Milutinović acquitted, others guilty

Of course 5 out of 6 were found guilty, how else wold this NATO court justify its illegal 78 day bombing of Serbia, which broke international law, and was a blatant war crime. Not to mention dropping cluster bombs on markets, dropping depleted uranium all over the country, murdering civilians in the RTS building, destroying all power plants and infrastructure.
It's amazing that this political kangaroo court does not try the people who invaded Iraq and are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths needlessly, but is attempting to blame the Serbian military who were responding to albanian terrorism within their own borders. Serbia did not attack anyone, it was the other way around, but when you listen to these imperialist liars and propogandists you would think the opposite. The invasion of Iraq was based on complete lies, as was the invasion of Kosovo. There were no '100,000 dead albanians', we all know that, it was all lies spouted by people with absolutely zero morals, and zero character. This decision means nothing to me as a Serb, because I do not recognize NATO court. It is just as fake, just as illegal, and just as immoral, as the 'state' of Kosovo.

His photo is great. He looks really nice while he is escorted by the guard.

Daniel, this chapter might be closed for your but not for 100ths in Kosova. 90's will be the worst stain in serbian history.

Come on already, the guy is innocent. Why else would it take years and a thousand pages of red tape.

If these individuals and others were guilty of war crimes, they will now be punished. That's what should happen to all individuals committing crimes against humanity. It is interesting though, unlike the trial of Haradinaj, it doesn't appear that witness were murdered or went missing. That's what is very wrong with this tribunal. When Serbs were up against the court, Serbia cooperated and allowed justice to be served. However, when Croats, Bosnian Muslims, or Kosovo Albanians were up against the court, witnesses disappeared, people were intimidated or murdered, etc. At any rate, once these individuals receive their sentences, this chapter in history can be closed, at least from the Serb side. Now, we need to close this chapter from the Albanian side, from the Croatian side, and from the Bosnian Muslim side. When all war criminals are tried and convicted, where appropriate, this whole mess will finally end.

This is great victory over inhumanity, over injustice, over wrongdoers, over criminals, over an organized system created by Serbs to liquidate all non Serbs of former Yugoslav Federation.
This is victory for all humanity around the world
This is victory for mother who lost their sons; daughters of Kosovo and Balkans
This is victory for all Childs who died on stomach of their mothers.
This is victory...

Justice finally: this is is the Serbian State leadership, not some peasant named Drago or Bajram. People of all sides do horrible things in a war, but when it's directed by the state its 1000 times worse. This should set the 'nothing happened' to rest. We paid a tremendous price, but we're free at last.

This is from the court, 1000 page ruling, with 100+ witnesses--not like your minister with some pictures of fighters in the mountains.

I have a question for serbs who post here.

Do you guys think that Kosova Albanians will give Serbia another chance to do the same what these guys who are getting punished did to them?

This ruling is a (relatively) positive outcome for Serbia.

As Milutinovic, who was a President of Serbia at the time, is found innocent it implies that the crimes were not planned and driven by the state.

There are no doubts that we are due an apology to the Albanians for any crime perpetrated by any Serbian Official. There are also little doubts that numbers of crimes and gross violations of human rights were committed during the campaign.

What is, however, wrong is that the ICT did not process Albanian leaders in a competent way (yet). However, I am sure that this will be successfully addressed in the future and that (complete) justice will be done.

Dear Shqipe,

I am Serb and I have never had any opportunity to hear first hand about suffering in Pristina in period 1990-1999. I think that the same apply to many posters here.

Therefore, I would greatly appreciate if you describe your personal experience and what have happened to you. This would be of great value to me and other posters. It would certainly help me to understand your feelings.

I wish you all the best.

The reason why Milutinovic was set free is because he gave information about others so therefore they made a deal with him.

The Hague Tribunal on Thursday acquitted former Serbian president Milan Milutinović of all charges brought against him in connection to the 1999 war in Kosovo because of two huge arguments that saved his live:
First, Milutinović was President of Serbia at this time when Milosevic, the almighty, was President of Yugoslavia, which was fighting for “its existence” and it was Milošivić’s war and not Milutinović’s war to fight. Everyone knew that Milutinović was Milošivić’s puppet.
Second, the atrocities against Kosovo were done from Yugoslav army (Milošivić’s army), Serbia legally “had no army” at that time.
He is guilty as hell.

The reason why this court does not try people for the invasion of Iraq is because it is the "International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia" ICTY. No mention of Iraq there.
As for people claiming that "as Serbs" they don't recognise the court, or the crimes, fortunately there are people like Natasa Kandic around, who despite the threats and intimidation of men claiming to be "patriots" continue to personify courage in Serbia and show the world that the citizens of Serbia are not the narrow stereotypes that some "patriots" would prefer.

These people are all innocent. I'll explain why real quick. All these things that they are being accused of happened AFTER the bombing began as a response to the bombing. The bombers are the ones that were guilty. Prior to the bombing we were only fighting the KLA, and most albanians were untouched. At the same time Turkey was doing far worse things to its Kurds, and Colombia was doing worse things too. The Bombing was not done to help, the bombing was done to make the condition for albanians worse, and to take out our regime which was pro-russian and pro-chinese, not pro-eu.

As if western officials are credible because they are 'western officials'. It is not as if any of them were neutral observers as opposed to active participants in manipulating and supporting only one side.

Paddy Ashdown lied at the tribunal when he claimed he could see kosovo 'ablaze' from Gegaj - it was proved in court that it is physically impossible to see what he claimed to have seen from where he claimed to be at that time. One wonders how an agent of MI6 (as uncovered by The Times) could not give his location at all accurately.

