U.S. Envoy Eases Stance on Closing Hague Court

The Hague war crimes court will not close before its most wanted men, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, are tried, a U.S. envoy said.

“The tribunal will not close before they are brought to justice,” said Pierre-Richard Prosper, U.S. ambassador at large for war crimes.

Prosper appeared to back away from criticism he leveled at the Hague court and its sister, the Rwanda tribunal, last week. He accused the courts of lapses in professionalism and management and said they should be wrapped up by 2008.

His criticism did not sit well with U.S. Democrats and allies abroad who support the tribunals. The Bush administration believes that they should not become permanent fixtures and that war crimes jurisdiction should be shifted to national courts.