Presevo: Albanians and Serbs start to reach an understanding as Hague court again insists on interfering

As the Albanian community in the troubled region of Presevo-Medvedja-Bujanovac (PMB) in southern Serbia starts to open up with proposals for a peace plan, Carla del Ponte, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Penal Court of The Hague yet again interferes in internal affairs in Yugoslavia. The Mayor of Presevo and leader of the PDD, Party for Democratic Action, (the main Albanian party in southern Serbia) Riza Haslimi, has declared that the Albanian population in PMB would be prepared to accept an international force in the area to “guarantee the security of all citizens, found state organisms, administrative management, police and justice bodies and the creation of a definitive statute for the region, which will be decided by the population after the construction of a democratic society”. Whether or not these ideas are acceptable to Serbs will be the result of internal discussion between the two communities and it is not our job to pass judgement one way or the other, because as Pravda.Ru has so often said, only those who live in the Balkans understand what is going on and no outsiders have the right to interfere. The Albanians intend to impose a demilitarised area around PMB and this will include, in principle, the withdrawal of all Serbian police and army units. Haslimi declares that an international force should step in to maintain the balance of power while a definitive solution for this troubled region is worked out. Exactly now, when the Albanians make the first steps towards a process of dialogue, Carla del Ponte, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Penal Court, pronounces herself (yet again) in an intrusive and interfering discourse in matters she has no understanding of, matters totally out of her control, matters and issues which she and her team of misguided advisors cannot and will never begin to understand. In an interview to Radio France Internationale yesterday, which we hope will not be disclaimed tomorrow, Carla del Ponte complained that there was a lack of political will in Belgrade to hand over ex-President Slobodan Milosevic. “A lot is said in the press, but the detention of Milosevic, I believe, will not be soon….I believe that it will not be easy to proceed with the detention of Slobodan Milosevic in the framework of the investigations in Belgrade on crimes or breaches of the law committed in Belgrade…they are not ready to raise a process against Milosevic for his common crimes (sic)”. Carla del Ponte defends the imposition of “heavy measures” from the UNO to force the Yugoslav authorities to fulfil their obligations. “I want Yugoslavia to start cooperating with us, and that my investigators can start to go to Belgrade to interrogate witnesses, have access to files, I want them to proceed with the arrest of 15 fugitives from Bosnia who took refuge in Serbia…I want them to arrest and transfer Milosevic (sic)”. Such arrogance is almost breathtaking…One questions how this…lady…managed to place herself in such a position of authority (which obviously means much less that she believes). What this lady wants and demands is basically and, quite clinically, hot air. What she has to say and what she wants and demands are fantasies of a fascist past which has yet to be resolved in her native country. Interested ? Read on! So that all international situations can be judged by the same rules, with the same weights and measurements, we suggest that Carla del Ponte starts to examine the world map. When she has learnt to understand it, she can start with a number of international situations more pressing than the extradition of “Milosevic” as she says. An interesting case would be one brought by Belgrade against this…lady… for harassment. A lawyer should surely be able to construct a case. Instead of leaving the different Balkans factions to resolve their own problems, the International Penal Court yet again shows an innate tendency to interfere, humiliate and complicate what would otherwise be straightforward negotiation processes. Exactly what qualification Carla del Ponte has to proffer her opinions on the actions of the democratically elected government of Yugoslavia is open to question. She would be better advised to concentrate on more pressing humanitarian issues in her own country (Switzerland), such as the investigation into the involvement of Swiss banks with Nazi gold stolen from the teeth of Jews before they were exterminated. This would indeed be a valid case to investigate.

TIMOTHY BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.RU LISBON