US protection for whoever turns in most-wanted men

Washington will protect anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of the world’s two most-wanted war crimes suspects, a US diplomat said today.

The United States has previously offered a reward of up to £3.5m (€5.69m) to anyone turning in Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander, General Ratko Mladic.

‘‘We are also prepared to offer relocation of any person and their immediate family who is willing to provide assistance’’ leading to their arrest, said Pierre-Richard Prosper, the US ambassador for war crimes issues.

Mladic and Karadzic have been indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague for atrocities allegedly committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.

Prosper visited Sarajevo today, a day after a visit by UN war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who said the Netherlands-based tribunal will not close until it has tried Karadzic and Mladic.

Members of the Bosnian presidency told Prosper they would help US and Nato efforts to arrest the two.

Bosnia and the United States will work together to ‘‘either apprehend or encourage their voluntary surrender so that we can move forwards and have a normalisation of the society here in Bosnia,’’ Prosper said.

The UN tribunal is aiming to finish its work in 2008. Before that time, Bosnian courts are expected to take over the prosecution of suspects accused of less serious war crimes.