[Newspoetry] War Crimes

[Mike Lehman]

Stay tuned for further indictments?
Mike Lehman

Joe Futrelle wrote:

> we could write one up.
>

As for the other court, the International Court of Justice, andthe case of
Yugoslavia v. the United States of America
(http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idocket/iyus/iyusframe.htm), we shall see
what kind of justice prevails Wednesday, June 2, when the ICJ is scheduled
to give its decision on Yugoslavia's request for an order by the court
directing the NATO states to cease their use of force against Yugoslavia.
The ICJ press release follows (slightly reformatted and edited):

                ==============================

International Court of Justice - Press Communiqui 99/22

28 May 1999

                Legality of Use of Force

(Yugoslavia v. Belgium) (Yugoslavia v. Canada) (Yugoslavia v. France)
(Yugoslavia v. Germany) (Yugoslavia v. Italy) (Yugoslavia v. Netherlands)
(Yugoslavia v. Portugal) (Yugoslavia v. Spain) (Yugoslavia v. United
Kingdom) (Yugoslavia v. United States of America)

                Provisional measures

Court to give its decisions on Wednesday 2 June 1999 at 10.00 a.m.

        THE HAGUE, 28 May 1999. On Wednesday 2 June 1999, the
International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the
United Nations, will give its decisions on the requests for the indication
of provisional measures submitted by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
(FRY) in the above-mentioned cases.

        A public sitting will take place at 10.00 a.m. at the Peace Palace
in The Hague during which the Vice-President of the Court, Judge
Christopher Weeramantry, exercising the functions of the presidency in the
ten cases, will announce the Court's decision in each case.

        [Edited information concerning press and public attendance at the
announcement.]

                Background information

        In its request for the indication of provisional measures,
Yugoslavia asked the Court to order the States involved to "cease
immediately [their] acts of use of force" and to "refrain from any act of
threat or use of force" against the FRY.

        At the opening of the hearings, on Monday 10 May 1999, five judges
ad hoc took the oath (Article 31 of the Court's Statute provides that
parties which do not have any judge of their nationality on the Bench
may appoint a judge ad hoc). They are Messrs. Milenko Kreca (Yugoslavia),
Patrick Duinslaeger (Belgium), Marc Lalonde (Canada), Giorgio Gaja (Italy)
and Santiago Torres Bernardez (Spain).

        The Court then heard the Parties. Yugoslavia, as the applicant
State, spoke first for two hours in a common statement for all ten cases.
It was followed by the respondent States in English alphabetical order.
Each State had one hour to submit its arguments. The first round of oral
arguments was concluded on Tuesday 11 May 1999. A second round of oral
arguments was held on Wednesday 12 May 1999, Yugoslavia having one hour at
its disposal and the respondent States 15 minutes each.

        Yugoslavia filed its requests for the indication of provisional
measures on 29 April 1999 when it instituted proceedings before the Court
against the ten above-mentioned States, accusing them of bombing Yugoslav
territory in violation of their obligation not to use force against
another State (for further details, see Press Communiqui 99/17).

        [Deleted more information for the attending press]

                End of Press Release

                ====================================



> On Thu, May 27, 1999 at 09:48:19PM -0500, Mike Lehman wrote:
> > Aren't there warrants out for Bill Clinton and Tony Blair yet?
> > <http://www.nato-warcrimes.gr/index.html>
> > Mike Lehman