Tape suggests Bosnian general lied about mujahideen

By Daria Sito-Sucic

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - An audio recording on the Internet suggests foreign Muslim fighters accused of atrocities in the 1992-95 Bosnia war were under the command of the chief of Bosnian government forces, contrary to his denial.

Bosnian Serb and Croat media broadcast or published the text of the recording on Friday, saying it contradicts testimony to the Hague war crimes tribunal that the Bosnian Muslim army did not exercise effective control over "mujahideen" units.

The tape, allegedly, is of an address by General Rasim Delic, the highest-ranking Bosnian Muslim army officer on trial at the U.N. tribunal. He denies responsibility for foreign fighters who tortured, raped and killed ethnic Croats and Serbs.

Delic denies any knowledge of atrocities. The authenticity of the recording, posted by an anonymous contributor, could not be independently verified.

Posted on www.youtube.com this week, the voice in the recording thanks mujahideen for everything they did for Muslims in Bosnia as members of the Bosnian army.

"I have never concealed that this unit exists, that this is a unit of the Bosnian army, that it is incorporated in the Bosnian army control and command chain," says the voice attributed to Delic in a farewell address to El Mujaheed unit.

Many Islamic fighters or mujahideen came from North Africa and the Middle East to support fellow Muslims during the Bosnia conflict, in which the Muslims were heavily outgunned by the Serbs, who had access to Yugoslav Army weapons and backing.

They were media-shy but their existence was no secret. They were seen, filmed and interviewed by foreign reporters.