The kangaroo court has roared its big mouth again. It is a big shame that the legal and moral defenders of Serbia's territory have been branded again. It is quite interesting how easily Serbia and Yugoslavia are interchanged just to have The Hague and its masters make their cases. The same applies to Albanians. Now that the Yugoslav army has been held responsible they are blaming them. Remember that Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia then. But wait, when Montenegro was forced to accept Kosovo's illegal UDI Albanians at this site were saying "Thank you Montenegro, we have always been friends and blah blah blah". Next time when a Serb is sentenced Albanians will curse Serbia in their usual pathological and ideaological anti-Serb manner that can be considered pure ethnic and cultural fascism. I am confident that once the ICJ, if its can remain impartial under huge political pressure from the west, declare the UDI illegal and countries start withdrawing their recognitions that KLA "politicians" will finally start filling The Hague.

"Being Albanian from Kosovo and suffering from Serbs for so long and today witnessing that Milutinovic is not guilty, makes you not believe in justice at all.
(Shqipe, Prishtina, 26 February 2009 17:15)"

So now you know how we feel every time when a Croat, Bosniak, and Albanian is acquitted while it was completely clear that they had lots of Serbian blood on their hands. But of course you are forbidden by your Western masters to call The Hague a political court.

This is the official proof that all, the Serbian paramilitaries, Serbian police and Serbian army were involved in terrorising Kosovo Albanians.

Here we go again. Can anyone name a witness in the Haradinaj case who went missing or was murdered? The prosecution at the ICTY itself issued a statement saying that this never happened. Does no-one check facts anymore?

maurice Book

"the Chamber encountered significant difficulties in securing the testimony of a large number of these witnesses. Many cited fear as a prominent reason for not wishing to appear before the Chamber to give evidence. In this regard, the Chamber gained a strong impression that the trial was being held in an atmosphere where witnesses felt unsafe..."

Being Albanian from Kosovo and suffering from Serbs for so long and today witnessing that Milutinovic is not guilty, makes you not believe in justice at all.

"You know very well that creating Serbia was mistake. Ask France they know this better because they were key force who created Serbia and from that time till now all because of this mistake Balkans can not have peace."

Illyrian,

Here we go again. The history knowledge of most Albanians posting their false comments on this site keeps going down. Serbia was already created before there was a France or EU (7th century AD). After the dark Ottoman occupation Serbia was reborn (by itself) and once again that had nothing to do with France. Instead of going on crusades in Middle East the western European middle age states should have kicked out the Ottomans and Islam from The Balkans a long long time ago. Maybe I should stop commenting to people like you for you will never learn.

To Albanians all Serbs are guilty. Not because they commited war crimes but because they are Serbs. Here we have a court that is openly anti-Serb. And when a Serb is acquitted by the Hague tribunal he is, acording to Albanians, still guilty. And people wonder why there can be no peace in Southern Serbia. The Albanian peace plan is simple: Kill all the Serbs and burn everything associated to the Serbian people! The Albanian plan to clense Kosovo from Serbs began in the 80s with the intimidation and abduction of Serbs. However, this is something the Albanians don't wish to acknowledge.

Dear 'Maurice Book' and the rest of the friends of Haradinaj and other terrorists. 9 prosecution witnesses were killed during the Haradinaj trial. 3 of them were in protective custody.

the leading prosecution witness, commander of UCK's rival rebel formation called FARK, Tahir Zemaj, his son and nephew were shot and killed during the investigation and another witness, Kujtim Berisha, died two weeks before the trial when he was hit by a car in Montenegro. Ilir Seljmaj was killed by a knife after a staged bar fight in which he had aparently attacked six people before they stabbed him. Bekim Mustafa and Auni Eljezaj were killed in shotgun attacks, while Sabaheta Tava and Isuk Hakljaj were killed in an assassination plot after which the cars with their bodies were put in flames. This doesn't include the dozens of witnesses that were too intimidated to testify freely and others who were forced to hide their identities.

Why do you defend this thug and the sham tribunal which acquitted him?

According to the Serbian camp the army was Yugoslavian not Serbian. Well the UNSC 1244 states that they will respect the integrity of YUGOSLAVIA (not SERBIA). So what are you guys for gains you are Yugo and for loss you are Serbs?

A predictable outcome from the court of the NATO aggressors.

Lost the war in Kosova but still ended up in prison!!!. It would have been better if the Hague sent them to Bagdad and hang them. OK, five down, how many left?. Criminals such as these sick minded people should never get to see the sunlight.

Still, nothing will bring the dead back to life, these deserved to be punished and the ending is not bad at all.

Dear people who still deny it: Deny all you want! The court heard the arguments and made the decision. Unless appealed successfully it is a binding ruling and it will be used by the ICJ and in any future lawsuit by Albanians against the state of Serbia.

Serbia should withdraw the ICJ complaint, apologize, recognize and offer a $ettlement before it's too late. No amount spin will make this any better. This verdict justified our struggle and the need to be INDEPENDENT.

Finally a victory against the years of Anti-Serb propaganda from the USA/Albanian on what never happened in Kosovo!!

This Kangaroo Court in the Haughe should never have opened... it's a puppet for the USA controlling Europe!!

This should not surprise anyone as we all know very well what the hague's purpose is.

Mr. Lazarevic is brave man and a hero! He led the Pristina Corps. to defend their Holy Land from well armed uck terrorists. There were even western soldiers on the ground in Kosmet helping uck during the heavy fighting.

