DEL PONTE: INVESTIGATION POINTS TO RESPONSIBILITY OF PART OF CROATIA'S LEADERSHIP

ZAGREB, April 5 (Hina) - Carla del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said in Zagreb on Wednesday that responsibility for the crimes the ICTY was investigating goes as high as Croatia's leadership, however, she declined to confirm whether indictments against Croatian officers for crimes committed in operations 'Flash' and 'Storm' existed at the moment. #L# "As difficult as it may be for ordinary Croatian citizens to accept that some Croatian leaders are responsible for atrocities and war crimes, my investigation established that this is the case. Accordingly, my duty is to bring indictment in those cases," del Ponte said at a news conference she held with Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic at the end of her visit to Zagreb. Asked explicitly whether she could confirm that indictments had been issued against generals Ante Gotovina, Mirko Norac, Ivan Cermak, and Ivan Korade, del Ponte said she did not comment on ongoing investigations. Asked whether she had informed Croatian officials about sealed indictments against Croatian officers, the ICTY Prosecutor said she and Ivanisevic had discussed "ongoing investigations, indictments, and sealed indictments", since it was necessary for cooperation, and that Ivanisevic knew all he needed to know. The ICTY Prosecutor said that she had and would continue to issue indictments against responsible Serbs and Muslims, including those responsible for crimes in Dubrovnik and Vukovar. Del Ponte and Ivanisevic told reporters they were satisfied with the established cooperation, which, according to Ivanisevic, "is beyond all expectations." Ivanisevic explained that relations between Croatia and the ICTY had been defined in detail and that the declarative commitment to bringing all war criminals to justice had become an operational plan. (hina) mm rml