040603ED

Page 8512

1 broadcasting of another tape with the Defence counsels and two other tapes

2 are currently being checked, but at this point in time we cannot say

3 anything about it. In the course of the day, probably at the end of the

4 day, we will make an announcement.

5 As it stands now, it's not -- in the course of the day, we will

6 make an announcement about this.

7 Then turning to the first tape this morning. It's the tape which

8 is on your lists under number 2. It's V0003764, which is -- or the

9 translation -- excuse me, the transcript is contained in tab number 1 of

10 the binder. This tape has a duration of 113 minutes, close to two hours,

11 and since it is 9.30 already, the broadcasting will be split up into two

12 pieces at least, a first piece being shown now and a second piece being

13 shown after the break.

14 This exhibit -- or this videotape has been put into evidence

15 already through the witness Zivko Totic on the 26th of February, 2004. It

16 has the exhibit number P70. An excerpt from this tape has been put to the

17 witness Zivko Totic, not the whole tape. The tape is probably from 1993.

18 The Prosecution doesn't have particular information about it. Also, the

19 author of this tape is not exactly clear. The submitter of this tape was

20 Rida Attarashany, who in 1998 was spokesman for the OHR in Bosnia and for

21 Carlos Westendorp, and this tape was handed over to the lead investigator

22 of the ICTY, Peter Hackshaw, in December 2001. The content of this tape

23 relates to paragraph 18 till 21 of the third amended version of the

24 indictment.

25 The tape will be shown now, if there are no further questions.

Page 8513

1 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Very well.

2 Would the Defence like to make any observations at this stage?

3 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. President.

4 Good morning, Madam Judge. Good morning, Your Honour.

5 I would like to make my comments after having seen the tape, and

6 at certain points on the videotape, at precise instances, for fractions of

7 seconds we see dates, the appearance of dates.

8 I'm going to quote two examples. Five minutes 30 seconds on the

9 tape, the date of the 26th of May, 1995 appears; and also similarly, later

10 on at seven minutes 11 seconds the date of the 15th of December, 1995

11 appears. So these dates, Mr. President, can be seen for a fraction of a

12 second because the video is a montage or collage of videotapes.

13 So I would like to make additional comments once we've seen the

14 tape, viewed the tape.

15 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you.

16 Mr. Dixon has the floor.

17 MR. DIXON: Yes. Thank you, Your Honour.

18 Just one point, and that is, as the Prosecution has indicated,

19 only a portion so far has been introduced into evidence because it was

20 identified by the witness Mr. Totic. But as Your Honours will see,

21 there's a compilation of so many different scenes in this tape taken from

22 a range of different places, and that is why we contest it. Because as

23 the Prosecution have indicated, we don't know who the author is and we

24 don't know where half of these scenes come from, in the absence of a

25 witness who could identify any of them.

Page 8514

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8515

1 Thank you, Your Honours.

2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. One part was tendered,

3 but the tape was tendered towards the end of the identification process,

4 as far as the registrar tells me, because P90 -- P70 says "Totic." It was

5 marked for identification. It says: "Totic, the exchange of prisoners in

6 front of the Internacional Hotel," and it says that this was not admitted

7 but just marked for identification.

8 Please continue.

9 MR. NEUNER: Just two small technical announcements. For the

10 translators, in tab number 1 of the binder there are basically two

11 distinct transcripts in the English language, the first one being 44 pages

12 long. It has no footage but appears to be very elaborated. And the

13 second one, which is just a few pages long, is at the end of tab number 1

14 and it contains also footage on the left-hand side; however, this second

15 transcript is less detailed.

16 Then I want to ask Your Honours when you wish to make a break

17 this morning. It is now 9.40. The Prosecution, since this is a very

18 large --

19 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Normally it would be at 10.30.

20 The break would be at 10.30. It's always at half past 10.00, so you have

21 approximately one hour.

22 MR. NEUNER: So we'll try to find a suitable point before 9.30

23 [sic] to make the break. We might need to interrupt spontaneously then,

24 the tape.

25 THE INTERPRETER: Could the interpreters receive the Chamber's

Page 8516

1 guidance. Do we read the text in English that is spoken in Arabic or not?

2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. The interpreters are

3 asking us whether they are required to read the Arabic text. I don't

4 think that is necessary, since they cannot actually translate it and

5 interpret it, so we'll just listen to the tape without the interpretation,

6 the Arabic.

7 [Videotape played]

8 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] -- for he knows that if Allah

9 wills for a shell to hit us now, we would be all killed there.

10 THE NARRATOR: [In English] Azam Publications UK presents it's

11 first video cassette, "The Muslim [inaudible]," recording the historical

12 events of the martyrs in Bosnia.

13 [Arabic spoken]

14 THE NARRATOR: [In English] When the Muslims heard this call

15 and painful scream, several of the Islamic personalities, who felt

16 concerned for the well-being of the being, and from those who waged Jihad

17 in Allah's sake, moved towards the land of Bosnia. At the forefront of

18 this movement were some of the brothers who are veterans of the Afghan

19 Jihad. The Afghan Jihad, served as an institute for the teaching of Jihad,

20 from which numerous militarymen and the Mujahedin leadership graduated,

21 producing groups which played active roles with the will of Allah in the

22 Jihad, and had an influence on the Mujahedin in different parts of the

23 Muslim world.

24 One month after the war started in 1992, the first group of the

25 foreign Mujahedin arrived in the land of Bosnia and formed two Jihad

Page 8517

1 camps. The first was in Central Bosnia. The second was situated in an

2 area called Mehuric, which is close to the city of Travnik. There was

3 also a presence of the Mujahedin brothers, in Turbe and Radina [phoen],

4 which lie between Travnik and Doniva [phoen]. These efforts were carried

5 out under the leadership of Sheikh Abu Abdel Aziz, who was one of the

6 first people to arrive in Bosnia from the Arabian Peninsula. There he met

7 the Mujahedin Shaheed Sheikh Anwar Sha'baan and together they agreed on

8 the importance of initiating and carrying out the Jihad efforts in Bosnia,

9 to give victory to the Muslims and repel the enemy aggressors.

10 With regards to the military situation in Bosnia at that time,

11 there existed the civilian armed force named the TO, in each area,

12 responsible for the training and defending of the local inhabitants. And

13 there was the Croatian HVO Defence Forces, comprising of Croatians and

14 assisted by some Muslims. Agents from these forces were responsible for

15 igniting and increasing the tensions in Bosnia. They undertook

16 provocative operations that the Serbs were awaiting, in order to carry out

17 their plans to form Greater Serbia and Greater Croatia, at the expense of

18 the Muslims.

19 The Muslims suffered a series of early defeats, due to their lack

20 of war preparations, and the absence of an independent military

21 leadership. Their presence amongst the ranks of the Croats, added to

22 this, as the Croats possessed the necessary heavy military equipment, and

23 the access routes to mainland Croatia, in order to fulfil their plans and

24 ambitions. The Serbs possessed advanced weapons of the ex-Yugoslav army,

25 at the period of time when the Muslims were in isolation, lacking even the

Page 8518

1 simplest and most basic of military hardware and weaponry. As a result,

2 they were forced to withdraw from the front lines, as will be narrated

3 later on.

4 The foreign Mujahedin were left with no option but to accept this

5 unfortunate situation. The Mujahedin began by joining the civil defence

6 units, due to the lack of an independent military leadership at that time.

7 It also enabled them to become familiar with the geography of the local

8 areas, to gain an understanding of the Bosnian people and to locate the

9 enemy positions.

10 The numbers of the Mujahedin began to increase day by day, with

11 the Muslims coming from different and widespread locations. Groups of

12 Mujahedin with previous Jihad and military experience from Afghanistan,

13 began arriving in Bosnia. The Mujahedin then began teaching the Bosnian

14 youth in Tesanj, to prepare them militarily, and teach them the Sariah, in

15 order to wage a Jihad for the sake of Allah, in the correct manner.

16 This caused the people to sit up, to take notice and to ask: "Who

17 are the Mujahedins and why have they come to this land?" So fright and

18 terror began to take root in the hearts of the Serbs. The Serbs were

19 unable to take possession, and command of the areas, in which the

20 Mujahedin were present, as in the case of Tesanj, and this was all due to

21 Allah's will and blessing.

22 Once the number of foreign Mujahedin had increased sufficiently,

23 it was inevitable and necessary to establish a camp for the Mujahedin.

24 The first camp for the military preparation and training was established

25 in Mehuri.

