BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 5397

ZAGREB, Aug 2 (Hina) - Retired Croatian Army general Tihomir Blaskic onMonday returned to Zagreb aboard a regular Croatia Airlines flightafter the appeals chamber of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Haguelast Thursday reduced his sentence from 45 to nine years and tribunalpresident Theodor Meron granted him early release since Blaskic spenteight years and four months in custody. Retired Croatian Army general Tihomir Blaskic,who on Monday returned to Zagreb from The Hague where he spent overeight years behind the bars, has said that he has forgiven all who hadkept documents necessary for his defence hidden, and refused to revealtheir names. Many new documents have helped Tihomir Blaskicand credit for this should be given to Croatian President (StjepanMesic) and the former government (led by SDP chief Ivica Racan).However, Blaskic would not have been released today if he had notbehaved in a fair and honest way in 1992 and 1993, Blas