Milosevic's Heart Weak

Slobodan Milosevic is at serious risk of a heart attack and needs more time to rest, according to a report issued after a U.N. medical examination of the former president.

"The medical report showed the accused as a man with a severe cardiovascular risk," Judge Richard May told the Hague war crimes court, referring to a medical check ordered in June on the former Serbian strongman, who is on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity in the Balkans.

Details of the medical report, ordered by the court in June after Milosevic spent several weeks in bed, were not released although May indicated that the former president be under constant supervision of a cardiologist.

The tribunal recommended that Milosevic, who has led his own defense against war crimes charges, appoint legal counsel to reduce his workload. The former Yugoslav president has refused to appoint a formal defense attorney, saying he does not recognize the legitimacy of the tribunal.

Responding in his usual feisty manner, Milosevic said he had never sought medical examination "not even when I suffered high fever." He again refused to appoint a lawyer saying, "I never demanded any medical check-up," and the court "should not harbor any illusions that I am asking for anything."

Expressing concern, judge Patrick Robinson of Jamaica suggested Milosevic accept an assistant to "share cross-examination of witnesses."

"Your health is of a paramount concern for the trial chamber," Robinson said to Milosevic, who has informally appointed lawyers to help him behind the scenes with preparation.

Milosevic often spends several hours in cross-examination and works weekends preparing his case.

"His workload must be reduced and the medical treatment by a cardiologist is most advisable ... the accused should have such treatment," May said. The court will await further testing and "consider any option that may be available for the future conduct of the trial."

Milosevic's medical problems could further set back the trial, seen as the most important in international justice since Nazi leaders were tried after World War II.

Proceedings were suspended mid-July over concern that the 60-year-old's blood pressure was too high, the third interruption since Milosevic's trial opened Feb. 12. Milosevic has also fallen ill with flu twice since his trial began delaying hearings by a month.

Milosevic is on trial for 66 counts of war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo during Yugoslavia's violent breakup in the 1990s. He could be sentenced to life if convicted on any count.

Later Thursday, the former head of the Serbia's security service, Rade Markovic, testified that the joint military and police leadership in Kosovo sidestepped the normal chain of command to report directly to Milosevic during the 1998-1999 conflict.

Markovic said the secret service also illegally transferred funds from federal accounts to its own bank.

"When we needed help for this we asked Milosevic directly," he said.

Markovic claimed that Yugoslavia had violated a U.N. arms embargo by smuggling "vehicles, equipment and helicopters" into the country. He said Milosevic's brother Borislav, who served as the Yugoslav ambassador to Russia, acted "as an intermediary for the purchase of Russian-made helicopters."

The landmark trial is expected to last at least two years to encompass events in Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia.

Proceedings are due to adjourn at the end of Friday's session for a four-week break. Upon resumption, prosecutors will have until Sept. 13 to wrap up their case on Kosovo.

Judges agreed Thursday to give Milosevic two weeks to prepare for the next stage, covering Bosnia and Croatia, which will open on September 30.

Milosevic objected, saying the time was too little since he had received 9,000 pages of material and 500 cassettes from prosecutors.

Judges, who have imposed time restrictions on both sides due to the enormous scope of the trial, said prosecutors should conclude their case by May 16, after which Milosevic will launch his defense case.