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CNN Live At Daybreak

Searching for Karadzic

Aired March 04, 2002 - 06:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The search for suspected war criminal Radovan Karadzic goes on, and despite a multimillion dollar bounty on his head, Serbs, who consider him a hero, aren't providing any information.

CNN's Alessio Vinci reports from Bosnia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. infantry troops, part of the multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia, patrol the town of Svornic (ph), not specifically on the lookout for war crime suspects, but should they spot one of them, their mandate is to arrest him. The only sign of Radovan Karadzic here, wanted on genocide charges, is his picture on a few torn down posters offering a $5 million reward to anybody giving details leading to his arrest.

Despite economic hardship here, it is an offer with not many takers in this part of Serb-controlled Bosnia. While some potential informants may fear retribution.

CAPTAIN PLEZ W. SUMMERS, U.S. ARMY: We put in about approximately 120 posters, and you can see they've been torn down. All of them have been torn down. They approximately last about an hour after we put them up.

VINCI: Many people here believe Karadzic is a hero, not a war criminal, despite the fact U.S. troops say additional evidence against Karadzic may be uncovered soon at this suspected mass grave site just outside of town where forensic experts are expected to begin exhumations in the coming days.

SUMMERS: There's no secret, there are bodies buried in and around this valley, the valley next to it. There -- I wouldn't make an estimate on how many it is, but it's a lot. Out of four grave sites, and we know that there's several more, but out of four grave sites, we've seen at over 700 bodies pulled out.

VINCI: NATO officials say the two consecutive raids last week, which have failed to turn up Karadzic, have nevertheless produced additional intelligence on his whereabouts, suggesting he remains in southeastern Bosnia.

(on camera): The new result to arrest high profile indictees (ph) comes at a time when U.S. political and military officials say they would like to reduce the number of U.S. troops here in Bosnia. Officials are discussing to bring the current number of 3,000 troops here down to about 1,800.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, with the U.S. troops in Bosnia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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