In late May, the tribunal announced that it would indict Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and four others for atrocities in Kosovo. Arbour was in the news in January when she was prevented from entering Kosovo after 45 ethnic Albanians were slaughtered in the village of Racak. That massacre has been blamed on Serb forces. But neither the authorities in Belgrade nor the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army are inclined to cooperate with Arbour and her investigators. Neither consider themselves guilty of war crimes.
Prosecutors hope that the existence of the tribunal acts as a deterrent.
They broke with normal practice in late March when they disclosed they are seeking the arrest of Serbian warlord Zeljko Raznatovic, better known as Arkan. Reports suggested that Arkan, the leader of a paramilitary group called the Tigers, had been seen in Kosovo. His men have been held responsible for massacres in Bosnia and Croatia. It believes the chances of making an arrest are greater if suspects don't know they are being sought. But the suggestion that Arkan and his ruthless men might be planning attacks in Kosovo so alarmed prosecutors that they made an exception in his case.