CROATIA HAS BEGUN HANDING IN DOCUMENTS -- ICTY DEPUTY PROSECUTOR

THE HAGUE, March 2 (Hina) - New Croatian authorities have handed in documents connected with Croatian military and police operations "Flash" and "Storm", deputy chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Graham Blewitt, said on Thursday. Cooperation has already commenced, Blewitt said upon the submission of documents. He assessed evident positive signs indicated that the cooperation would not be restricted only to verbal convictions. The Hague has been encouraged by positive claims from the new Croatian authorities, and is prepared to be satisfied with them at the moment. The Prosecutor's Office held that the new authorities should be given sufficient time to respond to requests by the Prosecution and to assess the situation in ministries, but after this, fast work is expected of them. The Prosecutor's Office will continue to be satisfied only with a complete fulfilment of forwarded requests, Blewitt said, recalling that the ICTY had requested a probe into crimes committed during the "Flash" and "Storm" operations, the extradition of Mladen Naletilic Tuta, which is now only a medical problem, no longer a legal or political one, and the submission of documents concerning ongoing proceedings against Bosnian Croats before the ICTY. Asked about the possibility that former Croatian authorities had destroyed some of the sought documents, Blewitt said he would not be surprised if this was the case. He added the international community should stimulate national courts, including those in Croatia, to prosecute criminals, because the ICTY did not have the capacities to prosecute every war crime suspect. The Tribunal would, however, be prepared to provide expert help. (hina) lml jn