Posted on 01/24/2003 7:15:22 PM PST by Ichabod Walrus
US war crimes envoy skips visit to Croatia during trip to region
ZAGREB (AFP) - US war crimes envoy Pierre-Richard Prosper will not have time to visit Croatia during his current trip to the region, the US embassy said here Thursday. Prosper will not visit Croatia since "demands on his schedule and logistical complications preclude a stop in Zagreb," the embassy said in a statement.
No firm date has been set for a future visit to Croatia, it added.
Prosper, the US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, was expected Thursday in Sarajevo for a two-day visit to Bosnia, where he is to renew pressure on the authorities to arrest war crimes suspects believed to be hiding in the country.
Prior to Bosnia he visited Yugoslavia, warning that Belgrade may lose vital financial aid from Washington unless it helps turn over key war crimes fugitives.
He had been due to wind up his trip in Zagreb where he was expected to press the authorities on their refusal to hand over retired General Janko Bobetko to the UN war crimes tribunal.
Bobetko, hospitalized in Zagreb, was examined a week ago by the doctors for the UN court who are to submit to the tribunal a report on whether his medical condition will allow him to be transferred to The Hague.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicted Bobetko last September with the killing of at least 100 ethnic Serb civilians during the 1991-95 Serbo-Croatian war.
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