Serbia Breaking News:

Weapons found in southern Serbia

19 August 2009 | 13:13 -> 18:43 | Source: FoNet, Tanjug
BUJANOVAC -- Serbian police (MUP) officers have discovered a large cache of weapons in an oil tank buried in the village of Končulj, in southern Serbia.


Investigative Judge with the Vranje District Court Staniša Mihajlović said that 100,000 bullets, a recoilless cannon, three mortars, six RPGs, three machine gun stands and 21 anti-tank mines were recovered from the tank.

Mihajlović said the act is characterized as terrorism, and that weapons and ammunition stashed underground are in a good condition.

"The police action is realized by Bujanovac multiethnic police, in keeping with my agreement with [ethnic] Albanian municipal presidents in southern Serbia for the local multiethnic police to be mainly engaged in the case," Interior Minister Ivica Dačić told Tanjug earlier today.

Dačić added that he had an opportunity to meet the Albanian leaders in southern Serbia "during the action", as well as with international community representatives.

Končulj is close to the administrative line between central Serbia and Kosovo.

The village was the stronghold of the so-called Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac – a group of armed ethnic Albanians who fought against Serbia's security forces in the area in late 2000 and early 2001.

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=08&dd=19&nav_id=61246

KONČULJ, 19. 08. 2009.
Police display weapons seized in Končulj, southern Serbia (Tanjug)











Source: http://www.b92.net/eng/gallery/index.php

Damn, you could arm a light battalion with that much ammo.

Blasts at Serbian ammunition factory kill at least seven

RIA Novosti

14:55 04/09/2009 MOSCOW, September 4 (RIA Novosti) - Police have begun an investigation into a series of explosions that killed at least seven people overnight at an ammunition factory in central Serbia, the country's interior minister said on Friday.

At least four blasts occurred around 10:00 p.m. (20:00 GMT) on Thursday in the town of Uzice, about 150 kilometers (95 miles) southwest of the capital, Belgrade, Ivica Dacic said.

Six of the seven victims were women. Another 14 people were injured.

The Prvi Partizan factory employs some 600 people. Around 100 people were at the factory when the blasts occurred.

There is as yet no information on the cause of the blasts. Firefighters prevented the resulting blaze spearing to a warehouse containing large amounts of live ammunition.

Serbian President Boris Tadic and Defense Minister Dragan Sutanova have expressed their condolences to the families of the dead and injured.

The factory has produced ammunition for nearly 80 years for the Serbian military and police, as well as for export.

 

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/09/mil-090904-rianovosti05.htm

Few more details from Serbian Press:

09:49 UZICE, Sept 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian town Uzice will declare a mourning day on Friday due to the tragedy that occurred in the ammunition factory Prvi Partisan, when seven persons were killed, six of whom are women, while 14 suffered light injuries.

The cause of the Thursday evening explosions in the ammunition factory are still unknown, and investigation that started Friday morning is to determine what caused the blast. The names of the casualties have not been announced yet.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told journalists in Uzice that greater tragedy was prevented by a quick intervention of firemen and rescue crews of the Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) that prevented the fire from spreading to the storage of products and lacquer department.

Serbian Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac expressed grief to the families of the victims.

Prvi Partizan General Manager Dobroslav Andric stated that he is not familiar with the causes of the tragedy, adding that he believes that the process of production cannot be the reason. He said that only two weeks ago, a remount of the entire factory was carried out, adding that all employees have great experience in work with explosives.

The officials stated that the explosion and fire did not cause great damage. The blasts happened in an underground tunnel of Orlovac hill, and poor visibility made difficult the approach of the rescue teams.
http://www.tanjug.rs/DefaultE.aspx

Five workers arrested over arms plant blast

5 September 2009 | 10:30 -> 12:59 | Source: B92, Tanjug

BELGRADE -- Five workers of an arms factory in western Serbia where seven of their colleagues died on Thursday have been placed under arrest.

The entrance to Prvi Partizan seen on Thursday night (Beta)

Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said today that the five persons, employed with Užice's Prvi Partizan plant, have been detained because of suspicion that they committed grave acts against general safety when they "did not follow workplace safety measures".

The investigation has shown that the seven victims suffocated, while the factory's property was destroyed, after a blast that occurred because the suspects "did not work according to the rules on gunpowder handling", said the minister.

