Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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June 19, 2007

UN Prosecutor Urges Delay on Kosovo's Future Status
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=17DF523:A6F02AD83191E160F5231C1538E18EBE9574F7DCC14957C0 Carla del Ponte
urges Security Council to put off deciding future of Kosovo until top
Balkans war crimes suspects are in custody U.N. war crimes prosecutor
Carla del Ponte is urging the Security Council to put off deciding the
future of Kosovo until top Balkans war crimes suspects are in custody.
>From U.N. headquarters, VOA's Peter Heinlein reports the prosecutor
noted increasing Serbian cooperation with efforts to bring top
fugitives to The Hague for trial.







Carla del Ponte (Feb 2007 photo)Chief Yugoslavia war crimes prosecutor
Carla del Ponte says the failure to arrest former Bosnian Serb leader
Radovan Karadzic and military commander Ratko Mladic is a permanent
stain on the court's work.

Both men were indicted 11 years ago for genocide and war crimes
committed during the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995.

Del Ponte told the Security Council Mladic and Karadzic are believed
to be in Serbia, or within Serbia's reach.

"The continuing impunity enjoyed by Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic
gravely undermines all efforts to bring justice to the victims," said
Carla del Ponte. "This impunity also seriously undermines the
credibility of the international tribunal."

But Del Ponte told the Council there are some encouraging signs in the
hunt for Mladic and Karadzic, including increased Serbian cooperation
with the tribunal.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Del Ponte indicated that efforts to
apprehend the fugitives are at a delicate stage, and suggested it
might be helpful if the Security Council puts off any decision
concerning independence for Serbia's breakaway Kosovo province until
the two fugitives are in custody.

"It would be better if the decision on Kosovo is not coming out now,
if it would be postponed, because it could interfere in the
cooperation with that," she said. "What I said, and it is very clear,
postpone until we have Mladic and Karadzic and other fugitives. I'm
not recommending nothing. I'm just saying it would be preferable for
us."

Security Council diplomats confirmed a French news agency report
Sunday that a draft resolution is under consideration calling for a
"cooling off period" in deciding Kosovo's future. One diplomat, who is
not authorized to speak publicly, said the period, possibly 120 days,
would allow for further discussion on a proposal by U.N. Kosovo envoy
Martti Ahtisaari to grant "supervised independence" to the
secessionist Serbian province.


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