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In a message dated 6/29/01 8:44:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< Behind the sudden extradition of former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic, lies another event: the demise of the fragile coalition in
Belgrade. It is clear that the Yugoslav president was locked out of the
decision to extradite Milosevic. In Belgrade, Kostunica stands isolated. >>
There is a chorus from a remarkably diverse assortment of throats, including
of course Mr. Kostunica himself, but also everyone from Justin Raimondo, an
hysterical commentator on the right, to mainstream media, to Straford, to
some people on the Left, all saying that Kostunica was not part of the
decision to kidnap Milosevic. It occurs to me that it is vital for Washington
to preserve Kostunica because he still has work to do: namely, to be a
Washington Quisling while maintaining some support among Serbs, enough to
diffuse popular anger while the critical remaining task is carried out,
namely the destruction of the Yugoslav Army of which he is conveniently the
commander. Always best to command that which you are assigned to destroy.
As to his innocence, touted on all sides, allow me to ask:
If a crime of treason is justified for weeks, if lies are spread saying this
crime is needed for the country to survive, if various methods of carrying it
out are tried and fail until finally one succeeds, isn't a top leader who
participated in all these steps responsible for the crime? If such a leader
pretended to care about his country, isn't he all the more guilty? Mr.
Kostunica openly participated in every step of the terrible crime of
kidnapping of Slobodan Milosevic - including the final step, the deed itself.
In the last step, after the kidnapping had been ordered halted by the
Constitutional Court, Mr. Kostunica played the vital role. Was he present at
the final planning meeting? We don't know. Some report he was. He says he
wasn't. But whether he dirtied his hands with the actual details is
irrelevant. The important thing, the vital thing, was that he NOT do his job
as president.
His job as President was to a) command the army and b) protect the
constitution. Djindjic announced days before the kidnapping, and so did
other leaders, that Milosevic would be kidnapped regardless of the decision
of legal procedures. It was then Kostunica's duty to arrest these plotters
and order the army to take control of the Belgrade Prison to make sure the
publicly threatened action could not occur.
That was precisely what Kostunica promised when he told the SPS two days and
one day before the kidnapping that he would permit no unconstitutional action.
He was like the sheriff of a town who knows the KKK plans to murder a black
man and refuses to provide protection. His refusal to do his duty
constitutes a crime just as conscious and serious as that of the flunkies who
carry out the lynching - the only difference is, his superior position allows
him not to dirty his hands.
In a sense, perhaps, such a sheriff is worse than the actual lyncher. But in
any case: in Washington Kostunica called for extradition and promised to
fight for an unconstitutional law to allow it; then he tried to coerce the
Montenegrin socialists to vote for the illegal law; then he condoned the
illegal decree of the Federal Government; then he falsely promised to prevent
kidnapping; and then (assuming he was not also one of the direct planners) he
betrayed his oath and looked away while it happened And then - hypocrite! -
he expressed shock and blamed everyone but: HIMSELF.
This is treason. Mr. Kostunica deserves the most severe punishment possible
under Yugoslav law.
Jared Israel
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