(3 Jun 2011)
1. Close up of photograph of Ljiljana Bulatovic sitting with Ratko Mladic, taken during 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, from her book entitled "About General Mladic and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
2. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Ljiljana Bulatovic, friend of Ratko Mladic and author of "About General Mladic and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
"I recognise in him those characteristics to fool the enemy, even though this enemy as an institution as a whole is a little bit difficult, however I can recognise his (Mladic's) resistance."
3. Close of photograph of Ratko Mladic sitting in front of map on wall
4. Close of various photographs of Ratko Mladic on dust cover of book about General Mladic
5. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Ljiljana Bulatovic, friend of Ratko Mladic and author of "About General Mladic and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
"Ratko Mladic is aware that he has completed his military task for his people. When he was appointed as a commander, he was a commander. He formed an army of Serb people, not just a nationalist army, but an army of Serb people, Army of Republic of Srpska. He finished his task."
6. Mid of Ljiljana Bulatovic's book about Mladic entitled "About General Mladic and war in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
7. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Ljiljana Bulatovic, friend of Ratko Mladic and author of "About General Mladic and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
"They (Mladic's family) were glad to see him. They are glad that he was behaving in a dignified way. They know his messages, he (Mladic) told them to take care of themselves, because they know who he is, that he was and remains a general, as he insisted at the Hague Tribunal."
8. Mid of selection of books about Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic and the war in Bosnia
STORYLINE
A friend of former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic told AP Television on Friday that she recognised Mladic's trademark defiance as he made his first appearance in front of the UN war crimes court in The Hague earlier in the day.
Ljiljana Bulatovic, who has written a book about Mladic entitled "About General Mladic and war in Bosnia and Herzegovina", was speaking at her home in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
During his appearance in front of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Mladic refused to enter a plea to 11 charges, including genocide and crimes against humanity.
Bulatovic said of his stance: "I recognise in him those characteristics to fool the enemy, even though this enemy as an institution as a whole is a little bit difficult, however I can recognise his (Mladic's) resistance."
During Friday's hearing, Mladic described allegations that he orchestrated the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100-thousand lives as "obnoxious". He claimed he was defending "my people and my country".
Bulatovic made clear that she still supports the action taken by her friend, saying: "Ratko Mladic is aware that he has completed his military task for his people. When he was appointed as a commander, he was a commander. He formed an army of Serb people, not just a nationalist army, but an army of Serb people, Army of Republic of Srpska. He finished his task."
Appearing in a UN courtroom shielded by bulletproof glass 16 years after he was first indicted, Mladic told the Dutch presiding judge he was "gravely ill", but would only give details of his health out of earshot of the public.
Mladic's arraignment, his first public appearance since he went into hiding nearly 16 years ago, was aired live in Serbia, where viewers appeared mostly indifferent, or curious to see what Mladic looked like after all these years.
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