Press Releases
Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson Visits Zagreb
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Public Affairs Section
Zagreb, Croatia
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR WAR CRIMES ISSUES
CLINT WILLIAMSON VISITS ZAGREB
U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson visited Zagreb on Monday, July 31, 2006, during a regional tour that included Belgrade, Banja Luka, and Sarajevo. During his visit, Ambassador Williamson met with Croatian President Stjepan Mesić, Chief State Prosecutor Mladen Bajić, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Secretary Hidajet Biščević. The primary purpose of the visit to the region was to address the cases of the remaining fugitives from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), particularly Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić. Secondly, Ambassador Williamson engaged governments on enhancing capabilities for domestic prosecutions of war crimes and ensuring more effective regional cooperation. Since Croatia has fulfilled all of its obligations to the ICTY, the focus here was on the latter issues.
In that regard, Ambassador Williamson praised President Mesić and Prime Minister Sanader for their leadership and courage in resolving the remaining issues with the ICTY. He also acknowledged the very positive role that President Mesić has played for years in speaking out on the importance of holding individuals accountable for war crimes and for ensuring that persons charged with these crimes are brought to trial. "It is important to recognize, as President Mesić has said repeatedly, that governments in the region should be supportive of these efforts because it is the right thing to do, it is vital to establishing the rule of law and promoting a just society. It is more than simply overcoming an obstacle to European and trans-Atlantic integration," Ambassador Williamson said. He also emphasized that Croatia's positive role in this process should be viewed as a model for other governments in the region.
President Bush appointed Clint Williamson, of Louisiana, as Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in July, 2006. Ambassador Williamson previously served as Director for Stability Operations for the National Security Council. Prior to this, he served as Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the Department of Justice for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and also as a prosecutor at the ICTY in The Hague, The Netherlands. Ambassador Williamson received his bachelor's degree from Louisiana Tech University and his law degree from Tulane University.