"Authorities waited for best moment to make arrest"

A Belgrade-based security expert believes that the Serbian authorities "knew where Ratko Mladic was hiding". Zoran Dragisic of the Faculty for Security told B92 today that he was under the impression that "the most opportune political moment was awaited to arrest Mladic". "Authorities waited for best moment to make arrest" "The operation did not surprise me," said he, and added: "considering that the authorities have been pushed against the wall." Pressure was exerted earlier as well, continued Dragisic, "but this time it was clear - bearing in mind overall political circumstances - that Mladic was too big a problem for the ruling coalition." "There's Catherine Ashton, the Serge Brammertz report... it was clear it was high time, and that the job had to be finished," continued Dragisic. He added that it was "hard to believe" that as Mladic previously "left military facilities", secret services failed to keep him under surveillance, and that he managed to go to an unknown location. "The public must learn, if the investigation goes all the way, what happened during the 1990s, who pulled the strings," said Dragisic. This expert believes that should Mladic choose to testify during his future trial at the Hague Tribunal, "light will be shed on many details of the recent history". Mladic was arrested on Thursday in a village in the province of Vojvodina, in northern Serbia. He is a former Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) general, wanted by the Hague Tribunal on charges of genocide and war crimes committed in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war there. Zoran Dragisic (file) "Arrest worthy of EU negotiations" Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) President Ljiljana Smajlovic, meanwhile, analyzed the news to say that the arrest could accelerate Serbia's bid to join the EU. Smajlovic, a long-time reporter from the Hague Tribunal, told B92 that "it could be said that Mladic has already been convicted - if not for genocide, then for not punishing any of those responsible for genocide". "This could even be worthy of setting of a date for the start of EU association negotiations. Holland could be particularly pleased and benevolent toward Serbia because of the arrest," said she. Smajlovic also noted that she was not surprised to see the results of a recent poll, which showed that a majority of citizens of Serbia and the Serb Republic (RS) were against Mladic's arrest and extradition. "There's this opinion that Serbs leave peacefully and freely only in those parts of the former Yugoslavia where Mladic went to war for them - although there is also awareness of his responsibility for crimes," concluded Smajlovic.

"Authorities waited for best moment to make arrest"

"The operation did not surprise me," said he, and added: "considering that the authorities have been pushed against the wall."

Pressure was exerted earlier as well, continued Dragišić, "but this time it was clear - bearing in mind overall political circumstances - that Mladić was too big a problem for the ruling coalition."

"There's Catherine Ashton, the Serge Brammertz report... it was clear it was high time, and that the job had to be finished," continued Dragišić.

He added that it was "hard to believe" that as Mladić previously "left military facilities", secret services failed to keep him under surveillance, and that he managed to go to an unknown location.

"The public must learn, if the investigation goes all the way, what happened during the 1990s, who pulled the strings," said Dragišić.

This expert believes that should Mladić choose to testify during his future trial at the Hague Tribunal, "light will be shed on many details of the recent history".

Mladić was arrested on Thursday in a village in the province of Vojvodina, in northern Serbia.

He is a former Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) general, wanted by the Hague Tribunal on charges of genocide and war crimes committed in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war there.

"Arrest worthy of EU negotiations"

Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) President Ljiljana Smajlović, meanwhile, analyzed the news to say that the arrest could accelerate Serbia's bid to join the EU.

Smajlović, a long-time reporter from the Hague Tribunal, told B92 that "it could be said that Mladić has already been convicted - if not for genocide, then for not punishing any of those responsible for genocide".

"This could even be worthy of setting of a date for the start of EU association negotiations. Holland could be particularly pleased and benevolent toward Serbia because of the arrest," said she.

Smajlović also noted that she was not surprised to see the results of a recent poll, which showed that a majority of citizens of Serbia and the Serb Republic (RS) were against Mladić's arrest and extradition.

"There's this opinion that Serbs leave peacefully and freely only in those parts of the former Yugoslavia where Mladić went to war for them - although there is also awareness of his responsibility for crimes," concluded Smajlović.