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The Southeast European Times covers in succinct tones the Euro-frustration that has put Serbia, once again, behind the crosshairs of a foreign ultimatum:

"Full co-operation with the tribunal must be achieved to ensure that the negotiations are not disrupted," the European Council said in a statement. It called on both Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina "to take decisive action to ensure that all remaining fugitive indictees, notably Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, are finally brought to justice without delay."

"Without delay" means by the end of March, and "disruption" means "suspension of Serbia-Montenegro's talks on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA)" with the EU. Note the tricky timing that prevents Montenegro from voting their way out of their fair share in the onus.

This action follows, as I observed in December, on the bust of Croatian thug Ante Gotovina: that involuntary "rendition" sets the standard for this arm-twistedly "voluntary" one. Here as in the case of Iran, effective stonewalling by a supposedly weaker power has prompted a progressive stiffening of resolve that comes off rather much more like a sniffening. But, like everything else, the proof is in the pudding, and results are results: we need the awkward and dangerous disorderly pocket of Euro-disenfranchised Serbia reintegrated with all deliberate speed.

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