CROATIAN DEFENCE MINISTER MEETS NEW SFOR COMMANDER

ZAGREB, Sept 24 (Hina) - Croatia has expressed willingness to enhance its cooperation with international peace-keepers in Bosnia in the field of the fight against terrorism, Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Monday. Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the new commander of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, U.S. Lieutenant General John Sylvester, the Croatian official described the struggle against terrorism as one of the currently most important world policy processes in which both the SFOR and Croatia will be engaged. In this context our cooperation is likely to get new contents and greater proportions as well, Rados added. Asked whether Croatia will join an anti-terrorist coalition, the defence minister responded that "it goes without saying," and added that Croatia could offer much, such as the exchange of relevant information. The newly-appointed SFOR commander said the international peace keepers in Bosnia had intensified control and monitoring of the developments and was collecting all the available intelligence. He, however, declined to say what they had discovered to date. Asked whether there were real threats for SFOR units in Bosnia, Gen. Sylvester answered in the affirmative, adding that at present the entire world was exposed to threats. Three weeks ago nobody could have believed that the lives of 6,000 people in New York were in jeopardy, but 6,000 people were killed that day there, the U.S. General said. Asked whether SFOR, under his command, was planning to do more to arrest notorious war-time Bosnian Serb leaders - Radovan Karadzic and Gen. Ratko Mladic - who are wanted by the UN war crimes tribunal, Sylvester said the apprehension of war crimes suspects and their transfer to The Hague were definitely part of SFOR tasks, and therefore SFOR members would behave in compliance with this duty. (hina) ms