SHAME on american government!

RE: Heroes sent to the Gallows

We all know led by Chief of Staff Ojdanjic, Generals Pavkovic and Lazerevic secured Kosovo from the KLA terrorists and sent them running to Albania where they belong.

Secondly, contrary to NATO propoganda, Kosovo continued to be secured with little or no damage to the military hardware and personnel. As soon as the Serbian tanks left, destruction ensued with the desecration of over 150 Serbian Orthodox Churches, gravesites and cleansing of 150,000 Serbs,Roma's, Gypsies and Albanians opposed to the KLA and UCK.

Politics forced these brave men to withdraw from Kosovo with the army in tact.

Who committed war crimes> Ask the KLA, UCK and the uncontrolled elements of Serb Paramilitary groups. With the help of the NATO an d the US propoganda team, all Serbs are guilty in a court of law.

The only thing these fine officers are guilty of is defending the Yugoslav federation and constitution.

No concrete proof was made at this so called Hague Tribunal other than heresay of breaking any war convention laws including the Geneva convention.

On the contrary, NATO is accused of the breach of war crimes including the use off illegal cluster bombs in Nis, launching attacks to a state leader (contravening the Geneva convention) the deliberate attack on civilian infracture and the targeting of Yugoslav civilians of which over 1000 were reported killed.

The truth usually takes a while to come out. People are learning that the supposed mass expulsion was mostly orchestrated by the KLA just as the progom of March 04 was.

Besides you're still not independent and you're going to get poorer and poorer and soon your cousins in Albania are going to be sent to Afghanistan and possibly Iran.

Not to sound like a broken record but the offer is maximum autonomy and less then foreign occupation! So what's it gonna be?

This reminds me of the Stalinist show processes in the Soviet union.
This verdict has the function of justyfying their criminal agression on Serbia 1999.
But one thing they messed up:
kosovo is still part of Serbia according to UN 1244 and it will stay that way,therefore they can put up these show processes as long as they want,we dont care about them.

Orchestred STATE TERROR of SERBIA:

"Judge Bonomy told the defendants that Serbian and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) authorities were responsible for the widespread and organized campaign of terror, that included mass murders.

The judges found that the prosecution proved that the Yugoslav Army (VJ) troops and Serbian police (MUP) forces were responsible for the deportations, forcible movement, murder and persecution of Kosovo's Albanians. "

Now am very happy to her thge ICJ Ruling.

WALK PROUD KOSOVA- YOU WILL NEVER BE TERRORISED AGAIN.

Maybe now since has been proven that the former Yougoslavien(Serbian Army) army was the one who deported 100 thausends of albanians killed thausends of allbanians ,if the serbian goverment wants to do the right thing it is time to apollogize to their new naighbor the Republic Of Kosova maybe we can have a new start where we all will live in peace and prosperity .

It is a bad news that Milutinovic is free. Poor Albanian victims of state sponsored crimes will never forget.

Yet still, an apology from Tadic is next. This is to be followed by the recognition of the state of Kosovo.

Maybe this is is crucial moment that would change the status qou in balkans.

Being Albanian from Kosovo and suffering from Serbs for so long and today witnessing that Milutinovic is not guilty, makes you not believe in justice at all.
(Shqipe, Prishtina, 26 February 2009 17:15)

Now that the shoe is on the other foot....you know how the WE feel about the snake going free & many others going free.

How many albanians/kosovars left kosova since the independence claim? You're all so happy, but are leaving in droves as it is the poorest "country" in the world next to Zimbabwe...makes you think & compare.....

When those responsible are put on trial for their criminal actions perpetrated against the people of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Chile, Cyprus, N Ireland, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salavador, East Timor, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine et al. then we can start to discuss the merits of international justice.

Why is it that the US, UK and Israel have refused to sign up to the ICC? What are they afraid of? The countries that I list above were victims of imperialist aggression yet not one person has been brought to book to account of his/her actions. No American soldier, general or politician was prosecuted for crimes in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. You can rest assured that no Israeli will be held to account for the crimes committed against the Lebanese and Palestinian people nor will Tony Blair or George W Bush ever face a court room to face war crimes perpetrated against the Iraqi people.

This so called 'international justice' and its instruments, sponsored and paid for by the US and NATO is nothing but a sham. The next Western politcian pontificating about the moral superiority of Western values, berating the Russians and Chinese about human rights abuses, should stop and reflect on his empty and hollow words. For they mean nothing. The only thing it highlights is the not only the West blatant hypocricy and double standards, but also his own complicity in the human rights abuses carried out in the name of 'freedom' and 'democracy'.

Interesting isn’t it,

Their boss who ordered crimes is not guilty and the executers of crimes are guilty. This is something new in law. It smells to me kind of politics. The court want to protect Serbia as a state from accusation that crimes were planed from the state against other nation. They want to protect Serbia not to be accused for ethnic cleansing, murders etc. High representatives of the state were punished for war crimes and murders this European union can not accept because they don’t want Serbia to lose they want to give hand to Serbia they want to protect Serbia from these accusations. Ok EU but you are wrong because Serbia will never appreciate this. You know very well that creating Serbia was mistake. Ask France they know this better because they were key force who created Serbia and from that time till now all because of this mistake Balkans can not have peace. I hope you are doing right thing this time

I am curious to see how the current Serbian gov't will spin this outcome.