Page 8519

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8520

1 [Arabic spoken]

2 THE NARRATOR: [In English] In August 1992, there was a vicious

3 Serb offensive against the Muslims in Tesanj. The Serb objective was to

4 take control of Tesanj and gain access to Central Bosnia. The Mujahedin

5 played a prominent role, with the help of Allah, in repelling this Serb

6 offensive. The Bosnian TO forces participated in repelling the offensive,

7 and there were heavy Serb casualties despite an inequality in the weaponry

8 and military preparations of the two sides. As a result of the heavy Serb

9 shelling, some of the TO units left their positions. This led to the

10 Mujahedin being frustrated and loosing their confidence in the Bosnian

11 forces, due to the observations of the numerous defeats and withdrawals

12 amongst their ranks. As a result, several of the foreign Mujahedin

13 decided to go back to their countries. The patient ones remained, hoping

14 for the rule of Allah, to [inaudible] and they continued patience through

15 the difficulties and times of tribulation, all for the sake of Allah.

16 During this period, Sheikh Abu Abdel Aziz, the leader of the

17 Mujahedin in Bosnia, started to openly discuss the long-term effects of

18 the Bosnian crisis and its importance, due to its situation, in the heart

19 of Europe. He began to relay the news of the Jihad and the Mujahedin in

20 Bosnia to the rest of the world. The prominent Islamic scholars in the

21 world then began to give sermons and lectures on this issue. At the

22 forefront of them were Sheikh Salman Al-Awdah and Sheikh Abdul-Majeed

23 Az-Zindani, [inaudible] and other scholars, for whom the issue of Jihad

24 has a high importance, Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman, Sheikh Omar Bin Ahmad

25 Saif and Sheikh Abu Talal Al Qaasimi. Numerous young men from different

Page 8521

1 Muslim countries, prepared themselves, and began to leave for the Jihad in

2 Bosnia [inaudible] for a driving force, for the Jihad issued to arise in

3 Europe due to the many efforts of the callers to Islam. At the head of

4 them was Sheikh Anwar Sha'baan, may Allah have Mercy on him, who

5 established summer training camps.

6 In the summer of 1992, Sheikh Anwar arrived in Bosnia, with a

7 group of brothers, to participate in a summer camp. It was at this time

8 that the Mujahedin were planning and preparing for their first offensive

9 Jihad operation against the Serbs.

10 During the September 1992, the first Mujahedin offensive operation

11 against the Serbs was carried out, under

12 the leadership of the Bahraini Prince Muhammad Al-Faatih Al Bahraini, with

13 Sheikh Anwar Sha'baan, as second in command. The Bosnian Muslim forces

14 had been formed, and Allah willed for them to join the Mujahedin. A group

15 of them participated in the operation. The Mujahedin moved towards the

16 Serb front line, penetrating and gaining control over these areas,

17 inflicting heavy defeats on the enemies of Allah. At this time the

18 Bosnians did not have a complete understanding of the Islam, of

19 [inaudible], and the understanding of why they were fighting. In addition

20 to this, the limited military capabilities of the front line meant that

21 they were unable to hold their positions due to the heavy Serbian

22 shelling.

23 Mohammad Al-Faatih Al Bahraini came from Bahrain to the land of

24 Jihad in Bosnia, after he had abandoned the world of all its attractions.

25 He was a prince of the royal family in Bahrain. He is married, however

Page 8522

1 the responsibilities of married life did not prevent him from going to

2 Jihad. His wife would encourage him to go for Jihad. He was also

3 convinced of the need to go to the land of Bosnia by a dream, in which he

4 was being called to Jihad in the mountains of the Balkans. At this time,

5 he did not know what the Balkans were. Once his dream had been

6 interpreted and he was informed that the Balkan mountains were in Bosnia

7 and Herzegovina, he answered the call to Jihad and made his way to the

8 Balkans. Mohammad Al-Faatih had participated in the Jihad of Afghanistan

9 where he gained a high level of military experience. Brother Abu Sahar

10 [phoen] from Egypt, who lived with Al-Faatih, said of him:

11 [Arabic spoken]

12 THE NARRATOR: [In English] Abu Shareef was from the first people

13 to arrive in the land of Jihad of Bosnia on the same ship that was

14 carrying Al-Faatih, and Allah willed for them both to be killed in the

15 first operation against the Serbs. Abu Shareef had participated in the

16 Afghan Jihad. Then he moved to a European country. Upon hearing of the

17 tragedy that had befallen the Muslims in Bosnia he answered the call of

18 his Lord.

19 As to the say in which he was killed after the death of Al-Faatih,

20 in the physical operation the brothers decided to take his body away. Abu

21 Shareef had the responsibility of providing cover for the brothers with a

22 PK machine-gun whilst they were removing Al-Faatih's body. Then Abu

23 Shareef was hit by a piece of shrapnel on his arm, and a moment later he

24 was hit by a mortar shell which killed him and Abu Anas Al-Jeddawi so they

25 joined their brother Al-Faatih. May Allah have Mercy upon them.

Page 8523

1 This story reminds us of a poet's saying: "Whoever's death is

2 written in a certain land, then he would not die in a land other than it."

3 He graduated from the Afghan Jihad after fulfilling his duty there. He

4 then arrived in Bosnia in order to help his Muslim brothers gain victory.

5 He was renowned for his cheerfulness, his pleasant character and his jokes

6 that did not exceed the limits of the Shariah. All the brothers loved

7 him.

8 One of the brothers, Abu Sahar says of him:

9 [Arabic spoken]

10 THE NARRATOR: [In English] He participated in the Jihad of

11 Afghanistan but was not bestowed with the honour of Martyrdom there. So

12 Allah willed for him to join the caravan of Martyrs in the land of Bosnia

13 after receiving a direct hit from a piece of shrapnel in his face which

14 resulted in his immediate death. We consider him from the Shokadah

15 [phoen] with the will of Allah.

16 In addition to the prominent role played by the Arabs in the

17 Bosnian Jihad, the non-Arabs also had a key role in the Jihad. In this

18 operation, Abdullah from Albania and Abdul-Majeed from Turkey were also

19 killed. They came from their respective countries to participate with the

20 Muslims in their Jihad against the enemies of Allah. We ask Allah to

21 accept them both from the Shokadah.

22 In October 1992, a group of Mujahedin carried out an operation to

23 liberate Sarajevo airport from the surrounding Serbs. The disbelieving

24 United Nations forces amongst them soldiers from the Egyptian army,

25 intervened in repelling this attack. Two brothers, Abdul-Abbas and Abu

Page 8524

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8525

1 Zubair [phoen], both from Madinah [phoen], were killed in this operation.

2 May Allah have Mercy upon them.

3 The French United Nations shot and killed Ibrahim from Britain,

4 one of the brothers who was on his way to Sarajevo. His body was found

5 near Sarajevo airport after a Bosnian Mujahedin had witnessed his killing.

6 They also killed two students, a Syrian, and an Algerian, in Sarajevo.

7 At this stage it became apparent the cunning role that the international

8 forces were playing. They always protected the Christians and hunted the

9 Muslims, because all disbelievers only stay loyal to each other. It was

10 not possible for the problems of the Muslims to be solved at a conference

11 table of the disbelievers.

12 When we come to mention the memories of Muhammad Al-Habashi

13 [phoen], Abu Zubair and Fadil Al-A'Idee Abul-Abbas [phoen]. It was sorrow

14 upon sorrow into our hearts at the loss of these dear two brothers.

15 [Arabic spoken]

16 THE NARRATOR: [In English] Operation "Bilizna" took place on the

17 7th November 1992. The Muslims recaptured Mount Bilizna that overlooked

18 Zavidovici. The Serb forces had been entrenched on this mountain, from

19 where they shelled the town, day and night. Due to the strategic nature

20 of this mountain, the Serbs fought hard to recapture it, but eventually it

21 was in the hand of the Muslims. As events progressed, the Serbs continued

22 to shell the Muslim towns and villages, in a barbaric manner, until the

23 Muslim city of Jajce fell to the Serbs, in November 1992, as a result of a

24 clear betrayal by the Croats.

25 Croatia was to sole route of entry into Bosnia. As a result of

Page 8526

1 this, the Croats began to provoke the Muslims, in particular the

2 Mujahedin, passing through their lands. They stole, looted and pilfered

3 from the convoys. Throughout the war, they looted in excess of a hundred

4 million dollars from the Muslims, in addition to the beatings, torture and

5 imprisonment. In spite of this, Mujahedin avoided confrontation with the

6 Croats, so as to avoid opening new fronts of attack onto themselves and to

7 maintain the route of entry and exit through Croatia.

8 On the 29th December 1992, the second Visoko Operation was carried

9 out, under the command of the Egyptian Abu [inaudible]. The Mujahedin

10 moved from the frontline of Bijelo Bucje, near Travnik, to the mountains.

11 These are the mountains that overlook the city of Ilijas, which is five

12 kilometres away from Sarajevo. The mountains were liberated, and the

13 Mujahedin continued advancing until they reached some difficult territory.

14 There was then an aerial attack carried out by the Serbs with the use of

15 helicopters. The fighting continued from the morning until the time of

16 the [inaudible]. The enemy were defeated, vast areas were liberated, and

17 the city of Ilijas nearly fell into the hands of the Mujahedin. The

18 Bosnian forces were not able to maintain the positions again, and the Arab

19 brothers found themselves deserted in vast areas, so they were forced to

20 withdraw. A large number of the brothers were injured and seven of the

21 foreign Mujahedin were killed.

