HAGUE TRIBUNAL INSISTS ON EXTRADITION OF WAR CRIMES SUSPECTS

SARAJEVO, Aug 22 (Hina) - The deputy chief prosecutor of the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Graham Blewitt, on Thursday voiced disappoinment with the mandate of the NATO-led peace Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Blewitt told a news conference in Sarajevo that NATO's limited mandate prevented a more efficient action necessary for arresting war crimes suspects. We would like the mandate to be more aggressive, he stressed. Earlier on, Blewitt opened the tribunal's office in the city employing 15 officers whose task would be to assist in investigations on the ground that would be conducted by special teams from The Hague. He would open a similar office in Belgrade on Friday. Blewitt said that the office of the chief prosecutor would continue to demand from Serbian authorities full compliance with provisions of the Dayton peace agreement, including the extradition of suspected war criminals. We don't accept an explanation that their laws don't provide for extradition. They will have to change the laws because the Yugoslav authorities are bound by the peace agreement to extradite suspects, he said. Blewitt said that the tribunal also expected full cooperation from Croatian authorities in war crimes investigations, adding that only the Bosnian government fully complied with commitments from the Dayton accord. Blewitt declined to comment on the possibility of pressing charges against persons such as Serbian paramilitary leader Arkan, but stressed that more indictments could be expected after Bosnian elections scheduled for mid-September and next year. (hina) vm 221427 MET aug 96