KARADZIC SPENT NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH FRENCH DIPLOMATS?

MOSTAR, Jan 28 (Hina) - A former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, and his wife Ljiljana allegedly spent New Year's Eve in the company of some French diplomats and high-ranking Yugoslav Army officers on a Yugoslav Navy ship, the Mostar-based "Dnevni list" daily reported on Monday. Karadzic spent New Year's Eve "in the company of French diplomats accredited in the Balkans, several senior Yugoslav and Republika Srpska officials and several members of the Yugoslav Army Main Staff and high-ranking officers of the Yugoslav Navy on a Yugoslav Navy ship on the broad seas," the daily reports quoting sources "close to an embassy" and international representatives. Citing sources close to international circles, the daily reports that the French have been excluded from the latest operation to arrest Karadzic, which is being conducted by the British and Americans. "Apart from being excluded from the operation, the French have been denied information on the course of the operation, which can be interpreted only as a sign of mistrust on the part of the British and American partners," the daily says. Karadzic has been indicted by the Hague-based war crimes tribunal for war crimes against non-Serbs. (hina) sb rml