Del Ponte shocked at Rome's "pro-Serb bias"

Carla Del Ponte lashed out at Italy for being the main advocate of Serbia's EU integration. She told La Repubblica daily that Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema were to blame for their support to Serbia. Del Ponte shocked at Rome's "pro-Serb bias" Del Ponte said she was not surprised at D'Alema's behavior, as he was "always more or less pro-Serb", but that Prodi's stance "shocked her". "This person who was EU Commission head and who knows in detail how important the EU's help in arresting important fugitives is—he avoided me," the outgoing chief Hague Tribunal prosecutor said, explaining that she tried unsuccessfully to speak to the Italian prime minister over the phone. "I have tried to reach him for a year, but was unsuccessful. I tried the last time in October," Del Ponte said, and added that Prodi would not set a couple of minutes aside for her. In the prosecutor's words, "it was obvious he did not want to occupy himself with my fugitives, as he already took the side of Serbia." Del Ponte commented on D'Alema's statement that it was not within her jurisdiction to appraise Belgrade's cooperation, saying that the Italian chief of diplomacy showed contempt for international law. "If everyone shared his opinion, that same justice would become irrelevant and there would be no meaning in arresting those responsible for the gravest criminal acts," Del Ponte told the Rome-based paper. She read out a page from her agenda, dated February 15, when she spoke to D'Alema. "He is in a good mood and he treated me well, not like the last time when he harassed me." "D'Alema does not give up on the idea that Belgrade can no longer be threatened, that [EU] negotiations must continue, and that the condition of arresting Ratko Mladic must be made only as the last resort." "I explained this was a very negative signal, but he did not dissist. He told me: prosecutor, now that you've talked to me, there's no reason to demand a meeting with Prodi," Del Ponte quoted her notes. Two days ago, after Del Ponte's farewell news conference where she came after Italy and some other countries for supporting Serbia's EU bid, D'Alema said that the government in Belgrade was cooperating with the Tribunal. He reminded that Serbia has extradited 44 persons to the UN war crimes court, including former Yugoslav and Serbian presidents Slobodan Milosevic and Milan Milutinovic, as well as a number of other officials and generals. "When there's cooperation, that does not mean that someone will be successful in making arrests. They ought to keep trying," said D'Alema, and added, "the condition, of course, is that the Serbian government cooperates, and that cooperation exists."

Del Ponte shocked at Rome's "pro-Serb bias"

Del Ponte said she was not surprised at D'Alema's behavior, as he was "always more or less pro-Serb", but that Prodi's stance "shocked her".

"This person who was EU Commission head and who knows in detail how important the EU's help in arresting important fugitives is—he avoided me," the outgoing chief Hague Tribunal prosecutor said, explaining that she tried unsuccessfully to speak to the Italian prime minister over the phone.

"I have tried to reach him for a year, but was unsuccessful. I tried the last time in October," Del Ponte said, and added that Prodi would not set a couple of minutes aside for her.

In the prosecutor's words, "it was obvious he did not want to occupy himself with my fugitives, as he already took the side of Serbia."

Del Ponte commented on D'Alema's statement that it was not within her jurisdiction to appraise Belgrade's cooperation, saying that the Italian chief of diplomacy showed contempt for international law.

"If everyone shared his opinion, that same justice would become irrelevant and there would be no meaning in arresting those responsible for the gravest criminal acts," Del Ponte told the Rome-based paper.

She read out a page from her agenda, dated February 15, when she spoke to D'Alema.

"He is in a good mood and he treated me well, not like the last time when he harassed me."

"D'Alema does not give up on the idea that Belgrade can no longer be threatened, that [EU] negotiations must continue, and that the condition of arresting Ratko Mladić must be made only as the last resort."

"I explained this was a very negative signal, but he did not dissist. He told me: prosecutor, now that you've talked to me, there's no reason to demand a meeting with Prodi," Del Ponte quoted her notes.

Two days ago, after Del Ponte's farewell news conference where she came after Italy and some other countries for supporting Serbia's EU bid, D'Alema said that the government in Belgrade was cooperating with the Tribunal.

He reminded that Serbia has extradited 44 persons to the UN war crimes court, including former Yugoslav and Serbian presidents Slobodan Milošević and Milan Milutinović, as well as a number of other officials and generals.

"When there's cooperation, that does not mean that someone will be successful in making arrests. They ought to keep trying," said D'Alema, and added, "the condition, of course, is that the Serbian government cooperates, and that cooperation exists."