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War crimes prosecutor urges U.S. to push Milosevic transfer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The chief prosecutor for the International War Crimes Tribunal for Yugoslavia and Rwanda urged the United States to press Yugoslavia to "set a date of transfer" of former President Slobodan Milosevic to the Hague.

Carla del Ponte made her remarks after her first meeting at the State Department with Secretary of State Colin Powell, a meeting described by U.S. officials as "good."

"The secretary made clear we would keep pressure on (Yugoslavia)," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

Boucher said Powell agreed with del Ponte that "enough progress had not been made" by Yugoslavia to cooperate with the tribunal.

The United States "hasn't seen enough progress since certification" was given last month after Yugoslav authorities arrested Milosevic in Belgrade. He continues to be held in the Belgrade central prison.

Del Ponte said she told Powell the Yugoslav government has an "international obligation" to transfer Milosevic to the Hague for trial. "The question," she said, "is when?"

She ruled out a possible compromise in which Milosevic might be tried by the tribunal in Belgrade out of concern for the victims of war crimes allegedly ordered by Milosevic and other Serbs.

Aides to del Ponte tell CNN the tribunal expects "full cooperation" from Yugoslavia, including adoption by the federal parliament of a law permitting the extradition of suspected war criminals to the Hague; the arrest and transfer of all people who have been indicted, not only the "big fish"; and granting "access and cooperation" for tribunal investigators to victims, suspects and documents.

Thus far, tribunal officials say they have seen "very isolated cooperation."

The officials say it's very important that President Vojislav Kostunica himself supports the handover of Milosevic and the law pending before Parliament because he is a "highly popular leader."

In New York after a meeting Tuesday with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Kostunica said Yugoslavia would not be able to work with the tribunal without "legally regulated cooperation." "Without ... legal provisions, it will not be possible actually to have a normal and developing good relation with the Hague tribunal, he said. "We're ... aware of our international obligations, including those with the Hague tribunal, but we need a legal frame for cooperation at this moment." Kostunica is to meet with Powell on Wednesday.

As to the whereabouts of two other infamous Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects, Gen. Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, del Pone said they are in the Republic of Serbska and should be turned over.

State Department officials say that Powell reiterated to del Ponte the Bush administration's position on Yugoslavia, which is that last month's certification was "conditional" based on continued Yugoslav cooperation with the tribunal. In addition officials say that unless more cooperation is forthcoming, the United States will not support a donor's conference, which is supposed to begin at the end of June.



RELATED STORIES:
Milosevic refuses war crimes papers
May 3, 2001
Del Ponte urges war crimes arrests
April 27, 2001
Arrest warrant issued for Milosevic
April 4, 2001
Milosevic faces further indictments
April 2, 2001

RELATED SITES:
U.N. war crimes tribunal
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

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