Briefly

Yugoslavia

War crimes suspect shoots himself after law passes

A former Serbian police chief indicted for war crimes shot himself in the head Thursday, hours after the legislature adopted a law allowing arrests and extraditions to the U.N. tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

Vlajko Stojiljkovic, who headed the police during former President Slobodan Milosevic’s reign and was indicted for crimes against humanity, fired his pistol in front of the federal parliament building downtown.

Mihajlo Mitrovic, head of the emergency room at the Belgrade hospital where Stojiljkovic was taken, said he was in critical condition with a severe gunshot wound to the head.

“His life is in danger,” Mitrovic said.

A police officer said Stojiljkovic had walked out of parliament shortly after 7 p.m., appeared to hesitate a few minutes, then pulled out the pistol and shot himself.

Washington

U.S. comptroller blasts Homeland Security office

The U.S. comptroller general slammed the White House Office of Homeland Security Thursday for failing to turn over information vital to congressional budget decisions on the U.S. anti-terrorist effort.

“There remains a certain core of information that only OHS can provide,” said Comptroller General David Walker at a hearing of the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

The White House and congressional Democrats have been at odds over what the Democrats charge is administration secrecy on homeland defense policies and plans.

Thursday morning, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge gave an informal, off-the-record, closed-door briefing before the Republican-controlled House Government Reform Committee. But Ridge again refused to give sworn congressional testimony on homeland defense issues, arguing that, as a presidential adviser, he would violate constitutional separation of powers protections.

California

Cardinal cleared in abuse case

A Fresno police investigation has cleared Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of allegations that he sexually abused a female student at a local Catholic high school 32 years ago, the department’s chief of criminal investigation said Thursday.

Lt. Dwayne Johnson said the three-week investigation had uncovered no evidence of a crime and that no further action would be taken. He said Mahony had been interviewed in person about the alleged incident, which he denied ever taking place, and that he cooperated fully with detectives.