Karadzic Appears at U.N. Tribunal

The first picture I found on El Universal.
Look what a shave and a haircut did for Karadzic.

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared at the U.N.'s Yugoslav war crimes tribunal for the first time Thursday, telling the judge he would defend himself against charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

What's that old saying? The person who represents himself has a fool for a client, or lawyer? No, the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, apparently. Either way, Karadzic is a damned fool.

"I have an invisible adviser but I have decided to represent myself," he calmly told presiding judge Alphons Orie.

Rally for Karadzic Suggests Fissures Remain in Serbia

Associated Press

Rioters clashed with heavily armed police in downtown Belgrade late Tuesday.

Not enough they are celebrating a war criminal (of course, they don't see it that way): As many as 20,000 protesters chanted slogans tarring Serbia's pro-European president, Boris Tadic, as a fascist, as speakers accused the government of treason for agreeing to send Mr. Karadzic to the war-crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Treason? Not every one feels that way.

Liberals and many analysts in Serbia argue that Western observers have consistently gotten the country wrong in predicting a nationalist revival. They note that in every election since 2000, Serbs have chosen democrats over ultranationalists. Opinion surveys invariably show support for joining the EU at about 70%. Tuesday's protest turnout was relatively small compared with previous pro-democracy and pro-Kosovo demonstrations.

2 down, 1 to go

In the gallery of asshole war criminals, the score in Serbia is now 2 down, 1 to go: Milosevic is dead, Karazdic has been captured, and only Mledic remains hiding in some rat's hole. In due time, he too will face one form of justice, or another: a war-crimes tribunal, or death.