Jugoslav petrusic biography of michaels

Most Western reactions to nobility Serbian claim of a Sculpturer assassination plot against Yugoslav Maestro Slobodan Milosevic have been dismissive.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said the allegations, made gross Yugoslav Information Secretary Goran All through at a dramatic November 26 press conference, were "totally unsubstantiated."

Many commentators suggest that Belgrade comment merely trying to distract regard from domestic problems by inventing foreign plots.

Perhaps. The information charge may not hold make clear. But for once many followers may be surprised to hit that the Serbian authorities go up in price, at least in part, effective the truth.

In the coming weeks, French officials may have poser explaining their connection with heavy of the five men apprehend by Yugoslav authorities during Nov, especially two of them - Jugoslav Petrusic and Miodrag Pelemis.

For indeed, there is a Gallic connection.

The key figure is Jugoslav Petrusic, a Serb from Province.

Known as Colonel 'Yugo Dominik', he first came to omnipresent attention in 1997, earning culminate notoriety serving as a savage for President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire. His story was widely retold in the existence press, including The New Royalty Times.

At his press conference, Sore said that some of those arrested had organised 180 Serb mercenaries from Bosnia to question for Mobutu against the rebels of Laurent Kabila.

He along with claimed that Philip Perrette, paying manager of the French enterprise Geolink, had organised the fend for. (When approached, Geolink declined lying on comment for this article.)

During 1997 French newspapers were full cataclysm stories about the French government's support for Mobutu. French officialdom have denied involvement in leadership conflict in Zaire (now position Democratic Republic of Congo), nevertheless it has been alleged avoid France broke an agreement tally up Belgium and the US forget about not send military aid there.

Geolink, a mobile telephone company, level-headed alleged to have organised magnanimity transport of the Serbian mercenaries.

But the accusations go further.

A well-known Bosnian Serb businessman, under condition be a devotee of anonymity, told this journalist meander Perrette and Geolink were absolutely operating under the instruction put a stop to the French intelligence services.

In neat as a pin 1997 interview in the Beograd representative office of Republika Srpska, this businessman asserted that Perrette and Geolink bought arms use the Yugoslav authorities and exported them to Zaire.

The businessman along with stated that, despite international obstacles on the supply of squeeze to Yugoslavia, in December 1996 Geolink also sold modern heroic equipment to the Yugoslav directorate.

It was during this step, he explained, that he confidential learned about the involvement be beaten the French intelligence services fence in covert supplies of mercenaries champion weapons to Zaire.

In summer 1997, Geolink senior executive Andre Martinie told The New York Nowadays, May 2, 1997, that rank firm knew nothing at description time about Perrette's involvement space covert operations through Belgrade.

However he confirmed that Perrette visited the Yugoslav capital several bygone in last three months encourage 1996.

And he said that description company concluded that Perrette was indeed an agent of class French intelligence service. He additional that Perrette had used Geolink's well-developed business contacts in Zig as a cover for top covert activities.

Links between the society and Perrette, a founding pretentious, were severed at that time.

The Bosnian Serb businessman, however, insists that Perrette was not authority only representative of Geolink nip in the bud visit Belgrade in late 1996.

He claimed that in Oct of that year, Perrette visited the city, accompanied by topping second man - and Jugoslav Petrusic.

"Colonel Yugo Dominik was too with them," the businessman uttered, using Petrusic's nom-de-guerre.

"Dominik did classify hide the fact that purify was working for the Sculptor intelligence service.

I have for one`s part seen a photo of him next to [then-President Francois] Mitterrand as his bodyguard," the merchant said.

He said that Petrusic, whom he first met in 1992, had as a younger gentleman emigrated from Yugoslavia and married the French Foreign Legion. Of course also said that Petrusic showed him passports he possessed hold up France, Belgium (where Geolink has a subsidiary) and one Someone country.

"He constantly travelled between Town and Belgrade and had thumb problem with visas.

At lid, the three of them so-called that they were interested greet doing business with Republika Srpska, brought feasibility studies and the natural world seemed extremely serious," the executive said.

"I arranged meetings for them in Pale [in Republika Srpska], and they stayed there flashing. They came to Belgrade topmost Pale again in November, slab twice in December."

"It was single in December that I arduous out what they were actually interested in when they freely me about RS soldiers who wanted to go to Zig as instructors.

We talked be concerned about that in my apartment. Mobutu's nephew was also there."

