MIlosevic wants to put Clinton, others on stand

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- Slobodan Milosevic wants to get some big political names on the witness stand at his U.N. war crimes trial -- the likes of Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac. But his chances are slim, at best.

Outlining his defense strategy at the tribunal Friday, Milosevic said he wanted to question more than a dozen policy-makers from the 1990s.

His legal aides suggested a two-tiered strategy: Some witnesses would be asked about the West's ties to alleged "terrorist elements" Milosevic blames for the upheaval in the Balkans; others would be called to recount Milosevic's pivotal role at the Dayton peace negotiations in 1995.

All defendants at the tribunal have the right to call witnesses, but they first need to prove relevance, court officials said.

In addition to former President Clinton, Milosevic also named British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, French President Jacques Chirac and other former ministers and high-ranking government officials.

If the three U.N. judges support Milosevic's request and consider them valuable for his defense, the witnesses could be summoned to appear in The Hague.

"The issue for the court will be the value of this particular witness's testimony to the specific criminal charges Milosevic is facing," said Richard Dicker, the head of the Human Rights Watch International Justice Program.

He said the court would be concerned about the trial becoming "a kind of circus."

The tribunal's orders are binding under international law.