British defense sources say French forces are stymieing an operation to seize and arrest former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, an international fugitive charged with genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
     Karadzic lives near Pale, capital of Republika Srpska, which is controlled by the French contingent of SFOR, and has a villa surrounded by police bodyguards and some 500 specially trained troops, the London Telegraph reports.
     However, the Special Air Service believes it can bypass the obstacles to get to Karadzic. "We have the capability," one British defense source said. "It is simply a question of whether or not there is the political will. But if you really think the French will accept a British special forces operation on their territory, where the world will say the Brits can do it, the French can't, then dream on."
     British forces have been instrumental in apprehending 13 of the 20 war crimes suspects now in custody (Michael Smith, London Telegraph/Washington Times, 14 Aug).
     The French have been criticized for not being tough enough toward indicted war criminals. A French military intelligence officer allegedly warned Karadzic two years ago that there were plans in the works to kidnap him (Richard Norton-Taylor, London Guardian, 14 Aug).