Posted on 05/05/2005 10:54:15 AM PDT by Jane_N
ZAGREB, Croatia -- President Stipe Mesic told visiting U.S. Sen. George Voinovich his country still opposes Washington's request for U.S. troops to be exempt from prosecution before the International Criminal Court, his office said Thursday.
The court is the world's first permanent war crimes court, authorized to prosecute crimes in 97 countries which ratified its founding.
The United States opposes the court, claiming Americans could be subject to politically motivated prosecutions. It has asked countries around the world to sign a treaty that would shield U.S. troops from being extradited to the court, and has so far won agreement from about 100 of them.
Croatia refused to sign the treaty in 2003, a move that damaged relations between the two states and cost Croatia U.S. military assistance.
"The Croatian public will hardly accept to have citizens of another country being exempt from prosecution before an international court, while at the same time Croatia is required to extradite its own citizens" accused of war crimes, Mesic told Voinovich, R-Ohio.
Croatia is obliged to arrest and extradite its citizens for war crimes prosecution before a U.N. court.
The EU in March postponed the start of membership talks with Croatia because of that country's failure to hand over a fugitive war crimes suspect, Ante Gotovina, who is charged with wartime atrocities against the Serbs.
Voinovich, who has Croatian roots, came to Croatia on a two-day trip and is to visit his relatives living in central Croatia on Friday.
"Croatia is obliged to arrest and extradite its citizens for war crimes prosecution before a U.N. court."
Lapdog to 3rd world posers...
The great inventor Nikola Tesla was a Serb from Croatia...there is still a street named in his honor in Zagreb.
Just a couple of questions for President Mesic:
why is this the case? who forced Croatia to agree to this obligation?
The United Nations is a curse on mankind. And no, I am not in the running for UN Ambassador.
If the UN is any example, the ICC would become a forum to grind axes against American foreign policy. How long would it be before it would demand that a Secretary of State or Defense, or the POTUS himself, be indicted and hauled before it for trial?
The Croats themselves accept the obligation of cooperating with the ICTY by remaining a member state of the UN.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that neither NATO nor the EU, both of which Croatia is looking to join, will accept Croatia until it gets serious and apprehends Gotovina.
Does it really matter whether he is Serb or Croatian? The war is done with, move on.
"Just a couple of questions for President Mesic:
why is this the case? who forced Croatia to agree to this obligation?"
Same questions should be asked of the US.
"The United Nations is a curse on mankind. And no, I am not in the running for UN Ambassador."
I wish you were.
Ever hear the saying that rules are made to be broken. Just because the ICC has "statutes" against politically motivated persecutions does not mean that there will be no politically motivated persecutions.
And why should we trust the UN, or the Hague (home of the ICC), and related entities? Given that it is up to its eyeballs in corruption such as the oil for food scandel, sex crimes, an anti-gun agenda, and more?
Our politicians on both sides are already trying to sell us out, such as through the LOST treaty. We do not need anymore of this BS.
The best way to treat war criminals is with a bullet to the head or at least tried by the people that said war criminal is tried and executed by his own victems (like Saddam Hussein). Not some stupid euro court that will go soft.
Why the double standard?
Stipe Mesic is a left wing communist who is so desperate to get Croatia into the EU that he will sell Croatia's friends out in the process.
Croatian FReepers vote HDZ to get rid of this buffoon!
Paul, the US does not want to be constrained in any way when it decides to use force when and where it sees fit. Being constrained means the US would have to answer not only to those it attacks, but to its own people who want to believe in the honesty of American motives. This is a serious problem because the average American, like the average or common people of all countries of the world, are not evil and have consciences and do not want to hurt other innocent people. Therefore they must be kept uninformed or they would not willingly folllow brutal policies. Countries give up part of their sovereignty when they sign a special agreement with the US, instead of adhering to the ageements of the ICC. No one beleives that the UN or its courts are perfect (and a strong case could be made that the US supported political prosecutions in its pursuit of the Balkan demons, primarily Mr Milosevic)--but the UN does try to help refugees all around the world, and it still is a forum where smaller countries can go with their grievances in the hope of obtaining some degree of justice.
I agree, unfortunately you have no idea of the implications since you still have no understanding of your own people, quite a shame actually.
This was the same poster that claimed that Serbia was an enemy to America?
Sounds as if having Croatia (under the current leadership) as a "friend" is more harmful in the long run!
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