DATE=3/24/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-247087
TITLE=YUGO WAR CRIMES (L ONLY)
BYLINE=LAUREN COMITEAU
DATELINE=THE HAGUE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PROSECUTORS AT THE YUGOSLAV WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL SAY THEY
ARE "GRAVELY CONCERNED" ABOUT A LEAK OF CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS TO
A U-S NEWSPAPER, THE NEW YORK TIMES. LAUREN COMITEAU REPORTS
FROM THE HAGUE.
TEXT: IT IS FIRM POLICY THAT PROSECUTORS AT THE YUGOSLAV
TRIBUNAL NEVER COMMENT ABOUT ON-GOING INVESTIGATIONS AND
POTENTIAL INDICTMENTS. SO THE PUBLICATION IN SUNDAY'S NEW YORK
TIMES -- QUOTING FROM INTERNAL PROSECUTION DOCUMENTS -- THAT
THREE CROATIAN GENERALS WERE ON THE VERGE OF BEING INDICTED IS
BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GRAHAM BLEWITT CALLED THE WHOLE INCIDENT --
FROM THE LEAK TO THE NAMING OF NAMES -- REGRETTABLE, AND HE SAID
IT HAS LEFT MEMBERS OF HIS OFFICE FEELING VULNERABLE.
/// BLEWITT ACT ONE ///
OUR CONCERN IN THE LEAKING OF THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION,
WHICH IS REALLY OUR ONGOING WORK, COULD HAVE THE EFFECT
OF DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM BEING FORTHCOMING IN THEIR
ARGUMENTS AND PRESENTATION OF THEIR VIEWS IF THEY THINK
THOSE VIEWS WILL FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE MEDIA. SO IT
HAS A GENERAL EFFECT OF DISCOURAGING DEBATE WITHIN OUR
OFFICE, WHICH IS ANOTHER THING WE REGRET.
/// END ACT ///
MR. BLEWITT SAYS THE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO BY THE NEW YORK TIMES
ARE IN FACT WORKING PAPERS MEANT TO HELP THE PROSECUTOR, WHO HAS
THE ULTIMATE DECISION OVER WHO TO INDICT. HE SAYS THE DOCUMENTS
CLEARLY CAME FROM SOMEONE WITHIN THE PROSECUTORS OFFICE.
THE DOCUMENTS SAID THE CROATIAN ARMY WAS GUILTY OF ETHNIC
CLEANSING, INDISCRIMINATE SHELLING OF CIVILIANS, AND
SYSTEMATICALLY MURDERING CROATIAN SERBS DURING ITS 1995 OFFENSIVE
TO RECAPTURE SERB-HELD LAND IN CROATIA. THAT OFFENSIVE, KNOWN AS
OPERATION STORM, DROVE AT LEAST 100-THOUSAND SERBS OUT OF THE
AREA IN FOUR DAYS.
THE NEWSPAPER REPORTED INVESTIGATORS RECOMMENDED INDICTING THE
THREE GENERALS WHO LED THE ASSAULT, AND POSSIBLY EVEN CROATIAN
PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN.
DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GRAHAM BLEWITT WOULD NOT COMMENT IF THE
INDICTMENTS WERE GOING TO BE ISSUED. BUT HE STRESSED THAT THE
LEAK WILL HAVE NO INFLUENCE WHATSOEVER ON THE PROSECUTOR'S
DECISION OVER WHETHER TO PRESS CHARGES.
/// BLEWITT ACT TWO ///
THE PROSECUTOR WILL DO WHAT HER MANDATE FROM THE
SECURITY COUNCIL REQUIRES, INDEPENDENTLY AND
OBJECTIVELY, AND WILL NOT ALLOW HERSELF TO BE
INFLUENCED OR MANIPULATED BY OUTSIDE FORCES.
/// END ACT ///
IN CROATIA, WHERE RUMORS HAVE BEEN CIRCULATING SINCE DECEMBER
THAT CROATIAN GENERALS WERE ABOUT TO BE INDICTED, THE PRIME
MINISTER TOLD PARLIAMENT (TUESDAY) THAT NO GENERALS WOULD BE
EXTRADITED TO THE HAGUE. CROATIAN OFFICIALS HAVE DEFENDED
OPERATION STORM AS A LEGITIMATE MILITARY ACTION.
CROATIA'S PARLIAMENT RECENTLY VOTED TO CONTINUE COOPERATING WITH
THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL DESPITE WHAT IT SEES AS A BIAS AGAINST
THEM. TRIBUNAL PROSECUTORS, WHO MET WITH THE CROATIAN AMBASSADOR
YESTERDAY, SAY THEY EXPECT THAT COOPERATION TO CONTINUE,
REGARDLESS OF WHO IS INDICTED. (SIGNED)
NEB/LC/JWH
24-Mar-99 10:47 AM EST (1547 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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