GENERAL STIPETIC ENDS GIVING STATEMENT TO ICTY PROSECUTORS

ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - Croatian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Petar Stipetic in Zagreb on Friday continued to give a witness statement to investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) mostly about, as he later said, the organisation of the Croatian army and how it abided by the international law of war in the Flash, Storm and Pocket of Medak liberation operations in 1995. "It all amounted to questions relating to the Flash, Storm and Pocket of Medak operations," Stipetic told reporters in front of the ICTY office in Zagreb where he gave the witness statement to the investigators. General Stipetic, whose interview on Thursday and Friday lasted for a total of 12 and a half hours, at the end of March gave a statement as a suspect for crimes committed during the Flash and Storm operations. The ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, however, said at the beginning of May he was no longer considered a suspect. "The questions mostly referred to my actions as responsible and, at certain phases, commanding officer in the Croatian army, and related exclusively to my personal participation and work in the Croatian army," said the general. "I tried to faithfully depict the creation, organisation and development of the Croatian army," Stipetic said, stressing that "there were no questions about details or concrete individuals". "Nobody asked me about any orders" either, he added. The questions referred only to the organisation of the army, how it abided by provisions of the international law of war, and training in military schools pursuant to the provisions". (hina) lml sb