ZAGREB, July 18 (Hina) - Retired Croatian Army general Mirko Norac is ready to talk to investigators from the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal, his lawyer Tomislav Sabljar said on Friday. Sabljar said his client had told him by
telephone he did not feel guilty of the crimes he is suspected of. Norac is a suspect in war crimes that were committed during joint Croatian army and police operations known as the Medak Pocket operation and Operation Storm. The Medak Pocket operation was carried out between 9 and 15 September 1993 by Croatian Army units from the Gospic area, including the Ninth Brigade which was under Norac's command. Norac held the rank of colonel at the time. The tribunal has indicted General Rahim Ademi, the then commander of the Gospic area of operations, and the late general Janko Bobetko, who at the time was army chief of staff, for alleged crimes committed during the operation. Norac
ZAGREB, July 18 (Hina) - Retired Croatian Army general Mirko Norac
is ready to talk to investigators from the Hague-based UN war crimes
tribunal, his lawyer Tomislav Sabljar said on Friday.
Sabljar said his client had told him by telephone he did not feel
guilty of the crimes he is suspected of.
Norac is a suspect in war crimes that were committed during joint
Croatian army and police operations known as the Medak Pocket
operation and Operation Storm.
The Medak Pocket operation was carried out between 9 and 15
September 1993 by Croatian Army units from the Gospic area,
including the Ninth Brigade which was under Norac's command. Norac
held the rank of colonel at the time.
The tribunal has indicted General Rahim Ademi, the then commander
of the Gospic area of operations, and the late general Janko
Bobetko, who at the time was army chief of staff, for alleged crimes
committed during the operation. Norac is mentioned in the Bobetko
indictment.
The Bobetko indictment alleges that at least 100 Serbs were
unlawfully killed in the operation, including 29 local civilians
and five captured Serb soldiers. It also says that more than 300
houses and stables were destroyed in the villages in the Medak
Pocket, south of Gospic.
The tribunal has indicted retired general Ante Gotovina for crimes
against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war
committed during and after Operation Storm, from 5 August to 15
November 1995.
The Gotovina indictment cites the unlawful killing of at least 150
Serbs, the disappearance of hundreds of them and the looting or
destruction of about 12,000 residential buildings.
(hina) vm