U.S.envoy speaks on behalf of the Hague Tribunal

World “losing patience” with Belgrade
Beta - September 23, 2004

BELGRADE -- Thursday – The international community is losing patience with Serbia-Montenegro’s failure to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal to the point where serious measures are being considered, the US special envoy for war crimes said today.

“If Belgrade wants the issue of cooperation with The Hague to be resolved once and for all, then they must extradite Ratko Mladic,” said Pierre-Richard Prosper.

“Then we could expect to see trials in Belgrade, including those of the four generals,” he added in a reference to the four senior army and police officers sought by the tribunal for the past eighteen months.

“I think that the security services and Mr Kostunica can use their influence aggressively to determine Mladic’s whereabouts,” he said.

Prosper also said that the international knows that other indicted war crime suspects are moving freely around Serbia which, he added, demonstrates that there is no will for their arrest.