Radovan Karadžić Sentenced By UN Court

[TenEightyOne]

Ratko Mladic has been given a life sentence.

He was very rude and shouted at the judges, had to be removed from the court. Not the planet, but maybe that'll come.

 

[JKgo]

...I'm surprised this guy was still not behind the bars, quite frankly.

 

[TenEightyOne]

...I'm surprised this guy was still not behind the bars, quite frankly.

Without the snipers, tanks and fanatic divisions of soldiers he looked like most war criminals - a sad old man.

 

[Biggles]

You would think the the events in the former Yugoslavia would have provided a powerful refresher course in the dangers of nationalism & ethnic & religious scapegoating. Some people are apparently too stupid to learn the lesson ...

 

[Liquid]

Slobodan Praljak was in court today appealing his 20-year conviction in 2012 for crimes against humanity and crimes against Bosniaks. When the judge began announcing that the conviction stands, he drank a vial of poison.

He is still currently being treated. It is not known what the poison was or how he acquired it.

 

[Dennisch]

Slobodan Praljak was in court today appealing his 20-year conviction in 2012 for crimes against humanity and crimes against Bosniaks. When the judge began announcing that the conviction stands, he drank a vial of poison.

He is still currently being treated. It is not known what the poison was or how he acquired it.

They're reporting that he's dead.

I suspect he drank water. It lowered his blood alcohol levels so much that the Slav died.

 

[Liquid]

It seems an unusual thing to do... if you're an innocent man.

The IC for Yugoslavia's jurisdiction expires at the end of this year so they've got to be quick to process whomever they have left.

 

[TenEightyOne]

The IC for Yugoslavia's jurisdiction expires at the end of this year so they've got to be quick to process whomever they have left.

I think today's was the final judgement to be handed down. And what a finish.

 

[JKgo]

...A pretty dramatic way to go, then.

But one thing I've noticed only now - why on god's green earth all these guys come equipped with near-unpronounceable names?!

 

[Famine]

...A pretty dramatic way to go, then.

But one thing I've noticed only now - why on god's green earth all these guys come equipped with near-unpronounceable names?!

They're from the former Yugoslavia - and this one is a particularly easy name compared to the usual.

 

[Dotini]

...A pretty dramatic way to go, then.

But one thing I've noticed only now - why on god's green earth all these guys come equipped with near-unpronounceable names?!

Melodramatic, even.

Another question, how long have the Serbs been there? Are they related to the Neolithic Vinca tribal culture?

 

[PeterJB]

Melodramatic, even.

Another question, how long have the Serbs been there? Are they related to the Neolithic Vinca tribal culture?

You connect dots in ways no one else can.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Another question, how long have the Serbs been there? Are they related to the Neolithic Vinca tribal culture?

A quick read of the Wiki sources suggests that they were likely eradicated through overfarming and invasion. Your next stop should probably be DNA research papers.

 

[Famine]

I'm more bothered, with this latest story, that the guy who drank the poison looks like Craig David from Bo Selecta, than the fact that he somehow managed to get poison into a courtroom in The Hague...

 

[Liquid]

I'm more bothered, with this latest story, that the guy who drank the poison looks like Craig David from Bo Selecta, than the fact that he somehow managed to get poison into a courtroom in The Hague...

That was his case for the appeal.

"Slobo Praljek.. can I get a reeeewind?"

And then he was so upset that he drank poison. It were proper Bo', I tell thee.

 

[polysmut]

It's common for Yugoslavian war criminals to look like British comedians.
There's Ratko Mladic and Stewart Lee of course.

 

[Liquid]

Related:

Netherlands found "10% liable" for Srebrenica massacre

In a rare circumstance, a sovereign state has been found liable in its faliure of duty with UN peacekeeping.

The UN safe zone being guarded by Dutch troops was overrun by Serbian forces, causing the Dutch to surrender. They then assisted the Serbs in loading the refugees onto buses and also handed over 5,000 Bosniaks in exchange for 14 Dutch peacekeepers. Women and children were deported to "Muslim territory" and men were executed.

The amount to be paid has not been announced.

 

[Dotini]

The amount to be paid has not been announced.

