@echo off
echo this is some message
echo another message
echo yet another message
goto fini

:fini
echo "Exiting..."
exit /b

##</code><code>##

...
$Jira_command_line="newbug $Jira_bug_category $Jira_bug_number trunk $TRUNK $sernum";
print "Calling '$Jira_command_line'\n";
#$i = system("$Jira_command_line");  ### original line but doesn't work
$i = system("cmd /c $Jira_command_line");  ### this also doesn't work
print "\n********** Initial FA of $sernum complete! **********\n";