Karadzic: indicted for war crimes, still at large

NATO Commander Urges Karadzic to "Surrender"

Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, General Clark - whose formal title is SACEUR (Supreme Aliied Commander of NATO Forces in Europe) - called on Mr Karadzic to surrender. "He should be turned in," said General Clark. "He should report to The Hague. In fact, I call on him to submit himself voluntarily to justice."

Ever since Mr Karadzic was indicted, security analysts have warned that his troop of bodyguards could thwart any operation to capture him. General Clark said that NATO was "looking very carefully" at the bodyguards issue, suggesting that troops from the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia might move to disarm them.

General Clark said: "If there are specialist police who are protecting him...they won't legally be able to protect him as specialist police under the agreement that they have entered into. That is an illegal mission."

And the General also warned against attempts to intimidate SFOR. In the past fortnight, there have been a number of instances of Serb civilians threatening SFOR troops who had been trying to prevent an escalation of clashes between police officers loyal to Mr Karadzic and those supporting his bitter rival, Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic.

"We will use all means necessary, including lethal means, to protect our forces and continue our mission," General Clark declared.