World Scene

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

NATO troops fail to seize Karadzic

PALE — NATO troops failed to arrest ex-Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic in an operation early today in his former stronghold of Pale, a spokesman said.

“We conducted a focused international operation in Pale to detain Radovan Karadzic … We did not find him,” said Dave Sullivan, spokesman for the NATO-led Stabilization Force.

Mr. Sullivan said the Stabilization Force was in the process of transferring the operation, which left two civilians injured, to the Bosnian Serb police.

SPAIN

Global warrants issued for 6 suspects

MADRID — Spain, for the first time, issued international arrest warrants yesterday in the Madrid train bombings, seeking six suspects in a widening probe into the worst terrorist attack in Spanish history.

The names and photographs of the warrants for five Moroccans and a Tunisian were distributed by the Interior Ministry. They included two brothers of Naima Oulad Akcha, the only woman charged in the case so far, a court official said.

The warrants were sent out internationally and not specifically to Britain, Morocco and France, contrary to earlier reports, a court official said.

Earlier, a government official erroneously said one of the warrants was for Abdelkrim Mejjati, a 36-year-old Moroccan who was convicted in absentia in the deadly bombings in Casablanca last year, which killed 33 persons and 12 suicide bombers. Mejjati is wanted by the FBI in connection with terrorist threats against the United States.

AFGHANISTAN

Donor countries pledge $4.4 billion

BERLIN — International donors pledged $4.4 billion for Afghanistan yesterday after Afghan President Hamid Karzai appealed for help to stop his country from becoming a haven for drugs and terrorism.

One of the world’s poorest countries and the biggest opium supplier, Afghanistan remains a key Western security concern two years after U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban, which had provided refuge for Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda guerrillas.

The pledge toward reconstruction and budget costs for fiscal 2004-05 far outweighed the $4.5 billion over five years pledged at a 2002 donors’ conference in Tokyo, but is dwarfed by an estimated annual bill of $12 billion for the West’s military operations in Afghanistan.

LITHUANIA

President to face impeachment

VILNIUS — Lithuania’s president was ruled in violation of the constitution yesterday, setting the stage for his impeachment. But the former stunt pilot didn’t show up for the televised hearing and instead spent the day flying in a military jet.

Rolandas Paksas, 48, who won a surprise victory in this former Soviet republic 14 months ago, faced certain impeachment for arranging citizenship for businessman Yuri Borisov, a native Russian who police assert is linked to the Russian mafia.

He will be impeached, unless he steps down before parliament meets on April 7, said Parliament Speaker Artu.

GREECE

Strike threatens Olympics preparation

ATHENS — Olympic organizers warned Greece that more work stoppages like yesterday’s 24-hour strike by workers in transport, construction and other industries could threaten the Summer Games in August.

With building firms in Athens racing against the clock to finish stadiums and other infrastructure on time, the International Olympic Committee said Greece would have to make up for the effects of the stoppage.