Sir, - We all must welcome the indictment of President Milosevic for war crimes. It is an extraordinary step forward and the United Nations and Prosecutor Louise Arbour plus her team of prosecutors must be congratulated. While the timing may complicate peace negotiations, a peace so desperately needed by the Albanian and Serbian civilian population of both Kosovar and Belgrade, Hague prosecution cannot be compromised by the politics of any situation.
What is of great concern is what is the propriety of NATO or others such as Russia, on behalf of NATO, negotiating with an internationally established war criminal. Richard Holbroke has, I believe, set precedents with other indicted Yugoslav leaders. Reluctant though we all might be, there needs to be a rationale for such negotiation with the indicted and hopefully a peaceful settlement to the NATO invasion. The earliest return of the Albanian population of Kosovo with massive international investment intended for both the Serb and Albanian communities is now essential.
This does, however, raise two issues that your readers may wish to ponder upon. One is the continuing unwillingness of the Gulf War "victors" (USA and UK) to deal directly with President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, who has not been indicted although, like Milosevic, is a former military ally of the UK, USA and others.
If NATO can talk with Milosevic, I would hope that it would open a door for real discussion with Hussein about a closure of the war against Iraq - both the bombing of the no-fly zones and the even more deadly war of eight long years of economic sanctions. The International community still stands back as thousands of Iraqis, particularly young children, die from the direct impact of these UN Security Council imposed sanctions.
Secondly, do we in 1999 still subscribe to the concept that in war the victors are good guys and the losers the bad? A bit simplistic, surely, because clearly there are appalling and illegal activities on both sides - i.e. the deliberate slaughter of civilians combined with the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, such as electric power production - essential for health care, drinking water supplies and sewage processing. Attacks on civilians are incompatible with the Geneva Conventions on warfare and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. No matter what is happening domestically, such as the revolting ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, the ends cannot justify the means being used by NATO, both illegal and unsuccessful.
The rational conclusion is that after the indictment of Milosevic, The Hague needs to focus on the victors - NATO leadership - responsible for the military aggression that neglects aspects of international law. - Yours, etc., Denis J Halliday,
New York, USA.