Svilanović: Supporting war crimes is tragic

It is a fact that supporting war crimes is tragic for Serbia, and it seems that every year there are more and more old and young Serbs who still support the one (Mladic) who has tarnished not only the image of Serbia but its very soul!

And people across this planet " will see Serbia as much worse than it in fact is,” Svilanović concluded.

Victor - I seem to remember mass rallies of support in Kosovo only recently for a certain politician charged with war crimes and in mid process of a trial at the Hague. People in glass houses...

It seems like Mr Svilanović's problem lies not with the Radicals but with democracy. Just because you dont like something doesnt mean you should silence it.

This isnt Tito's communist Yugoslavia, or Milosevic's ...well whatever that was. This is democratic Serbia, and as long as you arent breaking the law you should be able to express your poltical views.

The perks of democracy.

And I remember well having written that such demosntrations will not help Kosovo. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

Isn't it ironic to tremble in the shadows of the West about their opinions on war criminals when their very own war criminals are still in power as we speak.

I am yet to meet a Serb who would be stupid enough to have attended this rally yesterday, so I ask those who are writing on here today: why are you making excuses for these people? I am in Belgrade and I can see that they do not represent you, yet that is not how the world from outside sees it. Posting a series of "yeah, but... what about..." messages does not excuse the actions of these people; they should be condemned, for it is these people who condemn you all in the eyes of the international community.

I am living in Canada and the PM of this country is not a war criminal. Then, who are the war criminals you are thinking about.

I would like to say that if Milosovic was brought down without a bombing campaign and Kosovo was not becoming independant the radicals would have barely any support.
Serbia would be in much better standing in Europe and probably alot more prosperous then now. It is outsiders who have caused your average Serb to look towards radicals for support because it seems as though the whole world is against them.

My view is that the people with the posters aren't really going to change foreign opinions of Serbia. Instead, I think foreigners understand and respect Serbia's potential, I really do. But look, I can't go on to blame people for their sympathy for the SRS. But as Svilanovic said, Serbia's at the point where it's not practical to support radical sentiment anymore...because it makes Serbia unpopular.

I believe that many Serbs want peace and prosperity. And whichever party can deliver on these principles is the one that will garner the most approval. And I think we're starting to see this movement with the support for the Democrats.

Vuk,
Without the bombing campaign Milosevic would be still in power and many people of this forum would enthusiasticly support him.

It is amazing how many Serbs living outside Serbia are making here excuses for the radicals.

Victor, it seems that Chretien, Axworthy, Eggleton are today still free despite their supporting Canada's first ever aggression against a sovereign state.

It seems that Serbia takes one step forward, three steps back. Unfortunately the world media seems to highlight these displays more.

The world needs to see the decent democratic side of Serbia that wants justice for the victims of war criminals. And that means justice for all ethnic groups.

Proud to say that my family in Serbia are against any form of support of Mladic.

First of all I feel it's crucial to ask that if the world is against Serbs than how do you explain that the Hague is prosecuting Bosnian-Muslims,Croats & Kosovar-Albanians for alleged persecution of Serbs? For the Serb Radical Party activists & lawmakers I'm ashamed of you and if you're unhappy about the late Slobodan Milosevic and his cronies' jail time in the Hague then I DON'T CARE! And finally are there any devout pro-Serbs who're content about 2 Macedonian police officials who're charged with war crimes even though their alleged victims are ethnic Albanians?

People who suport war criminals and the radical party, aren't really serving anyone. A party who tries to divide serbs, by calling people anti serb for simply wanting to move forward, join the e.u. simply want a better life, have no place anymore.
They do have a right to protest, but it's doing no-one any good.They better do something really constructive.
More people like Victor will use their actions as another accuse to paint all Serbs in a bad light.Fortunely most people know better.

Also the group who suports war criminals are getting smaller not bigger as Victor puts it. And people know that most Serbs don't suport war criminals.

The more war criminals on loose in Serbia , the more supporters Mladic will have.The ones who support Mladic bear possible allegations to have committed war atrocities in Kosovo. This is the picture of Serbia today. It's full of war criminals, even in the government itself.

«And people know that most Serbs don't suport war criminals.»