22 MR. NEUNER: We will stop for the technical break.

23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. Thank you.

24 We'll reconvene at five to 11.00.

25 --- Recess taken at 10.26 a.m.

Page 8527

1 --- On resuming at 11.00 a.m.

2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Very well. We will now resume.

3 The Prosecution may continue with the videos.

4 MR. NEUNER: The broadcasting continues.

5 [Videotape played]

6 THE NARRATOR: [In English] He was a student of knowledge who

7 graduated from the Islamic University of Medine [phoen]. He preferred

8 martyrdom in Allah's sake, to the certificate of this world and its false

9 position. He left his studies to carry out the Jihad in the lands of the

10 Balkans, to implement what he had learned. He was the commander of the

11 Arabs, in the Second Visoko Operation, due to his good manners and

12 character, and good dealings with the brothers, and his knowledge of the

13 Shariah. One of the brothers recalled the events surrounding Abu Talha's

14 death.

15 [Arabic spoken]

16 THE NARRATOR: [In English] Abu Mahmood of Palestine personified

17 the saying of the hope: "I will sacrifice my soul, I will throw myself for

18 towards death. There is either the noble life which pleases others, or a

19 death which puts fear into the enemies."

20 Abu Mahmood of Palestine was studying medicine in France. Then

21 Allah willed for him to become a practising muslim. So he left France

22 with his French friend Abu [inaudible] in order to wage Jihad in Bosnia.

23 After two months of his stay in Bosnia, he decided to return to France.

24 He stayed in Zenica for two days, awaiting the time of departure, but

25 Allah had chosen a different journey for him, to the everlasting paradise

Page 8528

1 of palaces and beautiful maidens. The Algerian brother Abu Muhaijir tells

2 us how Abu Mahmood was killed.

3 [Arabic spoken]

4 THE NARRATOR: [In English] After the one has tasted the sweetness

5 of Jihad, he cannot take pleasure in the worldly life. There we have Abu

6 Maryam al Afghani, who lived in Germany with his German wife, calling

7 people to Islam. There he led a good life with all its comfort, but there

8 is a difference between the one who has devoted to worldly life and the

9 one who has embraced it.

10 Abu Maryam, the Afghani, had previously participated in the Afghan

11 Jihad, and in Germany he was extensively involved in dau [phoen] programs,

12 calling people to Allah. When Abu Maryam, decided to return to Jihad, his

13 parents stood in the way. So his wife spoke with his parents, convincing

14 them about the importance of his going to the Jihad in Bosnia. This

15 reminds us of some of the wives, of the noble companions of the Prophets

16 of Allah, [inaudible], who encouraged their husbands to go for Jihad. So

17 Abu Maryam travelled to Bosnia, together with his best friend and

18 companion Abu Hudaifah al Afghani, who was also his work colleague.

19 [inaudible] bestowed the two of them with acts in his obedience,

20 reputation of the Koran, beautiful characters and eagerness in the service

21 of their fellow Mujahedins. Abu Maryam used to clean the toilets and

22 washed the dishes at times of extreme cold. His guarding of the front

23 line, was a preparation for the Second Visoko Operation. And so Abu

24 Hudaifah, asked the permission of his commander, to participate in this

25 operation, with Abu Maryam. And in the beginning of the operation Abu

Page 8529

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8530

1 Maryam was killed. It was only a few moments later that his brother, Abu

2 Hudaifah joined him.

3 How many are the people that seek fame and wealth today. And what

4 of someone who has left all that in pursue of Allah's pleasure.

5 Abul-Harith was a famous football player in Bahrain. A lot of the youth

6 today yearn to attain his level of playing. He left his football career

7 behind him and left for Afghanistan to take part in the Jihad, seeking to

8 die in the path of Allah. He then went to participate in the Jihad in

9 Bosnia. He had devoted his heart and his soul for the worship of Allah,

10 and he set a good example with his manners and manhood. He was always

11 seen reading the Koran, serving his brothers, and guarding the frontline.

12 He was characterised by a smile that never left his face and a level of

13 patience such that he never became angry at his brothers. He personified

14 the saying of the Prophets of Allah: "A smile to your brother is a form

15 of charity." A few days before the operation, Abul-Harith was seen to

16 take great care of himself and he wore his best clothes, as if he knew

17 that he had an appointment with the beautiful women of Paradise. When the

18 battle had reached its most intense stage and the souls of the martyrs had

19 been raised, Abul-Harith found Abu Maryam spread on the ground, his soul

20 had been raised. He kissed him and said: "Oh, Allah, join us with him.

21 He advanced towards the enemy from an area providing little cover, and

22 while he was crawling on the ground, he was hit by a sniper bullet and he

23 surrendered his soul to his Lord.

24 The land of the Ottoman has not left out from sending volunteers

25 from its youth to participate in the Jihad for Allah's sake. This

Page 8531

1 response from the Turks was to be expected, since Turkey was the capital

2 of the last Islamic Palace.

3 Imraan from Turkey went to Bosnia to fight the enemies of Allah.

4 He was 27 years old, of Turkish origin, and was living in America. He

5 undertook the necessary military training, and after two months, he had

6 the intention to return to America with a young orphan child who he wanted

7 to adopt. He stayed with his Palestinian brother Abu Muhammad [phoen] in

8 Zenica, awaiting his time of departure when news of the high alert

9 situation reached him, and he preferred to stay than to travel, and he

10 answered the call, so that he could meet his Lord and be free from the

11 suffering and the pressures of this world, and to be free of living

12 amongst the disbelievers in America.

13 At the beginning of 1993, Sheikh Abu Abdel Aziz was forced to

14 leave Bosnia to explain the situation to the scholars and to collect

15 donations to assist in the Mujahedin. The leadership of the Mujahedin was

16 handed over to Wahiudeen, the Egyptian. After Abu Abdel Aziz's departure,

17 the Croats cut the routes used by the Muslims and those used particularly

18 by the Mujahedin. They captured numerous Mujahedin who had ventured into

19 hostile territory. From amongst those captured were: Abu Maiz and Abu

20 Ali the Kuwaiti. They also killed Abu Sahar, may Allah have Mercy on him,

21 and threw his body onto the roadside.

22 This was the last straw, and the Mujahedin then began preparing a

23 plotting to confront the Croats, the enemies of Allah. Mujahedin split

24 themselves into three groups. The first group was in the village of

25 Mehuric and responsibility was to carry out provocative measures against

Page 8532

1 the Croats, and to monitor the Croatian forces. The second group was in

2 Bijelo Bucje, and their task was to occupy the Croats in this area and

3 attempt to take hostages. The third group was in Zenica, and their main

4 function was to kidnap figures from the Croatian leadership.

5 The brothers met to discuss how to release prisoners held by the

6 Croats. The issue was discussed with the Bosnian Muslim forces, but there

7 was no response. They also raised the issue with the UN, but they were

8 not interested, because they are not interested in the affairs of the

9 Muslims. [inaudible], the Egyptian, suggested that the only solution was

10 for the group in Zenica to kidnap the leader of the Croatian HVO forces

11 and to exchange him for the Mujahedin held in captivity. An agreement was

12 made with the Commander of the Muslim forces in Travnik to send a group of

13 his best soldiers tojoin the ranks of the Muhahedin to train them to carry

14 out special operations. [inaudible] needed a special camp for this

15 objective, so a new stage of rigorous training commenced, with particular

16 attention being paid to matters relating to the sound and correct

17 understanding of fighting in the path of Allah.

18 After the completion of the training and gathering of information

19 and necessary preparation, the Mujahedin were divided into groups. The

20 first group kidnapped four Croat intelligence officers in Novi Travnik.

21 The second group kidnapped the vice-commander of the Croat forces in

22 Bosnia, along with six Croat soldiers.

23 The news of the kidnaps spread quickly, and the disbelieving

24 United Nations began to search for the kidnappers. They blockaded the

25 roads and began to search everywhere. This meant that the brothers had to

Page 8533

1 remain and hide in the forests, despite the snow, the intense cold, and

2 the loss of communication with the Command Centre in Mehuric. The plight

3 of the Mujahedin prisoners did not concern the UN, clearly illustrating

4 their hypocrisy. The UN accused the Mujahedin of being terrorists and war

5 criminals. The command then came from the Bosnian army to release the

6 Croatian prisoners, but it was not obeyed.

7 The next day, whilst the Commander of the Croatian forces was

8 driving to work in Zenica, the Mujahedin blocked off his route from the

9 front, and behind him, with the objective of taking him and those with him

10 as prisoners. But his personal bodyguards started firing at the

11 Mujahedin. The Mujahedin sprayed the car with gunfire killing everyone

12 inside with the exception of one person, and here Allah's Will was

13 demonstrated, in that the Croat Commander remained alive, and what was

14 written by Allah happened.

