Radovan Karadzic Captured

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Radovan Karadzic, leader of the Bosnian Serbs during the wars in Yugoslavia and one of the most wanted men from the 1990's has been captured and will be tried in accordance to the Hague tribunal, Serbian authorities announced yesterday. He is arguably the man with the most ominous reputation from the entire conflict, as the man believed to be behind the Srebrenica massacre and the shelling of Sarajevo. Whether he can be convicted or not - and I'm hoping he gets what he deserves - I think this is a big step forward for Serbia. You can find more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7518543.stm , and probably at any major news organization of your choice

 

Veeeeery good

For better or worse, the mill of justice grinds slowly.

 

This was a surprise, but a nice one. Finally!
It's all over the news here, understandably.

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=07&dd=21&nav_id=52098

Officially. where he was arrested is unknown, but unofficially, according to B92 (a rather reliable TV station) the lawyer defending him at the War Crimes Court, Svetozar Vujacic said that Karadzic had stated before the judge that he was arrested on a bus going from Novi Beograd (part of Belgrade) to Batajnica (a settlement nearby), on Friday night and was in custody ever since.

His hearing at the War Crimes Court in Belgrade has apparently been finished, and the judge conducting it, Milan Dilparic, when asked if conditions were met for Karadzic's extradition said: "Sve je zavrseno." (It is all done.)

(The stuff above is from a B92 article in Serbian, on their web site.)

This is a huge piece of local news. If i hear any other interesting details, I'll let you guys know.

 

And only two months after Kostunica finally leaves Serbian politics. Coincidence?

 

This is good, the man's got craploads of screws loose. Where's he been for the last dozen or so years though?

 

I was also interested in the mention that Karadzic was arrested after a signal from a foreign intelligence service. So a foreign intelligence service knows better than the Serb one where he was? Quite surprising.

 

He will be imprisoned a kilometer from my work. I could come and visit him (with a sack of rotten tomatoes muhahahaha.)

 

I'm glad this guy has been caught. The media here is making a big deal of the fact that the government just changed -- they are implying that the new government has the desire to catch the war criminals while the old one . . . didn't. I don't know how true that is because I don't know the players, but that insinuation is really, really gonna hurt the reputations of the former government regardless of the truth or lack thereof.

 

Vukodlak: Excellent point.

LKD: Trust me, the reputation of the former government is already bad, and besides, the fact that they didn't want him caught is a "public secret" more then anything else. You could say that everyone knew that.

Tal: I generally agree, but the part of the population that considers those people heroes is not as significant as it is loud. Loud nutters always get attention.

Odd story aside, I must say that his disguise was rather good.

Also, according to the official press release the arrest was not made at the signal of a foreign intelligence service, but instead after tracking a group of his helpers or something. If it's true or not, beats me. The main point is, IMO, that the political top said, "OK, go arrest him" and he got arrested, like Tal said.

 

I rarely post here, but I saw this report this morning. I'm glad they got him, what he was part of, did, was just sickening. Glad the Serbs are opening up.

 

I was actually initially surprised, but I didn't last long!

What do they think they can to to that old man anyway!
They will hold a trial at best, one that last some years and then he'll die like Milosevic of age in his cell. Justicia for all?! Who knows!

All political intrigue and or local or foreign conspiracy aside, in the end it doesn't really matter.
His old war crime buddies from the former Yugoslavian States like Croatia or Bosnia
will do the same. Getting caught at old age and then nothing really.
There will be no blitz Nürnberg for all of them.

This is more of a media spectacle than a juristic stroke. Today more than ever!

But what the heck.

 

You'd probably say the same thing if the Nazt war criminal "Dr. Death" gets caught.

 

Probably! I'd like to think I'm rather realistic.
The point is, what good will it do!

If they had caught him a few years later after the war, there would've been more momentum behind every juristical action!
But now it's a farce, used by either political side to push or pull their goals!

And he's hardly Dr. Mengele or General Ishii.

But he's a criminal and schemer and war is his trade. Just like his old school buddies Tudjman, Izetbegovic, Sejdiu and many others.

They all traded territory and the life of those on it, like a candy shop chocolate-bars!
And their families emerged from the ashes of the Balkan wealthy, well fed and with positions of power, while every one else was starving for bread and money.

And now tell me what do you think will change now that they have him!

The modern society doesn't deal in torture, or death penalty. So they can hardly "pay him back" or go for the biblical "Eye for an Eye".
And like I stated before, he's old and frail.
Him dying in the near future like some of his old school buddies already did, is a mathematical fact.

And him spending his last days in a comfy cell- modern society doesn't mistreat its prisoners; so he will have good meals, have a cushy pillow and newspaper in the morning along with coffee - will surely do nothing to redeem the damage done! And keeping him there for the rest of his life, is not more different than a life of an retired old man, who spends his days mostly in his room.

Yup, but what the heck. Even a song by Britney Spears has more substance this whole theater.

Sorry for the long rant!
But I really don't think that this will bring anything.

 

Truth be told, I had completely forgotten that Radovan Karadzic was still even alive - I certainly didn't expect that he'd be turned in.

 

One eu membership please.
That will be one warcriminal.
Here you are, now were is the money?

One big happy united states of Europ, right?

 

Bloody Right Merlanni! Great observation!

 

You say that as though it's bad thing.