[Marxism] Let Milosevic have a fair fight

[David Quarter]

From:           	Jim Yarker

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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the July 29, 2004
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Let Milosevic have a fair fight


Conquering a new colony, the Roman legions drag the defeated 
chieftain 
back to the Colosseum. They offer a final challenge: "We will bury 
you 
up to your neck in sand and set the lion on you. If you defeat him, 
you 
will be set free."

As the lion leaps on him, the chieftain ducks and then bites the 
lion in 
the groin. The lion bleeds to death. "Now you must free me," he 
says.

"Not so fast," counters a Legionnaire. "You didn't fight fair."

For those who follow the case of former Yugoslav President 
Slobodan 
Milosevic, this enraging old "joke" hits home. Yugoslavia's 
imperialist 
conquerors dragged the defeated leader to NATO's court in The 
Hague, 
which spent tens of millions of dollars, prepared for a year, put on 
295 
prosecution witnesses over two years and proved nothing.

That's the reason most people have probably heard little of what 
was 
supposed to be the "war crimes trial of the century."

Ill much of the time, Milosevic worked with the aid of a handful of 
supporters and little money before hostile judges who make up the 
rules 
as they go along. He still demolished the prosecution by exposing 
"witnesses" as stool pigeons and war criminals trading lies for 
immunity.

Milosevic had only 50 days to prepare his defense. He was set to 
expose 
U.S./NATO war crimes against Yugoslavia. Like the Romans in the 
story, 
the court changed the rules. The illness Milosevic complained of for 
two 
years suddenly became useful to the judges. Instead of giving him 
time 
and care to recover, they now threaten to stop him from 
representing 
himself.

For "fairness," for historic truth, the court must give Milosevic time 
off to recover his health, time to prepare his case, and the right to 
defend himself in court. 

- END -

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