Show trials (letter)

by Stephen Asic

News Weekly, March 23, 2002

Sir,

I am rather disappointed in reading the latest Straws in the Wind article (NW, March 9) by Max Teichmann on the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. He seems to be more concerned with technicalities instead of facts.

Doesn't he know that Milosevic was the prime instigator of the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and finally in Kosovo?

Doesn't he know that Milosevic came to power on the back of Serbian nationalism and his fall (defeat) came because of his failure to deliver a Greater Serbia.

Milosevic didn't pull all the strings, but his support was crucial for the success of all the major Serb initiatives carried out in those wars.

Don't names like Vukovar, Sarajevo, Srebrenica mean anything? Who do you think is ultimately responsible for their destruction and murder of thousands of innocent people?

Milosevic stood at the very top of the chain of command and therefore he bears the ultimate responsibility. He was the Hitler of the Balkans.

The International War Crimes Tribunal is not a perfect body nor NATO the perfect organisation but to compare them to Nazis and Nazis Show Trials is, to say the least, irresponsible.

Stephen Asic,
Perth, WA