Apprehending War Criminals in Republika Srpska will Open Doors to a Secure Future

Today the Republika Srpska, as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stands before two very important doors. In front of you, in the very near future, is the potential for acceptance into NATO's Partnership for Peace. With membership in Partnership for Peace will come the eventual promise of full participation in the NATO Alliance. Such a step would signal to the world that the people and leadership of the Republika Srpska, as part of Bosnia, have moved beyond the legacy of war and are ready to work with the other modern and democratic nations in a mutual effort to advance peace and stability.

The second door opens the path to Europe. Your prospects and the prospects of your children for a brighter, more prosperous and more secure future lie with a greater integration into the European family. We talk of a Europe that is "whole, free, and at peace." This includes you, it includes the Republika Srpska, and it includes all the citizens of this country, but only if you choose to take the necessary steps which will open these doors.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress towards both of these goals. In particular, the courageous steps that you have taken in this Assembly to legislate the establishment of a state-level Ministry of Defense have caught the attention and respect of NATO, the United States, and the European Union. We urge you to continue your work to build the rule of law and stability throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina by fully implementing defense reform, as well as new reforms in intelligence and law enforcement.

In June, at the Istanbul Summit, NATO will either offer Bosnia the privilege of joining Partnership for Peace or it will put it off for an indefinite period. You open the door and walk in, or it closes and you stay outside. A decision will be made in the next few months. The decision will be based on two principal factors - implementation of promised defense reforms and full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

I am sure you realize that I am focused on the latter. So is my government, and so are other governments of NATO.

Cooperation with the ICTY is part of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the same agreement that established the Republika Srpska. You do not have the luxury of picking and choosing what you implement from Dayton. Full cooperation with the ICTY is also a pre-condition for admission into PfP and eventual admission into other Euro-Atlantic institutions. It is NOT negotiable, NOT avoidable, and NOT something that will go away with time.

The Republika Srpska government and, most recently, President Cavic himself, have repeatedly acknowledged the RS's obligation to cooperate in the apprehension of indictees and issued promises that they will take action. Unfortunately, the Republika Srpska has not fulfilled its commitments in this regard. Government authorities at all levels in Republika Srpska have not cooperated in the apprehension or location of even one ICTY indictee. The Government of Serbia and Montenegro, in contrast, has detained and transferred 8 indictees within the past several years. Fifteen others voluntarily surrendered. Croatia and the Federation have also acted in the past. They now are closer to Europe and with a few final steps may just get there. We have heard words and promises from the RS, but no actions. NATO will judge you not on words, but on your actions, or lack of them.

It is no secret that two names in particular stand in the way of your future, blocking the road to Partnership for Peace, to European institutions, and to your region's chance for international respect. But let me also say that there is no collective guilt.

The world and the United States demand, and have always demanded that Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic must face justice and a fair trial. These men must be apprehended, or convinced to turn themselves in, and transferred to The Hague, where they will have an opportunity to account for and defend their actions. If they go, a new environment will be created here that will bring progress and allow for other persons indicted by The Hague to be judged here locally.

I know there is a strong belief that we are only holding Serbs to this standard - but that is simply not true. There are other non-Serb indictees who either must face or are facing justice in The Hague right this minute. Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic have no choice and no future other than to join them. They are fugitives from justice, under ICTY indictment for charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and crimes perpetrated against civilian populations.

Let there be no mistake. These men by their actions are not heroes and do not represent the interests of Bosnian Serbs. To the contrary, they are individuals whose continued influence has grievously damaged your people's present opportunities and future prospects. They now are stealing from you, stealing your prosperity, stealing your future. They are protected by criminal gangs and maintain themselves with dirty money from illegal activities, actions that directly damage the economic and social fabric of the Republika Srpska. This money represents millions of KM that could be used far better by building the infrastructure of your communities, providing for roads, homes, hospitals and schools. Their conduct can only be described as selfish, not in the best interest of this society, and not in the interest of the people. Your people suffer while these men fill their pockets.

While Karadzic and Mladic remain as fugitives, the world will continue to perceive the Republika Srpska as a political and economic black hole. Investors will not come here with their ideas and their resources as long as the perception remains that these men and their supporters dominate the political landscape and control the economic machinery.

On the political level, the international community simply cannot view with high regard a government that cannot or will not take the necessary steps to deal effectively with such an important issue. The political respect of your counterparts around the world can only be earned by taking action to confront your most difficult and lingering problem.

If you, as the elected leaders of the Republika Srpska, do not take the appropriate steps, the problem will not simply fade away. The world will not choose to ignore the "Karadzic/Mladic problem" and suddenly decide to open up the doors of NATO and the European Union while these men remain in hiding. It will not happen.

At the same time, the international community will continue its determined effort to bring these men to justice. This means expanded steps to block the movements and the assets of those believed to support these individuals, continued or expanded economic and political sanctions on the RS, and ongoing action against political leaders who willfully deny or ignore their duty.

The necessity to impose measures means lost opportunity for average Bosnian Serb voters, taxpayers, citizens.

There are opportunities before you now. But they require decisive and courageous action from you. Your citizens are counting on you. They need you.

For your people to have a better future tomorrow, you must act today. You must do the following. You must make it absolutely clear that the full capabilities of your government's resources will be given to the apprehension of those indicted for war crimes. This includes Karadzic and Mladic. There are persons in the RS political structure, and probably persons sitting in this very chamber, who have the ability to end this problem now, by bringing Karadzic and Mladic to justice or by convincing them that, in the interests of the Serb people they once claimed to represent, they must surrender and take the opportunity to present their case to The Hague.

You must act now for Bosnia and Herzegovina to have the opportunity to join PfP in June and remain on the road to Europe. You must act now for your people to begin to experience progress and prosperity. You are at a critical moment, and it is for you to decide whether to live in the past and carry the taint of someone else's crimes or actions, or reach for a better future. I'm here to say that the choice is yours.