Everyone knew that Milotinuvic was not at fault as his was only a figure in Serbian/Yugoslavian politics. What helped increase credibility to this verdict; it was the judges background was not from west which it would have been disputed from Serbian Gov.
This is a wake up call for Sebian citizens, to condemn these actions and acknowledge and express their sorrow to their neighbours.

As a Kosovo Albanian from Gjakova/Djakovica, I must agree with Lazar (comment #22) that all six are innocent. NATO soldiers shot at point blank many of my neighbors (including women and children) and asked the KLA to load the corpses onto trucks and dump them in mass graves in Serbia and in the Danube river. That's how they came to be in Serbia. The Serb police, army, and paramilitary forces tried to stop KLA from massacring its people, but there was no stopping these bloody separatists.

Jovan, do ask Shqipe what happened in Pristina from 1990 to 1999. Do not pay attention to what Natasa Kandic and other Serb human rights activists are saying.

Finally, the ICTY panel of judges (which included a Bulgarian and a Pakistani) is a biased western court. Lazar, people like us, we believe only in the justice, the truth, and the real democracy offered by Slobodan Milosevic, Enver Hoxha, and Putin.

The generals of the Serbian Army were defending the sovereign territory of their country from a terrorist organisation called the UCK. Any country would have done the same thing. One thing that has been totally ignored is the fact that it was the UCK from 1997-1999 who were terrorising the civil population of Kosovo in particluar those in Serb areas although they also terrorisd their own population. So why has the whole edifice of the West chosen to blame the Serbs for everything? It has more to do with their own credibility as they ( the British SAS , US special forces and those of Germany as well) trained and armed the UCK. But another factor undoubtedly was the massive financial resources that the UCK could use to bribe anyone they thought could be useful in the west, financial resources obtained from drugs, weapons smuggling and human trafficking including organ trafficking. Nice guys, eh?

to ALL of you:

comment no.21 is very likely an albanian fake comment.

if not, I would ask this "Jovan" to post under another nickname, or at least add some other letter in order to make himself distinguishable.

OF COURSE I would never ask one of our dear k-albanian extremists to spread his propaganda here. that should be clear.

Mike C

I don't wish to be pedantic, Mike, but the point is that the BIG LIE that witnesses in the Haradinaj case were murdered has been exposed by the ICTY- but this does not stop it being repeated by the institutions of the Serbian State. Things have not changed as much in Belgrade as we might like to believe.

I beg to differ with Ivica Dacic that these verdicts just go to show that this process is just "political". The evidence: acquittal of the only one who really wasn't "political", the ceremonial president. Let's hope this step is one of reconciliation, the next one being Thaci's trial, of course.

@ Jovan (2nd one)
So propaganda is anything that doesn't suit you?
We heard this so many times. To have a good and balanced judgement you need to see and hear both sides. I don't see that here so much. ... But the war happened 10 years ago, and we still have fresh memories. Even B92 published a lot of info regarding war crimes in Kosova, for which I pay my respect to them. So, no one can deny or object if that happened or not. In the same way no one can deny or object that serbs were displaced from Kosova when the serbian military and paramilitary units left. But most of the comments here are exclusive, which makes me think that coexistence between albanians and serbes is impossible. I don't want to believe in that.

(Jovan, 27 February 2009 01:15)

There was no need whatsoever for your post.
We all knew that the poster 21 could not be the same Jovan.
Why does he have to be Albanian only you can explain!!!
Or is it that anybody that says a good word for Albanians must be Albanian?
I guess that must be it.

Whilst I believe that Mr Milutinovic was just a puppet and probably most of the time during his vice-presidency was out of his depths to understanding what he was doing, I still believe he should not have been acquitted. However that is not relevant any more.

What is extremely important though is the fact five other people have been proven guilty because they were responsible for ethnic cleansing and other atrocities against civil Albania population in Kosovo. This fact alone could go a long way to legitimising Kosovo’s independence and it will also greatly influence ICJ’s decision.

So, glorifying Mr Milutinovic’s acquittal is deeply flawed and frankly irrelevant to the Serbian cause – do not forget that Mrses Sainovic, Pavkovic, Lukic, Lazarevic, and Ojdanic are going to serve a total 96 years behind bars for what they have done.

God bless ...

Well, if the court says he is innocent! Than, he must be! So, let the old man live his remaining years in peace. And peace to Albanians and Serbs someday. Maybe your grand kids just may do that, all you have to is show them a tiny way!

milan, I think it is time to up your offer.
With a UN resolution that severs all political and economic ties of Serbia to Kosovo. Putting in place an effort to build a democratic society totally autonomous of Serbian control. And no possibility of its revocation.
NATO standing behind its stance that it was necessary to launch a bombing campaign against Serbia to stop the atrocities of the Kosovar people.
With the ICTY giving a ruling that war crimes and ethnic cleansing campaign did occur by the Serbian govt.
With Ahtissari (Nobel Prize winner for peace) testifying that there was no hope for compromise.
How can anyone anticipate the ICJ is goiong to come back and opinion that UDI was not the only viable option for the Kosovar people.
'territorial integrity" can only carry so much weight.

Just thought of adding one , more thought in this forum after reading some of the 50 comments. being Albanian and understanding Serbian politics , and understanding how law works, i knew from get go that Militunivic was innocent and should have been freed from beginning . Reason for saying that is that he was one of yes saying man of Milosevic. he had no saying of anything . he just got caught in the flow of the politics . The president of today's Russia Mevdev reminds me of him. While the big boy Putin pulls the string. Milutinovic I am glad that you got released enjoy you are free and stay away from politics. Mr Mevdev you may wanna learn a lesson from this one.

