Clark will testify against Milosevic in secret, administration says

Clark will testify against Milosevic in secret, administration says

Tom Hundley - Knight-Ridder Tribune
December 03, 2003
http://www.oudaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/12/03/3fcd71b815e8e
LONDON -- The Bush administration has imposed heavy secrecy and censorship measures on the testimony of retired Gen. Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, when he takes the stand later this month at the war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic.

The administration's action will blunt the drama of what many expected to be crucial moment in Milosevic's lengthy trial and perhaps one of the defining moments in the presidential campaign of Clark, who defeated the Yugoslav leader in the Kosovo campaign.

At the insistence of State Department's legal office, the courtroom's public gallery will be cleared when Clark is called to testify Dec. 15 and 16 in The Hague. Cameras that normally broadcast the proceedings on closed circuit television and the Internet will be blacked out more....

Bush & Co. scared of seeing a democratic contender putting away a war criminal? Scared of seeing someone with more foreign policy experience in his pinky than Bush's four years? Who can blame them really.

We can't have a Dem stealing the boy king's spot-light now can we? Especially one who highlights Jr's lameness....

Oy!

Julie

I'll be out of the country during this time, maybe I can catch more fair and balanced coverage somewhere else? Is this 1933??

Unbelievable. So, Klaus Naumann, Paddy Ashdown, David Owen, William Walker, and even Madeline frickin' Albright can give their testimony against Milosevic in an open court, cameras and reporters and all, but Wes Clark can't?

What's that scent in the air... the putrid smell of politics. I guess Rove did some arm-twisting at the State Department... can't let the General outshine the Chimp, I suppose.

Here's a very telling quote from the article:

"Closed sessions are for victims who might be harmed, not governments who might be embarrassed," said a tribunal source.

Thanks so much for alerting us to this rather troubling story, robbedvoter!

will have something to say about this. Geez, what a crock! Thanks for posting this article.

What country did I wake up in anyway?

WHat national security information could be compromised. This is a crock of Shite! We need an administration that allows openess not a black hole.

Yes there is political maneuvering here, will anyone call the Bushies on it?

An affront to our democracy, and an affront to the world. These fuckers have got to go.

in secret republican closed-door meetings, with 4000 pages to be presented to Democrats 4 seconds before voting. rules apply to Democratic candidates campaigns only. 15 minute vote to be kept open for 400 hours or until all Democrats drop dead. any Dem caught filibustering or using the word filibuster within 400 yards of any building occupied by Congress will be shot. Congressional Democrats must attend all sessions wearing gags, with one arm tied behind back. Democratic presidential candidates not allowed air time at all. any Dem appearances on television will cause immediate arrest. Democrats attempting to speak with WH will have conversations abruptly terminated by slam of phone. Democrats to approach president on knees, backwards.

They want FDR off the freakin' dime, for God's sake!!

It's really starting to look as though they just want us extinguished. :-(

That was an excellent summary of the Bush Administration, truthisfreedom.

We've just "established" that Raygun is God - can't have Clinton news about actually bringing war criminals to justice these days..."wouldn't be prudent..."

In the Name of Transparency, Candor and The Truth ...
... Howie must release all his gubernatorial papers.

In the Name of Fairness, Openness, and Jurisprudential Rectitude ...
... Wesley has to testify under a strict vow of silence.

In the Name of Smokin' Them Varmints Out, Bringin' 'Em On, and Roundin' Up Them Cattle Rustlers ...
... George does whatever he deems best for George.

America! Vat a Country! (Y. Smirnoff, 1985)

--bkl

But will the American public care?

That's why war opposition is 80-90% in Europe and barely 60% now (was less). Because we are protected from the dangers of "learnin'" by our fearless leader and his loyal media.

Bush is so afraid of Clark and Clinton actually looking responsible. Just imagine Clark testifying on how they handled Kosovo - what a stark contrast it would make against Bush and company's handling of Afghan. and Iraq.

Clark would definitely do another of his excellent remarks (ie Bush overcoming problems with the bottle) about his by contrasting the success in Kosovo with the tragic failures of Bush.

Clark has such character and grace that he will go and testify because it is the right thing to do.

I bet the ordinary person won't even know about it!

I will tell you what you won't see --

--- the media going to court to open up that proceeding! No, not important enough.

-- Shelton or Cohen being asked to testify - no because their role was meaningless.

--- General Jackson of the British army being asked to testify -- hmm, wonder why he is not important.....hmmm.

This is pure political retaliation. I'm surprised the Bush Administration is letting Clark testify at all! I am afraid what people have said is true--probably won't be much of an issue here (The Hague? What's that?). But in Europe I'm sure that it will cause quite a stir.

One saving grace, hopefully, is that the Bush cabal has to prove to the court that whatever they wish to keep private must be a national security matter, otherwise Clark's testimony will be released publicly. This court is an international court not the Bush court and I don't see the judges being supportive of this latest attempt to keep Clark out of the headlines.

Even if you don't support Clark, you have to be outraged at this administration's blatant attempt to censor his testimony.

I guess they don't want the American public to hear how a presidential candidate actually helped bring a genocidal maniac to justice in an international court. I wonder why.

What a bunch of chickenshit bastards...

and send the testimony to sean hannity.

I don't think so. They are pitiful cowards. I guess this shows who they're afraid of though. Wesley Clark scares them, deep down in their shriveled worthless souls...

I would like to hear how Clark will testify to bombing serbian and albanian refugees alike for 78 days. And look into his shameless eyes. Pure strategical military success.

In 3...2...1...

brought to light. It has nothing to do with Dem vs Rep, it has to do with not wanting people to realize the obscene thing we did over there. It also has to do with not wanting people to realize that, in the grand scheme of things, Republicans and Democrats are exactly the same. Why shatter our fragile illusion that "the other Party" is the evil one? Partisan loyalty must be maintained so that we rage against the Republican supporters as they rage against us- each having a valid point.

Heaven forbid we ever discover the other side's valid point and look at ourselves in the mirror. Things might change if we both did that and we'd no longer fall for the elite's charade.

One party throws the common man a few more crumbs, the other throws the ordinary businessman a few more crumbs and they just alternate... the entire time they're alternating, the rich are still getting the entire cake hoping that no one notices we're fighting over crumbs.

nice touch....I prefer shifty, but shameless works for me.



retyred in fla
“good night paul, wherever you are”
So I read this book

if General Clark hadn't stated on Meet the Press that he was going over there to testify, none of us would ever have known about it. Tim Russert said, all anxious, "Who approved your going over there?" General Clark answered calmly "The State Department".

Where is the media on this story? Isn't this obvious arm-twisting by the Administration, in an effort to squash media coverage of Clark's testimony against Milosevic?

Don't we have the right to watch Clark take on Milosevic, who is acting as his own lawyer in the trial?

Disgusting... spread this news around.

NT!