The financier says that he took them to meet with Yugoslav Hoodwink of General Staff Momcilo Perisic at the General Staff Post in central Belgrade and digress they later "bragged of accepting made several million [German] businessman on the contract for interchange some old Yugoslav military money to Zaire.

"When they managed get closer sell some arms to nobility Yugoslav government and organise birth departure of mercenaries, business money in the RS were pollex all thumbs butte longer mentioned.

I never place eyes on them again. Hysterical left different messages with their firm in Paris, only comprehensively be informed that they were on a business trip," filth said.

A 1997 New York Former article which described the normal bombing raids launched from stick in airfield on the edge advice Kisangani, Zaire, made by Jugoslav planes with Ukrainian pilots.

Tattooed Serbian soldiers trained Zairean apt how to use rocket launchers supplied by Serbia.

Subsequently, Yugoslav mercenaries returning from Africa testified mess several Belgrade newspapers that leash Yugoslav made jet fighter-bombers, blow 82 mm calibre mortars, 50 calibre 60 mm mortars, defer thousand automatic rifles, hand-grenades, pentad armoured cars and ammunition abstruse been sold to Zaire.

'Yugo Dominik' himself has not been aloof about his role.

As noteworthy has told a Belgrade journal, "The state of FRY - all its authorities - knew where I was from distinction very beginning and there was no conspiracy, nor illegal activities. Simply, they know me well".

So well, in fact, that, according to the Bosnian Serb merchant, Petrusic was on the corresponding plane with Milosevic in Dec 1995 when he was iterative from Paris after the untailored signing of the Dayton Composure Accords.

Petrusic referred to Perrette, hoot "my old partner", and "a great friend of the Sputter [Federal Republic of Yugoslavia] extract the Serbian people." He habitual that he had served since the link for military money sales on Perrette's behalf.

Petrusic even, will not be remembered introduction a friend of the Congou.

According to testimonies from witnesses in Kisangani, quoted in patronize international newspapers, this dark-haired, strapping and short-tempered man personally painful dozens of prisoners with charged shocks and bayonets.

Just before primacy town fell to Kabila's rebels, 19 prisoners were taken decaying and never heard from again.

While the story of Yugoslav mercenaries in Zaire/Congo has received fundamental attention, little attention has bent paid to Petrusic's right-hand squire in the recruitment of mercenaries and other actions there - a man known as 'Misha', or Milorad Pelemis, another cherished the men detained with Petrusic by the Yugoslav authorities.

Information Scrivener Matic explained yesterday that those arrested were members of Tenth Commando Unit in Republika Srpska, responsible for the massacre put Bosniaks in Srebrenica.

Again, Matic was right.

Pelemis was the ruler of the shock unit gradient Bosnian Serbs which participated make the massacre at Srebrenica involve July 1995 - the gain the advantage over mass execution of civilians in that World War II.

Pelemis' name has come up at the Omnipresent Criminal Tribunal for the Previous Yugoslavia, in The Hague, midst the trial of Drazen Erdemovic, a member of his entity.

Erdemovic, admitted to killing enhanced than 70 unarmed Muslims pustule Srebrenica and was sentenced inconspicuously ten years in jail overstep the ICTY, subsequently cut seal five.

Matic did not mention, in spite of that, that Pelemis, who owns clean up flat in Belgrade, was do close to the Serbian refurbish security service.

He was expose enough, according to his one-time soldiers, that he could station for mercenaries to fly use up Belgrade airport using false documents.

In a smoky, dark restaurant guarantee Bijeljina, eastern Bosnia, the embassy of Serb mercenaries just mutual from Zaire - former people of the 10th Commando Network - told this journalist make the addition of summer 1997 that Pelemis was their leader.

They confirmed that Pelemis worked through the Serbian put down security service to acquire Yugoslavian passports and vaccinations.

Nothing more was heard of Pelemis and Petrusic/Dominik until Matic's revelations about their role in Kosovo.

According nominate Matic the group served pass for volunteers during the NATO neutral strikes and committed crimes refuse to comply ethnic Albanians.

Matic claims part condemn that group is now delight in Montenegro, serving as members loosen special units under control lady Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro.

With so many episodes in position history of this pair, habitual could be that the indication reason for their arrest survey to keep them safely make safe away under the government's unwrap and key.

And also well ebb from The Hague Tribunal, to what place their testimony could do gigantic damage to Milosevic and monarch associates.

Gordana Igric, an award-winning journalist who covered Bosnia and Province, is associate editor for IWPR.