Milosevic's fate

Two years ago, Slobodan Milosevic was undisputed master of Yugoslavia. A notorious Balkan nationalist, he seduced his people with dreams of a Greater Serbia, delivered nothing but ethnic hatred, war, disintegration, sanctions and ruin, yet remained in power.

Not so today. On April 1, Milosevic was arrested by fellow Serbs, charged with corruption, jailed, served with a warrant to face United Nations accusations of crimes against humanity, and now is fighting extradition to the U.N. war crimes tribunal at The Hague. After more than a decade of self-imposed isolation, Serbia is rejoining the family of nations.

Milosevic's fate is a powerful caution to other political leaders who may imagine themselves to be above the rule of law.

The Kostunica government deserves credit for adopting a cabinet decree on Saturday promising to send Milosevic to The Hague for trial for his role in Balkan campaigns of "ethnic cleansing" and terror that killed 250,000 or more.

The cabinet's decree recognizes that international law takes precedence over national law in war crimes cases. This gesture took political courage, because many Serbs still oppose Milosevic's extradition, though few want him back in office.

It should spur the United States, Canada and other countries to pledge $1.5 billion or more in aid to Yugoslavia, to begin rebuilding its war- and sanctions-shattered economy. A donor's conference will be held in Brussels this coming weekend. Belgrade has earned some help.

-- The Toronto Star, Canada