15 During this period, brothers gathered to debate and discuss the

16 recent events and, Wahiudeen, may Allah have Mercy upon him, handed over

17 the leadership to Dr. Abul Harith, from Libya, due to him having the

18 necessary qualifications and the characteristics for this role. This gave

19 Wahiudeen more time to concentrate on military affairs. Abul Harith took

20 over the leadership of the Mujahedin in Zenica.

21 Dr. Abul Harith approached the Muslim forces and asked them to

22 inform the world of the kidnap operation, but they failed to do anything.

23 Abul Harith then approached the UN forces present in Zenica. There was a

24 great uproar, and the disbelieving United Nations moved quickly now

25 attaching high priority to this issue.

Page 8534

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8535

1 Negotiations then took place, concerning the prisoner exchange,

2 under the supervision of Wahiudeen, and [inaudible], in the rank of the

3 Mujahedin. In May of 1993, the prisoner exchange took place. It was a

4 historical event, which will never be forgotten, and the brothers being

5 released from the Croatian prisons, and their feet touching the land of

6 the Jihad once again. The brothers prostrated to Allah, upon their

7 release, thanking Allah.

8 [Arabic spoken]

9 THE NARRATOR: [In English] After the prisoner exchange, the Croats

10 declared open war against the Muslims in Bosnia, and in particular, the

11 Mujahedin. They took control of the mountains in the Mehuric area and

12 blocked off the main roads under their control, such as the Zenica-Travnik

13 road. They were preparing to capture the towns of Zenica and Travnik, to

14 surround the Mujahedin.

15 This period was one of the most difficult periods for the

16 Mujahedin in the war, with loss of communications between the groups in

17 Mehuric, Zenica, and Travnik. This led to the Mujahedin not receiving any

18 news or help. It therefore became necessary to open a new route into

19 Travnik, and the Mujahedin attacked and captured the Croatian village of

20 Miletici near Mehuric killing all the fighters and taking women and

21 children as prisoners, to be handed to the Bosnian army. They also blew

22 up the bridges connecting the Croatian villages to each other in order to

23 isolate them as preparation before the capture of the village of Guca

24 Gora, which is the historically significant village to the Croats. This

25 is due to the presence of a large church in Guca Gora where delegations

Page 8536

1 used to come from all over Europe, take part in wild parties, and offered

2 the Croatians monetary assistance in their fight against the Muslims.

3 The Guca Gora operation was one of the first signs of victory from

4 Allah to the Mujahedin who had remained patient during this period of

5 being surrounded. The village was captured and vast areas fell into the

6 control of the Mujahedin, after opening the road from Zenica to Travnik.

7 The Mujahedin also took a lot of war booty, capturing two heavy

8 120-millimetre mortars. This was the first time the Mujahedin had gained

9 access to this sort of weapon. They also captured a lot of ammunition.

10 After capturing Guca Gora, the Mujahedin advanced to capture a

11 fortified mountainous area, under the leadership of Usama [inaudible], may

12 Allah have Mercy on him, in order to capture the town of Vitez. The

13 Croats were encamped, in their trenches behind these mountains. They

14 fired at the Muslims, in a fearsome manner, leading to a large number of

15 the Mujahedin getting injured, forcing the Mujahedin to withdraw, in order

16 to limit their losses. Jamaludeen, from Yemen, and Muhammad the Turk,

17 were killed, may Allah accept them from the martyrs.

18 The messenger of Allah [inaudible] say: "Paradise has one hundred

19 graves, which Allah had reserved for the Mujahedin who fight for His

20 cause, and the distance between each of the two graves, is like the

21 distance between the Heaven and the earth."

22 The land of Yemen sent some of its precious sons to perform Jihad

23 for the sake of Allah. The lands of Jihad, Afghanistan and Kashmir, saw

24 many martyrs, originating from Yemen. Today we have, a [inaudible]

25 Jamaludeen, a young man who was not more than 20 years old, who had dreamt

Page 8537

1 of the [inaudible] and Paradise, whilst he was in Afghanistan. Allah

2 willed for him to travel to the land of Jihad in Bosnia, to achieve his

3 mission. Abu Uthman the Kuwaiti, speaks to us about Jamaludeen's dream.

4 [Arabic spoken]

5 MR. NEUNER: The CD-ROM has just expired. We are changing it

6 to the next CD-ROM because the tape was so long.

7 [Videotape played]

8 [Arabic spoken]

9 THE NARRATOR: [In English] Muhham the Turk was a man who had been

10 given strength by Allah, yet he was of gentle heart. He was easy and

11 gentle amongst his brothers, yet harsh and severe against the enemies of

12 Allah. He was from the first few people to attack the Croatian positions

13 in the Guca Gora Operation. He killed six Croats and then joined his

14 brothers in surrounding the Croats, who had taken refuge in the church.

15 During the stand off, he was responsible for providing cover to the

16 brothers, along with Jamaludeen, using the dashaka [phoen] machine-gun. A

17 mortar bomb landed close to them, may Allah have Mercy upon them both.

18 The Mujahedin leadership got together to establish the reasons for

19 the defeats and the withdrawals. They found that the main reason was the

20 lack of correct and sound Islamic belief amongst the members of the

21 Bosnian army. In addition to this, there were traitors amongst the ranks

22 of the army, a lack of good military planning and chaotic organisation,

23 during the operations. The Shura Council for the Mujahedin decided to

24 stop taking part with the army in any of the military operations until the

25 Mujahedin were recognised as an independent battalion within the Bosnian

Page 8538

1 army.

2 The Bosnian army acknowledged the role that the Mujahedin had

3 played so far and their need for men of this kind. Therefore the Bosnian

4 army leadership agreed to their request and recognised the Mujahedin

5 Battalion as a part of the Bosnian army, over which the banner of

6 [inaudible] could be raised. This gave them the ability to choose their

7 soldiers based on the Islamic Sharia.

8 Thus began a new stage in the war with an increasing

9 responsibility and a need for planning and organisation. The Head Office

10 for the Battalion was in Zenica. The training camp was [inaudible]

11 training camp, in the village of Mehuric. The leader of the battalion was

12 Abul-Harith, the Libyan, may Allah have Mercy upon him, and the military

13 commander was Wahiudeen, may Allah have Mercy upon him. From this point,

14 the Mujahedin launched their first operation after the recognition of

15 their battalion.

16 This operation occurred in the summer of 1993 under the leadership

17 of [inaudible], in the mountains surrounding the town of Vitez, which is

18 inhabited by the Croats, and is close to the town of Novi Travnik. The

19 loss of [inaudible] enabled the Mujahedin to capture this area, and they

20 killed approximately forty Croats. From the Mujahedin, Abu Ali the

21 Kuwaiti, and the Bosnian brother, Hamdu [phoen], were killed.

22 [Arabic spoken]

23 THE NARRATOR: [In English] The current state of affairs in the army in

24 power in the Muslim countries is one of subservience, to oppressive puppet

25 regimes, manufactured by the disbelieving west, in compete contradiction

Page 8539

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8540

1 to the Sharia, Allah [inaudible]. Thousands of soldiers and the wide

2 array of advanced military technology and hardware, on which millions of

3 dollars have been spent, have been reserved for military displays and, the

4 official state's receptions, for the leaders of these countries. This

5 military power is not used to maintain the honour and the dignity of the

6 Muslims, nor is it used to defend the Muslim lands. Instead, we see these

7 countries arguing amongst each other and directing their forces against

8 each other. These forces should be directed against the enemies of Allah,

9 such as the Jews and their supporters. The good people are those who are

10 aware of these regimes and are aware of their corruption, and that the

11 regimes are not established on Allah's Sharia. Such regimes have declared

12 enmity to them, in order that they may proceed on the path of Allah. This

13 is illustrated to us by the example of Abu Ali, a Kuwaiti who was an

14 officer in the Kuwaiti army. He was sent to France as a part of a

15 military delegation to receive training in artillery. On his return,

16 Allah opened his eyes and his ears to what he had heard from Abu

17 Abdul-Azeez who was calling and urging the youth, to go to the Jihad in

18 Bosnia. He left his post in the armed forces, his wife, and his children,

19 and he answered the call.

20 After joining the Mujahedins, he began a new part in his life, the

21 life of a Mujahedin. He was very obedient and attentive, modest and

22 helpful to his brothers, always eager to solve their problems. The

23 Kuwaiti army had called him back several times, and warned him that they

24 may fire him. He refused to return. How could he return once he had

25 tasted the pleasures of Jihad, and the defence of the front line. He was

Page 8541

1 aware of the saying of the Prophets of Allah [inaudible]: "One hour spent

2 in the path of Allah is better than performing night prayer, in

3 [inaudible], at the Black stone of the [inaudible]."

