Joe Biden: “Yesterday the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at the Hague, known by the acronym ICTY…”

“Yesterday the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at the Hague, known by the acronym ICTY, indicted a fellow that I met several years ago, a guy who was very much involved in the carnage that took place at the time of the war in Kosovo. His name is Ramush Haradinaj. This is a young man who looks like he could lift an ox out of a ditch. A very hard, tough guy. Until yesterday he happened to be the Prime Minister of Kosovo. He was indicted for war crimes in Kosovo during the period of 1998 and 1999. Mr. Haradinaj declared himself entirely innocent but resigned as Prime Minister, surrendered voluntarily, and flew to the Netherlands today to turn himself in. He also did something highly unusual in the Balkans. He issued a statement calling for calm in Kosovo. From the creation of the Hague Tribunal a decade ago, I have supported its vitally important work. Beginning with Judge Goldstone, my staff and I have met with its chief prosecutors over the past decade. I have great respect for Carla Del Ponte, the current chief prosecutor and for the court's judges. I am confident that Haradinaj will receive a fair trial. Without presuming to pass judgment on his innocence or guilt, though, I would like to comment--this is the first time I have ever done this--on my personal impressions of him and also to put his arrest in a larger context relating to the entire territory of the former Yugoslavia.”