U.S. official denies blocking Karadžić, Mladić arrests

Ex-U.S. War Crimes Ambassador Richard Prosper denies he prevented the arrests of Karadžić and Mladić.

Izvor: SENSE

Friday, 14.09.2007.

15:29

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Ex-U.S. War Crimes Ambassador Richard Prosper denies he prevented the arrests of Karadzic and Mladic. Prosper told Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz that even during his mandate, the U.S. was aggressive in their search for Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. U.S. official denies blocking Karadzic, Mladic arrests In her book, “Peace and Punishment: The Secret Hague Wars Between International Law and International Politics”, former Hague Tribunal spokeswoman Florence Hartmann accused the great powers, especially the U.S., of preventing the arrests of the two fugitives. She claims that the great powers’ failure to arrest the pair “is indivisible from their failure to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.” In so doing, they have become “accomplices in the gravest crime since the Holocaust,” adding that while Karadzic and Mladic remain at liberty, the Srebrenica victims are left to “wander around Europe in search of justice.” Prosper denied these accusations vehemently. “Those accusations are ridiculous. We went to great lengths to try and have Karadzic arrested, and it’s disgraceful that a book on such an important topic contains inaccurate information and deceptive conclusions.” The former ambassador says that claims that it was and still is in the interests of the great powers, particularly the U.S., to prevent their arrest, hold no ice. And, asked why the two were still at large, he answered that the United States had found itself in a position where to arrest them, it needed the help not only of the governments in the region, but also the population, which proved very difficult. Prosper added that he had negotiated with Karadzic’s family over his surrender, but was told that this would happen only if the indictment was withdrawn. “That was unacceptable for me. If you withdraw the indictment, there’s nothing left to talk about,” said Prosper.

U.S. official denies blocking Karadžić, Mladić arrests

In her book, “Peace and Punishment: The Secret Hague Wars Between International Law and International Politics”, former Hague Tribunal spokeswoman Florence Hartmann accused the great powers, especially the U.S., of preventing the arrests of the two fugitives.

She claims that the great powers’ failure to arrest the pair “is indivisible from their failure to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.”

In so doing, they have become “accomplices in the gravest crime since the Holocaust,” adding that while Karadžic and Mladić remain at liberty, the Srebrenica victims are left to “wander around Europe in search of justice.”

Prosper denied these accusations vehemently.

“Those accusations are ridiculous. We went to great lengths to try and have Karadžić arrested, and it’s disgraceful that a book on such an important topic contains inaccurate information and deceptive conclusions.”

The former ambassador says that claims that it was and still is in the interests of the great powers, particularly the U.S., to prevent their arrest, hold no ice.

And, asked why the two were still at large, he answered that the United States had found itself in a position where to arrest them, it needed the help not only of the governments in the region, but also the population, which proved very difficult.

Prosper added that he had negotiated with Karadžić’s family over his surrender, but was told that this would happen only if the indictment was withdrawn.

“That was unacceptable for me. If you withdraw the indictment, there’s nothing left to talk about,” said Prosper.

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