4 [Arabic spoken]

5 THE NARRATOR: [In English] After the first Vitez operation, preparation

6 was undertaken for the Croshitsa Operation. This attack was aimed at the

7 western side of Vitez, in the vicinity of an explosives factory. It was

8 carried out under the command of Wahiudeen. The Croats were defeated, and

9 the Mujahedin were forced to stay in the area for the whole day. Due to

10 the failure of the Bosnian army, the Mujahedin were forced to withdraw,

11 and [inaudible] received a serious injury, whilst the Bosnian brother

12 Ahmed was killed.

13 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] We're going to talk about the Shehids

14 now. I remember Emir Potrapaca ,when he came to our unit. He was a young

15 man, not more than 18 years old. He was a very peaceful, calm brother,

16 who showed a lot of wisdom, always mentioning Allah's name. He fasted a

17 lot, and always had a smile on his face. He made available everything he

18 had for the assistance of the Jihad and the Mujahedin. He took the path

19 of Jihad, following the way of [inaudible] Aziz. He arrived in Bosnia, at

20 an early stage, and inflicted large losses on the enemies of Allah, in the

21 numerous battles in which he participated, until his time came, and he was

22 killed by the Croats, may Allah have Mercy on him.

23 [Arabic spoken]

24 THE NARRATOR: [In English] The Land of Jihad are most in need of those

25 people of knowledge, who belief in implementing, what they have learned.

Page 8542

1 Abu Abdur-Rahman, from Egypt, was in his thirties, and a student of the

2 Islamic University in Medinah. He came to the Land of Jihad, early in the

3 conflict, answering the cause. He participated in fighting the Crusaders,

4 and was injured in Operation [inaudible]. He was from amongst the special

5 group that carried out the kidnapping of a leader of the Croatian forces.

6 He married in the Land of Jihad. He had not been married for more than

7 eight months, and he was killed, shouting "Allahu Akhbar, Allahu Akhbar",

8 and firing his machine gun upon [inaudible].

9 A member of Qatar national handball team, Abu Khalid, a Qatary,

10 abandoned his world and came to Bosnia to fight in the path of Allah. He

11 was known for his bravery and for his severity in dealing with the enemy

12 of Allah. He showed great courage during Operation Croshitsa. He used

13 his PK machine-gun to fire at the enemy until they received orders to

14 withdraw. He continued preparing himself and defending the frontline

15 until Allah chose him for the patience that he had shown, awaiting his

16 reward from Allah. Abu Khalid El Qatary, once said: "I bought some

17 clothes for which to go to Afghanistan, but my mother prevented me from

18 going to Afghanistan, but insha-Allah, with these same clothes I will soon

19 be killed in Bosnia. He was killed whilst firing on the Croats, along

20 with Wahiudeen, the Egyptian, and his brothers, may Allah have Mercy upon

21 them all.

22 [Arabic spoken]

23 THE NARRATOR: [In English] The man who bears the responsibility of his

24 religion and strives [inaudible]. They are unique example, selling their

25 precious soul, to make Allah's work high and so that the religion

Page 8543

1 everywhere, is only for Allah. The Land of Jihad throughout the world,

2 have given us men of this nature, who've reached the top of their

3 sacrifices in Jihad, for the sake of Islam, and who gave their blood in

4 this path.

5 Wahiudeen, the Egyptian, is an example of such men. Despite his

6 relatively young age, he was able to accept the responsibility.

7 Practising what you have learnt and sacrificing in the path of

8 Allah, change personalities and creates unique types of individuals.

9 This should not be surprising for us, since Osama Bin [inaudible]

10 May Allah be pleased with him, was Commander of the Muslim army, when he

11 was 18 years old, and companion of the Prophets of Allah, [inaudible], of

12 the light of [inaudible], may Allah be pleased with him, were under his

13 command.

14 Allah helped the servants, according to the love of sacrifices for

15 Islam, to make them the best of people.

16 Wahiudeen was born in Southern Egypt, and he died in the land of

17 Bosnia. He memorised the Koran from a young age, leading to a maturity in

18 thinking. He was brought up amongst the children of the Islamic Movement

19 in Egypt, and he became aware of the Islamic issues around the world. His

20 thinking became occupied with their problems, and he always used to wonder

21 how the Islamic caliphate could return to the Muslims. Wahiudeen then knew

22 that it was necessary to go to Afghanistan, to achieve this ambition.

23 There he joined a training camp. He began to prepare himself, and to

24 train as hard as he could, learning how to use different types of weapons,

25 and improving his physical fitness, with the Koran never leaving his side

Page 8544

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8545

1 in this period. Wahiudeen showed excellence early on, which led to his

2 trainer Al Bahari [phoen] taking notice of this young man. He began to

3 concentrate on him in the training sessions, as if he was preparing him to

4 fulfil the needs of the Muslims, for a man of his example. Having

5 completed his training, he was then chosen to train the new brothers and

6 he had outstanding achievements in fulfilling his task. He continued to

7 work in the path of Allah, seeking martyrdom, following the news of the

8 battles, moving towards the front lines, and experiencing intense

9 fighting, in order to gain Allah's protection from the [inaudible]. He

10 moved between the mountains and valleys of Afghanistan, participating in

11 numerous operations, which implanted in him a desire to be a good soldier,

12 and develop his Islamic leadership qualities. He was a cheerful person,

13 well mannered, military minded, and mindful of his duties to Allah

14 [inaudible], in terms of his acts of worship.

15 When the Bosnian situation arose, Sheikh Anwar Sha'baan met with

16 leading personalities from the Afghan Jihad, and they agreed to the

17 importance of ensuring that men such as Wahiudeen, Mutazu Billah, and

18 Husaamudeen went to Bosnia to initiate the Jihad efforts there. Wahiudeen

19 met Sheikh Abu Abdul Aziz in Bosnia. Abu Abdul Aziz gave Wahiudeen

20 responsibility for the military operations of the Mujahedin, due to what

21 was known of his ability and experience in this field. He began to think

22 about how to undertake and carry out the Jihad in Bosnia, through an

23 organisation controlled by the Sharia, and by the fact that he was one of

24 those holding a position of responsibility in the Mujahedin Battalion. He

25 married in Bosnia, and he was killed by the Croats before seeing his

Page 8546

1 daughter, who is now five years old. We send out greetings to you

2 Wahiudeen, we ask Allah to unite us to the Prophets, the martyrs, the

3 truthful people, and the [inaudible] People, what a beautiful friendship

4 that is.

5 [Arabic spoken]

6 BBC WORLD NEWSCASTER: The current unrest is in an area near the

7 Chechen border, which has been seized by estimated 1500 militants.

8 MR. NEUNER: The tape is finished.

9 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Very well. Before I give the

10 floor to Defence, I will briefly summarise what the Judges have seen and

11 the conclusions they have been able to draw.

12 First of all, as far as the dates are concerned, Mr. Bourgon said

13 that there were two dates that we could see very briefly. He said -- he

14 mentioned the 27th of May and the 15th of December, 1995. But there were

15 other dates that appeared: The 5th of December, 1993, which appeared when

16 there was an operation near Novi Travnik; and there was also a date which

17 corresponds to the second operation in Vitez. We can also see that there

18 was another date, in that at a certain point in time it was said that the

19 daughter of the Mujahedin commander, the Egyptian Wahiudeen, was five

20 years old. As this person died in 1993, if that's five years, that takes

21 us to 1998, and in the video we can see the little girl who's five years

22 old. So perhaps the year 1998 is the year in which this video was made.

23 The quality of the video is good and it is in colour. As to who

24 made the video, we can see a logo in Arabic, which appears to the right,

25 and this video is usually either in the Arabic language or in English, so

Page 8547

1 the purpose of the video was to be broadcast to an international audience.

2 And at the end of the video, we noted that the title of the video

3 was indicated. The title was "The martyrs of Bosnia." But it

4 said "Part 1," so there is certainly a second part that should be the

5 sequence, because the title of this video was "The martyrs of Bosnia,

6 Part 1," so it should be followed by a second part.

7 We also noticed that there is a juxtaposition of various

8 sequences, either of combat sequences, of sequences showing training, and

9 there were also sequences, scenes that were filmed apparently in

10 Afghanistan. In addition, there are images that come from various

11 sources, international sources such as the UN, international meetings, and

12 from other sources. Much of the video portrays the Mujahedin's combat,

13 and they've been described as martyrs. At the end we see the names of the

14 martyrs, and there were about 30 of them.

15 These martyrs - that's how they were described in the video - we

16 see them, either photographs of them or videos, we can see their burials,

17 because they were killed in combat. We also sometimes see them in combat

18 sequences. Abu Khalid El Qatari can be seen in combat, and we can also

19 see some of them who were -- or most of them who were killed in combat.

