For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 1, 2001
Statement by the President
I welcome today's arrest of Slobodan Milosevic, the former President of
Yugoslavia. His arrest represents an important step in
bringing to a close the tragic era of his brutal dictatorship.
Milosevic was responsible for great suffering throughout the Balkan
region. He deserves to be tried for his crimes against the Serbian
people. He also deserves to be tried for violations of
international law. We cannot and must not forget the
chilling images of terrified women and children herded onto trains,
emaciated prisoners interned behind barbed wire, and mass graves
unearthed by UN investigators.
Milosevic's arrest should be a first step toward trying him for the
crimes against humanity with which he is charged. I am
confident that Yugoslavia will continue down the path of cooperation
with the UN War Crimes Tribunal. I am encouraged by the actions that
Belgrade has already taken to work with the Tribunal, including its
assistance over the last several weeks in transferring two indictees to
the Hague. I call on President Kostunica to continue this
cooperation and to see that Milosevic is likewise brought to justice.
The United States appreciates the hard job that Yugoslavia faces in
building its new democracy. I assure the Yugoslav government
and people that they can count on the friendship of the United States
as they continue down the path of democratic and economic
reform. We look forward to the day that Yugoslavia is fully
part of a Europe that is whole and free and at peace.
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