Slobodan Milosevic's war crimes trial in The Hague saw one of its most fascinating encounters on Monday -- testimony from the former NATO commander Wesley Clark.
Clark, campaigning for the Democratic nomination in next year's presidential elections, gave evidence behind closed doors.
Under a laboriously negotiated agreement with the tribunal, the US has the right to edit out evidence deemed damaging to national security. State department lawyers in court may apply to the three-man bench to make such deletions.
This process is intended to protect intelligence sources and methods, presumably including NATO eavesdropping on Serb communications.
The tribunal will broadcast the testimony on Friday.
Clark was NATO's military chief during the Kosovo war in 1999 -- the event which triggered the Yugoslav leader's downfall and handover to the UN court. He also negotiated with Milosevic, then the Serbian president, over ending the Bosnian war.
Speaking outside the court afterwards, Clark said: "For the people of the region it's a very important experience. It's the rule of law... There were murders and rapes and thousands expelled and people imprisoned and bludgeoned and murdered," he said.
Prosecutors have been hoping Clark will back up their claim that Milosevic was aware of Serbian atrocities such as the massacre of up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995.
Ironically, Milosevic is running later this month in parliamentary elections in Serbia, which could see renewed support for his Socialist party.
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