His photo is great. He looks really nice while he is escorted by the guard.

Daniel, this chapter might be closed for your but not for 100ths in Kosova. 90's will be the worst stain in serbian history.

Of course 5 out of 6 were found guilty, how else wold this NATO court justify its illegal 78 day bombing of Serbia, which broke international law, and was a blatant war crime. Not to mention dropping cluster bombs on markets, dropping depleted uranium all over the country, murdering civilians in the RTS building, destroying all power plants and infrastructure.
It's amazing that this political kangaroo court does not try the people who invaded Iraq and are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths needlessly, but is attempting to blame the Serbian military who were responding to albanian terrorism within their own borders. Serbia did not attack anyone, it was the other way around, but when you listen to these imperialist liars and propogandists you would think the opposite. The invasion of Iraq was based on complete lies, as was the invasion of Kosovo. There were no '100,000 dead albanians', we all know that, it was all lies spouted by people with absolutely zero morals, and zero character. This decision means nothing to me as a Serb, because I do not recognize NATO court. It is just as fake, just as illegal, and just as immoral, as the 'state' of Kosovo.

If these individuals and others were guilty of war crimes, they will now be punished. That's what should happen to all individuals committing crimes against humanity. It is interesting though, unlike the trial of Haradinaj, it doesn't appear that witness were murdered or went missing. That's what is very wrong with this tribunal. When Serbs were up against the court, Serbia cooperated and allowed justice to be served. However, when Croats, Bosnian Muslims, or Kosovo Albanians were up against the court, witnesses disappeared, people were intimidated or murdered, etc. At any rate, once these individuals receive their sentences, this chapter in history can be closed, at least from the Serb side. Now, we need to close this chapter from the Albanian side, from the Croatian side, and from the Bosnian Muslim side. When all war criminals are tried and convicted, where appropriate, this whole mess will finally end.

The Hague Tribunal on Thursday acquitted former Serbian president Milan Milutinović of all charges brought against him in connection to the 1999 war in Kosovo because of two huge arguments that saved his live:
First, Milutinović was President of Serbia at this time when Milosevic, the almighty, was President of Yugoslavia, which was fighting for “its existence” and it was Milošivić’s war and not Milutinović’s war to fight. Everyone knew that Milutinović was Milošivić’s puppet.
Second, the atrocities against Kosovo were done from Yugoslav army (Milošivić’s army), Serbia legally “had no army” at that time.
He is guilty as hell.

Here we go again. Can anyone name a witness in the Haradinaj case who went missing or was murdered? The prosecution at the ICTY itself issued a statement saying that this never happened. Does no-one check facts anymore?

Come on already, the guy is innocent. Why else would it take years and a thousand pages of red tape.

This is great victory over inhumanity, over injustice, over wrongdoers, over criminals, over an organized system created by Serbs to liquidate all non Serbs of former Yugoslav Federation.
This is victory for all humanity around the world
This is victory for mother who lost their sons; daughters of Kosovo and Balkans
This is victory for all Childs who died on stomach of their mothers.
This is victory...

A predictable outcome from the court of the NATO aggressors.

I have a question for serbs who post here.

Do you guys think that Kosova Albanians will give Serbia another chance to do the same what these guys who are getting punished did to them?

Lost the war in Kosova but still ended up in prison!!!. It would have been better if the Hague sent them to Bagdad and hang them. OK, five down, how many left?. Criminals such as these sick minded people should never get to see the sunlight.

Still, nothing will bring the dead back to life, these deserved to be punished and the ending is not bad at all.

Justice finally: this is is the Serbian State leadership, not some peasant named Drago or Bajram. People of all sides do horrible things in a war, but when it's directed by the state its 1000 times worse. This should set the 'nothing happened' to rest. We paid a tremendous price, but we're free at last.

This is from the court, 1000 page ruling, with 100+ witnesses--not like your minister with some pictures of fighters in the mountains.

The reason why Milutinovic was set free is because he gave information about others so therefore they made a deal with him.

Being Albanian from Kosovo and suffering from Serbs for so long and today witnessing that Milutinovic is not guilty, makes you not believe in justice at all.

The kangaroo court has roared its big mouth again. It is a big shame that the legal and moral defenders of Serbia's territory have been branded again. It is quite interesting how easily Serbia and Yugoslavia are interchanged just to have The Hague and its masters make their cases. The same applies to Albanians. Now that the Yugoslav army has been held responsible they are blaming them. Remember that Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia then. But wait, when Montenegro was forced to accept Kosovo's illegal UDI Albanians at this site were saying "Thank you Montenegro, we have always been friends and blah blah blah". Next time when a Serb is sentenced Albanians will curse Serbia in their usual pathological and ideaological anti-Serb manner that can be considered pure ethnic and cultural fascism. I am confident that once the ICJ, if its can remain impartial under huge political pressure from the west, declare the UDI illegal and countries start withdrawing their recognitions that KLA "politicians" will finally start filling The Hague.

Dear people who still deny it: Deny all you want! The court heard the arguments and made the decision. Unless appealed successfully it is a binding ruling and it will be used by the ICJ and in any future lawsuit by Albanians against the state of Serbia.

Serbia should withdraw the ICJ complaint, apologize, recognize and offer a $ettlement before it's too late. No amount spin will make this any better. This verdict justified our struggle and the need to be INDEPENDENT.

This is the official proof that all, the Serbian paramilitaries, Serbian police and Serbian army were involved in terrorising Kosovo Albanians.

