Sleepwalking in the Balkans

The Washington Times ^ | 30-12-2002 | Grace Vuoto

[uplandgame]

... Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor, is presiding over an office that is out of control and drunk with power. Rather than undertaking the slow, difficult and painful process of identifying each and every soldier or paramilitary fighter who committed an atrocity, the prosecutor's office has issued broad and vague indictments against leading Croatian generals such as Ante Gotovina and Janko Bobetko. These men are not accused of a specific crime but simply of "command responsibility" for isolated crimes that took place during major military operations. This is akin to indicting a police chief for an act of police brutality perpetrated by a subordinate simply because the chief has "command responsibility" over his unit. This prosecutor would be laughed out of every courtroom in the Western world...

[uplandgame]

It seems that Ms. Vuoto and Washington Times have difficulty sorting out the prosecution’s case against Mr. Milosevic. On the other hand, as soon as Croatian General Gotovina is charged on the basis of “command responsibility”, Ms. Vuoto suddenly realizes how flawed this charge is. It even violates the principle of (fill in the blank space).

Somehow, that doesn’t apply to Mr. Milosevic. Doesn’t Ms. Vuoto know that the Kosovo charges against him revolve entirely around “command responsibility”?

Ms. Vuoto and Washington Times are also busy bringing themselves into disrepute, not only the prosecution.

A professor of European history at Howard, Ms. Vuoto demonstrates her deep respect for the sovereignty, particularly the recent one: ‘The Hague is thus failing to respect the national sovereignty of this newly independent nation’. She calls upon Mr. Bush to demonstrate leadership ‘by protecting the rights of weaker nations and calling to account this arrogant court’.

The motives for Ms. Vuoto’s rage against the hapless Carla del Ponte are obvious: the latter has dared to indict two Croatian generals (Gotovina and Bobetko) and has even ‘begun to make inquiries into the American role in the Operation Storm’!

So, until this modern-day Inquisition steps on your own toes, everything is fine. But the moment the ‘broad and vague indictments against leading Croatian Generals’ are issued, the ICTY is reprimanded for accusing these men not ‘of a specific crime, but simply of “command responsibility” for isolated crimes that took place during major military operations’ (!?).

Ms. Vuoto should tell that to Serbian General Krstic and to Mr. Milosevic; it might help them.

This article simply shows that the ICTY has started to act like all monsters do when created by mad scientists. Does it not remind you of Bin Laden, once a useful ally against the USSR?

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

bump

[Dragonfly]

BUMP

[F-117A]

Bump!

[FireWall]

BUMP!