20 And there are two specific things that appear; either the body shows

21 traces of multiple wounds, which could be the result of explosions, or we

22 can see bodies with traces of gunshot wounds.

23 We can also see that the testimony of the friends of these

24 martyrs, of these combatants, usually states that they were killed by

25 snipers. In addition, we should point out that one of the martyrs,

Page 8548

1 Abul-Harith, from Kuwait, seems to be involved in the exchange of Totic

2 for the Mujahedin combatants, because we see him appear during this

3 exchange, and afterwards there is a scene which shows him after he was

4 killed.

5 In addition, the video depicts events that relate to Miletici,

6 and in Guca Gora we can see soldiers in the interior of the Guca Gora

7 church. We could also see that there was some damage to the interior of

8 the church but it wasn't extensive damage. So this is what we could say

9 about Guca Gora.

10 There is also a scene depicting training in Mehurici, since we're

11 able to see the Mujahedin in this training camp in Mehurici. There was

12 also a scene involving the exchange -- or depicting the exchange of Totic

13 in Zenica for other combatants, and we saw a lot -- there was a lot more

14 information than the information we saw in the photographs produced by the

15 Defence, and one could draw the conclusion that there was much more

16 information.

17 There was also a report on a Mujahedin training camp on Mount

18 Igman, and towards the end - and this also concerns the holy war - there

19 were certain presentations or interviews involving a number of religious

20 leaders, well-known individuals, such as the Sheikh Rahman, the Egyptian,

21 Sheikh Madani from Algeria, or Sheikh Yaseen, from Palestine.

22 So very briefly, this would be a summary of what we were able to

23 see. But the Defence will also inform us of what they have to say.

24 Mr. Bourgon.

25 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. President.

Page 8549

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8550

1 I don't want to take too much time to make comments which are

2 divided into three parts but refer to three different sources.

3 First of all, where the video was obtained from; how it was

4 conserved, how it was preserved; and also, there is the question of the

5 reliability of the video. I'll divide my comments into two parts.

6 First of all, I will deal with the images and then the text, or

7 the part narrated by the narrator.

8 First of all, as far as the images are concerned, Mr. President,

9 in the video in its totality no individuals and no one -- they're not

10 included in the evidence in this case, unless it has to do with certain

11 international persons, and there are no links to the indictment in this

12 case, or if it's not a matter of Mr. Totic.

13 When we see the photographs and the names of the people in the

14 photographs who were mentioned in the video, we don't know whether the

15 person that we see in fact bears the name mentioned in this video, the

16 name that's supposed to correspond to the image. To be more specific, as

17 far as the scene concerning the exchange in Zenica is concerned, we could

18 recognise Commander Totic. We were able to see a certain link between the

19 images shown and the photographs presented by the Defence, and the Trial

20 Chamber has pointed this out. We have perhaps certain information about

21 the date when this scene was made, and this is probably the reason for

22 which the Prosecution wanted to present this scene and the Defence made a

23 submission and didn't object to having this precise scene, this specific

24 scene being admitted into evidence.

25 As far as the other images that we could see are concerned, we

Page 8551

1 don't know any of the places, apart from the place involved in the Totic

2 exchange and the Guca Gora monastery. And again -- yet again,

3 Mr. President, when speaking about the Guca Gora monastery, the

4 photographs taken in the interior -- were taken in the interior of this

5 monastery, or perhaps in some other monastery, but we really do not know

6 who the individuals in this monastery or in this other building, we do not

7 know [as interpreted]. And the faces were distorted by those who made the

8 video. We do not know when these images were shot. That's the most

9 important thing. And what we have heard in the course of these

10 proceedings to date is that there were events in Guca Gora on the 9th and

11 10th of June. And it seems that there were Croats who had taken refuge in

12 the monastery. We know, according to the evidence we have had, that there

13 was no damage to the interior, and in the testimony of Kent-Payne and

14 Bower, we know that there was -- that at an earlier date, which wasn't

15 specified, there was a group of Mujahedin near the monastery. But on the

16 basis of the images we have seen, we can't create a link between what we

17 can see and the evidence that has been presented to date. Many images

18 weren't shot in Bosnia - at least, that's what -- how it seems - and there

19 are images of soldiers, but we can't determine whether they belong to a

20 particular unit. The only common denominator seems to be a cry which is

21 in evidence, so it appears that these are soldiers of Muslim origin and

22 they have this cry or exclamation in common.

23 As far as the weapons that we can see, they had a number of

24 weapons. We don't know which forces possessed these weapons. We can also

25 see a number of modern weapons, which probably weren't in use in the year

Page 8552

1 1993. That's what I wanted to say about the images that we can see,

2 Mr. President.

3 As far as the date when the video was made, we don't know when

4 this took place; although, the Trial Chamber mentioned the daughter of one

5 of the individuals and mentioned when the daughter was born. Naturally,

6 this depends on the reliability of the narrator.

7 The person who produced the video, who put together these various

8 sequences, are not known. The reason for which the video was produced, we

9 have certain indications about the reason from the narrator, but we don't

10 know whether it's a matter of propaganda, whether it's dedicated to the

11 martyrs, or homage to the martyrs, we don't know whether it's an

12 instrument to recruit Mujahedin. We know nothing about this. We don't

13 know who provided the video to the person mentioned by the Prosecution.

14 This person has not testified before the Trial Chamber, the person who

15 worked for the Bureau of the High Representative. We don't know how this

16 person received the cassette, we don't know when, we don't know who

17 provided the cassette to an investigator from the OTP, who has not

18 testified either, and in a number of images we can see we note that these

19 images come from international television channels and some also seem to

20 be from the region of Bosnia. This has to do -- these comments have to do

21 with what we saw. And now I'll talk about what we heard, Mr. President.

22 The people who are speaking in the video are not identified, the

23 people who drafted the text are not identified. There is often no

24 relation or link between the narration of the events and the persons or

25 the events that we can see in the video. And if there is a link, we don't

Page 8553

1 know what the link is, because it's not even a testimony; it's a

2 commentary, in fact. So to accept this narrative part of the video,

3 Mr. President, it's obvious that we would need a witness who would be

4 cross-examined so that we could check credibility and reliability.

5 There are certain elements in -- certain elements in the video,

6 certain events which have been mentioned, but nothing enables us to

7 establish a relationship, a link between what we saw and what we heard.

8 For these reasons, Mr. President, we don't think that this video

9 has any reliability that would allow the Trial Chamber to admit it into

10 evidence, apart from the scene depicting the Totic exchange, and that is

11 already in evidence, and the Defence has no objections to this scene.

12 Thank you, Mr. President.

13 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. Bourgon.

14 I'll now turn to the other Defence team. Mr. Dixon.

15 MR. DIXON: Thank you, Your Honours.

16 A few additional comments. Your Honours, Mr. Bourgon is

17 absolutely correct in making a distinction between the narration on the

18 video and the images that are seen.

19 In respect of the narration, our view is quite clear that it

20 really is a witness statement. The narrator is giving an account of

21 events and interpretation of events, and one which might be of some

22 interest, but in our view should not be admitted into evidence unless that

23 person was available to be cross-examined by the Defence and to be

24 questioned by Your Honours.

25 In relation to the images themselves, it may be, Your Honours,

Page 8554

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8555

1 that there are some images that speak for themselves; the picture of

2 Mr. Totic, for example, who has testified as a witness before Your

3 Honours, and that -- in that sense the video is self-authenticating for

4 those particular portions. But even for -- for some of those, and those

5 that surround the -- the parts that might seem to be reliable, Your

6 Honours, we would submit that it is necessary to obtain a witness to

7 verify what is seen on those videos, and the Prosecution has had an

8 opportunity to do this certainly in relation to the Totic exchange. A

9 number of the international witnesses from the ECMM have attended, and

10 they were at all of those sites where the exchanges took place, and yet

11 these videos were not shown to those witnesses to see whether they could

12 identify the persons involved and whether that was an accurate depiction

13 of what took place on the day. And in our view, those witnesses should

14 have been used and the fact that they -- they haven't means, in our

15 submission, that those clips cannot be admitted at this stage, save for a

16 witness being called to -- to identify them.

17 Also, as Mr. Bourgon has pointed out, we might be able to

18 recognise the outside of the church at Guca Gora, but unless somebody is

19 able to identify what the church looks like on the inside and what we see

20 is indeed what is happening on the inside - and there may well have been

21 witnesses who could have done that - in our submission, it's not

22 sufficient that the video be introduced as something that speaks for

23 itself, because it might not be an accurate depiction of what occurred or

24 what -- what was indeed the situation at the time.