Richard, on what planet do you live? Last year, during the commemoration on the Srebrenica massacre, I've seen Serbs interviewed in Belgrade supporting Mladic for what he did to 'save' its people! And it's been like that for the last 10 years: a majority of Serbs, radical or not, support Mladic. What image do you think it gives the world?

Aca, a sovereign state who knowingly kill and massacre its own population, as Serbia did in Kosovo, does not desserve the title of 'sovereign state'! It is a criminal state the way Canada saw it, and I am glad that Serbia was stopped befor the 'Balkans conflict' became an 'european conflict'!

You should have reminded Mr Milosevic that a 'sovereign state' does not behave as it was with its citizens. He would have probably listened to you!

"how do you explain that the Hague is prosecuting Bosnian-Muslims,Croats & Kosovar-Albanians for alleged persecution of Serbs?"

These are just a few tokens, while many other mass murderers of Serbs, such as Tomislav Mercep, are free all these years.

And actually many are being prosecuted for crimes against Muslims and Croats during the civil war between those groups in Bosnia, and in Kosovo they are trying Albanians for killing other Albanians. If you've been following the testimony, the witnesses are Albanians who had their son and neighbors killed by the KLA or who themselves were imprisoned and tortured by the KLA.

The Bosnian Muslim commander of Srebrenica, Naser Oric, was only given two years, despite the fact that he bragged about killing Serbs, burning down their homes and villages all around Srebrenica and beyond, and had video tapes of the killing sprees showing decapitated Serbs.

Naser Orics videos, which he showed to western reporters, John Pomfret and Bill Schiller, was not even entered into evidence at the Hague.

The Hague also did not call the testimony of the award-winning reporters because they didn't want to damage Naser Oric and show all the proof against him.

They are sham trials and end up excusing the ethnic cleansing and murders of Serbs.

The Hague is a Kangaroo Court and has no penalty for perjury.

Such a court wouldn't be legal in the very NATO countries which finance it.

"It's full of war criminals, even in the government itself."

Sure, and what kind of goverment does Kosovo have. Stop taking this kind of nonsense cause it's simply not true.

And yes Victor I saw those comments also, I also saw other comments about Mladic. Of people that don't suport him. Ofcourse you didn't see those, as you made it your goal in life to paint every Serb in a bad light.

Victor, surprising how similar the Serbs and Croats are then isn't it. Croatia was very happy to expel it's entire Serbian population during Operation Storm. Remind me again, how many thousands of Croats protested at Gotovina's arrest in Spain? Pot calling kettle black.

Richard, when I hear on the televisions, a Serb from Belgrad or the RS asserting that Mladic belongs to The Hague, I will report it; but so far I have not heard a single one over the years. And I am honest when I tell you this.

«Croatia was very happy to expel it's entire Serbian population during Operation Storm».

PB, this is an incorrect statement. You know that it is the ' serbian auto-proclaimed gov. of the Krajina' who ordered and supervised the exodus of the Serb population from the Krajina. When the Croats arrived, it was fait accompli!

Victor, if you knew your facts a little better then you'd know that the Kosovo Albanians were told to leave Kosovo by the KLA. So where's the difference?

"When the Croats arrived, it was fait accompli!"

Not so, though the population fled for fear of the Croats, those who didn't flee - the elderly, sick or stubborn were murdered by the Croats. Many were tortured and burned.

The Croats also systematically burned or blew up Serbs homes, they stole or killed all the livestock and even the family pets, they poisoned the wells and mined some of the land - these are all hallmarks of a scorched earth policy of ethnic cleansing.

Canadian soldiers witnessed firsthand killing of Serb civilians. One place, for example was the Medak Pocket in 1993. The Croats were forcing Serb civilians to carry their loot, but when the Canadian soldiers tried to follow or got to close, the Croats would kill the Serb civilians to get the Canadian soldiers to back off.

Many Canadian soldiers suffered severe psychological trauma witnessing what the Croat forces did. They didn't witness the Serbs killing Croat civilians at all.

The Canadian soldiers had pictures and wanted to testify at the Hague, but the Hague ignores most crimes against Serbs - especially when the evidence is very strong, and it is non Serb officials on the ground during the war who were eyewitnesses.