I wonder if the UN ministers might not be persuaded to leniency by a kilo of fine hashish and tickets to the Dutch GP at Zandvoort?

 

[Liquid]

I wonder if the UN ministers might not be persuaded to leniency by a kilo of fine hashish and tickets to the Dutch GP at Zandvoort?

I'm more interested to know what "fault" lies with the Dutch troops if they were overrun. What they ended up doing was wrong, sure, but was there no backup possible? There's not much you can do if the enemy outnumber you. I think it says a lot about the Serbian army's intentions that they were storming safe zones instead of the, uh... more conventional battlefield.

@Dennisch alluded to it a year or two ago earlier in the thread.

 

[Dotini]

I'm more interested to know what "fault" lies with the Dutch troops if they were overrun. What they ended up doing was wrong, sure, but was there no backup possible?

There is one person in the world who can answer this question, and his name is Bill Clinton.

 

[Dennisch]

There is one person in the world who can answer this question, and his name is Bill Clinton.

And he didn't answer quick enough (nor did that worthless organisation) after numerous cries for help from the severely underpowered Dutch troops.

 

[Tired Tyres]

There is no fault with the Dutch here. They were overun and surrendered. Anything that happens after that is on they who did the overunning.

 

[ClydeYellow]

There is no fault with the Dutch here. They were overun and surrendered. Anything that happens after that is on they who did the overunning.

I am pretty sure that the Nuremberg defense of "just following orders" when those orders are unlawful is even less valid for POWs, tho.

 

[Tired Tyres]

I am pretty sure that the Nuremberg defense of "just following orders" when those orders are unlawful is even less valid for POWs, tho.

Oh I'd agree, but I'm pretty sure a Judge with a gun pointed at his head and told what to do or else in a place where the rule of law is not honoured would teach that Judge that the law can be an ass in the real world rather in a courtroom where the rule of law is respected.

 

[ClydeYellow]

Oh I'd agree, but I'm pretty sure a Judge with a gun pointed at his head and told what to do or else in a place where the rule of law is not honoured would teach that Judge that the law can be an ass in the real world rather in a courtroom where the rule of law is respected.

Heh. International and military courts both suck in that they don't know geographical limits to their jurisdiction.

 

[SestoScudo]

I'm actually critical of the Dutch soldiers that easily gave up but this time im going to make an exception because it seems they were betrayed since they barely got proper support.

Netherlands is part of Nato instead of just Netherlands guarding the safe zone why werent other Nato troops posted there along with proper support???

It seems the Dutch were placed there nothing else as if that is a good deterent to Bosnian Serb forces backed by Serbia.

The Dutch soldiers should be criticised but they are not the only ones to be blamed as Nato and un let them down.

 

[Dennisch]

they barely got proper support.

They didn't get any support at all. Nothing.

The UN said that just the presence of the battalion was enough to deter the Serbs and it wasn't necessary for Dutchbat to carry heavy arms, so they didn't. Whoopsie.
When Dutchbat asked for support they were ignored 3-4 times until it was too late and the Serbs rolled in with their tanks.

UN and NATO are to blame. 100%.

 

[SestoScudo]

They didn't get any support at all. Nothing.

The UN said that just the presence of the bataljon was enough to deter the Serbs and it wasn't necessary for Dutchbat to carry heavy arms, so they didn't. Whoopsie.
When Dutchbat asked for support they were ignored 3-4 times until it was too late and the Serbs rolled in with their tanks.

UN and NATO are to blame. 100%.

Dutch soldiers were basically the perfect scapegoats with the UN and NATO failing. Its easy to blame the soldiers when higher ups are the ones to blame.

I highly doubt a battalion is going to stop an army of infantry backed by tanks.

Dutch soldiers request for air support was even rejected. What we have here is a receipe for disaster.

 

[Liquid]

Dutch soldiers request for air support was even rejected. What we have here is a receipe for disaster.

On that front, I do know that Dutch fighter bombers were initially used but they were withdrawn when the Serbs threatened to kill Dutch hostages if the aerial bombings continued.

 

[SestoScudo]

On that front, I do know that Dutch fighter bombers were initially used but they were withdrawn when the Serbs threatened to kill Dutch hostages if the aerial bombings continued.

Were the hostages soldiers or just Dutch ngos?