PRESIDENT MESIC SATISFIED WITH CROATIAN ARMY'S COMBAT READINESS

SPLIT, Oct 10 (Hina) - The Croatian army is ready to carry out all tasks and any crisis is out of question, the Croatian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Stipe Mesic, said on Tuesday in Split, where he held a two-hour meeting with Croatian Navy commanders at the navy port of Lora. Mesic said the meeting did not tackle any personnel changes in the Croatian army, and when asked if the Croatian army had too many generals, he said that would be known after the army was reorganised by the end of this year. "In the past period, we had a heightened alert level in some areas, primarily along the border with Serbia, and everything was under control. We can be very satisfied because the army was ready all the time, given that it was not certain if Slobodan Milosevic would venture another war. It's obvious we had to be very cautious," Mesic told the press. Attending the meeting at Lora were Croatian army Chief-of-Staff General Petar Stipetic, Croatian Navy commander Vice Admiral Vid Stipetic, the commander of the Ston military district, Lieutenant General Milivoj Petkovic, the commander of the Knin military district, Staff Brigadier Zvonko Peternel, and the commander of the Fourth Guard Brigade, Brigadier Zvonko Asanovic. Mesic also visited navy vessels. (hina) jn rml