[Nettime-bold] HRW on Bobetko case

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

HRW essentially does not argue whether Bobetko is to blame for 
the crimes or not. It concludes that:
a) crimes against humanity in the Medak pocket ocurred
b) they were perpetrated by Croatian soldiers against Serbian 
civilians
c) Croatia should co-operate with The Hague tribunal and surrender 
to it whomever The Hague prosecutor has chosen to blame for that 
crimes.

In other words, HRW has no position on Bobetko's guilt, but it 
strongly opposes Croatia's government lack of co-operation with 
The Hague on that matter. In its letter to the EU, HRW advocates 
measures to be taken against Croatia, so that Croatia does not set 
a wrong example for the region.

For Bobetko it would be logical to answer the accusations and 
defend himself at the court. That's what people in civilized countries 
do when they are accused of something - right or wrong. However, 
a combination of bad economy, Bobetko's recalcitrance and the 
animosity of The Hague among the Croatian opposition parties, 
made a political issue out of this proceedings, tying Croatian 
government hands in the matter: if they co-operate with The Hague, 
they risk losing at home, if they do not co-operate with The Hague, 
they risk losing abroad.

They can:
a) arrest and surrender Bobetko - risking revolt at home, and 
gaining nothing abroad, except for not losing what they already 
have.
b) do not arrest and do not surrender Bobetko - risking variety of 
penalties against Croatia, including re-introduction of visas for 
Croatian citizens that want to travel to Europe, and gaining nothing 
at home, where their opposition would quickly find something else 
to heckle them about.
c) resign and take well-paid positions in some foreign think-tanks, 
leaving Croatian nationalist opposition and the 'international-
community-against-impunity-of-small-nations-crowd' locked in their 
no-win battle. 

What would you do?

http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/07/croatia0713-ltr.htm
http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/10/croatia1002.htm
http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/10/eu-ltr1001.htm

ivo




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