Saturday, January 17, 2004

No interest in fallen Serbs
Work of the Hague tribunal in Racak case criticized

Markus Bickel

SARAJEVO/HELSINKI, January - Finnish pathologist Helena Ranta has
expressed lack of comprehension regarding the work of the UN's Hague
tribunal in the case of the so-called massacre of Racak. In an interview
with "Berliner Zeitung", the head of the forensic team sent by the EU to
investigate occurrences in the Kosovo village of Racak in January, 1999,
criticized that indications of serious fighting between Serbian soldiers
and Albanian fighters on the night of 15th to 16th of January, 1999, in
the Racak area had been inadequately pursued.

The tragedy in the Kosovo village exactly five years ago in which more
than 40 Albanians died was used by Western politicians to convince the
public of the necessity of the approaching NATO attack on Yugoslavia.
U.S. diplomat William Walker played a central role.

The chief of OSCE's Kosovo mission immediately accused the Serbs of
having summarily executed 45 unarmed Albanian civilians in Racak. The
Serbian side rejected this view and spoke about UCK fighters fallen in
battle.

Photos not published

Ranta said she knows that "UCK fighters were buried near to Racak" at
that time. "I had already gotten information proving that there several
Serbian soldiers were also shot. Unfortunately, we will probably never
find out the exact number of the Serbs that fell on that night." The
question needs to be asked "why the Tribunal is not interested in this
number."

Ranta criticized that the indictment against the Yugoslav ex-president
Milosevic in the Racak case largely follows the version of events put
forward by Walker. "If ambassador Walker says that there has been a
massacre in Racak, that statement has no legal effect. Even at that time
I expressed that the OSCE observers had forgotten all the steps one
usually expects by way of protection of the scene: its isolation, the
exclusion of unauthorized persons as well as gathering of evidence."

Ranta demanded the publishing of the pictures of two other photographers
in addition to the OSCE photos of the scene which were also taken a few
hours before the arrival of the OSCE observers. The pictures showed
"that at least one of the bodies was later moved. This body did not
appear in the OSCE pictures."

Left in a lurch

During the days before beginning of the NATO attacks on Yugoslavia it
was clear "that a whole series of governments had an interest in a
version of Racak events which held only the Serbian side responsible,"
said Ranta. "However, I could not provide them with this version."

She had gotten her instructions from the German diplomat, Ambassador
Paul, the representative of the German EU presidency of that time, who
asked her to prepare a written statement. "Afterwards I had to show this
individual statement to William Walker, who was obviously far from
enthusiastic when he read it." Nevertheless, she agreed to participate
in the important news conference on March 17, 1999. "On that occasion, I
sat together with the German ambassador in Belgrade, Gruber, and a
Finnish diplomat on the stage. I hoped that both men would support me."
Unfortunately, that was not the case. "Instead, I had the feeling of
having been left in a lurch," said Ranta.

As a the result of this news conference dominated by Walker, most media
considered the version of a Serbian massacre over Albanian civilians
confirmed. Few days later the NATO air attacks on Yugoslavia began.