Yesterday, Dačić told B92 TV that the explosion was most likely caused by human error.

He also said that MUP's firefighters and other specialized teams in the field acted quickly to prevent a bigger tragedy.

"At that moment some 100 people were in the factory. A bigger tragedy was prevented, because the explosion could have caused a fire to spread to the storage of final products. The factory's security and 50 firefighters prevented a greater catastrophe," said the minister.

Dačić ruled out sabotage, saying that there was no evidence that the blast was caused on purpose, and that this possibility has been "completely removed".

Today is a day of mourning in Serbia, while Užice's local authorities have declared three days of mourning in the town that lost seven of its residents.

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=09&dd=05&nav_id=61568

Poor fellowa! They probably were arrested just because the Serbian gov't needed to blame somone else other than themselves.

Russian Patriot wrote:Poor fellowa! They probably were arrested just because the Serbian gov't needed to blame somone else other than themselves.

It could be that they are covering up something
Part of the earlier article I posted:

Prvi Partizan General Manager Dobroslav Andric stated that he is not familiar with the causes of the tragedy, adding that he believes that the process of production cannot be the reason. He said that only two weeks ago, a remount of the entire factory was carried out, adding that all employees have great experience in work with explosives.

Still, what can be the motive to cover something up? Only if it was terrorist act and they don't want to spread panic?!? Or second theory, the company who did that remount made some mistake and the owner could be someone from the people close to ones in power?

Serbian 'Iron Lady' released from Swedish prison
RIA Novosti

27/10/200917:59

SARAJEVO, October 27 (RIA Novosti) - Former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic was released from a Swedish prison and flown to Belgrade Tuesday after serving two-thirds of her 11-year term for war crimes in the 1990s.

The Swedish authorities earlier confirmed the release of the 79-year-old former Bosnian Serb politician following a decision by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

According to media reports, the decision was met with protests by Bosnian Muslim relatives of victims of the 1992-1995 war, but was celebrated by Bosnian Serbs.

Plavsic was president of Republika Srpska for two years, from 1996 through 1998, and was convicted of crimes against humanity in February 2003 after surrendering to the ICTY in January 2001.

Besides being the highest-ranking Bosnian Serb politician to be sentenced, she was also known for her fiery nationalist statements during the War in Bosnia.

In 1992, a widely-circulated photograph showed her stepping over the body of a dead Muslim civilian to kiss the notorious Serb warlord Zeljko Raznatovic, also known as Arkan.

The former university professor is the only woman to be sentenced by the ICTY since its establishment in 1993. Plavsic may still face persecution in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is primarily inhabited by Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats, while Serbs constitute 88% of the population in the Republika Srpska, although both entities are two main political-territorial divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, another former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, failed to appear for the start of his trial on war crimes and genocide charges at The Hague's International Criminal Tribunal on Monday.

Karadzic, 64, maintains he needs at least nine more months to prepare his defense. He is defending himself against charges that include the massacre of some 7,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/10/mil-091027-rianovosti02.htm

Prosecution Opens Case Against Karadzic

By VOA News
27 October 2009


War crimes prosecutors have launched their long-awaited case against Radovan Karadzic, as the former Bosnian Serb wartime leader boycotted his trial Tuesday for a second straight day.

In an opening statement, prosecutor Alain Tieger called Karadzic the "supreme commander" of an army responsible for ethnic cleansing that terrorized Bosnia's civilian population during the 1992-to-1995 war.

Karadzic is conducting his own defense and is refusing to attend the trial at the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He insists he needs more time to prepare his defense.

The tribunal has rejected those demands, and chief Judge O-Gon Kwon said Tuesday he will consider naming a lawyer to represent the defendant if he continues the boycott.

Prosecutors accuse Karadzic of orchestrating the 1995 massacre of up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys near Srebrenica.

In all, the 64-year-old defendant faces 11 charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Serbian police arrested Karadzic last year after he spent 12 years on the run as one of the world's most wanted fugitives.

His indicted wartime military chief, Ratko Mladic, remains at large. Serbian authorities promise to extradite him to The Hague as soon as he is captured.



Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2009/10/mil-091027-voa02.htm

Russian Patriot wrote:

Prosecutors accuse Karadzic of orchestrating the 1995 massacre of up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys near Srebrenica.

