A calculated arrest

Details of the arrest of Radovan Karadzic are fuzzy and conflicting, but his ability to elude capture for 13 years after indictment for his role in the slaughter of thousands is quite clear.

No one ever tried very hard to find him, including the international community, but especially other Serbs.

One account has the former Bosnian Serb president arrested Monday by Serbian secret police. Another has him snatched off a bus last Friday in Belgrade.

Having him in custody to face war-crime charges is described as historic, but it is grievously delayed justice for the 8,000 men and boys murdered in Srebrenica and the lethal siege of Sarajevo.

Karadzic's ability to remain at large inspires a fresh wave of admiration for Kosovo's gutsy declaration of independence from Serbia in February. Given the thuggish political environment, grotesque legacy of brutality, and the arsons and vandalism that greeted the announcement, it was a brave act indeed.

Was Karadzic's arrest the product of an introspective wave of self-awareness, shame and desire to make amends? Hardly. A new coalition government with an eye toward economic ties to the West finally heeded a consistent message from the European Union and others. There would be no financial linkage until the war criminals were accounted for.

With Karadzic behind bars, that leaves Serbian general Ratko Mladic still at large but, one can surmise, not for long. Former president Slobodan Milosevic died in custody in 2006, awaiting a verdict after a meandering four-year trial.

Serb aggression spilled blood and filled graves for 10 years between 1989 and 1999. Surrounding European nations have a duty to hold Karadzic accountable. The epic tales of brutality that will be recounted ought to inspire a unified support for Kosovo's independence.

Give the 2.2 million people of Kosovo, who are 90-percent Albanian and embrace the Muslim faith, a chance to live freely and securely. A humble, belated triumph of good over evil.