ZAGREB, Jan 8 (Hina) - The U.S. ambassador for war crimes issues is set to visit Zagreb later this month to urge the Croatian government to arrest generals Ante Gotovina and Janko Bobetko, who have been indicted by the U.N. war crimes
tribunal in The Hague, according to interviews he gave Croatia's Vecernji list and Vjesnik dailies.
ZAGREB, Jan 8 (Hina) - The U.S. ambassador for war crimes issues is
set to visit Zagreb later this month to urge the Croatian government
to arrest generals Ante Gotovina and Janko Bobetko, who have been
indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, according to
interviews he gave Croatia's Vecernji list and Vjesnik dailies.
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Ambassador Pierre Richard Prosper is quoted as saying the demand is
clear and that he will personally convey it to the Croatian
government and people.
He urges getting serious about solving this problem because it has
been estimated the time of waiting is over, as well as working
together to reach a solution before the whole story does Croatia
even more harm.
He says the generals may prove their innocence only in The Hague,
definitely not by hiding.
Vecernji quotes him as saying he is coming to Croatia to convey the
U.S. messages to Zagreb and to encourage Croatia's government to
make the final step, however much emotional and painful, to make the
decision about extraditing Gotovina and Bobetko departure to The
Hague.
U.S. assistance to Croatia's judiciary depends on the solving of
the Bobetko case, Vjesnik quotes him.
Once the Bobetko case is solved according to principles and in the
spirit of cooperation with the Hague tribunal, the U.S. will
reactivate everything it has announced, says Prosper.
He voices confidence 2003 will be the last year in which Croatia
encumbers itself with problems in relations with the Hague
tribunal.
The U.S. ambassador says he has not heard or knows anything about
new indictments, and that the tribunal's prosecutor's office has
not officially notified the United States of anything new.
(hina) ha