1
Computers & Video Games / Portal
« on: November 27, 2008, 03:21:12 pm »
I just beat it.
It's amazing.
That is all.
It's amazing.
That is all.
Show Posts
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2
Debate Den / GOP VP candidate Palin's daughter is pregnant
« on: September 01, 2008, 09:53:31 am »
ST. PAUL - The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.
Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26496189/
Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26496189/
3
TV, Movies & Music / Paramore
« on: August 14, 2008, 06:57:25 pm »
so I saw them last night.
it was pretty amazing.
anyone else like them?
it was pretty amazing.
anyone else like them?
5
Computers & Video Games / Guitar Hero 3
« on: October 28, 2007, 09:02:21 am »
So did anyone else get this yet? 
My friend and I picked it up last night at midnight. It's really good.
If any other Wii users have it, PM me your friend code.
My friend and I picked it up last night at midnight. It's really good.
If any other Wii users have it, PM me your friend code.
6
Computers & Video Games / Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
« on: September 14, 2007, 01:27:50 pm »
I know there are quite a few Wii owners on this forum... anyone else pick up Metroid Prime 3?
easily the best shooter ever created.
easily the best shooter ever created.
7
Computers & Video Games / is sony TRYING to lose?
« on: July 13, 2007, 07:25:13 am »
"SCEE president David Reeves has told GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB PlayStation 3 will no longer be available in the US after stock sells out - which he predicts will occur by the end of the month."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26704
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26704
8
Debate Den / Bush commutes Libby's prison sentence
« on: July 03, 2007, 07:31:21 am »
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Monday spared I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from prison, commuting the former White House aide's 30-month prison term.
The prison time was imposed after a federal court convicted Libby of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators in the probe of the leak of the name of a CIA operative.
A commutation is distinct from a pardon, which is a complete eradication of a conviction record and makes it the same as if the person has never been convicted.
Bush has only commuted Libby's prison term, which means that the conviction remains on Libby's record and he must still pay a $250,000 fine. He will be on probation for two years.
Commutations are rarely granted, says CNN's chief legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin. A commutation is a total right of the president and it cannot be challenged by any attorney or court, he said.
It's the fourth time Bush has issued one.
Earlier Monday, a federal appeals court unanimously ruled that Libby could not delay serving his sentence, which would have put Libby just weeks away from surrendering to a prison.
In a written statement commuting the prison sentence, issued hours after Monday's ruling, Bush called the sentence "excessive," and suggested that Libby will pay a big enough price for his conviction. VideoWatch what signal critics say Bush's decision sends »
"The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting," he said.
The president, who has been under great pressure to pardon Libby, said Libby was given "a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury."
Libby can still appeal his conviction. And if the appeal fails or is still in process at the end of Bush's term, the president could grant Libby a full pardon.
Libby's conviction is linked to the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.
An outraged Joe Wilson, Plame's husband, spoke to CNN shortly after the ruling. Wilson had gone public with allegations that the Bush administration had "twisted" the evidence used to justify the invasion of Iraq, and prosecutors argued that Libby disclosed her employment as part of an effort to discredit him.
"I have nothing to say to Scooter Libby," Wilson said. "I don't owe this administration. They owe my wife and my family an apology for having betrayed her. Scooter Libby is a traitor."
Libby was not accused of disclosing Plame's identity himself. But at trial, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald told the jury that Libby's actions left "a cloud over the White House" by obstructing the leak probe.
In a statement issued Monday night, Fitzgerald took issue with Bush's description of the sentence as "excessive," saying it was "imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country."
"It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals," Fitzgerald said. "That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing."
Plame had worked in the CIA's counter-proliferation division before the March 2003 invasion. She told a congressional committee in March that her exposure effectively ended her career and endangered "entire networks" of agents overseas.
Her husband said Bush's action today demonstrates that the White House is "corrupt from top to bottom."
Clemency petitions are normally reviewed by the Justice Department, which investigates the case and seeks input from the federal prosecutor who brought the case before issuing a recommendation to the president. A government official said that Bush did not consult with the Justice Department before rendering his decision.
Reaction on Capitol Hill was swift. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said the president had "abandoned all sense of fairness when it comes to justice."
"The president's commutation of Scooter Libby's prison sentence does not serve justice, condones criminal conduct, and is a betrayal of trust of the American people," she said.
One of the few members of the GOP backing Bush, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, said the commutation was "the right thing to do."
"The prison sentence was overly harsh, and the punishment did not fit the crime," Blunt said.
