It will never end, it seems....
With Slobodan Milosevic dead and former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic on the run, the U.N. Yugoslav tribunal in The Hague is preparing to deliver its verdict on the highest-ranking remaining former politician awaiting judgment for alleged genocide in Bosnia.
The court will rule on Wednesday in the case of Momcilio Krajisnik, who was speaker of parliament in the breakaway Bosnian Serb Republic during the 1991-1995 Bosnian war, which left more than 200,000 dead on all sides.
Krajisnik, 61, has pleaded not guilty to eight charges, including genocide and plotting to commit genocide by "cleansing" parts of Bosnia of Muslims and Croats to create an ethnically pure "greater Serbia" together with Serbian President Milosevic, Karadzic, and others.
Prosecutors demanded a life sentence for Krajisnik, who they said was one of a troika of Bosnian Serb leaders bearing primary political responsibility for atrocities carried out by their troops from July 1991-December 1992, including civilian slaughters, and murder, torture and rape of detainees. The defense sought acquittal...
The U.N. tribunal is gradually winding down operations, with its final trial to begin by 2008 though it says it will always be ready to reopen if Karadzic or the Bosnian Serb general, Ratko Mladic, are arrested.
http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/26-09-2006/84694-crimes-0
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Mon Sep 25, 6:28 PM ET
Serbia's foreign minister has warned of possible renewed conflict in the Balkans if the province of Kosovo becomes independent without the Serbian government's approval, according to comments published Monday.
Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic suggested Kosovo should have full autonomy but not be allowed to hold separate membership in the United Nations and NATO.
"Kosovo's independence would produce trouble in the region, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia," Draskovic was quoted as saying in the Kosovo Albanian daily Epoka e Re.
"You know that no border in the Balkans has been changed with an agreement," he said. "Borders have always been changed with wars, and that (Kosovo's independence) would naturally bring such a trouble."...
Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica reiterated Serbia's rejection of the possible secession of Kosovo.
Kosovo has been a U.N. protectorate since 1999 when NATO air raids forced Serbia to halt its crackdown on the separatists and pull its troops out.
"Kosovo has always been and will remain part of Serbia," Kostunica stressed in a statement. He reiterated Belgrade's proposal that Kosovo enjoy self-rule and broad autonomy, without a change of borders.
The chief U.N. envoy for Kosovo, Maarti Ahtisaari, said last week he had no "fixed deadlines" in the Kosovo status talks, though he is expected before the year's end to present the U.N. Security council with proposal for Kosovo's future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060925/ap_on_re_eu/kosovo_status_talks_1
Serbia's foreign minister has warned of possible renewed conflict in the Balkans if the province of Kosovo becomes independent without the Serbian government's approval, according to comments published Monday.
Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic suggested Kosovo should have full autonomy but not be allowed to hold separate membership in the United Nations and NATO.
"Kosovo's independence would produce trouble in the region, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia," Draskovic was quoted as saying in the Kosovo Albanian daily Epoka e Re.
"You know that no border in the Balkans has been changed with an agreement," he said. "Borders have always been changed with wars, and that (Kosovo's independence) would naturally bring such a trouble."...
Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica reiterated Serbia's rejection of the possible secession of Kosovo.
Kosovo has been a U.N. protectorate since 1999 when NATO air raids forced Serbia to halt its crackdown on the separatists and pull its troops out.
"Kosovo has always been and will remain part of Serbia," Kostunica stressed in a statement. He reiterated Belgrade's proposal that Kosovo enjoy self-rule and broad autonomy, without a change of borders.
The chief U.N. envoy for Kosovo, Maarti Ahtisaari, said last week he had no "fixed deadlines" in the Kosovo status talks, though he is expected before the year's end to present the U.N. Security council with proposal for Kosovo's future.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060925/ap_on_re_eu/kosovo_status_talks_1
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Well, wonder why Serbia was never given THIS option. Guess it's because they were never the "victims," only the "perpetrators"....if this tactic works, it will further reinforce the double-standard the Hague has used in prosecuting acts that occurred during the wars.
