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Draskovic speaks at the funeral on Wednesday

October 6, 1999
Web posted at: 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025 GMT)

In this story: Crash could unite opposition Protests in Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad OSCE leader appeals for ethnic calm in Kosovo RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Yugoslav opposition leader Vuk Draskovic issued a blistering attack on President Slobodan Milosevic's "empire of evil" Wednesday, accusing the ruling regime of making an unsuccessful attempt on his life.

Draskovic, head of the Serbian Renewal Movement, spoke at the funeral for three people killed Saturday when a truck crashed into a car in which they were riding with Draskovic. A fourth victim, Draskovic's brother-in-law, was buried Tuesday.

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At Wednesday's service, the opposition leader, who was only slightly injured, said he is convinced the crash was an assassination attempt, not an accident.

"Damn all those evil people, devils, who for the last 10 years have built their happiness only on the misery of others -- those who have killed so many people, who have taken so much blood, who have destroyed so many countries," he said.

"Everyone has had enough of an empire of evil which causes only death and which has destroyed everything," he said. "We pledge to avenge the killed and behead this regime."

The speech seemed to be something of a departure from Draskovic's previously moderate tactics in opposing Milosevic since the end of NATO airstrikes.

An opposition supporter carrying the Serbian flag marches through downtown Belgrade on Tuesday

Until now, he has refused to join weeks of daily protests organized by a rival opposition group, the Alliance for Change, demanding Milosevic's immediate resignation. Earlier this year, he had even briefly joined the government.

Draskovic has not indicated whether he plans to change course and join the demonstrations. But people involved in the opposition say the charismatic Draskovic may be more willing to join forces with other opposition groups since the car crash. And a united opposition could increase pressure on Milosevic's government.

Police are investigating the crash. Yugoslavia's federal information minister, Goran Matic, refused to speculate on a possible cause.

"It is sad the people's deaths are being used for political fights," Matic said. "The opposition parties often manipulate with people's lives -- and this time even when they are dead."

One leader of the Alliance for Change, Goran Svilanovic, said other opposition figures fear they might be in danger.

"If this was really an accident, then it is one situation. If this is something else, then all of us who are sharing this political life in Serbia would be worried (about) what is (the) political future of Serbia," he said.

On Wednesday evening, a crowd estimated in the thousands braved a rainstorm to rally against the government in Belgrade's city center. About 5,000 people also demonstrated in Nis and Novi Sad.

Police officers obstruct Serbian opposition leader Vladan Batic, center, during a protest march through Belgrade on Tuesday

"The spirit of rebellion must live in Serbia. Only then will we know we are alive and not servants of a dictator," said Zoran Djindjic, leader of the Alliance for Change.

The Beta news agency reported that about 2,000 workers at an arms factory in the town of Kragujevac protested Wednesday, demanding higher salaries. The factory had been heavily bombed during the airstrikes.

Meanwhile, in Kosovo on Wednesday, the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek, issued a call for the rule of law and peaceful ethnic coexistence in the wake of Tuesday's deadly riot in Kosovska Mitrovica.

"One of the main things that we have to look for in Kosovo today is law and order, because security for each and every citizen is basic if we want to rebuild society," he said during a visit planned before the riot.

On Tuesday, one Serb man was killed, and 26 people, including 15 U.N. peacekeepers, were injured after a memorial service for ethnic Albanians turned violent.

The melee started when a group of Serbs happened by the service for the slain Albanians, who were found last week in a mass grave. Four Serbs have been arrested in the case.

While in Kosovo, Vollebaek also visited a police academy in Vucitrm where members of a police force designed to keep order in the province are being trained.

Vollebaek praised the police academy for integrating Serbs into the force, and he said he would tell Albanian political leaders during his stay that violence against Serbs "is unacceptable."

Correspondent Alessio Vinci and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Yugoslavia:
  • War against Yugoslavia
  • Free Serbia Net!
  • Serbian Renewal Movement
  • CIA -- The World Factbook 1999 -- Serbia and Montenegro
  • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia official site
      • Kesovo and Metohija facts
  • Serbia Ministry of Information
  • Serbia Now! News

Kosovo:
  • Kosova Crisis Center
  • Kosova Liberation Peace Movement
  • Kosovo - from Albanian.com

Military:
  • NATO official site
  • BosniaLINK - U.S. Dept. of Defense
  • U.S. Navy images from Operation Allied Force
  • U.K. Ministry of Defence - Kosovo news
  • U.K. Royal Air Force - Kosovo news
  • Jane's Defence - Kosovo Crisis


Resettlement Agencies Helping Kosovars in U.S.:
  • The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • Church World Service
  • Episcopal Migration Ministries
  • Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
  • Iowa Department of Human Services
  • International Rescue Committee
  • Immigration and Refugee Services of America
  • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
  • United States Catholic Conference

Relief:
  • UNICEF: Kosovo
  • AmeriCares
  • World Relief
  • Doctors without borders
  • U.S. Agency for International Development (Kosovo aid)
  • Doctors of the World
  • InterAction
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Kosovo Humanitarian Disaster Forces Hundreds of Thousands from their Homes
  • Catholic Relief Services
  • Kosovo Relief
  • ReliefWeb: Home page
  • The Jewish Agency for Israel
  • Mercy International
  • UNHCR


Media:
  • Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
  • Independent Yugoslav radio stations B92
  • Institute for War and Peace Reporting
  • United States Information Agency - Kosovo Crisis

Other:
  • Expanded list of related sites on Kosovo
  • 1997 view of Kosovo from space - Eurimage

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