Interesting isn’t it,

Their boss who ordered crimes is not guilty and the executers of crimes are guilty. This is something new in law. It smells to me kind of politics. The court want to protect Serbia as a state from accusation that crimes were planed from the state against other nation. They want to protect Serbia not to be accused for ethnic cleansing, murders etc. High representatives of the state were punished for war crimes and murders this European union can not accept because they don’t want Serbia to lose they want to give hand to Serbia they want to protect Serbia from these accusations. Ok EU but you are wrong because Serbia will never appreciate this. You know very well that creating Serbia was mistake. Ask France they know this better because they were key force who created Serbia and from that time till now all because of this mistake Balkans can not have peace. I hope you are doing right thing this time

Maybe now since has been proven that the former Yougoslavien(Serbian Army) army was the one who deported 100 thausends of albanians killed thausends of allbanians ,if the serbian goverment wants to do the right thing it is time to apollogize to their new naighbor the Republic Of Kosova maybe we can have a new start where we all will live in peace and prosperity .

It is a bad news that Milutinovic is free. Poor Albanian victims of state sponsored crimes will never forget.

Yet still, an apology from Tadic is next. This is to be followed by the recognition of the state of Kosovo.

Maybe this is is crucial moment that would change the status qou in balkans.

RE: Heroes sent to the Gallows

We all know led by Chief of Staff Ojdanjic, Generals Pavkovic and Lazerevic secured Kosovo from the KLA terrorists and sent them running to Albania where they belong.

Secondly, contrary to NATO propoganda, Kosovo continued to be secured with little or no damage to the military hardware and personnel. As soon as the Serbian tanks left, destruction ensued with the desecration of over 150 Serbian Orthodox Churches, gravesites and cleansing of 150,000 Serbs,Roma's, Gypsies and Albanians opposed to the KLA and UCK.

Politics forced these brave men to withdraw from Kosovo with the army in tact.

Who committed war crimes> Ask the KLA, UCK and the uncontrolled elements of Serb Paramilitary groups. With the help of the NATO an d the US propoganda team, all Serbs are guilty in a court of law.

The only thing these fine officers are guilty of is defending the Yugoslav federation and constitution.

No concrete proof was made at this so called Hague Tribunal other than heresay of breaking any war convention laws including the Geneva convention.

On the contrary, NATO is accused of the breach of war crimes including the use off illegal cluster bombs in Nis, launching attacks to a state leader (contravening the Geneva convention) the deliberate attack on civilian infracture and the targeting of Yugoslav civilians of which over 1000 were reported killed.

Finally a victory against the years of Anti-Serb propaganda from the USA/Albanian on what never happened in Kosovo!!

This Kangaroo Court in the Haughe should never have opened... it's a puppet for the USA controlling Europe!!

Orchestred STATE TERROR of SERBIA:

"Judge Bonomy told the defendants that Serbian and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) authorities were responsible for the widespread and organized campaign of terror, that included mass murders.

The judges found that the prosecution proved that the Yugoslav Army (VJ) troops and Serbian police (MUP) forces were responsible for the deportations, forcible movement, murder and persecution of Kosovo's Albanians. "

Now am very happy to her thge ICJ Ruling.

WALK PROUD KOSOVA- YOU WILL NEVER BE TERRORISED AGAIN.

Everyone knew that Milotinuvic was not at fault as his was only a figure in Serbian/Yugoslavian politics. What helped increase credibility to this verdict; it was the judges background was not from west which it would have been disputed from Serbian Gov.
This is a wake up call for Sebian citizens, to condemn these actions and acknowledge and express their sorrow to their neighbours.

These people are all innocent. I'll explain why real quick. All these things that they are being accused of happened AFTER the bombing began as a response to the bombing. The bombers are the ones that were guilty. Prior to the bombing we were only fighting the KLA, and most albanians were untouched. At the same time Turkey was doing far worse things to its Kurds, and Colombia was doing worse things too. The Bombing was not done to help, the bombing was done to make the condition for albanians worse, and to take out our regime which was pro-russian and pro-chinese, not pro-eu.

The reason why this court does not try people for the invasion of Iraq is because it is the "International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia" ICTY. No mention of Iraq there.
As for people claiming that "as Serbs" they don't recognise the court, or the crimes, fortunately there are people like Natasa Kandic around, who despite the threats and intimidation of men claiming to be "patriots" continue to personify courage in Serbia and show the world that the citizens of Serbia are not the narrow stereotypes that some "patriots" would prefer.

This should not surprise anyone as we all know very well what the hague's purpose is.

Mr. Lazarevic is brave man and a hero! He led the Pristina Corps. to defend their Holy Land from well armed uck terrorists. There were even western soldiers on the ground in Kosmet helping uck during the heavy fighting.

SHAME on american government!

Mike C

I don't wish to be pedantic, Mike, but the point is that the BIG LIE that witnesses in the Haradinaj case were murdered has been exposed by the ICTY- but this does not stop it being repeated by the institutions of the Serbian State. Things have not changed as much in Belgrade as we might like to believe.

to ALL of you:

comment no.21 is very likely an albanian fake comment.

if not, I would ask this "Jovan" to post under another nickname, or at least add some other letter in order to make himself distinguishable.

OF COURSE I would never ask one of our dear k-albanian extremists to spread his propaganda here. that should be clear.