25 Your Honour, there are also scenes that are clearly not ones that

Page 8556

1 may in any way speak for themselves. There was a very good example of

2 this when General Reinhardt testified, and he was -- he was asked in

3 cross-examination about certain troops that were identified on a clip in

4 the video whether he could as a result of looking at the video specify

5 which were the -- the units involved, and he said that he could not. And

6 this was a very good example, in our view, of how when one looked at the

7 transcript and it mentioned "Muslim forces" in the transcript, what the

8 narrator was saying, and compared that then with what was on the -- the

9 video itself, there was no correlation. The transcript might have

10 said "Muslim forces," but on the video that could be a depiction of troops

11 from any unit, and that was a -- a point that General Reinhardt agreed

12 with. He said he couldn't exclude the fact that those pictures could be

13 of any particular unit.

14 So those clips, in our view, do not speak for themselves, and we

15 cannot rely upon what the narrator has said to give them any more

16 credence.

17 Likewise with the scenes that are apparently about Mehurici.

18 There's no outside confirmation, in addition to what the narrator has

19 said, which confirms that that is indeed Mehurici and that is a training

20 camp for the Mujahedin and what we see are in fact Mujahedin at Mehurici.

21 It's simply what the -- the narrator has said, but the pictures do not in

22 any way speak for themselves.

23 So even though there might be some parts that appear reliable, in

24 our submission, Your Honours still need to have a witness for those

25 sections and the parts surrounding them, but in addition to that, there --

Page 8557

1 and this is by far the majority of the video, it doesn't speak for itself

2 and one cannot rely upon, in our view, the points that are made by the

3 narrator in order to give the scenes that we see any -- any more

4 authenticity.

5 So in our view, our position remains that the video as a whole

6 should -- should not be admitted, unless witnesses are brought to speak to

7 particular portions of the video. And there are, in our submission,

8 witnesses who could have been brought to do that, allowing the Defence to

9 cross-examine those witnesses and Your Honours to ask questions, or future

10 witnesses must be called.

11 Thank you, Your Honours.

12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. Dixon.

13 Would the Prosecution like to take the floor to respond to what

14 the Defence has just said?

15 MR. NEUNER: Yes, Your Honour.

16 The Prosecution has stated from the outset, from the very

17 beginning, that the source -- the author of this videotape is not known,

18 and yeah, the Prosecution was facing a kind of general problem, and this

19 general problem, if Your Honours allow me to use these terms, is the

20 nature of the beast. What do I mean with this? That the Mujahedin

21 organisation as such was using covert methods, was basically trying, what

22 can be seen also on the video, to protect certain people who belonged to

23 this organisation by basically distorting faces and so on. So there is

24 none of the documents on our exhibit list coming directly from the

25 Mujahedin, we even are not aware whether the Mujahedin have produced

Page 8558

1 documents, where they went to, and so on and so forth.

2 This video, in other words, is one of the scale of the rare

3 exhibits which we could find through our investigations. We are not in a

4 position to provide the author of this tape, but in the Prosecution's view

5 it makes sense that we are -- that we are not in a position to provide

6 this information because the organisation as such is used to work by these

7 means and puts an emphasis on -- yeah, not to reveal their identity. For

8 example, in the Zenica prisoner exchange, which was shown on the tape, all

9 of the Mujahedin were wearing basically masks, which just showed the mouth

10 and the two eyes. So the very methods of this organisation obviously is

11 not to reveal their identity. And the very reason why this tape was

12 brought forward is that it's, as I pointed out, one of the rare instances

13 where the Prosecution could get hold of a video which is with 113 minutes

14 a long video. It's not a two-minutes clip which we are talking about,

15 but, rather, we are talking about a lengthy clip, which allows the drawing

16 of inferences and so on.

17 And it also, in the Prosecution's view, shows the understanding

18 of this group. And if I take this as the basis, the understanding of this

19 group, yes, as the Defence has pointed out, the narrator -- or the

20 narrator's voice and the text which is stated by this voice sometimes does

21 not correspond to the images being shown, but altogether the Prosecution

22 is of the position that, first of all, the narrator tries to give a

23 chronological evolution of the events as they unfolded, and also in

24 several instances, like with the Zenica prisoner exchange, like Guca Gora,

25 the images shown there, and, for example, the Zivko Totic incident, there

Page 8559

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8560

1 are quite direct relationships between the story brought forward by the

2 narrator and the images being displayed at the same time.

3 Your Honours, this is a circumstantial case, and the Prosecution

4 will try in the remaining time to link certain excerpts which were shown

5 on this lengthy tape to other documents which we have on our exhibit list

6 or link to other videotapes, which will be broadcasted in the order of

7 today or tomorrow, since as I pointed out, the group is basically using

8 covert methods, the Prosecution sees no other possibility than to do

9 this.

10 This is for the time being.

11 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you.

12 We'll have our break now, since it's half past 12.00, and we'll

13 resume at five to 1.00 and we'll have 45 minutes then.

14 You're on your feet because we're having the break now. Very

15 well.

16 --- Recess taken at 12.31 p.m.

17 --- On resuming at 12.59 p.m.

18 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Let's continue. We have

19 another three-quarters of an hour. The hearing is resumed, and we're

20 going to have time for the next video. But before that, Mr. Bourgon.

21 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] I'd just like to make some remarks

22 with respect to what my learned colleague of the Prosecution just said,

23 his remarks to the nature of the group, basically using covert or covered

24 methods. And, Mr. President, the nature of the group, according to the

25 Defence's view, if it is important, must be established by producing a

Page 8561

1 witness. He could come in and tell us what the nature of this Mujahedin

2 group is and the number of experts and people who say they're experts on

3 the subject could come before the Court and tell us if this is important

4 enough for the Prosecution, because otherwise, Mr. President, I don't

5 think we must take an assertion made by the Prosecution that a group was

6 using covert or covered methods as being that, unless we have somebody to

7 bear that out. We had numerous names mentioned, even the name of the

8 organisation that produced this video and mentioned in the transcript, but

9 I don't think it was a covert or covered organisation of any kind, so

10 there's no need to make a phantom or spectacle of this group, because

11 there's precise information. All this can be presented through a witness.

12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. Bourgon.

13 Mr. Dixon.

14 MR. DIXON: Your Honours, if I could just add on to that as well.

15 My learned friend has said that there are uncertainties regarding the

16 source of this video because that is typical of the way in which the

17 Mujahedin operated. And admits that is one of the excuses that is

18 offered, and that they wouldn't make the sources of this information known

19 because they don't want that to be public.

20 And yet, if we look at the video itself, it's not as though in

21 the content of -- of that video the persons involved are seeking to keep

22 their identities unknown. The names of people are mentioned; photographs

23 appear in the video; even the daughter of one of the persons, as Your

24 Honour noted, appeared in the video itself. So material itself -- there

25 was no attempt by the makers to keep that from the public. And our

Page 8562

1 question is whether or not it was possible through the investigations on

2 the part of the Prosecution to get more information about who produced

3 this video and what the purpose of the production of the video was as

4 well.

5 Thank you, Your Honours.

6 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Would the Prosecution like to

7 respond and take the floor again, in view of the observations made by the

8 Defence? Would you wish to continue and have us see the next tape?

9 [Prosecution counsel confer]

10 MR. NEUNER: Your Honours, the Prosecution has attempted to

11 identify the originator of this video, but all information available to

12 the Prosecution has been provided so far.

13 Just as a general remark, not necessarily relating to this tape

14 but to also other tapes coming -- or dealing with Mujahedin, sequences on

15 the Mujahedin, some submitters have indicated to us that they don't want

16 to have their identity revealed because they might come under threats.

17 This, however, wasn't the case in relation to this tape.

18 If I may just seize the opportunity and point one -- point to one

19 section, which was screened to this tape, and just point your attention to

20 two or three documents which can corroborate what was said on this tape.

21 If you go to tab number 1 and page 29 of the transcript. It's about the

22 middle of the page. It says: "English voice-over," and then it

23 says: "The Mujahedin leadership got together to establish the reasons for

24 the defeats and withdrawals." And then continues: "Later on" -- with the

25 words, "the Shura council for the Mujahedin decided to stop taking part

Page 8563

1 with the army in any of the military operations until the Mujahedin were

2 recognised as an independent battalion within the Bosnian army."

3 It then goes on: "The Bosnian army acknowledged the role that

4 the Mujahedin had played so far and their need for men of this kind.

5 Therefore, the Bosnian army leadership agreed to their request and

6 recognised the Mujahedin battalion as a part of the Bosnian army over

7 which the banner of/inaudible/could be raised."

8 With three documents which are on the exhibit list we could

9 quickly try to substantiate what the speaker was referring to or we could

10 even try to find a date for this sequence -- for this event the speaker is

11 talking about.

12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] It would be best to have a

13 viewing of the next videotape first, I think.

14 MR. NEUNER: Your Honours want to deal with this at a later

15 stage. I understand.

16 So we will then go on with the video screening. The next

17 sequence is relating to the crime site after the abduction of Zivko Totic.

