HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------Bush Presses Yugoslavia on Tribunal
By SCOTT LINDLAW
.c The Associated Press
CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - President Bush said Saturday that Yugoslavia's president should cooperate more fully with the U.N. war crimes tribunal and said such help is critical to the country's integration with Europe.
Bush praised recent steps by Yugoslavia ``to meet its international obligations'' but appealed for President Vojislav Kostunica, a moderate nationalist who opposes the tribunal, to do more.
``To continue on the path to European integration, Yugoslavia's full cooperation with the court and your leadership on the issues is essential,'' Bush wrote in a letter dated Saturday, sent to mark the country's Statehood Day.
White House officials declined to release a copy. Excerpts were provided by a Bush administration official. A translation of the letter was read Saturday evening on Serbian state television.
A law adopted by the Yugoslav government this month allows for the extradition of suspected war criminals to the tribunal in The Hague. Authorities last week delivered a list of suspects to a Belgrade court in preparation for arrests and handovers. Some 24 Serbs are wanted by the U.N. court for alleged Balkan war crimes.
Former army chief of staff Col. Gen. Dragoljub Ojdanic pleaded innocent to war crimes charges Friday. Five other Serb suspects have promised to surrender, while 18 other suspects included on the Yugoslav government list now face arrest and extradition.
The United States has threatened to withdraw millions of dollars in badly needed aid unless Yugoslavia extradites the suspects.
Bush typically sends letters to government leaders to mark national holidays, but such letters do not usually carry the kind of demands Bush made to Yugoslavia, an administration official said.
When they do, Bush offers the type of ``carrot and stick'' approach in Saturday's letter - an expression of gratitude for action on the one hand, pressure for more action on the other, the official said.
In the letter, Bush praised Yugoslavia for ``great progress'' over the past year and a half.
``Only a short time ago, the leadership in Belgrade was a major source of suffering and war in the Balkans,'' Bush said. ``Today, Yugoslavia is increasingly a force for peace, stability and economic development.''
Nonetheless, ``Important strides in terms of economic reform need to be matched by progress in such areas as democratic control of the military,'' Bush said.
The cable was sent while Bush was spending a long weekend on his Crawford, Texas, ranch. Government offices were closed in Belgrade Saturday, and no officials were available to respond.
By ``European integration,'' Bush meant greater links with Europe's economic, political and transportation institutions, and possibly eventual membership in the European Union, an administration official said. There is also financial aid at stake.
Yugoslavia has applied to join the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights-monitoring body, and hopes membership will be approved by this summer. Bosnia, Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia are already members.
This is the first step toward eventual membership in the European Union, and possibly NATO.
Yugoslavia also has outstanding loans from the Slobodan Milosevic era and earlier. It is seeking favorable treatment, such as easier repayment terms, from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other major international finance groups.
Bush's letter came two weeks after his administration failed to block the creation of the United Nations' first permanent war crimes tribunal. Despite U.S. opposition, the tribunal this month received the necessary international backing to come into force on July 1.
The United States fears American citizens would be subject to frivolous or politically motivated prosecutions. It is the only vocal opponent of the court.
The United States campaigned unsuccessfully to exempt U.S. soldiers and officials from the court's jurisdiction. The administration is currently reviewing its position on the court.
04/27/02 17:28 EDT
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