ICTY'S PRIORITY IS APPREHENSION OF KARADZIC AND MLADIC -- LANDALE

MOSTAR, Oct 1 (Hina) - The priority of the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is the apprehension of the main suspects of war crimes in Bosnia- Herzegovina, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic, and their extradition into The Hague, ICTY's spokesman Jim Landale said Sunday. Landale too part at a two-day symposium in Mostar focusing on the international war crimes tribunal and cooperation models which ended on Saturday night. Slobodan Milosevic will also one day have to appear before the Tribunal to answer for crimes he has been accused of, Landale said. Speaking about the ICTY's future work, Landale said the Tribunal would try to promote its cooperation with all states in the region of the former Yugoslavia. He commended Croatia's new authorities which, as he put it, was splendidly cooperating with the Hague Tribunal. Commenting on criticism by Croat officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina that nobody had yet answered for crimes committed against Croats and that the ICTY was biased, Landale asserted the work of the Tribunal could not be assessed based only on the current situation. There are numerous silent indictments and only after they are made public can the work of the Tribunal be assessed, Landale said. (hina) lml