War crimes committed by someone's grandparents do not give the aggreived party a license to kill - and the 1990's in Yugoslavia were a case history in using the past to foment hatred in the present. It is so simplistic as to defy belief as to how the Serbs and Croats were set at each other's throats against their own best interests - same same in Bosnia and Kosovo.
As to staying out of the fight, I disagree - I see a compelling interest in maintaining stability and peace in Europe, and Milosevic was the biggest threat to those interests throughout the 1990's.
I think Kosovo is legitimately part of Serbia. You may think it deserves self-determination and should become a part of Greater Albania, along with Macedonia, and for all I know of the Islamic Albanian mindset, Toledo, Ohio.
When the Albanians living in Kosovo were given greater autonomy, they used their newly won state powers to oppress the Serbs and drive many from Kosovo. This was amply documented, in of all places, the NYT of the mid-80's.( look it up. The NYT is no friend of Serbia.) When the Serbs rescinded political autonomy for Kosovo, it was the Albanian police who became the nucleus of the KLA and allied themselves with Islamic terror groups from around the world.
Did the Serbs overreact (and very badly) when they got the chance? You bet. Simplistically, it would be a somewhat analogous case if the Mexican-Americans, whose families have lived in Texas and California for hundreds of years and newly arrived Mexican illegals, combining to become the majority, were to arm and dedicate themselves to driving the gringos out. Would not the gringos call for help from the other American states in the Union. If the Mexicans succeeded, would life be worth living for the remaining gringos ... without rights to property and representation?
There would probably be many atrocities on both sides in the ensuing civil wars. What side should any foreigner choose in such a case? (Come to think of it, Hoplite, this may not be THAT farfetched an analogy!)
Now our allies, the Albanians, are conducting operations in Macedonia as well as in Kosovo and are preparing, it is said, an offensive against cities in Southern Serbia. Who will stop them? NATO? The Russians? The Serbs and Montenegrins?
The Albanians continue to commit 'war crimes' against the residents of Kosovo (including the so-called 'moderate' Albanians, which may be newspeak for "Christian Albanian" ) Macedonia, and perhaps even Bosnia. They are harboring al-Qaeda and others. They have massacred Gypsies (Rom) They burn churches and monasteries, killing priests and nuns. Where are the arrests and trials for them? Is there any doubt that the Albanians would not allow the Serbians rights in a Kosovo they would dominate? They certainly did not when they ran the place before.
By all means, try Milosevic. Let him cross-examine Clinton and Blair. Let's find out who did what. If the court still finds him guilty, hang him high. But who will put an end to the megalomaniac Albanian dreams of the Islamic Greater Albania?
We can't very well do it if they are our allies against the Serbs.