It is a fact that supporting war crimes is tragic for Serbia, and it seems that every year there are more and more old and young Serbs who still support the one (Mladic) who has tarnished not only the image of Serbia but its very soul!

And people across this planet " will see Serbia as much worse than it in fact is,” Svilanović concluded.

Victor - I seem to remember mass rallies of support in Kosovo only recently for a certain politician charged with war crimes and in mid process of a trial at the Hague. People in glass houses...

It seems like Mr Svilanović's problem lies not with the Radicals but with democracy. Just because you dont like something doesnt mean you should silence it.

This isnt Tito's communist Yugoslavia, or Milosevic's ...well whatever that was. This is democratic Serbia, and as long as you arent breaking the law you should be able to express your poltical views.

The perks of democracy.

And I remember well having written that such demosntrations will not help Kosovo. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

Isn't it ironic to tremble in the shadows of the West about their opinions on war criminals when their very own war criminals are still in power as we speak.

I am yet to meet a Serb who would be stupid enough to have attended this rally yesterday, so I ask those who are writing on here today: why are you making excuses for these people? I am in Belgrade and I can see that they do not represent you, yet that is not how the world from outside sees it. Posting a series of "yeah, but... what about..." messages does not excuse the actions of these people; they should be condemned, for it is these people who condemn you all in the eyes of the international community.

I am living in Canada and the PM of this country is not a war criminal. Then, who are the war criminals you are thinking about.

I would like to say that if Milosovic was brought down without a bombing campaign and Kosovo was not becoming independant the radicals would have barely any support.
Serbia would be in much better standing in Europe and probably alot more prosperous then now. It is outsiders who have caused your average Serb to look towards radicals for support because it seems as though the whole world is against them.

My view is that the people with the posters aren't really going to change foreign opinions of Serbia. Instead, I think foreigners understand and respect Serbia's potential, I really do. But look, I can't go on to blame people for their sympathy for the SRS. But as Svilanovic said, Serbia's at the point where it's not practical to support radical sentiment anymore...because it makes Serbia unpopular.

I believe that many Serbs want peace and prosperity. And whichever party can deliver on these principles is the one that will garner the most approval. And I think we're starting to see this movement with the support for the Democrats.

Vuk,
Without the bombing campaign Milosevic would be still in power and many people of this forum would enthusiasticly support him.

It is amazing how many Serbs living outside Serbia are making here excuses for the radicals.

Victor, it seems that Chretien, Axworthy, Eggleton are today still free despite their supporting Canada's first ever aggression against a sovereign state.

It seems that Serbia takes one step forward, three steps back. Unfortunately the world media seems to highlight these displays more.

The world needs to see the decent democratic side of Serbia that wants justice for the victims of war criminals. And that means justice for all ethnic groups.

Proud to say that my family in Serbia are against any form of support of Mladic.

First of all I feel it's crucial to ask that if the world is against Serbs than how do you explain that the Hague is prosecuting Bosnian-Muslims,Croats & Kosovar-Albanians for alleged persecution of Serbs? For the Serb Radical Party activists & lawmakers I'm ashamed of you and if you're unhappy about the late Slobodan Milosevic and his cronies' jail time in the Hague then I DON'T CARE! And finally are there any devout pro-Serbs who're content about 2 Macedonian police officials who're charged with war crimes even though their alleged victims are ethnic Albanians?

People who suport war criminals and the radical party, aren't really serving anyone. A party who tries to divide serbs, by calling people anti serb for simply wanting to move forward, join the e.u. simply want a better life, have no place anymore.
They do have a right to protest, but it's doing no-one any good.They better do something really constructive.
More people like Victor will use their actions as another accuse to paint all Serbs in a bad light.Fortunely most people know better.

Also the group who suports war criminals are getting smaller not bigger as Victor puts it. And people know that most Serbs don't suport war criminals.

The more war criminals on loose in Serbia , the more supporters Mladic will have.The ones who support Mladic bear possible allegations to have committed war atrocities in Kosovo. This is the picture of Serbia today. It's full of war criminals, even in the government itself.

«And people know that most Serbs don't suport war criminals.»