Croatia seeks to defend itself at Hague tribunal
3 September 2006 14:10 Source: Reuters
ZAGREB -- Croatia has asked to be a "friend of the court" at the United Nations war crimes tribunal.Croatia wants to combat what it says are unacceptable allegations about its military operations in the 1990s, state radio said on Friday.The government of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has asked for the 'amicus curiae' status in a letter sent to the tribunal, the radio reported after a cabinet session. "We shall thus try to refute the unacceptable allegations in the indictments, in cooperation with the tribunal," Sanader said, referring to the trials of three Croatian generals and six Bosnian Croats, all of whom are in the tribunal's custody. The friend of the court is not a party in the trial but seeks to take part in the proceedings, believing the trial and its outcome may affect its interests. The indictments against the three generals allege that top Croatian state and army leaders engaged in a "joint criminal enterprise" to drive out for good rebel minority Serbs in a 1995 offensive codenamed Operation Storm. Some 150,000 Serbs fled the Croatian army's advance. Croatia says the offensive was its legitimate right, to retake land captured by Serb rebels at the outset of the war in 1991 when Zagreb declared independence from communist Yugoslavia. The six former Bosnian Croat leaders are accused of leading another joint criminal enterprise aimed at ethnically cleansing Muslims from parts of southern Bosnia in 1993 and proclaiming a separate Croat state. Their indictment says Bosnian Croat forces had acted under supervision or in coordination with Croatian army, police and intelligence. Croatia says its troops were never engaged in Bosnia. Croatia has significantly improved cooperation with the tribunal since Sanader took office in late 2003. The last remaining Croatian fugitive, general Ante Gotovina, was arrested in Spain last December. His trial is due to start in 2008.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/globe-article.php?yyyy=2006&mm=09&dd=03&nav_category=123&nav_id=36473
Croatia seeks to defend itself at Hague tribunal
3 September 2006 14:10 Source: Reuters
ZAGREB -- Croatia has asked to be a "friend of the court" at the United Nations war crimes tribunal.Croatia wants to combat what it says are unacceptable allegations about its military operations in the 1990s, state radio said on Friday.The government of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has asked for the 'amicus curiae' status in a letter sent to the tribunal, the radio reported after a cabinet session. "We shall thus try to refute the unacceptable allegations in the indictments, in cooperation with the tribunal," Sanader said, referring to the trials of three Croatian generals and six Bosnian Croats, all of whom are in the tribunal's custody. The friend of the court is not a party in the trial but seeks to take part in the proceedings, believing the trial and its outcome may affect its interests. The indictments against the three generals allege that top Croatian state and army leaders engaged in a "joint criminal enterprise" to drive out for good rebel minority Serbs in a 1995 offensive codenamed Operation Storm. Some 150,000 Serbs fled the Croatian army's advance. Croatia says the offensive was its legitimate right, to retake land captured by Serb rebels at the outset of the war in 1991 when Zagreb declared independence from communist Yugoslavia. The six former Bosnian Croat leaders are accused of leading another joint criminal enterprise aimed at ethnically cleansing Muslims from parts of southern Bosnia in 1993 and proclaiming a separate Croat state. Their indictment says Bosnian Croat forces had acted under supervision or in coordination with Croatian army, police and intelligence. Croatia says its troops were never engaged in Bosnia. Croatia has significantly improved cooperation with the tribunal since Sanader took office in late 2003. The last remaining Croatian fugitive, general Ante Gotovina, was arrested in Spain last December. His trial is due to start in 2008.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/globe-article.php?yyyy=2006&mm=09&dd=03&nav_category=123&nav_id=36473
Lordy--loo, what will happen next?
Row over Milosevic street-naming
By Nick Hawton BBC News, Belgrade A dispute has broken out in Serbia over plans to name a street after former President Slobodan Milosevic.
Members of Milosevic's Socialist Party in the country's second largest city, Novi Sad, have put forward the plan.
But political opponents have condemned the move, describing it as a scandal and vowing to organise protests.
Milosevic died earlier this year while on trial in The Hague, accused among other things of genocide for his role during the Bosnian war.
Continuing divisions
Members of the Socialist Party in Novi Sad say their former leader should be recognised for his many achievements, including the rebuilding of two bridges in the city that were destroyed by Nato bombs in 1999.
Although the party is no longer the force it once was, it does share power with other nationalist parties in the city.
Milosevic, who led Serbia during the wars of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, died of a heart attack while on trial at the UN war crimes tribunal in March.
The street-naming dispute highlights the continuing divisions over his legacy.
While many people blame him for leading Serbia into political isolation and economic hardship, others still regard him as a hero who tried to do his best for his people.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/5309854.stmPublished: 2006/09/03 10:30:48 GMT
Row over Milosevic street-naming
By Nick Hawton BBC News, Belgrade A dispute has broken out in Serbia over plans to name a street after former President Slobodan Milosevic.
Members of Milosevic's Socialist Party in the country's second largest city, Novi Sad, have put forward the plan.
But political opponents have condemned the move, describing it as a scandal and vowing to organise protests.
Milosevic died earlier this year while on trial in The Hague, accused among other things of genocide for his role during the Bosnian war.
Continuing divisions
Members of the Socialist Party in Novi Sad say their former leader should be recognised for his many achievements, including the rebuilding of two bridges in the city that were destroyed by Nato bombs in 1999.
Although the party is no longer the force it once was, it does share power with other nationalist parties in the city.
Milosevic, who led Serbia during the wars of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, died of a heart attack while on trial at the UN war crimes tribunal in March.
The street-naming dispute highlights the continuing divisions over his legacy.
While many people blame him for leading Serbia into political isolation and economic hardship, others still regard him as a hero who tried to do his best for his people.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/5309854.stmPublished: 2006/09/03 10:30:48 GMT
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