Yes?
THE ACCUSED MILOŠEVIĆ: Just a technical correction. Th e witness says that I
answered him calmly, and here it says, it’s been translated as, “Yes. Yes. Just slowly...” So
there’s a diff erence between “slowly” and “calmly,” especially when we’re talking about war
and peace. Th ere’s a big diff erence between the two words. So the witness said “mirno,”
and it was translated as “slowly.”
JUDGE MAY: Yes. Th at’s to be noted.
PROSECUTOR UERTZ-RETZLAFF: What were the exact words that Mr. Milošević
said to you? Just to clarify this matter. What exactly did he say to you?
BABIĆ: “Yes. Yes. Everything should be done calmly, or peacefully,” “Mirno.”
PROSECUTOR UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Did you actually at that time have time to do it
slowly or calmly, or was there an urgency? What had Mr. Galbraith told you how much
time would you have to make up your mind? Was there an urgency, a special urgency on
the 3rd of August, 1995?
BABIĆ: Yes. Reactions were to come the following day. I was to give a statement, and
this was to be implemented, what I had accepted and what I was to make public by way
of a statement.
PROSECUTOR UERTZ-RETZLAFF: Did you actually have an ultimatum from Mr.
Galbraith to accept the plan right now, otherwise consequences would happen?
BABIĆ: He said what we could expect if we didn’t accept, which meant a Croatian
aggression, and that we could fare the same as Western Slavonia.
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