FOX says Milosevic is dead....

[jmq]

Nothing further some source from Europe...

Slobodan Milosevic Found Dead in His Cell

Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav leader who orchestrated the Balkan wars of the 1990s and was on trial for war crimes, was found dead in his prison cell at the U.N. detention center near The Hague, the U.N. tribunal said Saturday. He was 65.

Fox News said he appeared to have died from natural causes. One reporter mentioned Milosevic had a history of heart problems.

[Diligent]

"There were no good guys in that war, everyone committed atrocities against pretty much everyone else. All involved deserve painful deaths.

While I think that they shouldn't have focused on Milosevic as heavily as they did for the war crimes, he wasn't innocent and doesn't deserve any praise."

...

Madison Moose, I couldn't have said it any better.

[Revenge of Sith]

Yep and there was also people on the far left, such as Ramsey Clark, Alan Colmes, Jesse Jackson, the National Council of Churches and a few members of the Congressional Black Caucus, that opposed Clinton's use of force in the Balkans.

[Al Simmons]

Serbs did not "abandon Kosovo."

During WWII the Nazi-allied Albanians persecuted Serbs; half a million fled North. After the war, Tito (a communist) refused to grant them the right to return (buying political peace with the Albanian minority).

In 1989, of course, the communist Milosevic put on the nationalist mantle during a trip to Kosovo as a way of perpetuating himself in power.

His policy of repression in Kosovo worsened the problem beyond any capacity for a rational political solution. And, of course, when it became a detriment to continue supporting them, he pulled the rug from underneath the Kosovo Serbs as he had done in Croatia and then in Bosbia.

You're welcome.

[Al Simmons]

You are disgusting. Milosevic lived as as atheist communist and died as an atheist communist. He is the supreme traitor of Serbian history - a man who destroyed his own country.

If you think that he was some kind of latter-day "El Cid" fighting the Islamists you demonstrate that you know nothing about Balkan history and are well-advised to keep your mouth shut instead of advertising your ignorance.

[Al Simmons]

"Serb Freepers are the only people around here who favourably quote the likes of Living Marxism, antiwar.com and emperors-clothes."

a. You are wrong because many of the Slobo-trolls are ignorant non-Serbs; and

b. My posts are certainly not pro-Slobo - I have been saying since I got to FR in '99 that he should swing from a pole in Terazije Square.

None of my family in Serbia EVER voted for him and considered him to be a penultimate traitor from the beginning of his 'reign' in 1989. So please do not paint with such a wide brush unless of course you enjoy seeing all Brits lumped together too.

[EODGUY]

I demand a thorough Senate investigation........Oh, never mind, he was in UN custody...if Kofi "I made all my money on the oil for food program" Annan says there was nothing inappropriate, no one will utter a disparaging word.

EODGUY

[Al Simmons]

No offense taken. I worked behind the scenes at the Dayton Peace talks as a US military liaison officer and interpreter with the 3 delegations and can tell you some interesting stories.

As far as I am concerned, Slobo and Slick are two sides of the same coin and BOTH should have been prosecuted for war crimes.

(Both Slick and Slobo were political opportunists and each one sold out his own country for his own personal interest).

[A. Pole]

If he was such a great leader for Serbia, why did he rig elections and why did the Serbs overthrow him in a popular uprising?

The reason why many Serbs turned against him was that Serbia was impoverished by sanctions and war while the West promised prosperity if they vote the "right" way.

[Torie]

Here is a pretty good summary of the demographics of Kosovo. The Albanians became a majority by no later 1900, and it stayed that way.

[Al Simmons]

No, the reason that Serbs turned against him is that they realized that he was nothing but a communist who had destroyed their country for his own benefit. Oh, and lets not forget the internal repression and political assassinations commited WITHIN Serbia during his rule......

[Revenge of Sith]

There was widespread opposition to him even before the Kosovo war. He was attacked for rigging elections in the 90's.

[A. Pole]

As far as I am concerned, Slobo and Slick are two sides of the same coin and BOTH should have been prosecuted for war crimes. (Both Slick and Slobo were political opportunists and each one sold out his own country for his own personal interest).

This might be true. Still it would be wrong to prosecute either of them for the crimes which they did not commit, or worse the crimes which did not take place at all.

[A. Pole]

Also Slobo is just a symbol. It is Serbs as a nation who are the real target. Just wait and you will see that Slobo's death will not relieve the pressure.

[Al Simmons]

The way that you can tell the (few) rational and informed people on these Balkan threads is that they are alternately attacked by the nutburgers from BOTH sides.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Us rationals have to stick together : )

Slobby may be gone, but his defenders will be forever, I'm afraid.

[A. Pole]

Us rationals have to stick together : )

How do you become a member of this Mutual Adoration Society? :)

[annalex]

Milosevic did fight the Islamists in Kosovo, and it was very unfortunate that Clinton took the wrong side in that conflict.