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US and Russia Turn Up Pressure on Serbian President Milosevic
Milosevic faces the threat of renewed sanctions against Serb-dominated Yugoslavia if he does not make good on promises to oust Karadzic and his military commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic. That threat could be emphasized again this weekend, when Milosevic has a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
Milosevic met with senior Bosnian Serb leaders Tuesday to discuss Karadzic’s fate, but little has emerged of the discussion. The normally reliable VIP independent news agency indicated the Bosnian Serbs had shown every intention of retaining Karadzic as their leader, even after Bosnia-wide elections in mid-September from which indicted war criminals like Karadzic are barred.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov lunched with Milosevic and held what he called "splendid talks."
"President Milosevic is doing his best to fulfill completely all the Dayton agreements," Primakov said. "In that sense, he has the full support of Russia."
Russia and Serbia are traditional allies, sharing similar religions and language ties, and Primakov was not expected to criticize Milosevic publicly. Still, Russia, a co-signer of the Dayton peace accords, is believed to be eager to have all parts of the peace agreement observed. But it wasn’t clear that -- whatever Milosevic might promise -- Primakov would satisfy John Kornblum, the senior U.S. envoy for former Yugoslavia, who was arriving later Thursday to see Milosevic.
Milosevic negotiated and signed the Dayton peace accords on behalf of Bosnia’s recalcitrant Serbs, but has proved either unwilling or unable to live up to their proviso to oust Karadzic and Mladic, both indicted for war crimes and genocide. Close associates of Milosevic say Karadzic’s ouster -- apparently a deal the West will accept temporarily in lieu of his immediate arrest -- is not within Serbia’s power.
Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, an ally of Milosevic’s, said Thursday that Serbia will cooperate with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, but only within the limits of national law. Milosevic recently allowed the tribunal -- which his media consistently portray as anti-Serb -- to open an office in Belgrade and indicated Yugoslav law would be amended to allow the extradition of nationals.
The Bosnian Serbs say they have their own state, and therefore are not liable to Yugoslav jurisdiction. But because their state is not internationally recognized, most of the few Bosnian Serbs traveling abroad do so on a Yugoslav passport.
International mediators were furious last week that Mladic and another indicted Yugoslav general appeared at the Belgrade funeral of a military comrade. Karadzic irked mediators earlier this month by ousting his prime minister, Rajko Kasagic, because he was too soft with international mediators. For Karadzic, that translates into accepting that Bosnia may one day be united again. The Bosnian Serb leader is adamant that he heads a separate, Serb state. |
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) -- The United States and Russia put the diplomatic screws Thursday to Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, hoping he will help sideline indicted war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic as leader of the Bosnian Serbs. International mediators in Bosnia also stepped up efforts to oust Karadzic, announcing they would not work with Biljana Plavsic, the hard-line nationalist he recently named to assume some of his duties.
Berserkistan, May 29 · Russia’s Foreign Minister in Talks on Karadzic, Mladic
Berserkistan, May 29 · Bosnian Serbs Split on Karadzic, Mladic Fate
Berserkistan, May 28 · Serbs Said Deciding Fate of Karadzic, Mladic
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