Croatia decides to extradite war crimes suspects

Croatia has decided to extradite Croat war crimes suspects to the UN war crimes tribunal.

Prime Minister Ivica Racan has confirmed his government's decision and said it was the only possible move.

However, the decision may lead to the collapse of the 18-month-old government.

"The alternative was to reject the court's request, to begin a conflict not only with the court, but with Europe and the international community, to suffer sanctions," Racan said. "This government simply could not have risked that."

In 1996, Croatia enacted a law on cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

Refusal to cooperate would certainly result in international isolation, and perhaps even sanctions.

President Stipe Mesic supported the Cabinet's decision earlier in the day, stressing that Croats, too, committed war crimes during the war for independence.

However, the decision, highly disputed in Croatia, has sparked a political crisis which may result in the collapse of Racan's Cabinet after only 18 months in power.

Four Cabinet ministers - all from Racan's main coalition partner, the Social Liberals - offered their resignations in protest against the planned extradition.

Racan subsequently asked parliament to give his government a vote of confidence, which is expected to be held later this month.