Mass graves are all the evidence we need

WRITING about the Karadzic trial Steven King (October 28), brings to light an apparently contrived definition of genocide used by the UN. That’s about it.

Perhaps Mr King should be reminded Karadzic is not on trial for genocide and war crimes only, as highlighted in your editorial of that day.

King questions the validity of the term “war crime”, yet deems the accusation of genocide levelled at Karadzic as “unfair” — hardly steadfast terminology in the context. He regards the figure of 8,000 in the case of Srebrenica as a rough estimate, then uses the often quoted Holocaust figure as de facto. Was he there for one head-count and not the other?

And what relevance is the figure: have we not seen footage of mass graves and heard the accounts of UN peacekeeping officers. Then of course the region’s complexity is used partly to justify the most deplorable acts that human beings can partake in. No analysis of that “slummy” part of Europe would be complete without it.

Paul O’Sullivan

Lucan

Co Dublin