Yes, every war-criminal should be treated as such, never honored. If he did it, then he is compromised irregardless of his status in national politics.

But I have to say that I'm amazed that a person of such immense international experience and insight as you present yourself to be would describe a whole nation in such derogatory terms. The whole Lithuanian nation is a bunch of incorrigible bigots, anti-semites and neo-nazis, who can't even show a Goethe or a Beethoven to justify their existence? Really? A provincial backwater? Is that the enlightened way to speak and, what's most important, view the world? Frankly, Sir, you sound somehow like a nazi yourself. Contempt and feeling of superiority over your fellow human beings never lead anywhere good.

A small correction – grand duke Vytautas definitely didn't lead the army you described (he led just a part of it) – the commander in chief was his older brother, Jogaila.

"On June 27, 1941, a colonel in the staff of the Germany's Northern Army Group in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas passed a petrol station surrounded by a crowd of people. There were shouts of bravo and clapping, mothers raised their children to give them a better view. The officer stepped closer and later wrote down what he had seen. "On the concrete courtyard there was blonde man aged around 25, of medium height, who was taking a rest and supporting himself on a wooden club which was as thick as an arm and went up to his chest. At his feet lay 15, 20 people who were dead or dying. Water poured from a hose and washed the blood into a drain."

The soldier continued: "Just a few paces behind this man stood around 20 men who — guarded by several armed civilians — awaited their gruesome execution in silent submission. Beckoned with a curt wave, the next one stepped up silently and was (…) beaten to death with the wooden club, and every blow met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience. When all lay dead on the ground, the blonde murderer climbed on the heap of corpses and played the accordion. His audience sang the Lithuanian anthem as if the orgy of murder had been a national ceremony. "

http://www.trialreview.info/leeb/images/L009%20-%20LEEB%20Dead-dealer%20Lietukis%20Garage%20Kovno.jpg

Utimately however it is difficult to understand where this arrogance and hubris comes from, why the jackboot spirit is so prevalent in Lithuania, why such a virulent form of xenophobia and strident nationalism resonates so much, why Germany came clean but a nation of 3.5 million cannot. And Germany gave us Goethe, Beethoven, Schopenhauer, indeed a nearly endless list of greater now global cultural patrimony. By contrast in terms of cultural endeavor Lithuania is a provincial backwater, in literature, film, theater, philosophy, music, the plastic arts…as an engine of creativity, the country is not remotely distinguished in its larger contribution to European high culture, of cultural achievement that transcends navel gazing, parochialism to become universal, unless the documented record of Lithuanian emigres in the Scotland Yard police archives as the dominant nationality in the emigre population with the highest incidence of criminal activity in the UK, is a mark of distinction or perhaps the teenage boy who won Lithuania's Got Talent contest three years ago by tapping a tune on his teeth is also a mark of pride. But of course arguably it is THE world leader in Holocaust revisionism and official tolerance, even encouragement of Neo-Nazi belief, with the exception of perhaps Iran's President Ahmadinejad.

The two quotes by leading dissident Lithuanian thinkers offer more food for thought in their comprehensive logic:

"It will be impossible for Lithuania to come to terms with its history… until the country's elite admits that the provisional government of Lithuania in 1941 collaborated with the Nazis and acted against Lithuanian citizens. Unfortunately, the provisional government… is praised up to the skies in Lithuania…It is a disgrace."

-Leonidas Donskis

" EU membership appears to have had done little to consolidate democracy and the rule of law in this formerly communist country, and it is hard to grasp how Lithuania will assume the EU Presidency next year. Arbitrary mob rule, executive interference with the judicial process, the corruption of government institutions and political parties all make for an extremely worrying spectacle."

-Violeta Davoliute

That the Lithuanian Defense Ministry has also taken steps to lionize the LAF and refused any punitive measures against serving soldiers clearly exposed as having Neo-Nazi linkages, should come as no surprise. In this regard, as an American whose family includes many who fought both Fascism and Communism under arms, I am ashamed the United States took such pains to bring the all three Baltic countries into the NATO fold, where all three suffer from a similar variety of the toxic world view discussed here. For those Lithuanian ultra-nationalists who seek to sever ties from the EU, in many respects it would be a positive step for the rest of the Union.

Grand Duke Vytautas, the heroic 15th century leader, when as a Ducal state Lithuania formed one of the great European empires of its age, had defeated the Teutonic invaders leading a combined army of Lithuanians, Poles, (Sufi Muslim) Tatars, Ruthenians (modern day Russians, Slovaks, Belarusians and Ukranians, as well as Czech and Moldovan mercenaries, one of the first great multicultural/multinational armies in military history. After his victory, the Grand Duke far ahead of his time, granted sanctuary to the Jews of Eastern Europe who wished to seek his protection and made it a legal offense not to come to the aid of persecuted minority population members. It was because of him, that until the horrors of 1941 were unleashed by Ambrazevičius-Brazaitis, Lithuania had a vibrant multicultural society. It is ironic how the extremists have hijacked the Grand Duke in the present day, like the National Front in France has Joan of Arc, but one doubts he would embrace the likes of the National Youth League were he here now. The Grand Duke was a visionary not a redneck. Interesting too how in 1941 the LAF issued pamphlets that revoked the sanctuary granted by the Grand Duke and had to take pains to do so by name.

Lithuania is a wonderful case study of multiple pathologies we want to believe have been largely eradicated but Lithuania in its most detestable extremes poses an active and clear threat to not only European but Western civilization, precisely because it is a bridgehead for such hateful, Medieval and divisive ideologies, that merit being confronted. That Lithuania will actually assume temporary leadership of the EU, staggers the brain.