Much of my adult working life was spent in and around the Balkans helping (I hope) mitigate or clean up after the misery caused by the Balkan Wars of the 1990's. Evil men on all sides of the conflict murdered innocents in the name of their own ambitions. When the international community decided to bring the force of law (rather than mere force) to bear on the crimes committed in those awful years, I was glad. I am not sure that either I or the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was always successful but I am sure that I am proud of the work the US did to help the ICTY. For Allen, Jessica, Cliff, David, Ray, Laura and all of the hard working investigators and lawyers at the ICTY, today is a very good day.
If you don't know what I am talking about see this Times Online story and this reaction piece.
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Very Good Day, Indeed
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Kudos Mr. Wheaton, to you and all who have taken part. I have had days like this (although not quite as glorious), but unfortunately I have let too many of them slip by. Politics had kept me, and those of my ilk, at an arms distance from our query. In the previous year Abu Sabaya had been killed, and Gracia had been rescued. In early 2003 Susukan was killed. A man with only a first name shook my hand and congratulated me. I replied, “Why, I didn’t do anything. Politics has kept me from doing my job.” The man responded, “Terrorists don’t fear because one bullet, from one gun, held by one man will end their life. They fear because thousands of analysts are tracking their every move, assessing where he will go next, and plotting their demise. Bullets end life, but they don’t kill terrorists... stick pins in a map now that kills terrorists... stickpins in a map.” So, kudos Mr. Wheaton, to you and all who have had a hand in this great deed.
Best Regards,
Mark Blair
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