NYT: Karadzic claims Holbrooke promised him immunity. I was standing with a pack of reporters outside of the hotel in Pale, Srpska in the summer of 1996 when Holbrooke negotiatied Karadzic's agreement (.pdf) to withdraw from political/public life, but don't know if Holbrooke offered Karadzic any such thing in return (Holbrooke denies it); and even if he had, why or whether the ICTY would have to honor it. Presumably Holbrooke or anyone else doesn't have the power to offer a get out of jail free card under int'l law. Comments a former senior US officer who served in the Balkans: "It is my sincere belief that Karadzic should spend the rest of his useless life in a very small cell. I don't know what Holbrooke promised him but it would have no bearing on the ICTY's ability to prosecute. Holbrooke had no authority to promise immunity to anybody for anything."

Posted by Laura at March 21, 2009 06:21 PM