ICTY CHIEF PROSECUTOR SERGE BRAMMERTZ MEETS WITH

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000327

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREF PREL
SUBJECT: ICTY CHIEF PROSECUTOR SERGE BRAMMERTZ MEETS WITH
AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD


1. (U) Summary: Serge Brammertz, the Chief Prosecutor of
the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) met with Ambassador Khalilzad on April 1 in New York.
The visit was Brammertz' first in his current capacity after
heading the UN Independent International Investigatory
Committee (UNIIIC) examining the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and other Lebanese politicians.
End Summary.


2. (U) The Ambassador welcomed Brammertz and said that the
U.S. supports the ICTY and Brammertz' leadership as its Chief
Prosecutor and that the arrest of the four remaining
fugitives remains a priority. In response, Brammertz
emphasized that all four fugitives should be tried before an
international forum and that at a mimimum, a small unit
charged with locating them should be established as a
residual mechanism if they are still at large when the
court's current work ends in 2010. Brammertz also said that
continuity in the court is important, that there are
currently eight trials taking place and that the court is
working diligently to comply with its completion strategy.
The Ambassador added that he hoped the addition of the ad
litem judges authorized by the Security Council in February
will help move cases along more efficiently.


3. (U) Brammertz said that he plans to go to Belgrade in
mid April to discuss the issue of fugitives. He pointed out,
however, that any new momentum to find them will depend on
the results of the elections in May. Mentioning that the
U.S. has two State Department lawyers assigned to the U.S.
Embassy in The Hague who follow the ICTY's business very
closely, the Ambassador said that USUN's lawyers are in
constant contact with them and told Brammertz that he can
always convey messages through that channel.
Khalilzad