Blog
MILOSEVIC
12 March 2006: Sunday Mail
March 12, 2006, Sunday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 6
LENGTH: 510 words
HEADLINE: WAS BUTCHER OF BALKANS KILLED?;
POISON TEST AFTER SLOBO DIES
BYLINE: By RAYMOND HAINEY
BODY:
MASS murdering former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic was yesterday found dead in his jail cell. The body of the Butcher of the Balkans was discovered in bed at The Hague, where he was on trial for war crimes. The UN International Criminal Tribunal last night launched a probe into the death - including tests for poison.
The former Serbian warlord, 64, had been listed as a suicide risk while in Holland. But tribunal officials insisted it appeared that the tyrant, who was in poor health, had died of natural causes.
Milosevic died just days after former Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic, committed suicide in the same detention centre. Babic was serving a 13-year sentence for atrocities in Bosnia.
Giovanni di Stefano, Milosevic's legal adviser and onetime Dundee FC director, said there were "mysterious circumstances" surrounding the death. He said: "Babic committed suicide last week. Why wasn't Milosevic being checked?" The dictator had been on trial for the past four years on more than 60 charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The trial heard hundreds of witnesses and ploughed through tens of thousands of documents.
US law professor Michael Scharf said: "That's $200 million down the drain." Last night, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described Milosevic as a "malign influence". Lord Ashdown, who was an EU special envoy to the war-torn former communist state in the 90s, said: "Milosevic was one of the architects of the evil that stalked the Balkans for a decade. "I suppose those of us who would rather have seen justice than death will regret that the justice process has been halted."
In Moscow, Milosevic's brother Borislav accused the war crimes tribunal of causing his death by refusing him medical treatment. He said: "They didn't want to let him out alive. His wife Mira and family are against an autopsy there because they don't trust the doctors, just as he didn't trust that tribunal." Milosevic had heart disease and high blood pressure. He dragged the Balkans from stability into bloodshed, exploiting ethnic tension to gain power using violent Serb nationalism.
Up to 200,000 died during his 13 years of rule as the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian separatists fought ethnic groups.
In 1995, he oversaw the massacre of 8000 Muslims by Serb troops in Srebrenica.
Milosevic faced huge unrest when thousands protested against sanctions. He called elections in 2000 and was beaten by Vojislav Kostunica. He refused to recognise the result but he was forced out and his evil empire crumbled. mailfile Tyrant deaths in custody Including Milosevic and Babic, 11 war crimes suspects from former Yugoslavia have died. They include: May 2003: Momir Talic, a Bosnian Serb general charged with genocide, died of cancer. March 2003: Mehmed Alagic, a Bosnian Muslim general died of a heart attack.
August 1998: Milan Kovacevic, a Bosnian Serb charged with crimes against humanity, died in detention from a ruptured aorta. June 1998: Slavko Dok-manovic, a Croatian Serb, hanged himself in his cell at the UN detention centre.
ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
10 March 2006: Charlie Falconer has rejected calls for an English parliament stating that it would lead to a federal type of state. Well, dearest Charlie I ask you in the name of logic why have a Scottish parliament and Welsh Assembly? Why should England not have its own Parliament? We need a logical explanation not the type of nonsence that Lord Falconer spouted on about when he was handling the Dome!!!
Giovanni Di Stefano
NO ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
10 March 2006: Falconer rejects call for English parliament
Hélène Mulholland
Friday March 10, 2006
The constitutional affairs minister, Lord Falconer, today ruled out the introduction of an English parliament, warning it would be a "stepping stone to a federal state" and would lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom.
Lord Falconer made a robust defence of the current devolution deal to the Economic and Social Research Council earlier today, following a bill tabled by Conservative peer Lord Baker last month, which called for MPs outside England to be excluded from voting on English issues.
SECURITAS ROBBERY £53 MILLION 6 March 2006: I would like an explanation as to why over 300 officers are working on the case when in an average murder case there are no more than 9 officers allocated? The Labour Government obviously feel that money is more important than human life! The proof of such is exactly that in this robbery, as audacious as it may be, over 300 police officers are involved whilst on a murder case 9 officers if one is lucky!
Giovanni Di Stefano
PRESS MENDACITY
5 March 2006: There is a whay to ensure the media cease from telling lies and reporting in an irresponsible fashion:pass a new Media Act 2006 with one article:- all reports and articles to be signed under penalty of perjury! On the other hand, that would affect unemployment as most journalists would never accept terms and conditions and comply with the Act. Yet, it is the only way to curb the irresponsability of certain media. Defamation proceedings do not work. Media outlets have money. But people don't like jail. Perjury attracts jail sentences. I shall be writing to Tessa Jowell with such a proposal.
Giovanni Di Stefano
TESSA JOWELL AND DAVID MILLS
5 March 2006: As a result of press instrusion into a non story and sub judice legal issue well away from the United Kingdom, a marriage has been affected. The media who are responsible should be ashamed of themselves. David Mills and certainly Tessa Jowell have committed no offences and only if, as and when ( unlikely) that a final conviction where to occur is when judgement can be passed. David Mills is a fine lawyer and although I do not support the Labour Government, Tessa Jowell has done a great job. Leave their marriage alone. Let the press pick on more worthier causes.
