"Holbrooke knows we're not criminals"

Radovan Karadzic says it is "irrefutable" that there was an agreement between him and former American Balkans envoy Richard Holbrooke. In his first interview for the Serbian media in 13 years, the former political leader of Bosnia's Serbs told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti that Holborooke, on behalf of the United States, gave him amnesty from the Hague Tribunal in exchange for his retreat from politics, but that Holbrooke did not honor this deal. "Holbrooke knows we're not criminals" Karadzic, who has been in the Hague detention for the past year and a half, charged with genocide and war crimes and awaiting the beginning of his trial, said that he is certain that Holbrooke "would have fulfilled his obligation if he had had a chance but would never admit that". “He was quite serious about everything that he did with us and negotiated with deep respect… Holbrooke was primarily pragmatic, determined and violent but was also aware of the true nature of the conflict. He was fully aware that we are not war criminals since on the contrary he would not have negotiated with us,” said Karadzic. Asked what options were on the table for Bosnia-Herzegovina – which descended into war in 1992 – and whether that war could have been avoided, Karadzic told the newspaper that the best option would have been if Yugoslavia (SFRJ) survived, and that this was also the position held by the Muslim SDA party until the end of January 1991, when "something happened to [Bosnian Muslim leader] Alija Izetbegovic". "Izetbegovic was under some pressure, and SDA went forcefully and violently for independence," said Karadzic. "But, once SDA went for destroying the common state, with the goal of subjugating Serbs in a unitary Bosnia-Herzegovina, we chose our legitimate way: we undertook measures to secure survival through ensuring constitutive [status] and sovereignty where we were sovereign majority," he continued. Karadzic, who while hiding from justice adopted the name of Dragan Dabic and the persona of alternative medicine practitioner, said that the "secret of his hiding" was that he was an "exemplary citizen" who was never even asked for his ID, but that in June of last year, he "sensed that someone was fallowing him". As for his defense before the Hague, he said it would be based on "presenting the largest possible volume of truth". "And the truth, the whole world will see, is exactly the opposite of the image that was created. And that is why this process is a part of divine justice, and it will shed light and clarify the whole crisis. For that reason it must not be rushed," Karadzic concluded.

"Holbrooke knows we're not criminals"

Karadžić, who has been in the Hague detention for the past year and a half, charged with genocide and war crimes and awaiting the beginning of his trial, said that he is certain that Holbrooke "would have fulfilled his obligation if he had had a chance but would never admit that".

“He was quite serious about everything that he did with us and negotiated with deep respect… Holbrooke was primarily pragmatic, determined and violent but was also aware of the true nature of the conflict. He was fully aware that we are not war criminals since on the contrary he would not have negotiated with us,” said Karadžić.

Asked what options were on the table for Bosnia-Herzegovina – which descended into war in 1992 – and whether that war could have been avoided, Karadžić told the newspaper that the best option would have been if Yugoslavia (SFRJ) survived, and that this was also the position held by the Muslim SDA party until the end of January 1991, when "something happened to [Bosnian Muslim leader] Alija Izetbegović".

"Izetbegović was under some pressure, and SDA went forcefully and violently for independence," said Karadžić.

"But, once SDA went for destroying the common state, with the goal of subjugating Serbs in a unitary Bosnia-Herzegovina, we chose our legitimate way: we undertook measures to secure survival through ensuring constitutive [status] and sovereignty where we were sovereign majority," he continued.

Karadžić, who while hiding from justice adopted the name of Dragan Dabić and the persona of alternative medicine practitioner, said that the "secret of his hiding" was that he was an "exemplary citizen" who was never even asked for his ID, but that in June of last year, he "sensed that someone was fallowing him".

As for his defense before the Hague, he said it would be based on "presenting the largest possible volume of truth".

"And the truth, the whole world will see, is exactly the opposite of the image that was created. And that is why this process is a part of divine justice, and it will shed light and clarify the whole crisis. For that reason it must not be rushed," Karadžić concluded.