ICTY PROVIDES U.S. WITH DOCUMENTATION ON TERRORISTS IN EX-YUGOSLAVIA

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Hina) - The Hague war crimes tribunal's prosecutor has provided U.S. authorities with data on the possible presence and activity of terrorists and their organisations on the territory of the ex-Yugoslavia, it was confirmed in Washington on Wednesday. Chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte said in The Hague today she had given United States authorities information in connection with terrorist groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. She declined, however, to reveal details about the documents. It is believed these are documents and witness testimonies investigators with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have collected to date. Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. the media have said that members of terrorist groups, including the Al Qaida, used humanitarian organisations as a cover for activity in Bosnia and Albania, and other former Yugoslav states as well. The media have also said that some volunteers, the so-called Mujahedeen, who fought on the Muslim side during the Bosnian conflict and on the Albanian side in Kosovo and Macedonia, were members of extremist or terrorist Islamic groups. (hina) ha sb