The (Narrative) Crimes Of Ian Buruma
[ed. Ian Buruma is a professor of Democracy and Human Rights at Bard College.]
(Swans - June 20, 2011) "Ratko Mladić is an easy man to hate," is the first thought of Ian Buruma on the topic.
It is easy to hate the writing of Ian Buruma. Why be serious, when you can be sloppy, demonstrating deplorable ignorance on many levels, and still get published? Why be decent when you can engage in the most primitive attribution of animalistic characteristics to real people and still get published? Why try to be coherent and follow the dictates of logic when you can incongruously slap together a few ideas and still be published?
These are just some questions that come to mind when reading Ian Buruma's "The Crimes of Ratko Mladić" (Project Syndicate, May 30, 2011). The piece is a veritable study in how not to take seriously the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladić.
What to say about Buruma's immediate description of what a thug looks like, and Mladić in particular: "the kind of bull-necked, pale-eyed, snarling psychopath who would gladly pull out your fingernails just for fun." Buruma has obviously never seen Ratko Mladić, and must have confused him with some bull-necked, steroid-filled NFL player. So, how did Buruma come up with his shocking, animalizing description of Mladić exuding with hatred? He, I imagine, spent hours staring at photographs of Ratko Mladić performing a peculiar mental exercise of putting to words what it feels like when you decide to hate. But how does one recognize from someone's picture that he is a psychopath who would enjoy pulling out your fingernails for fun? Interestingly, the ICTY indictment (PDF) of Mladić contains the word "fingernails" exactly zero times and makes no claim that Mladić ever tortured anyone. Clearly, then, what appears like Buruma's descriptive talent of presenting the horrible l'autre to us is just a gratuitous invitation to peek into his own soul and share his lines with approval. What grave insecurity! The presumed easily shared hatred for Mladić -- a man who has done nothing to him or his co-nationals -- must be converted into love and admiration for him, the author of the sickening description of the general. But the real sickness lies elsewhere: if it is really this easy to hate and use it for one's own cheap self promotion, then what difference could there be between the describer himself and the person allegedly being described? The "snarling psychopath" boomerangs right at the scribe's head! As to whether Buruma would enjoy pulling Mladić's fingernails I cannot be sure....continued: http://
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Serbia, Russia to urge UN SC investigation into organ trafficking
In a statement to Fonet news agency from Saint Petersburg, where he attended the International Economic Forum, Jeremic said that the Serbian and Russian representatives discussed ways to jointly and with diplomatic efforts overcome the opposition of some countries that are preventing the Security Council to launch investigation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic held consultations with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov regarding a draft resolution on investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo-Metohija which will be presented to the UN Security Council.
In a statement to Fonet news agency from Saint Petersburg, where he attended the International Economic Forum, Jeremic said that the Serbian and Russian representatives discussed ways to jointly and with diplomatic efforts overcome the opposition of some countries that are preventing the Security Council to launch investigation.
It is of paramount importance to appoint a new UNMIK chief as soon as Lamberto Zannier leaves and not to leave the position vacated, the Minister underlined.
We can expect attempts to obstruct UN Security Council Resolution 1244 because there are those who are trying to push aside the Resolution, but Russia will not allow this to occur in the Security Council, he observed.
Jeremic said that today’s International Economic Forum was an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations, primarily in the economic remit.
The Forum was attended by more or less all relevant stakeholders from the economic sphere not only in Russia, but also from China and a number of other countries.
The gathering was a good opportunity to hear and meet investors from Russia and the Far East, as well as to acquaint them with Serbia’s economic possibilities and investment potential, the Minister noted, voicing his satisfaction with results of the meeting.
In a statement to Fonet news agency from Saint Petersburg, where he attended the International Economic Forum, Jeremic said that the Serbian and Russian representatives discussed ways to jointly and with diplomatic efforts overcome the opposition of some countries that are preventing the Security Council to launch investigation.
It is of paramount importance to appoint a new UNMIK chief as soon as Lamberto Zannier leaves and not to leave the position vacated, the Minister underlined.
We can expect attempts to obstruct UN Security Council Resolution 1244 because there are those who are trying to push aside the Resolution, but Russia will not allow this to occur in the Security Council, he observed.
Jeremic said that today’s International Economic Forum was an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations, primarily in the economic remit.
The Forum was attended by more or less all relevant stakeholders from the economic sphere not only in Russia, but also from China and a number of other countries.
The gathering was a good opportunity to hear and meet investors from Russia and the Far East, as well as to acquaint them with Serbia’s economic possibilities and investment potential, the Minister noted, voicing his satisfaction with results of the meeting.
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Croatia's football body fined over pro-Nazi chants
Rome, June 19 : The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has fined Croatia's football body 80,000 euros after fans displayed Nazi symbols during a European championship qualifying match against Georgia.
In the resort city of Split, thousands of Croatian fans chanted fascist slogans, displayed banners, including a Nazi swastika, and glorified the Croatian Ustashes - the World War II fascist movement appointed by the Nazis.
"We are all Ustashes," the crowd chanted, violating UEFA rules which ban using sporting events for political purposes.
Croatia won the June 3 game 2-1 and was a step away from qualifying for next year's European championship to be held in Poland and Ukraine.
"We are all Ustashes," the crowd chanted, violating UEFA rules which ban using sporting events for political purposes.
Croatia won the June 3 game 2-1 and was a step away from qualifying for next year's European championship to be held in Poland and Ukraine.
