As the UN War Crimes Tribunal gears up for the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, it is becoming clear that the former Yugoslav President will mount a political defence while maintaining that he does not recognise the court. His Belgrade lawyer, Zdenko Tomanovic, has said that Milosevic will make an opening statement which will defend not only himself but also the Serbian people and the state he headed as well as the policy of the last 10 years.

The former president will summon western leaders, who talked to him during his rule, Tomanovic added.
Milosevic's lawyer says he will call on former US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac and former NATO Secretary General Javier Solana.
These western leaders, at different times, all negotiated with Milosevic to try and find a peaceful solution to the conflicts raging in the Balkans during the 1990s. Bureau Report