[ALBSA-Info] Milosevic's arrest will take time

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Milosevic's arrest will take time


BELGRADE, Yugoslavia, March 8 (AP) -- Slobodan's Milosevic's arrest will take 
time, Yugoslavia's president said Thursday, lashing out at the United States 
and the U.N. war crimes tribunal over pressure to detain the former leader.

President Vojislav Kostunica, who has been under fire for not moving quickly 
against Milosevic, also said that the former president's possible extradition 
to the Hague to stand trial for war crimes cannot be done quickly.
``This country is preparing a law on cooperation with The Hague tribunal, we 
cannot make a law in a couple of days,'' Kostunica said.

Kostunica, who has said Milosevic should be tried first in Yugoslavia for 
crimes during his rule, said his arrest is not imminent.

Yugoslavia's U.S. Ambassador Milan Protic said this week that Milosevic will 
be arrested by March 31. But Kostunica said: ``Protic's statement is not in 
accordance with the official stand.''

The United States has given Serbia a March 31 deadline to start cooperating 
with the U.N. tribunal, or put at risk $100 million in economic aid and 
membership in international financial institutions.

``Does anyone really believe that milk and honey will start flowing when the 
American Congress' demands are met,'' Kostunica said.

He said that his country has more imminent problems than Milosevic -- such as 
an economic crisis and an ethnic Albanian rebellion.

Chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte criticized Kostunica this 
month for apparent reluctance to extradite his predecessor, calling him a man 
of the past.

``It is improper to deal like this with a country which is ready to cooperate 
with The Hague tribunal,'' Kostunica said. ``Carla Del Ponte is discrediting 
not only the law, but the plain truth.''

On Thursday, the U.N. tribunal said part of a Milosevic trial could be held 
in Yugoslavia, but only after he surrenders to the tribunal in The Hague.

In its clearest statement yet on the possibilities for trying Milosevic, the 
tribunal said Yugoslav courts also may be allowed to prosecute Milosevic, but 
the tribunal has first priority.

A Belgrade venue for part of the trial would be ``one method of allowing the 
citizens of the former Yugoslavia greater access to the proceedings being 
conducted before the tribunal,'' it said.

Meanwhile in a rare interview to the Vreme weekly, Milosevic's wife, Mirjana 
Markovic, denied all charges against him, labeling as ``sheer stupidity,'' 
accusations that he was behind the killing of political adversaries.
A highly controversial figure, Markovic was considered the power behind the 
throne during Milosevic's rule and went into seclusion with him after his 
ouster in October.

``The ugliest of all are accusations one hears incessantly in media ... that 
Slobodan financially profited from his lengthy term in office,'' Markovic 
said. ``Any company manager has more material wealth than him ... not to 
mention government ministers.''

``He never possessed a bank account abroad, he only had the one at home to 
which his salary was paid,'' Markovic said. ``And since October, Slobodan has 
not been getting his salary.''