"SLOBODNA DALMACIJA" COMMENTS ON REUTERS NEWS ITEM

( Editorial: --> 9903 ) ZAGREB, June 9 (Hina) - Following Croatian Defence Minister Andrija Hebrang's denial of a Reuters news item which said that the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVK) was "led by a Croatian Army general", the author of the article, Reuters correspondent from Serbia, Jovan Kovacevic, told the Split-based daily "Slobodna Dalmacija": "I can't believe I swallowed the wrong piece of information this time". Kovacevic told "Slobodna Dalmacija" that he received the information from both the "Serbian and Albanian sources". In an interview with Hina, Defence Minister Hebrang on Sunday denied Reuters' news item pointing out that the "Croatian Armed Forces are in no way, either indirectly or directly, involved in the Kosovo conflict". "An individual within the Armed Forces not complying with these directives would commit the most serious offence which, of course, is subject to sanctions," Hebrang said. Tuesday's issue of "Slobodna Dalmacija" published an article saying that many people recognised in the Reuters article General Rahim Ademi, deputy commander of the Croatian army third military district in Knin. According to the Split daily, Ademi regularly performs his duties in the Knin military district. In a recent interview with "Slobodna Dalmacija", Ademi denied claims on his alleged involvement in organising and commanding the OVK. However, as an Albanian "I absolutely support the just struggle of the Albanian people in Kosovo for its liberation from the Serbian terror and the return of minimum dignity to those who have suffered for long", Ademi said. (hina) jn rml 091407 MET jun 98