*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** I know there are other stories out there on how the Internet played a role in the dramatic events in Yugoslavia. If you spot any, send them in <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. - SLC From: http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20001018/t000099424.html Wednesday, October 18, 2000 Dot-Camaraderie Helped in Milosevic's Ouster Yugoslavia: A former paramilitary commander used the Internet to rally support in seizing a key government office. By PAUL WATSON, Times Staff Writer BELGRADE, Yugoslavia--Serbia's revenge of the nerds began with a call from a former paramilitary commander with a love of the Internet and an urgent need for recruits. Dragan Vasiljkovic had one crucial assignment left on Oct. 6, as the uprising against Slobodan Milosevic entered its last, critical phase: Seize the customs department from one of Milosevic's most powerful cronies, Mihalj Kertes. The silver- haired Vasiljkovic, 45, hadn't seen battle in years and hadn't slept for two days. Most of his trained men were busy elsewhere consolidating the revolution. The man known to Serbs as Captain Dragan, or to his followers simply as Cap, had just an hour to get control of customs--and leave Milosevic no doubt that the game was up. So Vasiljkovic grabbed a couple of rocket-propelled grenade launchers and ordered his secretary to start phoning his Internet cafes to round up some Web surfers as shock troops. Vasiljkovic said he managed to gather about 15 people, including half a dozen trained soldiers, and 10 weapons--mostly Skorpion machine pistols and other small, army-issue automatic weapons. "I told them: 'This is probably the most important action in this revolution. If you trust me, I'm going to be in front of you.' " They drove off to storm the customs office commanded by a man many considered second only to Milosevic. "He ran the only [state] institution that had any money. If we managed to capture Kertes, it would definitely destabilize Milosevic's regime." Like much of the revolt against Milosevic, the storming of customs benefited more from good luck and the wholesale capitulation of a corrupt regime than from great planning. Pavle Jovanovic, a Web page designer, was awakened after the all-night street party celebrating the storming of parliament and other strongholds of Milosevic's power--actions that were assisted by denizens of Vasiljkovic's Internet cafes. Jovanovic was given just 30 minutes to reach a meeting place near the customs building, a huge complex with its own hotel, a well-armed security force and a labyrinth of hiding places. - end clip - ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
