ICTY TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE 'STORM' AND 'FLASH' OPERATIONS- RISLEY

ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) - Spokesman of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Paul Risley on Thursday said that the ICTY would continue to investigate the Croatian military and police operations of "Storm" and "Flash", regardless of the Croatian Government's refusal to allow independent work of investigators. The Office did not agree with conditions set by the Croatian Government, Risley said. Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic last week forwarded a letter to the ICTY Main Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, which read that the Croatian Government cannot "accept" teams of ICTY investigators until the status of Croatia's prosecutors office is solved and until a dispute about the jurisdiction over the investigation of the "Storm" and "Flash" operations are solved. Del Ponte's deputy, Graham Blewitt, on Wednesday said that Croatia's refusal to cooperate would not prevent investigations, including new indictments. We will pick the time and the place of our investigations, Risley said in a phone interview from The Hague. When asked whether some country's refusal to cooperate prevent investigations of the ICTY prosecutors Office, del Ponte's deputy said that investigators also use other sources in their work. (hina) it