To Albanians all Serbs are guilty. Not because they commited war crimes but because they are Serbs. Here we have a court that is openly anti-Serb. And when a Serb is acquitted by the Hague tribunal he is, acording to Albanians, still guilty. And people wonder why there can be no peace in Southern Serbia. The Albanian peace plan is simple: Kill all the Serbs and burn everything associated to the Serbian people! The Albanian plan to clense Kosovo from Serbs began in the 80s with the intimidation and abduction of Serbs. However, this is something the Albanians don't wish to acknowledge.

"Being Albanian from Kosovo and suffering from Serbs for so long and today witnessing that Milutinovic is not guilty, makes you not believe in justice at all.
(Shqipe, Prishtina, 26 February 2009 17:15)"

So now you know how we feel every time when a Croat, Bosniak, and Albanian is acquitted while it was completely clear that they had lots of Serbian blood on their hands. But of course you are forbidden by your Western masters to call The Hague a political court.

As if western officials are credible because they are 'western officials'. It is not as if any of them were neutral observers as opposed to active participants in manipulating and supporting only one side.

Paddy Ashdown lied at the tribunal when he claimed he could see kosovo 'ablaze' from Gegaj - it was proved in court that it is physically impossible to see what he claimed to have seen from where he claimed to be at that time. One wonders how an agent of MI6 (as uncovered by The Times) could not give his location at all accurately.

This ruling is a (relatively) positive outcome for Serbia.

As Milutinovic, who was a President of Serbia at the time, is found innocent it implies that the crimes were not planned and driven by the state.

There are no doubts that we are due an apology to the Albanians for any crime perpetrated by any Serbian Official. There are also little doubts that numbers of crimes and gross violations of human rights were committed during the campaign.

What is, however, wrong is that the ICT did not process Albanian leaders in a competent way (yet). However, I am sure that this will be successfully addressed in the future and that (complete) justice will be done.

Being Albanian from Kosovo and suffering from Serbs for so long and today witnessing that Milutinovic is not guilty, makes you not believe in justice at all.
(Shqipe, Prishtina, 26 February 2009 17:15)

Now that the shoe is on the other foot....you know how the WE feel about the snake going free & many others going free.

How many albanians/kosovars left kosova since the independence claim? You're all so happy, but are leaving in droves as it is the poorest "country" in the world next to Zimbabwe...makes you think & compare.....

This reminds me of the Stalinist show processes in the Soviet union.
This verdict has the function of justyfying their criminal agression on Serbia 1999.
But one thing they messed up:
kosovo is still part of Serbia according to UN 1244 and it will stay that way,therefore they can put up these show processes as long as they want,we dont care about them.

maurice Book

"the Chamber encountered significant difficulties in securing the testimony of a large number of these witnesses. Many cited fear as a prominent reason for not wishing to appear before the Chamber to give evidence. In this regard, the Chamber gained a strong impression that the trial was being held in an atmosphere where witnesses felt unsafe..."

Dear Shqipe,

I am Serb and I have never had any opportunity to hear first hand about suffering in Pristina in period 1990-1999. I think that the same apply to many posters here.

Therefore, I would greatly appreciate if you describe your personal experience and what have happened to you. This would be of great value to me and other posters. It would certainly help me to understand your feelings.

I wish you all the best.

"You know very well that creating Serbia was mistake. Ask France they know this better because they were key force who created Serbia and from that time till now all because of this mistake Balkans can not have peace."

Illyrian,

Here we go again. The history knowledge of most Albanians posting their false comments on this site keeps going down. Serbia was already created before there was a France or EU (7th century AD). After the dark Ottoman occupation Serbia was reborn (by itself) and once again that had nothing to do with France. Instead of going on crusades in Middle East the western European middle age states should have kicked out the Ottomans and Islam from The Balkans a long long time ago. Maybe I should stop commenting to people like you for you will never learn.

Dear 'Maurice Book' and the rest of the friends of Haradinaj and other terrorists. 9 prosecution witnesses were killed during the Haradinaj trial. 3 of them were in protective custody.

the leading prosecution witness, commander of UCK's rival rebel formation called FARK, Tahir Zemaj, his son and nephew were shot and killed during the investigation and another witness, Kujtim Berisha, died two weeks before the trial when he was hit by a car in Montenegro. Ilir Seljmaj was killed by a knife after a staged bar fight in which he had aparently attacked six people before they stabbed him. Bekim Mustafa and Auni Eljezaj were killed in shotgun attacks, while Sabaheta Tava and Isuk Hakljaj were killed in an assassination plot after which the cars with their bodies were put in flames. This doesn't include the dozens of witnesses that were too intimidated to testify freely and others who were forced to hide their identities.

Why do you defend this thug and the sham tribunal which acquitted him?

According to the Serbian camp the army was Yugoslavian not Serbian. Well the UNSC 1244 states that they will respect the integrity of YUGOSLAVIA (not SERBIA). So what are you guys for gains you are Yugo and for loss you are Serbs?

The truth usually takes a while to come out. People are learning that the supposed mass expulsion was mostly orchestrated by the KLA just as the progom of March 04 was.

Besides you're still not independent and you're going to get poorer and poorer and soon your cousins in Albania are going to be sent to Afghanistan and possibly Iran.

Not to sound like a broken record but the offer is maximum autonomy and less then foreign occupation! So what's it gonna be?

I am curious to see how the current Serbian gov't will spin this outcome.

I beg to differ with Ivica Dacic that these verdicts just go to show that this process is just "political". The evidence: acquittal of the only one who really wasn't "political", the ceremonial president. Let's hope this step is one of reconciliation, the next one being Thaci's trial, of course.

