On War Crimes Part III: Real War Criminals

In June Milosevic was secretly flown out of Yugoslavia and delivered to the court that would accuse him of the two counts mentioned above. In direct opposition from a Belgrade court, and protests from the new President Vojislav Kostunica, leaders bowed to great pressure from western governments tying foreign aid to the delivery of Milosevic to the court.

This makes Milosevic the first head of state to be taken in front of the courts to face charges of war crimes since they were set up. He had been detained by the domestic courts on charges of corruption and abuse of power but clearly that was not enough to satisfy the nations who went to war with him in 1999.

It was Milosevic's actions and evidence that as many as 10,000 ethnic Albanians were killed in the Kosovo conflict which saw another 750,000 flee or become expelled.

A Washington Post article quoted Milorad Savicevic, a prominent industrialist and vice president of a political party in the ruling coalition, as suggesting that Milosevic's extradition is an important step for Serbia.

"For us, it has always been someone else responsible for our fate - - Tito, Croats, Catholics, Slovenians, Americans. Never were we responsible. . . We have to do this as an entrance - - I wouldn't say fee - -but as an entrance action, a sign that we accept our responsibility for crimes toward others."

Milosevic is defending himself and has filed a motion that disputes the legitimacy of the court to hold him or try him.

"The tribunal corrupts justice and law because it is incapable of acting equally in enforcing laws among nations and individuals or within the former nation that has been targeted for prosecution," his motion reads.

Milosevic will be found guilty of war crimes and he exemplifies everything that Henry Kissinger is not. Kissinger and his actions in Vietnam had a purpose. Milosevic and his actions in the Balkans had none. Starting in 1992 and up to the end of his career as President Milosevic's actions were solely about the destruction of certain people and ethnic races. There is no defensible position to absolve Milosevic from his deplorable crime.

The problem in the success of such actions by international courts is that they are used as examples of why an International Court, currently being proposed, is totally unsound.

Next Week: The Conclusion - - why an international criminal court will