Plame's name became public when Robert Novak named her in his column on July 14, 2003.
Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has admitted he disclosed the information to a reporter. Novak pointed to another "senior administration official" -- Bush political adviser Karl Rove -- as the second source for his column.
No one has been charged with leaking classified information in the case, but a jury found Libby guilty of trying to deceive investigators and a grand jury during the investigation.
Bush was under great pressure to grant a pardon to Libby.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.
Polls suggest the American public may not be happy with Libby's commutation.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll taken in March asked if Bush should pardon Libby -- 69 percent said no, 18 percent said yes.
Ted Wells, an attorney for Libby, issued a statement late Monday saying that Libby and his family "wish to express their gratitude for the president's decision."
"We continue to believe in Mr. Libby's innocence," Wells said. "Scooter and his family appreciate the many Americans who have supported them over the last two years."
The prison time was imposed after a federal court convicted Libby of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators in the probe of the leak of the name of a CIA operative.
A commutation is distinct from a pardon, which is a complete eradication of a conviction record and makes it the same as if the person has never been convicted.
Bush has only commuted Libby's prison term, which means that the conviction remains on Libby's record and he must still pay a $250,000 fine. He will be on probation for two years.
Commutations are rarely granted, says CNN's chief legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin. A commutation is a total right of the president and it cannot be challenged by any attorney or court, he said.
It's the fourth time Bush has issued one.
Earlier Monday, a federal appeals court unanimously ruled that Libby could not delay serving his sentence, which would have put Libby just weeks away from surrendering to a prison.
In a written statement commuting the prison sentence, issued hours after Monday's ruling, Bush called the sentence "excessive," and suggested that Libby will pay a big enough price for his conviction. VideoWatch what signal critics say Bush's decision sends »
"The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting," he said.
The president, who has been under great pressure to pardon Libby, said Libby was given "a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury."
Libby can still appeal his conviction. And if the appeal fails or is still in process at the end of Bush's term, the president could grant Libby a full pardon.
Libby's conviction is linked to the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.
An outraged Joe Wilson, Plame's husband, spoke to CNN shortly after the ruling. Wilson had gone public with allegations that the Bush administration had "twisted" the evidence used to justify the invasion of Iraq, and prosecutors argued that Libby disclosed her employment as part of an effort to discredit him.
"I have nothing to say to Scooter Libby," Wilson said. "I don't owe this administration. They owe my wife and my family an apology for having betrayed her. Scooter Libby is a traitor."
Libby was not accused of disclosing Plame's identity himself. But at trial, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald told the jury that Libby's actions left "a cloud over the White House" by obstructing the leak probe.
In a statement issued Monday night, Fitzgerald took issue with Bush's description of the sentence as "excessive," saying it was "imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country."
"It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals," Fitzgerald said. "That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing."
Plame had worked in the CIA's counter-proliferation division before the March 2003 invasion. She told a congressional committee in March that her exposure effectively ended her career and endangered "entire networks" of agents overseas.
Her husband said Bush's action today demonstrates that the White House is "corrupt from top to bottom."
Clemency petitions are normally reviewed by the Justice Department, which investigates the case and seeks input from the federal prosecutor who brought the case before issuing a recommendation to the president. A government official said that Bush did not consult with the Justice Department before rendering his decision.
Reaction on Capitol Hill was swift. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said the president had "abandoned all sense of fairness when it comes to justice."
"The president's commutation of Scooter Libby's prison sentence does not serve justice, condones criminal conduct, and is a betrayal of trust of the American people," she said.
One of the few members of the GOP backing Bush, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, said the commutation was "the right thing to do."
"The prison sentence was overly harsh, and the punishment did not fit the crime," Blunt said.
Plame's name became public when Robert Novak named her in his column on July 14, 2003.
Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has admitted he disclosed the information to a reporter. Novak pointed to another "senior administration official" -- Bush political adviser Karl Rove -- as the second source for his column.
No one has been charged with leaking classified information in the case, but a jury found Libby guilty of trying to deceive investigators and a grand jury during the investigation.
Bush was under great pressure to grant a pardon to Libby.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.
Polls suggest the American public may not be happy with Libby's commutation.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll taken in March asked if Bush should pardon Libby -- 69 percent said no, 18 percent said yes.
Ted Wells, an attorney for Libby, issued a statement late Monday saying that Libby and his family "wish to express their gratitude for the president's decision."
"We continue to believe in Mr. Libby's innocence," Wells said. "Scooter and his family appreciate the many Americans who have supported them over the last two years."
