Posted on 10/01/2004 6:19:15 AM PDT by OESY
BELGRADE, Serbia, Sept. 30 - A senior American diplomat expressed frustration on Thursday that Serbia had yet to turn over a leading war crimes suspect months after the election of a new president who had promised "full cooperation" with the international tribunal at The Hague.
Marc Grossman, the under secretary of state for political affairs, said the Serbian government had made no progress toward arresting the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, Gen. Ratko Mladic.
General Mladic was indicted in 1995 on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from his actions during the 1992-95 conflict in Bosnia. American diplomats believe that he is hiding in Serbia.
"Sadly, the obligations that Belgrade has to The Hague remain unmet," Mr. Grossman told reporters after meeting with Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic. "Mladic is still at large."
While European governments and the United States have repeatedly called for General Mladic's arrest, Mr. Grossman's remarks reflected the growing disappointment with Serbia among Western diplomats since the election of a reformist president in June.
The inauguration of Boris Tadic, who during his election campaign had promised "full cooperation" with the war crimes tribunal, had raised expectations of possible arrests.
"Ninety days have gone by since," Mr. Grossman said. "I hate to think that another 90 days will go by and another 90 days." Senior Western diplomats said they had hoped Mr. Tadic would call directly for General Mladic's arrest, something he has not done so far.
While criticizing the government, Mr. Grossman said he welcomed the announcement by a Serbian court on Wednesday that it had issued indictments for four police and army generals also wanted by The Hague. He repeated an earlier offer that the United States might support Serbian demands that the four be tried in Serbia, if Mr. Mladic is handed over soon.
The United States and the European Union have already imposed an array of penalties on Serbia for its failure to cooperate more closely with the tribunal.
Congress has voted to suspend $70 million of aid to Serbia, and the Serbian government is unable to seek loans from the International Monetary Fund. Serbia's applications for membership in NATO's Partnership for Peace program and the European Union also remain blocked.
The Serbian government remains deeply divided on policy toward the tribunal. Although President Tadic has expressed the need to cooperate with the court, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has said war crimes suspects should be tried in Serbia.
Some government officials warn that the arrests of men many Serbs still regard as war heroes could further strengthen the nationalistic Serbian Radical Party, the largest party in Parliament.
"It's not only sensitivities of the electorate," said Pedrag Simic, a political scientist at Belgrade University and a former foreign policy adviser to Mr. Kostunica. "It is also the question of whether we have made a new state apparatus capable of dealing with these questions." Many police and judicial officials remain unchanged since the time of the former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic, he said
Mladic and Serbia were fighting for their survival against an onslaught of radical Islamist bent on taking over the country. Somehow that didn't make the NY Slimes story.
Please consider that:
1. Balkan blunder is X42's lasting legacy.
2. Clinton went to Kosovo war WITHOUT U.N. approval (and against U.S. constitution)and JFKerry SUPPORTED HIM.
3. Mladic is not in Serbia. U.S. slapping sanctions on Serbia for not arresting Mladic is the same as if EU slapped sanctions on U.S. for not arresting OBL.
The U.S. Balkan policy is the proof of Clintonistas still sitting in Stete Department. That's what Kerry is counting on for October surprise.
Excuse me, Serbia is no longer Soveirgn?
Mr. Grossman's remarks reflected the growing disappointment with Serbia among Western diplomats since the election of a reformist president in June.
You mean the election of a puppet president? By the way, where was US Aide while serbs were being driven out of Kosovo this year (again)? Or any of the NATO heros? Oh, well we know the Germans were busy taking photos of burning churchs and the French were changing their underwear.
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