ICTY INVESTIGATORS END FIRST DAY OF NORAC'S INTERVIEW

ZAGREB, Sept 1 (Hina) - Investigators of the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) on Monday afternoon ended their first day of questioning retired Croatian General Mirko Norac in Zagreb. Norac was questioned as a suspect in incidents during the Croatian "Medak Pocket" and "Storm" liberation operations, his attorneys told reporters. #L# Norac was sentenced by Rijeka County Court to 12 years in prison, with the right to an appeal, for war crimes against Serb civilians in Gospic in 1991. For the purposes of the interview with ICTY investigators, Norac was transferred to a Zagreb penitentiary from Rijeka's detention centre in which he has been kept in custody for two and a half years. "The general topics of the interview were command responsibility and the allocation of responsibilities according to sectors," attorney Tomislav Sabljar said. The general explained some details about which the investigators had different views, Sabljar said, adding that he believed that "the questioning was very fair" and expressing hope that "they will have the same amount of fairness when they reach their conclusion". Norac's second attorney, Ivan Kern, said today's hearing revolved around formal, general issues. The interview will continue tomorrow. Croatia's 9th Guard Brigade, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mirko Norac, participated in the Medak Pocket operation which lasted from September 9 to 15, 1993. The ICTY has indicted Croatian generals Rahim Ademi and the late Janko Bobetko for crimes which occurred during the operation, including the killing of several dozens of civilians. For crimes committed during the Storm operation, the ICTY has so far indicted General Ante Gotovina, whose indictment includes the killing of at least 150 Serbs from the "Krajina" area, several hundreds of them had gone missing, as well as looting or the destruction of some 12,000 homes. (hina) lml sb