9
Computers & Video Games / Mario Kart DS
« on: May 18, 2007, 06:58:36 pm »
If anyone is up for some Mario Kart DS Wi-Fi, post your friend code.
10
Everything Else / Former President Ford dies at 93
« on: December 26, 2006, 09:55:02 pm »
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal-shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93.
Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments -- including an angioplasty -- in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
He was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93. Ford had been living at his desert home in Rancho Mirage, California, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.
Ford was an accidental president, Nixon's hand-picked successor, a man of much political experience who had never run on a national ticket. He was as open and straightforward as Nixon was tightly controlled and conspiratorial.
He took office minutes after Nixon flew off into exile and declared "our long national nightmare is over." But he revived the debate a month later by granting Nixon a pardon for all crimes he committed as president. That single act, it was widely believed, cost Ford election to a term of his own in 1976, but it won praise in later years as a courageous act that allowed the nation to move on.
The Vietnam War ended in defeat for the U.S. during his presidency with the fall of Saigon in April 1975. In a speech as the end neared, Ford said: "Today, America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by refighting a war that is finished as far as America is concerned." Evoking Abraham Lincoln, he said it was time to "look forward to an agenda for the future, to unify, to bind up the nation's wounds."
Ford also earned a place in the history books as the first unelected vice president, chosen by Nixon to replace Spiro Agnew who also was forced from office by scandal.
He was in the White House only 895 days, but changed it more than it changed him.
Even after two women tried separately to kill him, the presidency of Ford remained open and plain.
Not imperial. Not reclusive. And, of greatest satisfaction to a nation numbed by Watergate, not dishonest.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/26/ford.dead.ap/index.html
Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments -- including an angioplasty -- in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
He was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93. Ford had been living at his desert home in Rancho Mirage, California, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.
Ford was an accidental president, Nixon's hand-picked successor, a man of much political experience who had never run on a national ticket. He was as open and straightforward as Nixon was tightly controlled and conspiratorial.
He took office minutes after Nixon flew off into exile and declared "our long national nightmare is over." But he revived the debate a month later by granting Nixon a pardon for all crimes he committed as president. That single act, it was widely believed, cost Ford election to a term of his own in 1976, but it won praise in later years as a courageous act that allowed the nation to move on.
The Vietnam War ended in defeat for the U.S. during his presidency with the fall of Saigon in April 1975. In a speech as the end neared, Ford said: "Today, America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by refighting a war that is finished as far as America is concerned." Evoking Abraham Lincoln, he said it was time to "look forward to an agenda for the future, to unify, to bind up the nation's wounds."
Ford also earned a place in the history books as the first unelected vice president, chosen by Nixon to replace Spiro Agnew who also was forced from office by scandal.
He was in the White House only 895 days, but changed it more than it changed him.
Even after two women tried separately to kill him, the presidency of Ford remained open and plain.
Not imperial. Not reclusive. And, of greatest satisfaction to a nation numbed by Watergate, not dishonest.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/26/ford.dead.ap/index.html
11
Debate Den / Assisted suicide advocate to be paroled in June
« on: December 14, 2006, 04:52:16 am »
LANSING, Michigan (AP) -- After more than eight years in prison, a frail Dr. Jack Kevorkian will be paroled in June with a promise that he won't assist in any more suicides, a prison spokesman said Wednesday.
Leo Lalonde, the corrections spokesman, would not provide further details.
Kevorkian, once the nation's most vocal advocate of assisted suicide for the terminally ill, is serving a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder in the 1998 poisoning of Thomas Youk, 52, an Oakland County man with Lou Gehrig's disease. Michigan banned assisted suicide in 1998.
Youk's death was videotaped and shown on CBS' "60 Minutes."
Kevorkian, who claimed to have assisted in at least 130 deaths in the 1990s, called it a mercy killing.
Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian's attorney, said this summer that Kevorkian, now 78, was suffering from hepatitis C and diabetes, that his weight had dropped to 113 pounds and that he had less than a year to live.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm ordered corrections authorities to carry out an independent medical evaluation of Kevorkian, but did not commute the retired pathologist's sentence, as Morganroth had hoped.
Kevorkian has always been eligible for parole on June 1, 2007, and will now be released on that date, Lalonde said. He directed calls seeking further comment to Russ Marlan, another state corrections spokesman who did not immediately return calls Wednesday.
If Kevorkian is released on June 1, he will have spent close to 3,000 days in prison since being sentenced in April 1999.
