http://news.suc.org/bydate/2001/Jan_16/19.html

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SERBIA (DSS)
PRESS CONFERENCE

January 16, 2001

The Use of Depleted Uranium for Military Purposes is a War Crime

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has every moral right to bring up the issue
of
the use of depleted uranium again, since is was the only one on Serbia's
political
landscape that kept warning during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia that the
country was facing an environmental catastrophe, DSS vice-president Aleksandar
Popovic said at a press conference, held at the party offices on Jan. 15.

Also, the DSS was the only one that officially condemned a report by the Balkan
Task Force formed at the United Nations Environment Programme, which was of
political nature rather than based on expertise and scientific research. The
report
said that there was no knowledge on the use of depleted uranium in this specific
case, because NATO was unable to list the locations hit by this type of
ammunition. It was only on May 3, 1999 that NATO admitted at a Pentagon press
conference that the alliance had used depleted uranium ammunition, and until
recently it was not known where and how much NATO used depleted uranium.
Thanks to the Yugoslav Army, the public has learned that there were at least
eight
locations south of the 44th parallel, on the territory of Serbia and Montenegro,
where increased radioactivity was reported, and where the traces of uranium
grenades were found, but the situation in Kosovo has not been clarified yet.
Mrs.
Carla Del Ponte said at a time that there was no need for any investigation to
be
carried out by the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) in terms of the NATO intervention, recalled the DSS
vice-president, and added that Mrs. Del Ponte changed her mind only after a
large
number of NATO soldiers that served both in Bosnia and Kosovo got sick and
showed the first symptoms of different malignant diseases. Scientific circles
are
familiar with the fact that when grenades tipped with depleted uranium explode,
extremely high temperatures develop, transforming uranium into various oxides
that are also radioactive. It is also known, that between 10% and 70% of uranium
dissolves into respirable-size particles, the so-called aerosols that remain in
the
air and may be inhaled or dispersed by wind. In other words, the danger is not
confined to the locations hit by depleted uranium weapons, but also their
immediate vicinity, and even the surrounding area of between a few and a few
dozen kilometers away from the given location. The DSS believes that the use of
depleted uranium for military purposes is a war crime, and the party expects
that
all those involved in the use of depleted uranium ammunition, either as
executors
or those issuing relevant orders should be brought before the Hague-based war
crimes tribunal in line with the principle of command responsibility, Popovic
said,
but was doubtful as to whether such a thing would happen indeed.

The Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) presidency adopted last night a
platform on the future structure of the Serbian-Montenegrin joint state, drafted
by
the two Ph.D.-holders, Vojislav Kostunica and Zoran Djindjic. The DSS feels that
the platform is good and acceptable, but it is ready to discuss it further. We
are of
the opinion that a draft platform offered by the Democratic Party of Socialists
and
the Social Democratic Party is rather deficient, but we have not discarded it
beforehand, the DSS vice-president underlined, and added with regret that all
until
last night's statement by Montenegrin President Djukanovic that both platforms
should be discussed, reactions from Montenegro, and comments by the
Montenegrin pro-government media in particular, were far from democratic.

The DOS platform advocates a minimal federation. The DSS maintains the
position that the federation should continue to exist, because it is in the
interest of
both Serbian and Montenegrin citizens. We will accept any outcome of a
referendum in Montenegro, said Popovic, and expressed hope that the
pre-referendum campaign would be carried out in conformity with the universally
accepted principles of fair play, and that the plebiscitary question would be
clear
and unambiguous, so that even those lacking higher formal education would be
able to understand both the question and the consequences of their answers.
Popovic recalled that the DSS was firmly committed to dialogue, and added that
first talks with Mr. Djukanovic would take place on Wednesday.

Answering reporters' questions, Aleksandar Popovic said that to the best of his
knowledge, no depleted uranium ammunition was used out of Kosovo and
Metohija, the area of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, and certain locations in
Montenegro.

The DSS official also confirmed that his party's candidate for the post of
health
minister was Dr. Obren Joksimovic, who would promote a programme outlined by
the DSS Health-Care Board once he gained the ministerial post.

There is no consensus within the DOS bloc as to the international war crimes
tribunal, said Popovic, and noted that the DOS was not a political monolith but
rather a technical coalition with considerable differences in its member
parties'
programmes. There were many issues on which the coalition members
maintained different views, but they have always managed to reach a compromise,
and I believe that we will opt for what is wisest for both the people and the
state,
Popovic stressed. The DSS believes that the ICTY is a political tribunal, and
its
prosecutors politically oriented. I do not think that this can be the reason for
the
DOS bloc to disintegrate, but it is only natural that it will split up one day,
and that
the coalition will divide into some more natural groups before the next
election,
said Popovic.

Commenting on a meeting between Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and
his predecessor Slobodan Milosevic, Aleksandar Popovic emphasised that
Milosevic, as the president of the strongest opposition party in the parliament,
the
Socialist Party of Serbia, was received by the president of the country, whose
citizen he was, and that there should be no lack of clarity in that regard.
Slobodan
Milosevic was indicted by the Hague-based court before October 6, but no one
objected to a meeting between Kostunica and Milosevic that took place then,
Popovic recalled. At the moment, the Socialist Party of Serbia is not a banned
political organisation, and I can see no reason why President Kostunica should
not meet politicians coming from opposition parties, the DSS vice-president,
Aleksandar Popovic, concluded.
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