NETHERLANDS: CHIEF INTERNATIONAL PROSECUTOR FOR FORMER YUGOSLAVIA ICTY IN HAGUE RULES OUT DEAL WITH THOSE DETAINING WESTERNS HELD IN BELGRADE
Record ID:
648880
NETHERLANDS: CHIEF INTERNATIONAL PROSECUTOR FOR FORMER YUGOSLAVIA ICTY IN HAGUE RULES OUT DEAL WITH THOSE DETAINING WESTERNS HELD IN BELGRADE
- Title: NETHERLANDS: CHIEF INTERNATIONAL PROSECUTOR FOR FORMER YUGOSLAVIA ICTY IN HAGUE RULES OUT DEAL WITH THOSE DETAINING WESTERNS HELD IN BELGRADE
- Date: 8th August 2000
- Summary: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (AUGUST 8 2000) (REUTERS) 1. EXT EXTERIORS OF INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR WAR CRIMES IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA IN THE HAGUE 0.08 2. MV CARLA DEL PONTE, THE TRIBUNALS CHIEF PROSECUTOR WALKING 0.16 3. SV (SOUNDBITE)(French) DEL PONTE SAYING: "There is a very good cooperation with NATO, especially on the ground with all our investigations. But it is also true, and I am speaking as a prosecutor, we still have too many people who are at large. And that surprises me, because its a territory that is under military control. It would seem to me to be easier to arrest people on a territory under military control. I will insist with (Europe's NATO Commander General Joseph Radston that people be arrested". 1.01 4. CA DEL PONTE SPEAKING TO REPORTER 1.04 5. SV (SOUNDBITE)(French) DEL PONTE SAYING: "It is difficult for me to know what the obstacles are these arrests. I feel that there are several. There are some technical ones. But I wonder if there are political ones. I would hope that there werent any. But you are probably right. There are some. Its for that that I keep in touch with these people (NATO partners) to see what the motives and obstacles are to these arrests". 1.46 6. CA DEL PONTE SPEAKING TO REPORTER 1.51 7. SV (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEL PONTE SAYING: "I visited almost all European countries, but Im still waiting to go to Washington. Because until now it was not possible to fix a date for a meeting. The other European countries -- NATO members -- I visited. Yes. QUESTION: What does this tell you about Washington's attitude towards the Tribunal? ANSWER: Washingtons attitude is very good with the Tribunal I have a lot of contact with Ambassador Sheffer and I had a meeting with United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, but I dont know why it was not possible to have a meeting in Washington with the Defence Secretary (William Cohen) and the security council advisor (National Security Advisor) Sandy Berger and other people. I am still waiting but I hope that in Autumn it can be possible. 3.05 8. CA DEL PONTE SPEAKING TO REPORTER 3.08 9. SV (SOUNDBITE)(English) REPORTER ASKING: There is an amount of speculation that the eight people detained might be held as hostages to be exchanged for people detained by the Tribunal. What is your reaction? DEL PONTE ANSWERING: Its not possible. I can exclude that. Its not possible because we are not a political authority. We are a judicial authority with a specific mandate from the Security Council and I dont think it would be possible. Even if it were within my power. But no, I can exclude that. Absolutely not. 3.56 10. CA DEL PONTE TALKING TO REPORTER 4.00 11. SV (SOUNDBITE)(English) REPORTER ASKING: Is it realistic to think that one day you may have the top three indictees in your court? DEL PONTE ANSWERING: It is not only a hope it is a certitude. Because Im here as a prosecutor with a specific mandate and I'm trying to achieve this mandate and without these three persons you mentioned brought for the Tribunal our mandate is not finished. So I hope as soon as possible that the three most responsible for what happened in Yugoslavia can be brought here in the Hague. Sure, it will not be tomorrow. But who knows. I think it will be done. 5.00 12. SLV INTERIOR OF TRIBUNAL BUILDING 5.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
- Country: Netherlands
- Reuters ID: LVA551L2T80FLA54ABNI554ACYVY
- Story Text: The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague has
categorically ruled out the possibility of exchanging detained
suspects for eight westerners currently being held in
Belgrade. She has also vowed to bring Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic to trial, saying that she would step up
pressure on NATO to arrest war-crime suspects.
Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor at the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) who was appointed to her job a year ago next week made
clear that she would maintain as much pressure as possible to
ensure NATO continued arresting people indicted of war crimes
in Bosnia.
She confessed that she was surprised that so many of the
people that the Tribunal is seeking were still at large.
The former Swiss prosecutor, the Tribunal's second,
acknowledged that there might be technical reasons for this.
But she also suspected a lack of political will. She did not
say where.
On, Wednesday Del Ponte is due to meet NATO's new allied
commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force General Joseph Ralston to
press home her demands that alliance peacekeepers in Bosnia do
their utmost to detain suspects.
With general elections in Yugoslavia approaching, Del
Ponte furiously ruled out any chance of a deal whereby amnesty
would be granted to Milosevic in return for his departure from
power.
She described the chances of his appearing before the
tribunal as a certainty and said former Bosnian Serb military
commander Ratko Mladic and former Bosnian serb leader Radovan
Karadzic
would also be brought to justice.
But she had difficulty disguising her irritation with some
senior figures in the United States who have so far been
unavailable to meet her. In comments that were expected to hit
home in Washington she said
she was surprised that U.S. Defence Secretary William Cohen
and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger have not yet found
time to meet with her.
Del Ponte praised the French -- a favourite target of her
predecessor Louise Arbour -- for their efforts in rounding up
suspects.
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