-Caveat Lector-
"The World Court, formally known as the International Court of Justice,
has no enforcement powers and its decisions are not binding."
Yugoslav Cease-Fire Request Axed
By ANTHONY DEUTSCH
.c The Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- The World Court on Wednesday rejected a
request by Yugoslavia for an immediate cease-fire in NATO's air campaign,
dashing a move by Belgrade to stop punishing airstrikes it contends violate
international law.
By a ruling of 12-4, the U.N. court rejected Yugoslavia's request that
Belgium immediately stop its involvement in the alliance's military
operation, and was issuing decisions throughout the day on identical cases
involving nine other NATO members, including the United States.
The court rejected Yugoslavia's contention that the alliance was committing
genocide with its campaign, saying there was no clear indication of an
attempt to bring about Yugoslavia's ``physical destruction in whole or in
part,'' and that it had no jurisdiction to order a cessation of hostilities
based on such a claim.
Yugoslavia filed the lawsuits on April 29, more than a month after the
airstrikes began on March 24, challenging the international legality of the
alliance's use of force.
Yugoslavia asked the court, the highest judicial arm of the United Nations,
to order an immediate cease-fire as a first step while it considers whether
the airstrikes are illegal, a process that could take years.
In addition to the United States and Belgium, Yugoslavia filed complaints
against Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and
the United Kingdom, asserting that the airstrikes breach international
agreements, including the U.N. charter and international conventions on
genocide.
Last month, lawyers for the accused countries argued their case in the
court's ornate Peace Palace, with the United States urging justices to toss
it out as a ``political smokescreen.'' The Western allies insist the air
campaign is a legally justified intervention aimed at ending a humanitarian
catastrophe in Kosovo.
Yugoslavia has accused the allies of genocide against its people, claiming
NATO is endangering the entire population with pollution caused by attacks on
oil refineries and chemical plants. It contends there is no international
justification for such an operation, and that no U.N. Security Council
resolution authorized it.
The 16-judge World Court, formally known as the International Court of
Justice, has no enforcement powers and relies on nations to comply
voluntarily with its decisions, which are not binding.
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