WORLD : Arrest of Croat Official Ordered
The federal government today issued an order for the arrest of Croatia’s defense minister, accusing Martin Spegelj of plotting against Yugoslavia.
The state Tanjug news agency said in a brief dispatch that the warrant for his arrest was issued to Croatia’s Interior Ministry, which should carry out the order “within the next 24 hours.”
The order was likely to trigger another rift between the federal army and the pro-independence state of Croatia.
Last Friday, a secret army film purporting to show Spegelj plotting to kill army officers and their families in case of a civil war in Croatia was broadcast on Belgrade television.
The film has been denounced by Spegelj and Croatian authorities as a “Stalinist frame-up.”
On Saturday, Croatia reached an agreement with the army to avert a possible military clash by agreeing to demobilize its reserve police force. In turn, the army reduced combat readiness of its troops in Croatia to peacetime status.
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