Karadzic pressed to surrender

SERBIA: A powerful Serb Orthodox cleric close to the family of war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic has urged him to surrender, giving the latest sign that he may soon break cover after a decade on the run.

"If I had to ask Radovan Karadzic one question, it would be, 'Do you want to continue living in a hole like a hunted animal, or would it be better to go to The Hague?'" said Metropolitan Amfilohije, referring to the UN war crimes court for former Yugoslavia.

"I can't say what he should do, but I can say what I would do. I would go to The Hague."

The cleric's comments, which were carried by several news agencies, stunned the many Serbs who still revere Mr Karadzic for leading Bosnia's Serbs in a 1992-5 war against their Croat and Muslim neighbours, in which more than 200,000 people died.

Mr Karadzic is also believed to receive extensive help from the Orthodox Church, even disguising himself as one of its priests and taking refuge in its monasteries.

Speaking to reporters in his monastery in Montenegro - in a region where Mr Karadzic (60) is suspected of hiding - the Metropolitan's comments came amid what many Balkan analysts interpret as preparations for the war crimes suspect's surrender.

Since May, when Mr Karadzic's mother died and the Metropolitan preached at her funeral, there have been reports that he might be tiring or running out of money and supporters willing to take risks to prevent his capture.

Last month his wife made an unprecedented and tearful plea for him to surrender, saying her family could no longer take the strain of frequent searches and questioning by soldiers from Nato and the EU force that now patrols Bosnia.

If Mr Karadzic were to surrender now, several commentators believe, he could save face by claiming to be fulfilling the wishes of his family and the Orthodox Church, which have been his bastions of support throughout his time on the run.

Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia's Republika Srpska are under intense international pressure to capture the handful of men still wanted by the tribunal at The Hague, a list headed by Mr Karadzic and his wartime military ally, Gen Ratko Mladic.

The US and EU have warned that diplomatic links and vital financial aid and investment will not be stepped up until the fugitives are found.

The attitude of the influential Orthodox Church is crucial, and the Metropolitan was quoted as saying he had spoken to some of the dozen former Serb commanders who surrendered this year to the UN war crimes court.

"I told them I could only say what I would do in their place and I said I would go. And it's possible that some of them left because I told them this."

Quoting intelligence sources, several newspapers in Serbia-Montenegro have predicted Mr Karadzic's surrender this autumn, just before Belgrade's next round of talks with the EU.