He has promised he would not assist in a suicide if he was released from prison.
Leo Lalonde, the corrections spokesman, would not provide further details.
Kevorkian, once the nation's most vocal advocate of assisted suicide for the terminally ill, is serving a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder in the 1998 poisoning of Thomas Youk, 52, an Oakland County man with Lou Gehrig's disease. Michigan banned assisted suicide in 1998.
Youk's death was videotaped and shown on CBS' "60 Minutes."
Kevorkian, who claimed to have assisted in at least 130 deaths in the 1990s, called it a mercy killing.
Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian's attorney, said this summer that Kevorkian, now 78, was suffering from hepatitis C and diabetes, that his weight had dropped to 113 pounds and that he had less than a year to live.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm ordered corrections authorities to carry out an independent medical evaluation of Kevorkian, but did not commute the retired pathologist's sentence, as Morganroth had hoped.
Kevorkian has always been eligible for parole on June 1, 2007, and will now be released on that date, Lalonde said. He directed calls seeking further comment to Russ Marlan, another state corrections spokesman who did not immediately return calls Wednesday.
If Kevorkian is released on June 1, he will have spent close to 3,000 days in prison since being sentenced in April 1999.
He has promised he would not assist in a suicide if he was released from prison.
12
TV, Movies & Music / MOVED: Fable 2.
« on: September 28, 2006, 06:34:45 pm »
This topic has been moved to Computers & Video Games.
http://www.unitedspongebob.com/forums/index.php?topic=17180.0
http://www.unitedspongebob.com/forums/index.php?topic=17180.0
13
Site News / It's a SpongeBob revolution!
« on: April 24, 2006, 05:58:49 pm »
IGN Revolution reported earlier today that THQ will be developing video game versions of SpongeBob SquarePants and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
"SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, enables players to explore the surreal world of Bikini Bottom as it transforms into uniquely different visual styles. The title, which offers a wide range of platformer mechanics, will make full use of the Revolution controller for some inspired new play opportunities. Blitz Games is developing Krusty Krab for Revolution. The studio announced several months ago that it was working on a big project for Nintendo's new system. SpongeBob would appear to be that title."
I know I personally am extremely excited to see what THQ is going to do to utilize the Nintendo Revolution controller on SpongeBob.
http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703003p1.html
"SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, enables players to explore the surreal world of Bikini Bottom as it transforms into uniquely different visual styles. The title, which offers a wide range of platformer mechanics, will make full use of the Revolution controller for some inspired new play opportunities. Blitz Games is developing Krusty Krab for Revolution. The studio announced several months ago that it was working on a big project for Nintendo's new system. SpongeBob would appear to be that title."
I know I personally am extremely excited to see what THQ is going to do to utilize the Nintendo Revolution controller on SpongeBob.
http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703003p1.html
14
Computers & Video Games / PSP price drop
« on: March 16, 2006, 02:04:56 pm »
March 15, 2006 - Today, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced a new hardware package for the PSP. Beginning March 22nd, the new package will only feature the PSP system, AC adaptor and battery for a new suggested retail price of $199.99. According to Jack Tretton, executive vice president and co-COO of SCEA, "The PSP is the first portable device to deliver upon the promise of console quality game play, and together with the ever evolving multimedia capabilities, provides consumers with functionality never seen before in a portable device." He followed this statement by saying, "This new price point demonstrates our ongoing commitment to provide the best entertainment experiences, at affordable prices."
SCEA also announced that a new USB Camera will be coming for the system in honor of its first anniversary in the spring. Additionally, it plans on releasing additional accessories and functionality for the portable system at a later date.
http://psp.ign.com/articles/696/696068p1.html
SCEA also announced that a new USB Camera will be coming for the system in honor of its first anniversary in the spring. Additionally, it plans on releasing additional accessories and functionality for the portable system at a later date.
http://psp.ign.com/articles/696/696068p1.html
15
Debate Den / Slobodan Milošević found dead
« on: March 11, 2006, 05:07:09 pm »
(CNN) -- Authorities with the U.N. war crimes tribunal are investigating the death of Slobodan Milosevic after the former Yugoslav president was found dead Saturday morning in his cell in The Hague, Netherlands. He was 64.
Milosevic, who was on trial before the tribunal, was found in bed at the Scheveningen detention center. He probably had been dead for several hours, an official with the chief prosecutor's office said.
Milosevic's family and supporters are blaming the tribunal for his death.
His attorney, Zdenko Tomanovic, has said there were attempts to poison Milosevic in prison.
