Christiane Amanpour: Milosevic still defiant

CNN's Christiane Amanpour

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CNN) -- Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was again defiant as he appeared in court Monday for the third time on war crimes charges, this time for alleged atrocities in Croatia.

CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour is following the proceedings, and she filed the following report:

AMANPOUR: This is a very prolonged affair. Slobodan Milosevic is continuing to defy the international criminal tribunal in the Hague, saying that he does not recognize its jurisdiction nor does he recognize the indictments that have been lodged against him.

What's happening Monday is that the prosecutor has asked the judge to expand the indictment for crimes committed during Kosovo, which include crimes against humanity and the violations of the laws and customs of war based on the allegations of prosecution, deportation and murder along ethnic, racial and religious grounds.

Milosevic again says that he doesn't recognize this, that what he was doing, he claims, was legitimately and legally defending his country against what he called "crimes of aggression." Let's hear what he just said in the courtroom.

MILOSEVIC: I know very well what I'm being accused of. I have been accused because in a legal way and with legitimate means on the basis of the right to self-determination that belongs to every nation, I defended my nation. I had the honor to defend my nation from the criminal aggression carried out against it and to defend my people from terrorism whereby the Clinton administration cooperated closely with, and this is also something that no one will be able to deny. The truth cannot be sunk by any kind of flood or false accusations.

AMANPOUR: Milosevic says he has refused to read the indictment, and so what's happening at the Hague is, the judge has asked for the entire indictment to be read out so that he can hear it in court. Then they're going to read another indictment -- this is a new indictment that the prosecutor brought down about two or three weeks ago, alleging that he committed and was responsible for crimes committed in 1991. At the end of Monday's proceedings, the prosecutor at the Hague is going to announce that next week she will bring down a third and final indictment for alleged crimes committed during the Bosnian war.

And in that indictment, she will ask the judge to confirm the charge of genocide against Milosevic. He has not been charged with that, and this is the highest and most serious crime under international law.

CNN: I also understand up to this point, Milosevic has represented himself, refusing legal counsel. Yet Monday, there were three attorneys, friends of the court. What's their significance and does this mean he now has legal representation?

AMANPOUR: Well, yes and no. Essentially, Milosevic still refused to appoint a defense attorney for himself, and a few moments ago, he said, "I have nothing to do with those three friends of the court." Basically, what the court has done is appoint these three lawyers to ensure that the court proceedings are fair, that Milosevic gets a fair and "expeditious trial" and that their proceedings are transparent and immune, they hope, from any challenge in the future.

So these three attorneys are working on behalf of the court, but at the same time, they're presenting Milosevic's case, although they're not fully defense lawyers for Milosevic.