[ALBSA-Info] Italy says Milosevic arrest strengthens Yugoslavia

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Italy says Milosevic arrest strengthens Yugoslavia

  
ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato said on 
Saturday Yugoslavia had gained strength before the international community 
through its attempts to arrest former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. 

Amato made the remarks after the Yugoslav government said Milosevic was under 
house arrest in the official villa he still occupies in Belgrade. 

Milosevic, who has vowed he will "not go to prison alive," has been charged 
with abuse of office and fraud. 

But the Belgrade government has so far said it does not intend to hand him 
over to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, which has indicted him for 
atrocities committed in Kosovo in 1999. 

"It's the conclusion of a phase and Yugoslavia now surely gains strength 
before the international community," Amato told reporters on the sidelines of 
a conference. 

"Now we must see what will happen: Will the arrest kick off the beginning of 
judicial proceedings in Yugoslavia before he is handed over to the 
international tribunal in The Hague? 

"This is not clear. But even if the first of these two options goes ahead, it 
will still be an important step," Amato said. 

The raids to seek Milosevic's arrest came just before the expiry of a 
deadline set by U.S. legislation for President George W. Bush to declare 
whether Yugoslavia is cooperating with the U.N. tribunal.