Dragan declares war on 'slut' minister By Natasha Robinson
11jan06 THE Australian-based former Balkans commando known as Captain Dragan has declared "war" on the Croatian Justice Minister in a scorching letter, in which he describes her as a "housewhore" and a "slut". In a rage against a front-page story in Monday's The Australian, the former Slobodan Milosevic henchman and Perth golf instructor wrote the letter to Minister Vesna Skare Ozbolt, declaring: "You want a war with me, you'll have it." "Hey listen you housewhore!" the letter - written in Serbian - begins. "I think it is absolutely in place for me to address you in this manner because I have much more evidence that you are a whore than you do that I am a war criminal." The story reported that an international warrant for Dragan Vasiljkovic's arrest was on the verge of being issued. Ms Skare Ozbolt has referred the letter - together with others from Mr Vasiljkovic in a similar tone - to Croatian police. Mr Vasiljkovic is in Sydney preparing for a defamation case against The Australian, in which he hopes to disprove the evidence gathered by the UN, Croatian prosecutors and eyewitnesses that his paramilitary troops, known as the Red Berets or the Kninjas, killed civilians and that Mr Vasiljkovic tortured prisoners of war. "I intend to finish (the case) in the same successful way as I did in Glina and Skabrnja," the duel Serbian-Australian citizen told Ms Skare Ozbolt, referring to battles waged in Croatia in 1991, involving his troops. About 20 civilians were reported slaughtered in Glina, together with a foreign journalist, and scores more in Skabrnja following the invasions in July and November 1991. The Sibenik County Court is expected this week to approve the issue of an international arrest warrant against Mr Vasiljkovic, following the issue of charges by Sibenik prosecutors who allege Captain Dragan's troops also forced the expulsion of entire villages during fighting at Knin Fort and Glina in 1991 and Bruska in 1993. Court-appointed counsel for the paramilitary leader asked the court not to approve the warrant, which would likely lead to an extradition request by Ms Skare Ozbolt to Australian authorities. The investigation into Mr Vasiljkovic's alleged war crimes began after The Australian reported he had returned from Belgrade, where he lived during the 1990s, and was teaching golf at a suburban golf course in Perth - the same city in which his elderly mother lives. In Mr Vasiljkovic's letter, received by Ms Skare Ozbolt on Sunday night, Croatian time, he attacks her Government's war crimes investigation. "With regards to that arrest you have decided for me, you would be better off closing your knees a bit, promiscuous bitch." Ms Skare Ozbolt said she was unconcerned by the insulting rhetoric. She told Croatian daily Jutarnji List: "As with the previous ones, I have given this letter to the police and am not paying any attention to its content." http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17785243%255E421,00.html Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
