PM RACAN COMMENTS ON STIPETIC CASE

ZAGREB, May 7 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Monday Croatia was not surprised the Hague war crimes tribunal had decided against investigating the Croatian military chief-of-staff, but added Zagreb had still not received an official confirmation. Croatia's Ambassador to the Netherlands Jaksa Muljacic said last week the chief prosecutor with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Carla del Ponte, had said the Tribunal had decided against further investigating Gen. Petar Stipetic. Stipetic had testified before Hague investigators in Zagreb late in March as a suspect in Medak Pocket, Flash, and Storm, 1995's operations which liberated then Serb-occupied Croatian areas. "As is known, the Croatian government holds the subject of the Hague tribunal's work cannot be the Homeland Defence War and operations like Flash and Storm, but specific war crimes," Racan told a regular news conference. "We are still waiting for an official stance" from the Hague tribunal," said the prime minister. He added that at present he only possessed "the information from our ambassador from talks with Carla del Ponte, who says Gen. Stipetic will not be investigated." (hina) ha sb