As a Kosovo Albanian from Gjakova/Djakovica, I must agree with Lazar (comment #22) that all six are innocent. NATO soldiers shot at point blank many of my neighbors (including women and children) and asked the KLA to load the corpses onto trucks and dump them in mass graves in Serbia and in the Danube river. That's how they came to be in Serbia. The Serb police, army, and paramilitary forces tried to stop KLA from massacring its people, but there was no stopping these bloody separatists.

Jovan, do ask Shqipe what happened in Pristina from 1990 to 1999. Do not pay attention to what Natasa Kandic and other Serb human rights activists are saying.

Finally, the ICTY panel of judges (which included a Bulgarian and a Pakistani) is a biased western court. Lazar, people like us, we believe only in the justice, the truth, and the real democracy offered by Slobodan Milosevic, Enver Hoxha, and Putin.

Whilst I believe that Mr Milutinovic was just a puppet and probably most of the time during his vice-presidency was out of his depths to understanding what he was doing, I still believe he should not have been acquitted. However that is not relevant any more.

What is extremely important though is the fact five other people have been proven guilty because they were responsible for ethnic cleansing and other atrocities against civil Albania population in Kosovo. This fact alone could go a long way to legitimising Kosovo’s independence and it will also greatly influence ICJ’s decision.

So, glorifying Mr Milutinovic’s acquittal is deeply flawed and frankly irrelevant to the Serbian cause – do not forget that Mrses Sainovic, Pavkovic, Lukic, Lazarevic, and Ojdanic are going to serve a total 96 years behind bars for what they have done.

God bless ...

milan, I think it is time to up your offer.
With a UN resolution that severs all political and economic ties of Serbia to Kosovo. Putting in place an effort to build a democratic society totally autonomous of Serbian control. And no possibility of its revocation.
NATO standing behind its stance that it was necessary to launch a bombing campaign against Serbia to stop the atrocities of the Kosovar people.
With the ICTY giving a ruling that war crimes and ethnic cleansing campaign did occur by the Serbian govt.
With Ahtissari (Nobel Prize winner for peace) testifying that there was no hope for compromise.
How can anyone anticipate the ICJ is goiong to come back and opinion that UDI was not the only viable option for the Kosovar people.
'territorial integrity" can only carry so much weight.

When those responsible are put on trial for their criminal actions perpetrated against the people of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Chile, Cyprus, N Ireland, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salavador, East Timor, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine et al. then we can start to discuss the merits of international justice.

Why is it that the US, UK and Israel have refused to sign up to the ICC? What are they afraid of? The countries that I list above were victims of imperialist aggression yet not one person has been brought to book to account of his/her actions. No American soldier, general or politician was prosecuted for crimes in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. You can rest assured that no Israeli will be held to account for the crimes committed against the Lebanese and Palestinian people nor will Tony Blair or George W Bush ever face a court room to face war crimes perpetrated against the Iraqi people.

This so called 'international justice' and its instruments, sponsored and paid for by the US and NATO is nothing but a sham. The next Western politcian pontificating about the moral superiority of Western values, berating the Russians and Chinese about human rights abuses, should stop and reflect on his empty and hollow words. For they mean nothing. The only thing it highlights is the not only the West blatant hypocricy and double standards, but also his own complicity in the human rights abuses carried out in the name of 'freedom' and 'democracy'.

(Jovan, 27 February 2009 01:15)

There was no need whatsoever for your post.
We all knew that the poster 21 could not be the same Jovan.
Why does he have to be Albanian only you can explain!!!
Or is it that anybody that says a good word for Albanians must be Albanian?
I guess that must be it.

The generals of the Serbian Army were defending the sovereign territory of their country from a terrorist organisation called the UCK. Any country would have done the same thing. One thing that has been totally ignored is the fact that it was the UCK from 1997-1999 who were terrorising the civil population of Kosovo in particluar those in Serb areas although they also terrorisd their own population. So why has the whole edifice of the West chosen to blame the Serbs for everything? It has more to do with their own credibility as they ( the British SAS , US special forces and those of Germany as well) trained and armed the UCK. But another factor undoubtedly was the massive financial resources that the UCK could use to bribe anyone they thought could be useful in the west, financial resources obtained from drugs, weapons smuggling and human trafficking including organ trafficking. Nice guys, eh?

Just thought of adding one , more thought in this forum after reading some of the 50 comments. being Albanian and understanding Serbian politics , and understanding how law works, i knew from get go that Militunivic was innocent and should have been freed from beginning . Reason for saying that is that he was one of yes saying man of Milosevic. he had no saying of anything . he just got caught in the flow of the politics . The president of today's Russia Mevdev reminds me of him. While the big boy Putin pulls the string. Milutinovic I am glad that you got released enjoy you are free and stay away from politics. Mr Mevdev you may wanna learn a lesson from this one.

@ Jovan (2nd one)
So propaganda is anything that doesn't suit you?
We heard this so many times. To have a good and balanced judgement you need to see and hear both sides. I don't see that here so much. ... But the war happened 10 years ago, and we still have fresh memories. Even B92 published a lot of info regarding war crimes in Kosova, for which I pay my respect to them. So, no one can deny or object if that happened or not. In the same way no one can deny or object that serbs were displaced from Kosova when the serbian military and paramilitary units left. But most of the comments here are exclusive, which makes me think that coexistence between albanians and serbes is impossible. I don't want to believe in that.

Well, if the court says he is innocent! Than, he must be! So, let the old man live his remaining years in peace. And peace to Albanians and Serbs someday. Maybe your grand kids just may do that, all you have to is show them a tiny way!