Milosevic trial

The trial of Slobodan Milosevic before the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague is a milestone in the slow emergence of a world order governed by law.

This advance ... is unfortunately tarnished by the United States' denial of rights to the 457 prisoners taken in Afghanistan. ...

They are imprisoned without status -- at least to begin with, since, bowing to pressure, President Bush has finally had to accord prisoner status to those of Afghan nationality ...

For the United States to want to try the al-Qaeda terrorists before military tribunals is contrary to the spirit ... of the Hague, because the International Criminal Tribunal will carefully watch the conditions of Milosevic's defense. ... Bush is giving arguments to the Yugoslav dictator, who denies the legitimacy of the court. ... (Milosevic) believes the tribunal represents not law but the "justice of the strong" ...

The legal status of the non-Afghan prisoners is undoubtedly vague. But if the wars of the 21st century must oppose democracies and international terrorists, it's an opportunity to move international law forward, not to forget about it. Justice is the best weapon against terrorism.

-- Le Monde, Paris