War Crimes Official Criticizes Kostunica
U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte on Saturday called Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica a man of the past and said she saw scant chance that police would arrest his autocratic predecessor, Slobodan Milosevic.
In comments to French radio station RFI, Del Ponte said that while she had been encouraged by her meetings with leading reformist ministers, she had been disappointed by Kostunica’s “incredible nationalism” when she met him in Belgrade, Yugoslavia’s capital, in January.
“As soon as he shook my hand, I knew he wasn’t pleased to meet me,” Del Ponte said. “Kostunica is the past, and that country needs the future, a great future.”
She also announced that she will visit the United Nations Security Council in May to ask for tough punitive measures to be imposed on Yugoslavia if it does not cooperate with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Meanwhile, Kostunica urged caution Saturday in prosecuting Milosevic.
Kostunica told the independent Belgrade daily Danas that putting Milosevic on a show trial could create lasting tensions between pro-democracy forces and Milosevic supporters.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
