Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic Indicted for War Crimes in Kosovo

Strategic Insights -

Belgrade-based Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been indicted for command responsibility in the brutal purge of at least 1.3 million ethnic Albanians from the Serbian province of Kosovo. The U.N. War Crimes Tribunal has scheduled a news conference in The Hague Thursday to announce the indictment, which could be unsealed and an arrest warrant issued as early as tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:

  • The indictment of Milosevic is based on evidence collected by the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal, including testimony from refugees and media reports, which claims that Milosevic's forces have driven 1.3 million ethnic Albanians from their homes, executed thousands of men, raped hundreds of women, confiscated millions of dollars worth of possessions, and destroyed 500 villages.
  • The Clinton administration's ambassador at large for war crimes issues, David Scheffer, has said that the United States is "supporting [Judge Louise Arbour] in every way we can" in the investigation and prosecution of Milosevic.
  • NATO officials have acknowledged that the release of information on alleged war crimes may have the effect of pressuring Milosevic into reaching a settlement under the assumption that an indictment is imminent.
  • Milosevic has never been indicted for his alleged role in the deaths of over 200,000 Bosnian Muslims and Croats in the Bosnian war.
  • U.S. and NATO officials have denied that NATO is attempting to coerce a settlement from Milosevic by creating the perception that he might be indicted soon.

Statistics:

  • 1.3 million ethnic Albanians have been driven from their homes in Kosovo (State Department document, "Erasing History: Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo").
  • Over 200,000 Bosnian Muslims and Croats have died in the Bosnian war, allegedly to the benefit of Milosevic's forces (informal U.S. official estimate).
  • 500 villages have been destroyed in Kosovo (State Department document, "Erasing History: Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo").

Sources:

  • "Indict Milosevic Now", David Scheffer, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (quoting U.S. official).
  • "NATO Launches Propaganda Campaign to Document War Crimes in Ex-Yugoslavia", U.S. and European sources.
  • "U.N. Expected to Indict Milosevic Thursday in Yugoslav War Crimes Probe", unofficial U.S. official estimate.
  • "Indictment of Milosevic Imminent", secret tribunal briefing and confidential U.S. and NATO sources.