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Del Ponte calls for snatch squad

Del Ponte (left) says Mladic is in Yugoslavia

She said she had called for a plainclothes team to go in, rather than uniformed soldiers - but countries making up the Nato force had declined.

Ms Del Ponte also criticised the authorities in Belgrade for not co-operating with the tribunal in The Hague, and for sheltering the Bosnian Serb military leader, Ratko Mladic.

She said Mr Mladic had been in Serbia for about a month.

The two leaders are wanted on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Aid cut threat

Yugoslavia has until the end of March to start co-operating with the international war crimes tribunal if it does not want to lose $40m in vital financial aid from the US.

Diplomats have speculated that the 31 March cut-off date could provoke the last-minute arrests of the suspects similar to that of Slobodan Milosevic this time last year.

His dramatic arrest coincided with a deadline for international aid, which was subsequently granted.

Yugoslavia has been criticised for failing to hand over several indicted war crimes suspects to the tribunal, some of whom remain in public life, such as Serbian President Milan Milutinovic.

Co-operation with the tribunal is a divisive issue in Yugoslavia. It is opposed by President Vojislav Kostunica, but supported by Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.