Officials denied Tomanovic's request that the autopsy be performed in Russia, where Milosevic's family members are. However, the tribunal said a senior pathologist from the Serbian capital of Belgrade will be in attendance Sunday as a Dutch medical team performs the autopsy.
Milosevic's death came just a few months before the expected conclusion of his trial, which had lasted more than four years. (Watch what allegations brought Milosevic to The Hague -- 4:46)
Doctors had recommended Milosevic be closely monitored by a cardiologist and given rest days to manage elevated blood pressure.
The tribunal rejected Milosevic's February 24 request to travel to Russia for medical treatment. Milosevic had said he would appeal the decision, saying his health was worsening and called the ruling "highly unjust."
Milosevic's widow, Mirjana, said, "The tribunal has killed my husband."
His brother Boroslav also blamed the tribunal, saying, "It is four months since Slobodan asked to let him go for medical treatment."
Milosevic's death has generated a sweeping range of reactions. Serbian President Boris Tadic expressed condolences to the Milosevic family, while High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown said the former Yugoslav president led "the great nation of Serbs into catastrophe and shame." Ashdown's position was created under the Dayton accords that brought peace to the warring factions in Bosnia in 1995.
Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy who brokered the Dayton accords said, "I'm not going to shed any tears." (Read reactions)
Six others at large
Though Milosevic's trial was ongoing, the U.S. State Department blames him for the "for the violent dismemberment of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, including the outbreak of two horrific wars in Bosnia and Kosovo."
The International Criminal Tribunal released a statement saying that Milosevic's death "will prevent justice to be done in his case. But it promised to pursue six other Bosnian Serb senior leaders still at large, including Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
The European Union has told Serbia that it has until March to hand over Mladic or the nation's prospective membership in the EU will be put on hold, said European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.
Mladic and Karadzic are charged with planning the July 1995 massacre at Srebrenica of 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Though they are considered pariahs internationally, about 10,000 demonstrators turned out in Belgrade last month in a show of support for Mladic.
"The international community and the tribunal are responsible to the victims to ensure that all of these accused are brought to justice and tried in The Hague," the court said.
Holbrooke disputed the court's claim that the chance for justice passed with Milosevic.
"Justice wasn't cheated this morning," Holbrooke said. "Justice was served by the existence of this tribunal, the exposure of his crimes and the fact that he ended his days in jail."
Milosevic rose to the top of Yugoslav politics in the power vacuum left by the 1980 death of post-World War II Yugoslav dictator Marshal Tito.
Elected Serbian president in 1990, he ruled with an iron grip until his overthrow in 2000. He was transferred to The Hague in 2001 and went on trial the following year. (Profile)
At the time of his death, Milosevic faced 66 charges, including those of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. He was called the "Butcher of the Balkans" because of the ethnic cleansing campaign, in which Bosnian Serbs systematically killed Bosnian Muslims. (Watch the bloody story of the Balkans wars)
Milosevic pleaded not guilty to all counts and repeatedly said he was not responsible for ordering killings and rapes. He also said he was defending the Serbian people against terror.
Milosevic's last days
Milosevic "appeared fine" March 1, his last day at the trial, an observer said Saturday.
His "voice was slightly more hoarse than usual," recalled Edgar Chen, counsel and legal liaison to the war crimes tribunal, in an e-mail. "Otherwise, he seemed his usual self for the last few sessions."
On February 22, however, Milosevic complained of a "thundering noise" in his head and demanded he be granted provisional release to Russia, Chen recalled. The tribunal's doctor was ordered to examine him.
Along with headaches, Milosevic also complained of hearing problems, Chen said. The next day. Milosevic couldn't complete the questioning of a witness because of his health.
Milosevic's death comes a day before the third anniversary of the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic,who was integral in the overthrow of Milosevic.
His death also comes less than a week after Milan Babic, former leader of rebel Serbs, committed suicide. Babic was serving a 13-year sentence for war crimes and was found dead in his cell at the same prison in The Hague where Milosevic died. (Details)
It is not clear whether Milosevic's death will have any impact on diplomatic efforts this year to determine the future of Kosovo, the disputed region of Serbia dominated by Albanians.
The United Nations has administered Kosovo since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization drove out Yugoslav troops in 1999 amid grave human rights abuses in the fighting between Serbs and Albanians.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/11...ovic/index.html
Milosevic, who was on trial before the tribunal, was found in bed at the Scheveningen detention center. He probably had been dead for several hours, an official with the chief prosecutor's office said.
