Posted on 02/15/2003 6:38:57 AM PST by Seselj
The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in the Hague yesterday indicted the Serb ultranationalist, Vojislav Seselj, for alleged war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia.
Mr Seselj, once a key ally of Slobodan Milosevic, said he knew the UN court had been preparing a warrant for his arrest, but said he planned to surrender voluntarily. "I will not let anyone arrest me," Mr Seselj, 48, told reporters in Belgrade. "I shall go when it pleases me."
A prosecution spokeswoman, Florence Hartmann, said the indictment only became public yesterday and she could not explain how Mr Seselj had prior knowledge. He is charged with eight counts of crimes against humanity and six counts of violations of the laws or customs of war. Each count is punishable by up to life imprisonment.
The indictment alleges Mr Seselj incited ethnic hatred and encouraged troops to commit violent acts against non-Serbs in the Balkans in the 1990s.
"In almost daily rallies and election campaigns, he called for Serb unity and war against Serbia's 'historic enemies', namely ethnic Croat, Muslim and Albanian populations in the former Yugoslavia," it says.
UN prosecutors allege that he participated in a "joint criminal enterprise" to expel large portions of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and parts of the Vojvodina region in the Republic of Serbia.
Mr Seselj, who has said he has booked a flight to the Netherlands for February 24, declined to comment on the specific charges, saying he had not yet seen the indictment himself.
He has denied allegations that his troops committed war crimes, claiming they were under army command.
Mr Milosevic has been on trial in the Hague for the past year, charged with 66 counts of war crimes and genocide in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
Mr Seselj became an unofficial leader of the Serbian nationalist movement after Mr Milosevic was ousted in 2000. He criticises the new, pro-democracy authorities in Serbia for working against the country's interests.
He won 36% of the vote in presidential elections in December.
Serbia risks losing western support because of its reluctance to arrest the former Bosnian Serb military commander, Ratko Mladic, and two former Yugoslav army officers sought by the tribunal.
How does that even remotely qualify as inciting ethnic hatred? Or is Serbian unity a war crime?
and war against Serbia's 'historic enemies', namely ethnic Croat, Muslim and Albanian populations in the former Yugoslavia," it says.
What a lie. He called for war against the ARMIES of the Muslims/Croats/Albanians, not the civilian populations.
This man is a hero who stood up to protect Serbs. I'm not saying no Serb ever committed war crimes, but there is absolutely no evidence at all that this man had anything to do with it. I can't wait to see what kind of evidence the clowns at the Hague are going to bring up. Probably witness testimonies (ie lies) which seem to count as solid proof at the Hague.
If this man really had committed war atrocities, he would have been charged in Serbia already. Serbia is now ruled by a democratic leadership which has already brought charges against several members of the army. That is proof that Serbia is capable of trying its own war criminals and there is no need for the Hague.
Well, history migh be repeating itself. Croats, Bosnian Muslims and Kosovo Albanians fought on the side of Germans during WWII, while Serbs have been our allies in both, WWI and WWII.
Our real friends prove themselves when WE NEED THEM.
I'm not saying no Serb ever committed war crimes
Why not? Name one American war criminal, just one. Not even the guy who took the blame for the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. He was convicted of "murder," for having killed almost two dozen Vietnamese civilians. This man, who should be at least an official mass murderer, was sentenced to jail only to have his conviction overturned and converted to house-arrest for 3 years, when he was released.
People do not like the truth to be told to their face bluntly. Todays world is soft, notably the American society has been trained or told it is wrong to spank your children or to even stand up for your rights if you are violently threatened. We are told to that the the U.S court will protect us, so it must work in every society. Unfortunately, that does not work in the Balkans where grudges are held and passed off onto generations.
Right on
What has to be realized, for specific military security purposes, people were shifted when known agitators were installing violent actions against the Serbian people. It is a standard operatin procedure for the military to secure each area you are operating in. That was a very common and approved US policy in South Vietnam.
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