--IANS
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Croatia arrests ex-senior policeman for war crimes
20 Jun 2011 09:24
Source: Reuters // Reuters
ZAGREB, June 20 (Reuters) - Three people, including a former police official, were arrested on Monday on suspicion of committing war crimes against Serb civilians during Croatia's war of independence in the early 1990s, Croatian police said.
"Among the suspects are the former head of the police department in the Sisak county in central Croatia and his deputy," a police spokeswoman said, while declining to release their names.
"Both are arrested for the command responsibility. The third person is charged with personally committing crimes," she added.
Local media have identified the prime suspect as Djuro Brodarac, who was head of police in the central town of Sisak in 1991 and 1992. Serb civilians were reported missing or killed during that period in Sisak county.
Until 1995 Croatia fought a four-year war of independence against rebel Serbs backed and armed by Belgrade.
Zagreb, which has struggled to deal with war crimes committed by its troops and to fully cooperate with the Hague war crimes tribunal, is about to complete European Union entry talks with a view to joining in mid-2013.
The issue of its handling of war crimes is an important part of the requirements for Croatia to be able to join the bloc.
This month it charged a former interior minister assistant with war crimes committed in 1991 in Zagreb and eastern Croatia [ID:nLDE7581G0].
(Reporting by Igor Ilic, edited by Michael Roddy)
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98-year-old Croat war criminal dies in Austria
SOURCE: TANJUGVIENNA -- A 98-year-old WW2 Croatian war crimes suspect has died in the town of Klagenfurt, Austria.
According to the Austrian daily Karntner Tageszeitung, Milivoj Ašner died of natural causes at a local nursing home.
Ašner was considered one of the most wanted war crime suspects from the period of the Second World War. He denied all charges and the Austrian authorities refused to extradite him to Croatia.
Ašner was held responsible for the deportation and murder of hundreds of Serbs, Jews and Roma during his office as chief of police in the Croatian municipality of Požega in the period from 1941 to 1945, during the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).
After the war, he fled to Austria and lived in Klagenfurt under the assumed name of Georg Aschner.
In 2004, Austrian authorities launched proceedings against him on genocide charges and the extradition request from Croatia arrived in 2005.
The Austrian authorities refused to extradite Ašner and all court proceedings against him were terminated due to the defendant's ill health.
However, reporters of British paper The Sun who chanced upon Ašner during the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship in Klagenfurt described him as a fully conscious individual, contrary to claims by Austrian experts.
The last expert opinion was submitted in May 2010 and it stated that Ašner suffered from dementia and was thus not fit to be tried.
Ašner was held responsible for the deportation and murder of hundreds of Serbs, Jews and Roma during his office as chief of police in the Croatian municipality of Požega in the period from 1941 to 1945, during the Nazi-allied Ustasha regime of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).
After the war, he fled to Austria and lived in Klagenfurt under the assumed name of Georg Aschner.
In 2004, Austrian authorities launched proceedings against him on genocide charges and the extradition request from Croatia arrived in 2005.
The Austrian authorities refused to extradite Ašner and all court proceedings against him were terminated due to the defendant's ill health.
However, reporters of British paper The Sun who chanced upon Ašner during the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship in Klagenfurt described him as a fully conscious individual, contrary to claims by Austrian experts.
The last expert opinion was submitted in May 2010 and it stated that Ašner suffered from dementia and was thus not fit to be tried.
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Serbia has most refugees and IDPs in Europe
SOURCE: TANJUGBELGRADE -- With its 275,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), Serbia is ranked first in Europe and 13th in the world, UNHCR data for 2010 show.
On World Refugee Day, which is marked in Serbia today, a total of 43.7 million displaced people have been registered in the world, 15.4 million of whom are refugees.
According to the data of the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, more than 700,000 people from war affected territories of former Yugoslavia have found shelter in Serbia. They make up almost 10 percent of the country's population.
A total of 65,000 of these people still have refugee status, while others have in the meantime obtained Serbian citizenship and IDs. About 210,000 displaced people from Kosovo-Metohija have been registered.
The biggest problem of refugees in Serbia, 15 years after the war in former Yugoslavia, is the solving of their housing and other vital needs, which is supposed to be regulated by law.
Over 73,000 refugees live below the poverty line in four regional countries, and according to the estimates, between EUR 500 and 600 million would be required to cover their needs, Tanjug was told by head of the UNHCR office in Serbia Eduardo Arboleda.
The government of Serbia identified 45,000 refugees in urgent need of help, whereas Bosnia-Herzegovina has 14,000, Croatia 8,500 and Montenegro 6,000, Arboleda said.
Taking into account that the largest number of most vulnerable refugees live in Serbia, the estimates say that as much as EUR 300-350 million would be required to cover their needs, Arboleda stressed.
A total of 65,000 of these people still have refugee status, while others have in the meantime obtained Serbian citizenship and IDs. About 210,000 displaced people from Kosovo-Metohija have been registered.
The biggest problem of refugees in Serbia, 15 years after the war in former Yugoslavia, is the solving of their housing and other vital needs, which is supposed to be regulated by law.
Over 73,000 refugees live below the poverty line in four regional countries, and according to the estimates, between EUR 500 and 600 million would be required to cover their needs, Tanjug was told by head of the UNHCR office in Serbia Eduardo Arboleda.
The government of Serbia identified 45,000 refugees in urgent need of help, whereas Bosnia-Herzegovina has 14,000, Croatia 8,500 and Montenegro 6,000, Arboleda said.
Taking into account that the largest number of most vulnerable refugees live in Serbia, the estimates say that as much as EUR 300-350 million would be required to cover their needs, Arboleda stressed.
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