GRABOVAC, Oct 13 (Hina) - The Vice President of the opposition Democratic Centre, Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, on Sunday said the announcement of the warrant for the arrest of General Janko Bobetko in the wanted notices of Interpol was an
unnecessary move, but also the sign that the relations between Croatia and the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal had further been sharpened.
GRABOVAC, Oct 13 (Hina) - The Vice President of the opposition
Democratic Centre, Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, on Sunday said the
announcement of the warrant for the arrest of General Janko Bobetko
in the wanted notices of Interpol was an unnecessary move, but also
the sign that the relations between Croatia and the Hague-based UN
war crimes tribunal had further been sharpened. #L#
At a news conference she held in the eastern Croatian village of
Grabovac, the DC leader said the international warrant for
Bobetko's arrest was not needed as "it is very well known where Gen.
Bobetko is", and, as she said, he "certainly has neither intention
nor possibility to flee Croatia" because of his age and health
condition.
A spokesman for the Croatian Interior Ministry, Zinka Bardic, on
Saturday explained that this was an usual procedure under which the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, (ICTY),
which has an agreement on cooperation with Interpol, forwarded the
indictment and warrant for Bobetko's arrest, and at the same time
asked Interpol to announce in international warrant for the
general's apprehension.
Skare-Ozbolt said her party supported the government in its efforts
to enter a legal dispute with the ICTY.
She said individual crimes had been committed during the liberating
operations, but the command chain, let alone the chief-of-staff,
could not be held accountable for such cases. If the major
operations in the Homeland War are accused, then the Homeland War
itself is accused, and thus one can proceed towards the foundations
of the state, she explained.
(hina) ms