Yugoslavia: 50,000 guns distributed among Milosevic supporters as civil war is threatened

“If the police try to arrest Milosevic, there will be a civil war”, said Sinisa Vucinic, leader of the United Left Party, to which the wife of ex-President Slobodan Milosevic, Mira Markovic, is associated. “60,000 people are ready for the fight at the first call. 50,000 rifles and heavy firearms are at this moment in the houses (of the people)”, said Vucinic. Certainly there are currently around sixty people surrounding the Milosevic residence in Belgrade, pledging to stop any police action to arrest the man they consider as their leader. There is a three-figure difference between sixty and sixty thousand. It is reported that Slobodan Milosevic is being investigated for having sold 173 kilos of gold and having placed the money in private bank accounts in Cyprus and Greece. Whether or not these words are merely words or a forecast of action to come remains to be seen.

TIMOTHY BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.RU LISBON