CRO AMBASSADOR TO US HOLDS TALKS WITH DEPUTY ASSISTANT STATE

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Hina) - A group of Croatian legal experts should arrive in the United States soon to obtain some insight into the work of US authorities in the procedures against war crimes suspects. Croatian Ambassador to the United States Miomir Zuzul on Thursday held talks with Deputy Assistant US State Prosecutor Mark Richards. The two agreed that the group of Croatian experts working on the case of former concentration camp commander during the Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941-1945), Dinko Sakic, should visit the United States and get acquainted with the American justice system in similar cases. Zuzul expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with the fact that the decision on deporting Ferdinand Hammer to Croatia had been published in the media before Croatia's bodies of authority reached any decision about the case. Zuzul said that Croatia will most probably not accept Hammer's deportation because the law prevents it from accepting the extradition of a person who is not a Croatian citizen. It is even questionable whether Hammer was born on Croatian territory. The meeting also focused on the extradition of a Chetnik leader, indicted war criminal Momcilo Djujic, to Croatia. Richards expressed readiness for cooperation between the two countries to continue. He pledged that the US will look at the evidence Croatia has concerning the case as soon as they are delivered. (hina) lml