Radovan Karadzic ‘was under US protection until 2000′

Jon Swaine
London Telegraph
Monday, Aug 4, 2008

Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader who was last week indicted for genocide and war crimes, enjoyed the protection from the Dayton peace accord in 1995 until 2000, according to a “well-informed US intelligence source”.

The Belgrade daily Blic claims that Karadzic was secretly granted immunity in return for promising to keep a low profile, but that in 2000 “the CIA intercepted a telephone conversation that clearly proved he personally chaired a meeting of his old political party,” the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS).

Kardzic last week told the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague that the lead US negotiator at Dayton, Richard Holbrooke, had promised that he would avoid trial if he withdrew from public life.

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Mr Holbrooke has denied that any such deal existed.

Blic’s source said: “In 2000 there was a SDS meeting in Bijeljina, chaired personally by Karadzic. He was providing instructions to members and the leadership who should be replaced and who should be appointed to which position.

“Karadzic was personally engaged in all activities of the SDS. In America they went crazy realising Karadzic was making a fool of them. The Americans and CIA then withdrew the informal protection enjoyed by Karadzic.”

Full article here

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