Gen Ratko Mladic is finally caught.

[Dreadnought]

War crimes fugitive Mladic arrested in Serbia


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May 26, 7:47 AM (ET)

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Gen. Ratko Mladic, Europe's most wanted war crimes fugitive, has been arrested in Serbia, the country's president said Thursday.

Mladic has been on the run since 1995 when he was indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, for genocide in the slaughter of some 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica and other crimes committed by his troops during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

"On behalf of the Republic of Serbia we announce that Ratko Mladic has been arrested," Boris Tadic told reporters. He said the arest was made by the Serbian Security Intelligence Agency.

Mladic will be extradited to the U.N. war crimes tribunal, he said. He did not specify when, but said "an extradition process is under way."


"We ended a difficult period of our history and removed the stain from the face of the members of our nation wherever they live," he said.

Serbia has been under intense pressure to make the arrest, with the chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, complaining earlier this month that authorities were not doing enough to capture him and other war crimes fugitives.

Brammertz was scheduled to report next month to the U.N. Security Council about the Balkan country's efforts.

Brammertz's regular reports on Serbia's compliance are crucial for the Balkan country's efforts to become an European Union member candidate. The EU has conditioned Serbia's membership bid on the arrest.

Prosecutors have said they believed he was hiding in Serbia under the protection of hardliners who consider him a hero. Mladic was last seen in Belgrade in 2006.

Croatian media, which first broke the story, said police there got confirmation from their Serbian colleagues that DNA analysis confirmed Mladic's identity. Belgrade's B92 radio said Mladic was arrested Thursday in a village close to the northern Serbian town of Zrenjanin.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen hailed the arrest, saying Thursday that almost 16 years since Mladic's indictment for genocide "his arrest finally offers a chance for justice to be done."

Tens of thousands of NATO troops were deployed to Bosnia in 1995 to safeguard a U.S.-sponsored peace agreement between that nations' warring factions. They have since been withdrawn abd replaced by a much smaller European Union force.


iWon News - War crimes fugitive Mladic arrested in Serbia

[Doktor]

Woot woot, great news for our neighbors.

This one's gonna die before sentenced, too?

[Dreadnought]

Woot woot, great news for our neighbors.

This one's gonna die before sentenced, too?

For what this man has done, I really wouldnt care.

Maybe you know who's recent passing sent a message that none of these types are safe anymore. So be it.

You know, come to think of it, give him his day in court. Then hang him immediately afterwards without delay.

[dave lukins]

This one's gonna die before sentenced, too?

Let's hope not. This miscreant needs some serious time behind bars to reflect on the enormity of his crimes. Bread and water is too much for the likes of him.

[Wayfarer]

For what this man has done, I really wouldnt care.
.Then hang him immediately afterwards without delay.

Let's hope not. This miscreant needs some serious time behind bars to reflect on the enormity of his crimes. Bread and water is too much for the likes of him.

I agree with Dread. This is not to send a message to other war criminals, or to ask the madman to repent, rather its a message for the victims that justice has been delivered.

What is the "better" punishment of the two in other Wabbers opinion?

[Doktor]

TBPH I have no worries how will he end, nor I think families of the victims will find relief now matter how the justice will be served.

What comes to my mind is that he isn't better or worse then the Nazi's.

Those who survived got a trial and a rope, but still there was a trial.

Will the trials of Mladic and Karadzic end during their lifetime is what I was wondering.
If they die, justice wont be served and hardly anyone of the victims or their families will find comfort.

[Dreadnought]

TBPH I have no worries how will he end, nor I think families of the victims will find relief now matter how the justice will be served.

What comes to my mind is that he isn't better or worse then the Nazi's.

Those who survived got a trial and a rope, but still there was a trial.

Will the trials of Mladic and Karadzic end during their lifetime is what I was wondering.
If they die, justice wont be served and hardly anyone of the victims or their families will find comfort.

Many victims of Saddam's regime found relief. He was given his day in Court and then hung by his own people. Justice served!

IMO, the last POS didnt deserve anything of the like and neither do his followers. A simple bullet will do. Justice served!

[Albany Rifles]

I say give him life with no chance for parole...in a prison in Srebrenica.

[Doktor]

Many victims of Saddam's regime found relief. He was given his day in Court and then hung by his own people. Justice served!

IMO, the last POS didnt deserve anything of the like and neither do his followers. A simple bullet will do. Justice served!

I say give him life with no chance for parole...in a prison in Srebrenica.

As far as I am concerned both are good. I say give him hell asap.

[dave lukins]

I agree with Dread. This is not to send a message to other war criminals, or to ask the madman to repent, rather its a message for the victims that justice has been delivered.

What is the "better" punishment of the two in other Wabbers opinion?

Once he sets foot at the Hague there is no chance of him receiving the death penalty. Hanging is too quick whereas prison will, hopefully for him, be long and tedious plus there won't be many shouting for his freedom.

