30 May 2013 - ICTY

49597
the unit that he had met with the army chiefs, who had already carried out their own
reconnaissance. The witness initially testified that Simatović then told the unit that if it was
attacked from the flanks while inside the town, the army would cut off the Croatian forces. 2774
Subsequently, the witness testified that the unit discussed the operation amongst
themselves. 2775
1468. By the time the unit arrived in the town, all the civilians had left due to shelling by the
JNA or the TO. 2776 When the unit was attacked from the flanks by Croatian forces, the army
did not intervene as planned and a member of the unit was wounded. 2777 The unit informed
the army via radio of what had occurred, but the army simply told them to leave the town. 2778
The witness considered the incident an example of deeper tensions which existed at the time
between the JNA and the Serbian DB. 2779
1469. Three or four days after this incident JNA General Zivota Panić came to the camp at
Fruška Gora with Stanišić. 2780 He said something to the effect that the army would like to
have the unit transferred to them. 2781 When the unit explained what had occurred during the
operation in Eastern Slavonija, Panić said he would look into it with their chief, which the
witness understood as a reference to Stanišić. 2782 Later, in October 1991, Simatović, in the
presence of Stanišić, told the unit that they would never again co-ordinate with the army and
that the unit should accept orders from nobody but himself and Stanišić. 2783 Stanišić described
the unit as “priceless”, insisted that they were “not for sale”, and said they would not be
transferred to the army but would be “staying with [him]”. 2784 The witness understood, at that
time and subsequently, that the unit was under the command of the Serbian DB and that
Simatović and Stanišić were its leaders. 2785 The witness did not consider anyone else to have
2774 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), pp. 9-10; P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan
Milošević transcript, 14-15 April 2003), p. 19287.
2775 Witness JF-031, T. 7456-7457.
2776 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 9; Witness JF-031, T. 7456.
2777 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 10; P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan Milošević
transcript, 14-15 April 2003), pp. 19285-19286; Witness JF-031, T. 7457.
2778 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 10; P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan Milošević
transcript, 14-15 April 2003), p. 19286.
2779 P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan Milošević transcript, 14-15 April 2003), pp. 19286-19287.
2780 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 10; P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan Milošević
transcript, 14-15 April 2003), pp. 19197, 19287.
2781 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 10; Witness JF-031, T. 7468-7469.
2782 P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan Milošević transcript, 14-15 April 2003), p. 19288.
2783 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 10; P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan Milošević
transcript, 14-15 April 2003), pp. 19196-19197, 19287; Witness JF-031, T. 7424-7425, 7469.
2784 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), p. 10; Witness JF-031, T. 7468-7469.
2785 P998 (Witness JF-031, witness statement, 1 June 2001), pp. 8, 10; P1000 (Witness JF-031, Slobodan
Milošević transcript, 14-15 April 2003), p. 19203.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 521
30 May 2013