John : While you are watching your gold shares go up, you might find this an interesting diversion.
Yugoslavia Takes NATO to Court
By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press Writer
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — In an unprecedented legal maneuver aimed at stopping NATO airstrikes, Yugoslavia filed World Court cases against 10 alliance members today, claiming their bombing campaign breaches international law.
Yugoslavia also asked the 15-judge court, the United Nations' highest judicial body, to demand an immediate halt to NATO's campaign while the case is being considered — a process that can take years.
An emergency hearing is likely to be scheduled early next week to discuss Belgrade's request. Judges were believed to be meeting today to discuss their initial reaction.
''This morning, we filed proceedings against 10 NATO members,'' Sanja Milinkovic, legal counsel at the Yugoslav Embassy in The Hague, told The Associated Press. She declined further comment and would not say which countries were named.
An American Embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the United States was one of the countries named.
The court, which has no enforcement powers and relies on states to comply voluntarily with its rulings, declined to comment on the case.
A state has never before filed simultaneous cases against 10 other countries at the World Court.
International law expert Terry Gill of Utrecht University in the central Netherlands dismissed Yugoslavia's application as a ''public
relations stunt'' designed to promote disagreement among NATO nations.
''There is some doubt among NATO states about the legality of what they are doing, so something like this could cause embarrassment,'' Gill said.
Even if the court were to order a halt to airstrikes, Yugoslavia would have to seek a U.N. Security Council resolution ordering compliance if NATO refused to back down, Gill said.
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Can you imagine if the Court found that Clinton and Blair were war criminals --- that would be an interesting twist of fate! Anyway, you can be sure that Clinton would put all the blame on Blair. |
