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Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

lunarchick - 02:17am Apr 3, 2001 EST (#1931 of 1932)
lunarchick@www.com

Now that the world's most wanted war criminal is cooling his heels under lock and key, the arrest of Mr Mladic may not be far away. There were riots yesterday in Srebrenica, scene of the worst single atrocity of a decade of wars in the Balkans, when war crimes investigators questioned the Bosnian Muslim who led the defence of the town.

Mr Mladic is personally indicted for the murder of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men in a week in Srebrenica in 1995.

Another man who will be nervous this week is Nikola Sainovic, who is indicted for atrocities committed in Kosovo. Mr Sainovic is charged alongside Mr Milosevic for abuse of power in Serbia, and is expected to be arrested soon. A senior government official under Mr Milosevic, Mr Sainovic was the one who issued the orders to security forces to force thousands of Albanians from their homes in Kosovo in 1999. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/europe/story.jsp?story=64461

six of Mr Milosevic's closest aides are cooperating with the inquiry. "They have started to sing like canaries," the source said. The aides are under investigation for alleged corruption in state housing and medical insurance funds, and their evidence against Mr Milosevic is likely to be critical of the former dictator.

favours used by the top officials of Milosevic's regime. The purse strings were held by Mr Kertes. He took the position as head of customs in 1994, the time of strict UN sanctions against Serbia. Breaching the trade embargo was commonplace for the Milosevic regime.

Large amounts of cash poured directly into Mr Kertes's office. The cash was seized by customs from thousands of foreigners travelling in and out of the country. The possibility that illegal methods of obtaining cash were used ­ through the smuggling of drugs, arms or cigarettes ­ is not excluded. When investigators checked, Mr Kertes's bank account contained a large amount of money. He also had hundreds of vehicles at his disposal, all seized by the customs service. He used to give them away to the top officials of Mr Milosevic's regime, including their families and friends, according to the new evidence.

Mr Kertes kept every receipt of all transactions, many of them signed by Mr Milosevic's cronies. These dockets are now in the hands of investigators. The investigating judge also has written statements from officials apparently saying that they acted under orders from Mr Milosevic. The pattern emerging so far is that Mr Milosevic would simply ask Mr Kertes for money.

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The source close to the investigation, said: "It's amazing how all these people didn't think they were doing illegal things. They thought it was something normal, OK. You ask for money and you get it. And it worked for years."

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/europe/story.jsp?story=64456

lunarchick - 02:21am Apr 3, 2001 EST (#1932 of 1932)
lunarchick@www.com

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/europe/story.jsp?story=64456

Shows that GOOD LEADERSHIP is necessary to SET STANDARDS.

Bribes are a hidden cost to business. They are underhand and deter the establishment of business and investment into a country.

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