[JURIST] NATO General Steven Schook [official profile] told reporters Wednesday that he believes that allied forces are very close to capturing former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic [BBC profile]. Often referred to as one of the world's most wanted men, Karadzic is accused of leading the slaughter of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Croats in July 1995, and has been the focus of an intense manhunt since fleeing from authorities following the end of the Serbian war. Karadzic has been indicted [text] by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [official website; JURIST news archive]. General Schook indicated that there are "clear signs" that Karadzic will be captured soon and sent to the UN war crimes tribunal to face accusations of genocide. Reuters has more.

In a related development, a former member of Karadzic's wartime government, Momcilo Mandic, was arrested Wednesday in Montenegro on charges of embezzlement and fraud in connection with his efforts to offer Karadzic financial support while in hiding. RFE/RL has more.