Mladic War Crimes Trial Begins

The trial of Ratko Mladic, the man accused of being responsible for the bloodiest genocide in Europe since World War II, began on Wednesday at The Hague, 17 years after the Bosnian conflict ended. Mladic is charged with 11 counts, including two counts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the Bosnian conflict, including the massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica. Family members of his victims and survivors packed the courtroom to see Mladic, who reportedly gave them a sarcastic hand clap and wave. Mladic gestured he needed a bathroom break by sliding his finger across his throat, causing consternation from his victims. Mladic, 70, had eluded authorities for 16 years until his capture in May 2011.