THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Radovan Karadzic's lawyer says the former Bosnian Serb leader wants to defend himself against U.N. war crimes charges.

That has set up the prospect of Karadzic using the courtroom in The Hague as a soapbox to preach his Serb nationalism and seeking to rewrite the history of the Balkan wars in the same way his one-time ally Slobodan Milosevic did during his ill-fated trial.

Prosecutors oppose defendants representing themselves in court because their cases are so complex.

Spokeswoman Olga Karvan said Wednesday the court's prosecutors "believe the interests of justice will be best served if the accused are assisted by qualified counsel."

Karadzic was arrested Monday and is in a Belgrade cell awaiting extradition.