"Helpers would have led to Mladić"

Wartime commander of the Bosnian Serb army Ratko Mladic would have been extradited to the Hague Tribunal a along time ago had his helpers not been arrested. This is according to Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor and head of the Action Team for arresting the two remaining fugitives Vladimir Vukcevic, who told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti that arresting a suspected support network to the former general in 2006 was a mistake. "Helpers would have led to Mladic" Mladic's helpers were arrested without being used to possibly lead to the fugitive, he said. "I think that was a wrong decision, but I was not on the Action Team then. I think that was a move that set the search for the fugitives back considerably and that was illogical to any intelligence activity. However, there are a lot of unexplained things that we will investigate," Vukcevic was quoted as saying. He added that work is being done on all the cases that could lead to the remaining fugitives, but also on those where the so-called law on the helpers was "definitively broken". Asked whether he was under the impression that the pressure to make the arrests was gradually stopping, VUkcevic said that "it all came down to the honest and exhausting effort that is being made in Serbia". "It comes down to the high degree of understanding we have with [Serge] Brammertz and other international factors, above all the EU, U.S. and Russia. That is the success of a wise and responsible policy, but also the operatives who are working day and night so that we can finish the 'number one' job in Serbia," the prosecutor was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"Helpers would have led to Mladić"

Mladić's helpers were arrested without being used to possibly lead to the fugitive, he said.

"I think that was a wrong decision, but I was not on the Action Team then. I think that was a move that set the search for the fugitives back considerably and that was illogical to any intelligence activity. However, there are a lot of unexplained things that we will investigate," Vukčević was quoted as saying.

He added that work is being done on all the cases that could lead to the remaining fugitives, but also on those where the so-called law on the helpers was "definitively broken".

Asked whether he was under the impression that the pressure to make the arrests was gradually stopping, VUkčević said that "it all came down to the honest and exhausting effort that is being made in Serbia".

"It comes down to the high degree of understanding we have with [Serge] Brammertz and other international factors, above all the EU, U.S. and Russia. That is the success of a wise and responsible policy, but also the operatives who are working day and night so that we can finish the 'number one' job in Serbia," the prosecutor was quoted as saying by the newspaper.