Keeping a Low Profile

Those who believe in the theory of worldwide conspiracy against the Serbs would probably be disappointed with the opening of the Hague Tribunal's Belgrade office. Bearing in mind that many regard the tribunal, formed to investigate war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia, as an institution personifying the new world order, they would certainly expect to find a whole bunch of international spies with their hands full of sophisticated tracking devices, similar or perhaps identical to those seen in the latest action thriller "Mission Impossible". Regrettably for them, the office bears no resemblance whatsoever to any of the scenes from the movie.

There isn't a satellite telephone, not even a personal computer - one is still being awaited. The premises are on the fourth floor of the building widely known as SIV III, near the New Belgrade municipality building. The concrete building with orange windows is the home of the UN mission in Belgrade, some branches of the Federal Information Ministry and BK television. The three individuals working in the tribunal's two offices at present are a Bulgarian law expert, Dejan Mihov, a prosecutor (a young woman with Yugoslav roots) and a secretary. They are not allowed to talk to reporters - all contacts are arranged by Susan Manuel, the spokeswoman of the UN Belgrade office.

Consent in principle to open a Hague Tribunal office in Belgrade was given back in spring this year, after the organization's judge in charge Antonio Cassese had visited the Yugoslav capital. However, "technical and administrative" difficulties, especially those with issuing visas to foreign officials, had delayed the implementation of the decision until August 23, when the office was finally opened in the presence of Graham Bluett, the tribunal's chief prosecutor.

It remains a mystery whether it was pure coincidence that the event occurred the day Yugoslavia and Croatia restored diplomatic relations, but it is quite certain that in terms of media coverage, the opening of the Hague tribunal's office was overshadowed by the "historic reconciliation" between presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Croatia's Franjo Tudjman.

In fact, both the Hague Tribunal officials and the Belgrade authorities want to keep a low profile on the organization's activities in the Yugoslav capital. Milosevic, on one side, doesn't want to play into the hands of the "nationally conscious" opposition accusing him of yielding in to the West far too much, while the tribunal officials, on the other, know only too well that publicity would make their work even more difficult, as they are already running the risk of being charged with working for this or that side in the conflict.

The mere fact that an office has been opened and the agreement in principle to open branch offices in several towns in the Bosnian Serb Republic, Banjaluka and Bijeljina to start with, have created the possibility of establishing some degree of truth about what happened in our neighborhood during the war. It is hard to dismiss claims that local judicial bodies would be more efficient and impartial if they were to investigate the war crimes, which they are obliged to anyway under the current laws.

Unfortunately and regrettably, however, it is unlikely that they will at any time be able to keep up with the Hague Tribunal, as slow and arduous as its work may seem.