18 It has been shown already to the witness Zivko Totic, and since we are

19 already so advanced in time, I propose to skip this sequence in order to

20 save time, since it has been shown already, and move on to 2.2, which is

21 relating to the video V0002452. This is a broadcast from TV Vitez

22 breaking news about the announcement of the kidnapping of Zivko Totic. It

23 dates from the 15th of April, 1993. The author, as I have said, is

24 TV Vitez. It was submitted to the ICTY in the Kordic and Cerkez case by

25 the Defence team and was introduced as Defence Exhibit D215/1 and adopted

Page 8564

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8565

1 in the proceedings by the witness Slavko Pavlovic. I think it was the

2 15th of May, 2000. And for the benefit of the Trial Chamber and the

3 parties, the transcript, the relevant portion, can be found on pages

4 18.676 till pages 18.684.

5 The duration of the excerpt - we don't play the whole tape - is

6 about four -- is about five minutes. The tape will be played now.

7 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Very well.

8 Nothing from the Defence? Let's go ahead, then.

9 [Videotape played]

10 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] The news.

11 Dear viewers of TV Vitez, good evening. The most important news

12 is the serious crime that was committed today around 8.00 a.m. in Zenica,

13 when the vehicle in which Mr. Zivko Totic, the commander of the Jure

14 Frencetic Brigade, was driving towards the HVO command in Zenica, was

15 attacked.

16 The commander's escorts, Ivica Vidovic, Anto Zrnic, Marko and

17 Tihomir, were treacherously killed in that attack. A passer-by, whose

18 identity as yet I know, was also killed. The commander of the Jure

19 Francetic Brigade was abducted and his whereabouts and fate are unknown.

20 According to the latest information we received, there is no

21 shooting in Zenica, but the situation is very tense. In connection with

22 this, a special press conference was held today in Busovaca that you could

23 have watched earlier.

24 For all those of you who were not able to see this press

25 conference, we will air it again after the "Slikom na Sliku" telecast. A

Page 8566

1 proclamation by the OZCB, Operative Zone for Central Bosnia, was read out

2 at the conference and we will show it in its entirety during this

3 newscast.

4 Extremist Muslim forces, under the command of the 3rd Corps of the

5 BiH army, led by Enver Hadzihasanovic, have activated plans for murdering

6 officers and leaders of the HVO in the Operative Zone of Central Bosnia.

7 Their goals are simple: Provoke a large-scale conflict between the ABiH

8 and the HVO, destroy the HVO, and prevent the implementation of the

9 Vance-Owen Agreement on the organisation of provinces signed in New York.

10 Those calling themselves members of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina are

11 burning Croatian flags on the eve of the Easter holidays, threatening

12 Croats, looting, killing Croat officers and carrying out abductions, while

13 at the same time talking about the joint struggle against the Chetniks,

14 only distancing themselves from the perpetrators of crimes.

15 In these difficult times of Croat history, we are calling upon the

16 Croatian people and members of the HVO to resolutely defend our lands and

17 our homes. We have the ability to vanquish any enemy. We are denouncing

18 terrorist acts of extremist Muslim forces and in the interests of peace

19 ask that all Mujahedin be expelled from these parts.

20 We have also received public announcement from the HVO

21 Novi Travnik on the occasion of the proclamation of the Democratic Action

22 Party for Novi Travnik and the so-called Free City of Novi Travnik on

23 April the 14th, 1993.

24 The HVO of Novi Travnik issues the following announcement: In

25 conditions of the deteriorating security situation in the territory of the

Page 8567

1 Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna and particularly in Novi Travnik,

2 caused by the brazen abduction of four HVO members by members of the

3 Muslim forces, we have again seen the dissemination of malicious and false

4 information to the public. First, it is a brazen lie that the abduction

5 took place in the area under HVO control; second, it is also a brazen lie

6 that perpetrators of this crime are not known, because the HVO has

7 received information that this was done by members of the Muslim forces;

8 third, it is also a brazen lie that members of the HVO are staging a

9 demonstration of force in the streets of Novi Travnik and harassing the

10 Muslim population. All of this clearly indicates that the intention was to

11 provoke a conflict in a wider area. The events in other municipalities of

12 the HZ HB support this assertion. Such manner of disseminating

13 information by leaders of the SDA Novi Travnik party and members of the

14 Muslim forces is irritating the Croatian population and is not conducive

15 to peace and coexistence in these parts, as well as to the implementation

16 of signed agreements of the peace plan.

17 Signed, the President of the Croatian Defence Council of Novi

18 Travnik, Mr. Jozo Sekic.

19 The aggressor was active yesterday and last night on the Travnik

20 front. There was some fire from infantry arms from 6.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

21 along the defence lines. At 3.00 p.m. a recoilless gun and mortars opened

22 fire on the centre of Turbe. There was no significant activity overnight.

23 In yesterday's aggressor's action, one member of the HVO was lightly

24 wounded. New material damage was caused by yesterday's aggressor's

25 activity.

Page 8568

1 The 59th Session of the HVO Travnik government was convened

2 yesterday at 1.00 p.m, chaired by Mr. Zeljko Pervan. At the beginning of

3 the session, minutes of previous meetings were adopted. Then the report

4 on reasons for vacating the Prahulje warehouse by the UNHCR was discussed,

5 along with group and individual responsibility on this matter.

6 MR. NEUNER: This was the excerpt.

7 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Very well. We saw a

8 five-minute excerpt, and there were two announcers. They were reading

9 apparently text that had been prepared in advance of the news relating to

10 the abduction of Mr. Totic, the commander of the HVO.

11 We do not know in viewing this excerpt whether the two announcers

12 were sitting next to each other or perhaps there were other sequences of

13 broadcasts that were made at the time. So as there were two journalists,

14 when there are two journalists, we can see them sitting next to each

15 other, but here we see the announcers one following the other. So this is

16 a juxtaposition of information given and presented at the time, during

17 that time.

18 When we heard the first announcer, she spoke about the abduction

19 without giving any specific details. The second lady announcer directly

20 mentioned the part played by the Bosnia-Herzegovina army, the ABiH, and

21 the first announcer that comes back to us later on, succeeding the second,

22 goes back to that issue and follows on from what the second announcer was

23 saying. The second announcer then once again speaks about the

24 proclamation of the HVO of Novi Travnik, which seems to be less linked to

25 the abduction of Mr. Totic.

Page 8569

12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and

13 English transcripts.

Page 8570

1 So that is what we were able to see during those five minutes.

2 Mr. Bourgon.

3 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. President.

4 Just rapidly concerning that excerpt, the video. The first

5 commentary is this: My learned friends of the Prosecution told the

6 Chamber the numbers of the pages in the Kordic trial, the transcript

7 numbers, where it seems that this video was presented by one of the

8 Defence teams. I have taken note that the transcript in the

9 [indiscernible] does not make up part of the evidence that we ourselves

10 had admitted during this present trial, so those pages are not part of our

11 own exhibits.

12 As far as the video itself is concerned, we took note of the fact

13 that the people on our screens, the ladies on our screens, read prepared

14 texts, and it seems that the authors are known, but once again we have no

15 witness coming in to authenticate this fact; that is to say, that the news

16 reports were broadcast by the Vitez radio stations. And I think that a

17 number of witnesses could have come in to say, "Yes, that was indeed a

18 broadcast that was televised," but we have had no such witnesses come

19 forward. So it was a news broadcast by Television Vitez and officially

20 televised. Thank you, Mr. President.

21 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Mr. Dixon.

22 MR. DIXON: Thank you, Your Honours. I have nothing further to

23 add to what Mr. Bourgon has said and the comments that have been made by

24 Your Honours.

25 Thank you.

Page 8571

1 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Would the Prosecution like to

2 respond and address the issues brought up by the Defence?

3 MR. NEUNER: Just briefly, Your Honours.

4 We have accessed the transcript excerpt just referred to, and if

5 I may summarise briefly. Slavko Pavlovic stated that basically he had

6 seen this sequence or he had -- yeah, seen and heard this sequence and --

7 on the day when it was announced. He said it was broadcast twice: In the

8 morning, and at 7.00 p.m. in the evening in a show - if I pronounce this

9 correctly - "Slikom na Sliko." And this sequence was just shown to

10 demonstrate the so-to-speak knowledge or propaganda of the other side

11 after Zivko Totic was abducted.

12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you.

13 Mr. Bourgon.

14 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] Mr. President, I would just like to

15 draw the attention of the Chamber to the fact that that is precisely the

16 objective of our comments; that is to say, that what our colleague has

17 just told us cannot be taken as being testimony by a member of the

18 Prosecution. We either have to have the witness before the Trial Chamber

19 or we have to ask for admissibility of part of the Kordic proceedings

20 pursuant to Rule 92 bis (D). Otherwise, we cannot have the Prosecution

21 provide us with this information.

22 Now, the videotapes that we have been viewing since yesterday and

23 that we're still viewing have been around for many years and mostly the

24 objections that we make have to do with the way in which the evidence has

25 been presented. There is a method and procedure to be applied, and it is