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October 12, 1999
Web posted at: 3:52 a.m. EDT (0752 GMT)

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic denounced his opponents in a rare public attack, trying to link them with the NATO powers that bombed Yugoslavia for 11 weeks last spring.

In the first public attack on his critics following several weeks of anti-government demonstrations, Milosevic called the leaders of Yugoslavia's opposition -- which has staged nightly rallies calling for his resignation -- "cowards, blackmailers and sycophants."

His comments came as thousands of Serbs marched again through the streets of the Yugoslav capital in another night of demonstrations against Milosevic's rule. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, canceled a planned meeting with European Union officials after the EU asked for a pledge to extradite Milosevic.

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"They do not take part in the reconstruction, but with rocks in their hands and with words they learned in the offices of our murderers, threaten to destroy what we have defended from NATO," Milosevic said at the dedication of a railroad station in southern Serbia.

The Yugoslav leader was charged with war crimes during the March-to-June conflict over the Serbian province of Kosovo. The EU asked opposition leaders to hand over Milosevic and four aides if they come to power.

Opposition leaders are reluctant to make such a pledge, and objected to its presentation in a draft statement.

"This is not the topic that we think we should discuss with the European Union," opposition leader Zoran Djindjic said.

Another opposition official, Vladan Batic, said the main opposition group, the Alliance for Change, needs to focus on democratic reforms in Serbia and the lifting of sanctions first.

"Our priority is the nation which will starve and freeze to death if there is no aid," he said. He added that Milosevic should be tried in Serbia, not before the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

As expected, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg approved $5 million in fuel oil for two cities in Serbia where parties opposed to Milosevic are in control.

U.S. officials objected to any aid that would help Milosevic's government rebuild the infrastructure or economy, but said the EU has addressed their concerns. Fuel oil trucks, for example, will be met at the border by representatives of opposition parties to make sure the oil does not fall into the hands of Milosevic.

Correspondent Chris Black, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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