Richard, on what planet do you live? Last year, during the commemoration on the Srebrenica massacre, I've seen Serbs interviewed in Belgrade supporting Mladic for what he did to 'save' its people! And it's been like that for the last 10 years: a majority of Serbs, radical or not, support Mladic. What image do you think it gives the world?

Aca, a sovereign state who knowingly kill and massacre its own population, as Serbia did in Kosovo, does not desserve the title of 'sovereign state'! It is a criminal state the way Canada saw it, and I am glad that Serbia was stopped befor the 'Balkans conflict' became an 'european conflict'!

You should have reminded Mr Milosevic that a 'sovereign state' does not behave as it was with its citizens. He would have probably listened to you!

"how do you explain that the Hague is prosecuting Bosnian-Muslims,Croats & Kosovar-Albanians for alleged persecution of Serbs?"

These are just a few tokens, while many other mass murderers of Serbs, such as Tomislav Mercep, are free all these years.

And actually many are being prosecuted for crimes against Muslims and Croats during the civil war between those groups in Bosnia, and in Kosovo they are trying Albanians for killing other Albanians. If you've been following the testimony, the witnesses are Albanians who had their son and neighbors killed by the KLA or who themselves were imprisoned and tortured by the KLA.

The Bosnian Muslim commander of Srebrenica, Naser Oric, was only given two years, despite the fact that he bragged about killing Serbs, burning down their homes and villages all around Srebrenica and beyond, and had video tapes of the killing sprees showing decapitated Serbs.

Naser Orics videos, which he showed to western reporters, John Pomfret and Bill Schiller, was not even entered into evidence at the Hague.

The Hague also did not call the testimony of the award-winning reporters because they didn't want to damage Naser Oric and show all the proof against him.

They are sham trials and end up excusing the ethnic cleansing and murders of Serbs.

The Hague is a Kangaroo Court and has no penalty for perjury.

Such a court wouldn't be legal in the very NATO countries which finance it.

"It's full of war criminals, even in the government itself."

Sure, and what kind of goverment does Kosovo have. Stop taking this kind of nonsense cause it's simply not true.

And yes Victor I saw those comments also, I also saw other comments about Mladic. Of people that don't suport him. Ofcourse you didn't see those, as you made it your goal in life to paint every Serb in a bad light.

Victor, surprising how similar the Serbs and Croats are then isn't it. Croatia was very happy to expel it's entire Serbian population during Operation Storm. Remind me again, how many thousands of Croats protested at Gotovina's arrest in Spain? Pot calling kettle black.

Richard, when I hear on the televisions, a Serb from Belgrad or the RS asserting that Mladic belongs to The Hague, I will report it; but so far I have not heard a single one over the years. And I am honest when I tell you this.

«Croatia was very happy to expel it's entire Serbian population during Operation Storm».

PB, this is an incorrect statement. You know that it is the ' serbian auto-proclaimed gov. of the Krajina' who ordered and supervised the exodus of the Serb population from the Krajina. When the Croats arrived, it was fait accompli!

Victor, if you knew your facts a little better then you'd know that the Kosovo Albanians were told to leave Kosovo by the KLA. So where's the difference?

"When the Croats arrived, it was fait accompli!"

Not so, though the population fled for fear of the Croats, those who didn't flee - the elderly, sick or stubborn were murdered by the Croats. Many were tortured and burned.

The Croats also systematically burned or blew up Serbs homes, they stole or killed all the livestock and even the family pets, they poisoned the wells and mined some of the land - these are all hallmarks of a scorched earth policy of ethnic cleansing.

Canadian soldiers witnessed firsthand killing of Serb civilians. One place, for example was the Medak Pocket in 1993. The Croats were forcing Serb civilians to carry their loot, but when the Canadian soldiers tried to follow or got to close, the Croats would kill the Serb civilians to get the Canadian soldiers to back off.

Many Canadian soldiers suffered severe psychological trauma witnessing what the Croat forces did. They didn't witness the Serbs killing Croat civilians at all.

The Canadian soldiers had pictures and wanted to testify at the Hague, but the Hague ignores most crimes against Serbs - especially when the evidence is very strong, and it is non Serb officials on the ground during the war who were eyewitnesses.