CROATIA HAS A COMPLEX PROBLEM WITH USA ABOUT ICC - DAILY

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Hina) - Croatia has a complex problem with the United States regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the USA urging it to cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague but also sign an agreement on the non- extradition of US citizens to the ICC, The Washington Post of Tuesday reported. #L# The daily was quoting Croatia's Ambassador to Washington Ivan Grdesic who said Croatia had a complex problem with the USA, which wanted it to sign an agreement on the non-extradition of US citizens to the ICC, also known as the agreement of Article 98. The US authorities have been pressuring the Croatian government for years to extradite to the Hague-based tribunal Croats indicted for war crimes, while President George Bush's administration wants it to sign an agreement on the non-extradition to the ICC of US citizens indicted for war crimes or other grave crimes, the daily reports. It further notes that the Croatian government, which had been handing over Croats indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal, was worried about elections scheduled for the end of the year as the issue caused political divisions in the country, with some political groups claiming it should be solved in the country. The signing of Article 98 would strengthen these forces and undermine the credibility of the government's cooperation with the tribunal, Grdesic was quoted as saying. (hina) rml