Milosevic's family and supporters are blaming the tribunal for his death.
His attorney, Zdenko Tomanovic, has said there were attempts to poison Milosevic in prison.
Officials denied Tomanovic's request that the autopsy be performed in Russia, where Milosevic's family members are. However, the tribunal said a senior pathologist from the Serbian capital of Belgrade will be in attendance Sunday as a Dutch medical team performs the autopsy.
Milosevic's death came just a few months before the expected conclusion of his trial, which had lasted more than four years. (Watch what allegations brought Milosevic to The Hague -- 4:46)
Doctors had recommended Milosevic be closely monitored by a cardiologist and given rest days to manage elevated blood pressure.
The tribunal rejected Milosevic's February 24 request to travel to Russia for medical treatment. Milosevic had said he would appeal the decision, saying his health was worsening and called the ruling "highly unjust."
Milosevic's widow, Mirjana, said, "The tribunal has killed my husband."
His brother Boroslav also blamed the tribunal, saying, "It is four months since Slobodan asked to let him go for medical treatment."
Milosevic's death has generated a sweeping range of reactions. Serbian President Boris Tadic expressed condolences to the Milosevic family, while High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown said the former Yugoslav president led "the great nation of Serbs into catastrophe and shame." Ashdown's position was created under the Dayton accords that brought peace to the warring factions in Bosnia in 1995.
Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy who brokered the Dayton accords said, "I'm not going to shed any tears." (Read reactions)
Six others at large
Though Milosevic's trial was ongoing, the U.S. State Department blames him for the "for the violent dismemberment of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, including the outbreak of two horrific wars in Bosnia and Kosovo."
The International Criminal Tribunal released a statement saying that Milosevic's death "will prevent justice to be done in his case. But it promised to pursue six other Bosnian Serb senior leaders still at large, including Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
The European Union has told Serbia that it has until March to hand over Mladic or the nation's prospective membership in the EU will be put on hold, said European Union Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.
Mladic and Karadzic are charged with planning the July 1995 massacre at Srebrenica of 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Though they are considered pariahs internationally, about 10,000 demonstrators turned out in Belgrade last month in a show of support for Mladic.
"The international community and the tribunal are responsible to the victims to ensure that all of these accused are brought to justice and tried in The Hague," the court said.
Holbrooke disputed the court's claim that the chance for justice passed with Milosevic.
"Justice wasn't cheated this morning," Holbrooke said. "Justice was served by the existence of this tribunal, the exposure of his crimes and the fact that he ended his days in jail."
Milosevic rose to the top of Yugoslav politics in the power vacuum left by the 1980 death of post-World War II Yugoslav dictator Marshal Tito.
Elected Serbian president in 1990, he ruled with an iron grip until his overthrow in 2000. He was transferred to The Hague in 2001 and went on trial the following year. (Profile)
At the time of his death, Milosevic faced 66 charges, including those of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. He was called the "Butcher of the Balkans" because of the ethnic cleansing campaign, in which Bosnian Serbs systematically killed Bosnian Muslims. (Watch the bloody story of the Balkans wars)
Milosevic pleaded not guilty to all counts and repeatedly said he was not responsible for ordering killings and rapes. He also said he was defending the Serbian people against terror.
Milosevic's last days
Milosevic "appeared fine" March 1, his last day at the trial, an observer said Saturday.
His "voice was slightly more hoarse than usual," recalled Edgar Chen, counsel and legal liaison to the war crimes tribunal, in an e-mail. "Otherwise, he seemed his usual self for the last few sessions."
On February 22, however, Milosevic complained of a "thundering noise" in his head and demanded he be granted provisional release to Russia, Chen recalled. The tribunal's doctor was ordered to examine him.
Along with headaches, Milosevic also complained of hearing problems, Chen said. The next day. Milosevic couldn't complete the questioning of a witness because of his health.
Milosevic's death comes a day before the third anniversary of the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic,who was integral in the overthrow of Milosevic.
His death also comes less than a week after Milan Babic, former leader of rebel Serbs, committed suicide. Babic was serving a 13-year sentence for war crimes and was found dead in his cell at the same prison in The Hague where Milosevic died. (Details)
It is not clear whether Milosevic's death will have any impact on diplomatic efforts this year to determine the future of Kosovo, the disputed region of Serbia dominated by Albanians.
The United Nations has administered Kosovo since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization drove out Yugoslav troops in 1999 amid grave human rights abuses in the fighting between Serbs and Albanians.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/11...ovic/index.html