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Hague Await Concrete Steps on Milosevic Extradition
THE HAGUE, June 23 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The UN War Crimes tribunal in the Hague welcomed Saturday a decree by the Yugoslav government clearing the way for cooperation with the tribunal but said it was still waiting for concrete results.
"Beyond the law or decree, what is important are results from the (Yugoslav government's) cooperation: access to archives and witnesses and the arrest and transfer of those indicted," said a senior tribunal official.
The Yugoslav government issued a decree Saturday on extraditing war crimes suspects that could soon put former president Slobodan Milosevic in the dock before Hague-based the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Jean-Jacques Joris, the political advisor to ICTY chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, told AFP the decree was not indispensable since cooperation with the tribunal was obligatory for all UN members, including Yugoslavia.
"If the decree adopted by the Yugoslav government lifts any obstacles all the better. But what counts is that international obligations to cooperate are fulfilled," said Joris.
Milosevic and several of his political allies have been indicted for war crimes for alleged atrocities committed during the 1998-99 crackdown on Kosovo.
Several countries applauded the extradition decision. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Saturday welcomed the decree. In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Straw said: "I welcome the Yugoslav government's intention to cooperate with the UN war crimes tribunal.
"Their decision takes us a step closer towards achieving justice in the Balkans.
"The international community remains committed to the surrender of all those indicted for war crimes, including Slobodan Milosevic, for trial in The Hague."
Straw added in his statement: "Full cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal, including the surrender of those indicted, will bring benefits to Yugoslavia. "The people of Yugoslavia deserve to put the Milosevic era behind them and re-enter the mainstream of European political life."
The U.S. too welcomed the decree, a senior U.S. official said Saturday.
"This is a positive step and we will be watching it closely," the official said. "Our goal is to make sure Milosevic is extradited for the crimes for which he was indicted."
The decree issued Saturday will take effect Sunday and could put Milosevic in the dock before the UN court in The Hague soon, Deputy Yugoslav Prime Minister Miroljub Labus said after the cabinet session.
"It is a matter of days. The district court, the Supreme Court and Serbian government are authorized to deal with these issues," Labus said, adding that the deadlines mentioned in the decree were "very short."
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