Well, they tried to put that on late president Milošević but they failed... Many Muslim men and "boys" is the key point! No women! It is not surprise to see that "boy" part since in paramilitary formations as for example KLA is/was volunteers were accepted even though legally underage.I heard even young as 13-14 years of age!!!
I hope that no one will get me wrong here 'cause I really wish all those who committed terrible crimes against innocent civilians to be harshly punished but only those who were really guilty and that includes ALL sides in conflict!

95, bet he saw some messed up times. Did he decree his wishes for Serbia before his death?

Vladimir79 wrote:95, bet he saw some messed up times.

Sure he did! He was even beaten by Albanian mob and it took 3 months for him to recover but he never pressed charges in the spirit of forgiveness...

Did he decree his wishes for Serbia before his death?

I'm not sure about it.

Jelena wrote:
I'm not sure about it.

Could you google in Serbian to find out? See if he said anything about NATO.

Vladimir79 wrote:

Jelena wrote:
I'm not sure about it.

Could you google in Serbian to find out? See if he said anything about NATO.

I can't find anything right now. He wasn't the man of politics so much and over the top he was ill and fragile for such a long time, that at one point (last year) he even asked Holly Sinod to retire (which is not the custom in Eastern Orthodox Churches) but they asked him to stay as Patriarch.

RIP

Vucic attacked in Srebrenica.

Prince Darling wrote:Vucic attacked in Srebrenica.

Vucic is the very definition of the Serbian 5th column if I ever seen one.

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Prince Darling wrote:Vucic attacked in Srebrenica.

Vucic is the very definition of the Serbian 5th column if I ever seen one.

please explain, he did the right thing and has gaing huge political capital from being attacked.

most of the world leaders are sorry for Vucic now, they arent talking about evil serb genocide as always.

sometimes you have to expose yourself a bit, to expose the fact that the other side also has some idiot extremists and that the situation isnt black and white.



Previous "hardline" policies are just stupid as they get absolutely nothing done, but you have your "pride" (whatever that means)

Prince Darling wrote:

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Prince Darling wrote:Vucic attacked in Srebrenica.

Vucic is the very definition of the Serbian 5th column if I ever seen one.

please explain, he did the right thing and has gaing huge political capital from being attacked.

most of the world leaders are sorry for Vucic now, they arent talking about evil serb genocide as always.

sometimes you have to expose yourself a bit, to expose the fact that the other side also has some idiot extremists and that the situation isnt black and white.



Previous "hardline" policies are just stupid as they get absolutely nothing done, but you have your "pride" (whatever that means)

The guy has a knack for regurgitating EU/NATO talking points, he even attacked the Turkish Stream, and supported the 'Croatian Stream'...a conveniently, expediently, and hastily assembled paper project if I ever heard of one....and even hiring warmonger Tony Blair to advise on Serbian economics for Christ's sake...a man who's even hated in his native UK, even by his Labor party constituency, with the blood of Serbian and Iraqi children on his grubby hands.

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Prince Darling wrote:

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Prince Darling wrote:Vucic attacked in Srebrenica.

Vucic is the very definition of the Serbian 5th column if I ever seen one.

please explain, he did the right thing and has gaing huge political capital from being attacked.

most of the world leaders are sorry for Vucic now, they arent talking about evil serb genocide as always.

sometimes you have to expose yourself a bit, to expose the fact that the other side also has some idiot extremists and that the situation isnt black and white.



Previous "hardline" policies are just stupid as they get absolutely nothing done, but you have your "pride" (whatever that means)

The guy has a knack for regurgitating EU/NATO talking points, he even attacked the Turkish Stream, and supported the 'Croatian Stream'...a conveniently, expediently, and hastily assembled paper project if I ever heard of one....and even hiring warmonger Tony Blair to advise on Serbian economics for Christ's sake...a man who's even hated in his native UK, even by his Labor party constituency, with the blood of Serbian and Iraqi children on his grubby hands.

that is probably because he is a top statesman and has a responsiblity to a lot of people, and doesnt have the privilage of anonymous internet armchair strong comments.

he just figured out that you have to play by the rules of the EU if you are in europe, or you will be economically destroyed to third world lvl basically