[Mihais]

Guys,for a bunch of your caliber you surprise me at times.Mladic has been ''on the run'' since '95.He's almost 70 which means he won't have too many days under the sun anyway.What's happening now is that Serbia decided to throw its lot with the EU and Mladic has a chance to serve his country one more time.
You may see Srebrenica.I also see the lil bastard Naser Oric&the gang and whatever they did before Srebrenica that enraged the Serbs(granted he went to Hague a bit earlier).To believe that justice has been done by the trials at Hague is the height of naivete,IMO.Or some sort of idealism that I can't understand.
The leaders that went to Hague are the tip of the iceberg.The happy reciprocal slaughter was the doing of all the nations involved,at the lowest levels.It was war the old fashioned way and it was and still is impossible to track most of those doing the killing willingly at the bottom of the hierarchy.And frankly you can't regulate human nature,thus such things as those in Bosnia will be seen again,come 1000 Hagues and ICTY's.
Btw,will I see such cheers when/if Hashim Thaci will be brought to court?

[Blademaster]

Mihais, I share the same sentiments with you. I think the ICJ is being very selective and biased about this. So far I have not seen any indictment towards the Croatian leaders for war crimes against the Serbs nor any punishment or sanctions on Croatia.

Moreover, none of the Western leaders like leaders of France, Britain, and US will never see the inside of ICJ's rooms for anything because the nations carry veto powers.

Hell, US leaders and military have killed far more civilians in Vietname War and Persian Gulf war than these Bosnian Serb leaders ever did. Do we ever hear about war crimes against them? No.

ICJ is a farce, a tool. Nothing more.

[Double Edge]

What is the "better" punishment of the two in other Wabbers opinion?

Remember Rudolph Hess ?

You can only kill him once. This is about justice not revenge.

Let him live out his days behind bars.

Won't stop another coming in the future but it will maintain an unbroken record that they were eventually brought to justice.

Guys,for a bunch of your caliber you surprise me at times.Mladic has been ''on the run'' since '95.He's almost 70 which means he won't have too many days under the sun anyway.What's happening now is that Serbia decided to throw its lot with the EU and Mladic has a chance to serve his country one more time.
You may see Srebrenica.I also see the lil bastard Naser Oric&the gang and whatever they did before Srebrenica that enraged the Serbs(granted he went to Hague a bit earlier).To believe that justice has been done by the trials at Hague is the height of naivete,IMO.Or some sort of idealism that I can't understand.
The leaders that went to Hague are the tip of the iceberg.The happy reciprocal slaughter was the doing of all the nations involved,at the lowest levels.It was war the old fashioned way and it was and still is impossible to track most of those doing the killing willingly at the bottom of the hierarchy.And frankly you can't regulate human nature,thus such things as those in Bosnia will be seen again,come 1000 Hagues and ICTY's.
Btw,will I see such cheers when/if Hashim Thaci will be brought to court?

Easily countered by saying war never stopped future wars isn't it.

It's symbolic to get the leader, he presided over those killings and is in turn responsible for every one carried out by those under him. The lower downs could not beat him in the numbers game.

By all means go after others, but where are you going to draw the line. At what level. In the end its down to how badly you want to. Only the Israeli's would go to the bitter end.

[Mihais]

Carthage has been pretty silent for about 2000 years.Japan has also been silent since 1945.
Wars never stop,but that's the way life advances.Why even bother stopping them.I'm content with stopping current foes and letting my grand-grankids deal with the next lot in their time.

[Doktor]

Guys,for a bunch of your caliber you surprise me at times.Mladic has been ''on the run'' since '95.He's almost 70 which means he won't have too many days under the sun anyway.What's happening now is that Serbia decided to throw its lot with the EU and Mladic has a chance to serve his country one more time.

True, and very mature from their leadership. If he was brought to ICJ sooner the Government and the President would fall. What do you think why everyone but Dutch had so much understanding?

You may see Srebrenica.I also see the lil bastard Naser Oric&the gang and whatever they did before Srebrenica that enraged the Serbs(granted he went to Hague a bit earlier).To believe that justice has been done by the trials at Hague is the height of naivete,IMO.Or some sort of idealism that I can't understand.
The leaders that went to Hague are the tip of the iceberg.The happy reciprocal slaughter was the doing of all the nations involved,at the lowest levels.It was war the old fashioned way and it was and still is impossible to track most of those doing the killing willingly at the bottom of the hierarchy.And frankly you can't regulate human nature,thus such things as those in Bosnia will be seen again,come 1000 Hagues and ICTY's.

I am not happy how ICJ operates, and you can sense it from my messages, but is there any other body that does it better? Nuremberg stopped other wars or war crimes?
Do you know of any model that would actually work?

Btw,will I see such cheers when/if Hashim Thaci will be brought to court?

From my side sure. But I doubt we will see him there.