The Washington Times ran an article saying that in a bid to dramatically change its policy towards the tribunal, the George Bush administration wants the tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, to wrap up trials and have those accused of war crimes either tried by national courts or granted amnesty.
Commenting on the article, Ereli said that there was no change in Washington's policy towards the tribunal.
The United States strongly supports efforts by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to bring to justice those who have seriously violated international humanitarian law, Ereli told reporters.
The USA continues to provide financial and diplomatic support to the tribunal and act aggressively in encouraging the authorities of Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia to meet their share of obligations and fully cooperate with the tribunal, the US official said.
In an article published on Sunday in The Times, Ripon Forum magazine editor Jeffrey Kuhner said in a comment that the under-secretary for arms control in the State Department, John Bolton, had told him in an interview that Washington was deeply concerned with the ICTY emerging as a threat to regional stability rather than encouraging reconciliation.
There is a very real danger of ICTY trials not solving the situation in the Balkans but causing new animosity leading to tension in the future, Bolton was quoted as saying.
According to Bolton, the problem of the Hague tribunal is lack of democratic responsibility over it.
That is why the US strategy towards the ICTY is for trials to be completed and responsibility to be transferred to Serbia, Croatia and other countries, because many of the alleged crimes were committed in their name and they have to face the reality. It is them who have to decide whether or not they want to prosecute Serbs, that is, Croats, Bolton was quoted as saying.