Posted on 02/11/2002 11:22:39 AM PST by Ichabod Walrus
Haselock: We did not mean to stigmatize the reputation of the KLA
PRISTINA, 7 February 2002 (Beta) - The head of the UNMIK Information Office, Simon Haselock, stated today in Pristina that the arrest of former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) were not intended "to stigmatize the reputation of that organization", but he warned that no one can be immune from the law.
Individual acts cannot influence the reputation of an organization, said Haselock.
Demonstrations throughout Kosovo towns were organized by certain forces which desire to realize their own narrow interests, he indicated, without specifying, however, to which forces he referred.
According to Haselock, the Kosovo judicial system will also concern itself with crimes committed prior to the time the UN mission assumed administration of the province since, according to Haselock, there is no statute of limitations on criminal acts.
He indicated that the arrest of former members of the KLA was carried out after a long investigation, which began after the deployment of NATO forces on Kosovo territory.
"The accusations are related to crimes perpetrated against Albanians, including also women and minors. They were arrested, tortured, beaten up and then killed. These crimes are not committed against soldiers during a state of war, but against unarmed civilians," said Haselock.
According to him, the UN mission is endeavoring to form an independent Kosovo judicial system and this system will be developed independently of the political process.
Despite a warning from UNMIK, the organization committee for protests to be held tomorrow has called for new mass demonstrations in Pristina as a sign of protest against the arrest of the former members of the KLA.
Translated by S. Lazovic (10 February 2002)
wrong,
The Government of Afgahnistan (aka Taliban) agreed to turn over OBL et. al. to a 3rd country for trial. (apparently similar scenario to the Lockerbie guys tried in Belgium or Holland under Scottish Law by Scots judges)
Agreed
Blue, are you saying its okay to for the NYPD & LAPD to beat criminals senseless ? to shove nightsticks up "suspects" butts ?
Was Bush's war against Iraq wrong. Was the liberation of Kuwait from Sadam Hussain's oppression wrong?
No, it was not illegal because Bush sought and got approval for military action from congress making it constitutional. Then the USA got the UN security council to authorize force for the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait, a UN member state.
Was the intervention by Cinton in order to prevent mass blood shed and the spread of civil war in Kosovo wrong.
It was more than wrong, it was illegal. NATO's charter was violated, NATO had no charter authority to act as it did. In addition, Clinton refused to get UN Security Council authorization for military force before hand, thus making NATO's military action illegal under international law. NATO imposed a threat of war in the form of an ultimatum against the territorial integrity of a UN member state, also a high crime, the same crime for which Nazis were hanged for. Clinton also refused to get authorization for the air war from congress making any military action unconstitutional. When Clinton did take it to Congress (after military action began) Congress voted against military action thus denying constitutional legitimacy to military action by the USA over Kosovo.
You do not have to take my word for it because I am partisan. Tony Blair's own Labour party controlled Parliamentary commission came to the exact same conclusion House of Commons Foreign Affairs - Fourth Report [UK Admits NATO's Kosovo War Illegal].
the ICJ case continues, there will be another hearing this february.
The same could be then said regarding Yugoslavia. But it doesn't work. When several thousand innocent people get killed one starts to wonder.
The only difference between the people in Yugoslavia and those in Afghanistan is that the first are Orthodox Christian the second Muslims. Somehow when Muslim innocent civilians get killed it's not that horrible and the "collateral damage" is justified. Well not as far as I am concerned.
You see, this was NOT what the US asked. We never asked that the al Quaeda leaders be turned over to a third party. We specifically said they must be turned over to us. No ifs, ands or nuts. We said NO COMPROMISE and meant it. Either hand them over to us or get your butts bombed and they took the chance by refusing to meet our demands of handing them over to the US and got what they deserved.
End of story.
1) The KLA and Bosnian Mujhadeen were supported by my tax dollars during x42's insane Presidency
2) The KLA and Bosnian Mujhadeen trained Al-Queeda terrorists who aided and abeted the destruction of the WTC killing 6,000 Americans
Wonderful arguments Vooch. You have convinced me. Especially now that I know that Bosnia and Bosnians had to do with the terrorist attacks.
And good thing, that there's no more insane Presidency and no more war party mentality! And that no more innocent people get killed and that the sovereignety of nations is not any more in risk. No no, the policy has changed dramatically in the best possible ways. Just ask Fox News!
What else can I say...
I love this statement. Of course, KLA is responsible for all those people killed in Bosnia and Croatia, how ignorant of me.
The best source for news out there right now...which explains why the ratings have sky-rocketed...and which also happened to have the best and most balanced coverage of the Kosovo war at the time...
As for Fox News, are you telling me it's and independent and unbiased source of news with such journalists? Geraldo Rivera type of reporting in Afghanistan?
The KLA are trying to bring honor and honest jobs to the Albanians. You see, right now, the economy of Albania is based on world-wide Organized Extortion, Prostitution, Drug Smuggling, and the official Albanian big money earner: Stolen cars and car parts. This is not good for the children or the environment.
When the establishment of the apparently Allah-Ordained Greater Albania is completed by the KLA, Albania will have the much needed economic impetus it needs to lift itself from poverty and bring its phenomenal birthrate and Islamic diversity into the mainstream.
Thus, Ninachka, our alliance with the KLA and the Albanians is a good thing. Think of it as part of the War on Poverty.
In fact, with Bill Clinton, the Architect of our Albanian Policy, looking for highly paid work, I have suggested that he run for President or Prime Minister of Albania. Madeleine Albright should be First Lady, and the excellent Richard Holbrooke, First Weasel.
The NATO/ U.S. reaction in Kosovo despite the U.S. Congress's vote to not take military action could have resulted in another Rwanda. A show of GRIT on the part of Clinton to intervene and not have a repeat of Rwanda. You forgot to mention that the President of the United States has the power of a Veto in regards to Congress's vote and exercised that power. If he acted illegally why was he not impeached???? A show of GRIT and the ability to take the bull by the horns and to act on it because of what happened in Rwanda. This intervention into Kosovo in my opinion has saved countless amount of lives from the eventual civil war that would have taken place and it would have been another Bosnia. I was one of the first from my part of the world to enter Kosovo. It would have been a mess but of course you have far more experience sitting there in good old California with your finger on the pulse while reading left wing magazines. Put yourself in Clinton's position. Morally and politically could you have lived with yourself knowing that you could have acted while seeing thousands of dead in Kosovo on both sides i.e. just like what happened in Rwanda and Bosnia. NATO intervention was a very necessary thing.
NATO intervention i.e. the first NATO Air strikes on Bosnian Serb positions around Gorazde in Bosnia (1994) saved the lives of approx. 45 thousand Bosnian Muslim civilians (HUMAN BEINGS)who for the most part defending themselves with hunting rifles. Gorazde was targeted to be over run by the Bosnian Serb Army who brought a lot of armor. Could have been another Srebrenica but worse.
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