MESIC: COWARDS DAMAGE WW2 NATIONAL HEROES' MONUMENT

ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - Croatia's President Stjepan Mesic on Saturday morning toured the WW2 national heroes' grave in Zagreb's main cemetery, which was damaged in Thursday evening's blast of an explosive device planted under the monument. President Mesic laid flowers in front of that monument to anti-fascist fighters. Croatian head of state told reporters that those who under the protection of darkness could disturb the dead did not deserve any comment. "They are cowards ... putting themselves at the service of someone, and police should establish whose service it is," Mesic added. Asked whether there was the continuity in such acts, Mesic answered he believed that this was committed by "the same team that has so far planted explosive devices throughout Zagreb." "As far as I know there are names of people known for having planted mines under some facilities, but the former authorities did not want to process them, and I hope the incumbent authorities will do it," he added. Responding to a reporter's question, Mesic said he believed Thursday's terrorist act at Mirogoj had no relations to his recent speech before the Association of Anti-Fascists Fighters but it was more likely that perpetrators were prompted by his election as the President of the Republic and the outcome of the parliamentary election on 3 January 2000. Those who damaged the monument "want to do damage to Croatia and isolate and plunder it," Mesic said reiterating his opinion that those were "gangsters who would like to live at the cost of the national budget and spent it in non-transparent manner, but they have no many chances now and it is clear that they are angry, while they are trying to earn much money from their nationality. Croatia, however, has no money for that." (hina) ms