April 1 1999 Yugoslavia - Vuk Draskovic Missing Soldiers Interview
YUGOSLAVIA: VUK DRASKOVIC MISSING SOLDIERS INTERVIEW
Story No.: 115597
Restrictions: No Access North America/CBC
Duration:00:03:06:24
Source: ABC
Dateline:
Date: 04/01/1999 04:00 AM
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Belgrade 1 April 1999
1. Two way interview between Good Morning America and Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Vuk Draskovic
2. Mid shot of three captured US soldiers
3. Two way interview between Good Morning America and Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Vuk Draskovic
StorylineGo to top
English/Nat
Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Vuk Draskovic said the three U-S soldiers being held by the Serbs are being treated well.
Draskovic made the comments during an interview with A-B-C's Good morning America programme on Thursday.
Draskovic said that anyone who tried to harm the men would be severely punished.
Serbian television footage of the captured men shows them with what appears to be bruises.
Draskovic would not be drawn on the origin of the injuries.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
Q: You said they are going to be treated well. And yet in fact, military analysts looking at those tapes say they were being beaten.
"Look, I am fed up of the lies against my country. It is not at all. We are the victims of the media war dominated by lies. For example: the world public was bombarded with the news that the Serbs have killed many members of the Albanian delegation to Rambouillet, that the leader of the Kosovo Albanian Mr. Rugova is in hiding, that his house was burnt down, that the entire football stadium in Pristina was turned into a concentration camp for the Albanians and so on. The lies were presented as fact. Even by President Clinton, British Prime Minister Blair, State Department spokesman Ken Rubin, Spokesman of the NATO, British General David Ruby."
Q: I think the days ahead will show wether these facts are true or not. But I want to return to these three soldiers. How did they get those bruises? Do you think they inflicted them on themselves?
"I am telling you the things I told you. And I am once more sending the best regards to the families of the captured soldiers. No reason of any kind to be worried about them."
Q: I am sorry, sir, but I am going to return to my question one more time. How did they get in that condition, they were in armoured vehicles, how did they get in that condition?
"I didn't see those pictures and after the experience of the past few days and the promoting of incredible lies about our people, I can't believe that, I am rejecting to believe that. But in the case that there could be any piece of truth in you allegations, all people who touched them and even (only) their finger after capturing them would be prosecuted terribly by our law."
Q: Will those young men be home soon?
"I think it depends first of all on NATO. If NATO will stop the bombarding of Serbia we will approach peace on the next day. And immediately we must approach co-operation, reconciliation among Serbia and today's aggressor countries. And all the problems will be solved in a human and democratic way."
Q: All right, we thank you for joining us this morning, Mr. Draskovic."
SUPER CAPTION: Vuk Draskovic, Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister
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Subjects: Government and politics
Organisations: Yugoslavia government, Yugoslavian armed forces, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Locations: Yugoslavia , Serbia , Eastern Europe , Europe