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Saturday Morning News

Yugoslav Police Attempt to Arrest Milosevic

Aired March 31, 2001 - 7:08 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to Belgrade and our top story, the Yugoslav government's attempt to arrest former President Slobodan Milosevic. You just saw the video moments ago of police storming Milosevic's villa. We're told that when police got inside, the former leader refused to accept the arrest warrant. Milosevic is quoted as saying that he'd rather die than go to jail.

CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers joins us now by phone from Belgrade with the latest.

What can you tell us, Walter?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, I'm outside the villa belonging to former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. Mr. Milosevic remains inside that villa, and he is being cheered and giving -- given verbal support by large crowds of 300, 400, perhaps 500 pro-Milosevic supporters outside the gate. They are urging him to stay and to hang tough, as it were.

We have a standoff here. As you showed in the video, there was an attempt to serve an arrest warrant on former President Milosevic last night, 20 to 3:00 in the morning here. Mr. Milosevic's armed bodyguards repelled that attempt, and in point of fact, they fired at the other administrative interior police here. So that standoff continues.

The tension seems to have -- seemed to have ratcheted down considerably, and the Yugoslav prime minister, Zoran Djindjic said that he's sure negotiations will end this peacefully. There was something of a guarded appraisal of the situation a short while ago when Mr. Milosevic placed a telephone call to the Associated Press and forwarded this message.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC, FORMER YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT (through translator): I am looking at this situation like every other citizen of Serbia. There are lots of people in front of my house, not only SPS supporters but also people who have our nation and our national pride in their hearts. And we are, I can say, all very proud to see such spirit.

(END AUDIO CLIP) RODGERS: This is a very clear change of tone on Mr. Milosevic's part. When he was served, or when they attempted to serve him with an arrest warrant in the middle of the night, he was nowhere near as moderate. He said, quote, "I would rather die than go to prison." Of course, morning has calmed things down a bit and people are standing down somewhat. There is the hope that all of this can be resolved peacefully.

Nonetheless, the Yugoslav government says it will not back away from its determination to arrest Mr. Milosevic. They say the fact that he's resisting arrest now will only worsen the charges they intend to bring against him. They say they are going to charge him with inciting an uprising because of last night's incident.

It should be noted, however, that when the Yugoslav government does get to serve that arrest warrant, they've already made it clear they are not going to try to bring the former Yugoslav president to the Hague, as the United States and its European allies would like. The United States would like to see Mr. Milosevic tried as a war criminal. The Yugoslavs say that is not going to happen, certainly not in the Hague.

What they're saying is, at this point, they hope to try him on charges of abuse of power and corruption here. That is -- what would probably bring the most satisfaction to the Yugoslav people. And right now, the Yugoslav government remains somewhat in the driver's seat, albeit with a stalemate outside the Milosevic villa -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter, how is it that Milosevic can refuse to accept an arrest warrant? I mean, we know here in the United States, when police storm a home and have an arrest warrant, that individual is coming out with them.

RODGERS: Well, what's happened is that the Yugoslav government has gone out of its way to see that there is no bloodshed. They went in three vans full of SWAT squad police, crack police units, but the police had strict instructions, even though they had -- were fired upon, they were not to fire back.

So Mr. Milosevic has a considerable bodyguard contingent in there. A ministry of interior official said that there may be 18 to 20 bodyguards inside. They're all armed. Some of them, they said, may even be Yugoslav army loyalists.

Again, the Yugoslav government is moving very carefully here, very gingerly. They do not want to turn Mr. Milosevic into a martyr. He does not have high public standing now. Those who are supporting him tend to be in a very small minority. But the government does not want to do anything which would change that and swing sympathy in the direction of Mr. Milosevic -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers, live from Belgrade, thank you for the latest on that story.

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