Giovanni Di Stefano
MILOSEVIC
12 March 2006: Sunday Mail
March 12, 2006, Sunday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 6
LENGTH: 510 words
HEADLINE: WAS BUTCHER OF BALKANS KILLED?;
POISON TEST AFTER SLOBO DIES
BYLINE: By RAYMOND HAINEY
BODY:
MASS murdering former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic was yesterday found dead in his jail cell. The body of the Butcher of the Balkans was discovered in bed at The Hague, where he was on trial for war crimes. The UN International Criminal Tribunal last night launched a probe into the death - including tests for poison.
The former Serbian warlord, 64, had been listed as a suicide risk while in Holland. But tribunal officials insisted it appeared that the tyrant, who was in poor health, had died of natural causes.
Milosevic died just days after former Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic, committed suicide in the same detention centre. Babic was serving a 13-year sentence for atrocities in Bosnia.
Giovanni di Stefano, Milosevic's legal adviser and onetime Dundee FC director, said there were "mysterious circumstances" surrounding the death. He said: "Babic committed suicide last week. Why wasn't Milosevic being checked?" The dictator had been on trial for the past four years on more than 60 charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The trial heard hundreds of witnesses and ploughed through tens of thousands of documents.
US law professor Michael Scharf said: "That's $200 million down the drain." Last night, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described Milosevic as a "malign influence". Lord Ashdown, who was an EU special envoy to the war-torn former communist state in the 90s, said: "Milosevic was one of the architects of the evil that stalked the Balkans for a decade. "I suppose those of us who would rather have seen justice than death will regret that the justice process has been halted."
In Moscow, Milosevic's brother Borislav accused the war crimes tribunal of causing his death by refusing him medical treatment. He said: "They didn't want to let him out alive. His wife Mira and family are against an autopsy there because they don't trust the doctors, just as he didn't trust that tribunal." Milosevic had heart disease and high blood pressure. He dragged the Balkans from stability into bloodshed, exploiting ethnic tension to gain power using violent Serb nationalism.
Up to 200,000 died during his 13 years of rule as the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian separatists fought ethnic groups.
In 1995, he oversaw the massacre of 8000 Muslims by Serb troops in Srebrenica.
Milosevic faced huge unrest when thousands protested against sanctions. He called elections in 2000 and was beaten by Vojislav Kostunica. He refused to recognise the result but he was forced out and his evil empire crumbled. mailfile Tyrant deaths in custody Including Milosevic and Babic, 11 war crimes suspects from former Yugoslavia have died. They include: May 2003: Momir Talic, a Bosnian Serb general charged with genocide, died of cancer. March 2003: Mehmed Alagic, a Bosnian Muslim general died of a heart attack.
August 1998: Milan Kovacevic, a Bosnian Serb charged with crimes against humanity, died in detention from a ruptured aorta. June 1998: Slavko Dok-manovic, a Croatian Serb, hanged himself in his cell at the UN detention centre.
ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
10 March 2006: Charlie Falconer has rejected calls for an English parliament stating that it would lead to a federal type of state. Well, dearest Charlie I ask you in the name of logic why have a Scottish parliament and Welsh Assembly? Why should England not have its own Parliament? We need a logical explanation not the type of nonsence that Lord Falconer spouted on about when he was handling the Dome!!!
Giovanni Di Stefano
NO ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
10 March 2006: Falconer rejects call for English parliament
Hélène Mulholland
Friday March 10, 2006
The constitutional affairs minister, Lord Falconer, today ruled out the introduction of an English parliament, warning it would be a "stepping stone to a federal state" and would lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom.
Lord Falconer made a robust defence of the current devolution deal to the Economic and Social Research Council earlier today, following a bill tabled by Conservative peer Lord Baker last month, which called for MPs outside England to be excluded from voting on English issues.
SECURITAS ROBBERY £53 MILLION 6 March 2006: I would like an explanation as to why over 300 officers are working on the case when in an average murder case there are no more than 9 officers allocated? The Labour Government obviously feel that money is more important than human life! The proof of such is exactly that in this robbery, as audacious as it may be, over 300 police officers are involved whilst on a murder case 9 officers if one is lucky!
Giovanni Di Stefano
PRESS MENDACITY
5 March 2006: There is a whay to ensure the media cease from telling lies and reporting in an irresponsible fashion:pass a new Media Act 2006 with one article:- all reports and articles to be signed under penalty of perjury! On the other hand, that would affect unemployment as most journalists would never accept terms and conditions and comply with the Act. Yet, it is the only way to curb the irresponsability of certain media. Defamation proceedings do not work. Media outlets have money. But people don't like jail. Perjury attracts jail sentences. I shall be writing to Tessa Jowell with such a proposal.
Giovanni Di Stefano
TESSA JOWELL AND DAVID MILLS
5 March 2006: As a result of press instrusion into a non story and sub judice legal issue well away from the United Kingdom, a marriage has been affected. The media who are responsible should be ashamed of themselves. David Mills and certainly Tessa Jowell have committed no offences and only if, as and when ( unlikely) that a final conviction where to occur is when judgement can be passed. David Mills is a fine lawyer and although I do not support the Labour Government, Tessa Jowell has done a great job. Leave their marriage alone. Let the press pick on more worthier causes.
Giovanni Di Stefano
