CNN reporters were American soldiers

Skopje, May 20 (Tanjug - abridged) - Reporters of the American TV network CNN Dominic Robertson and Philip Hudicurc, arrested three days ago in the attempt to illegally enter Yugoslavia from Macedonia, were actually American soldiers, Skopje daily "Dnevnik" says.

Robertson and Hudicurc, the paper says, had press identity cards issued by CNN and they were accredited by the Macedonian information ministry for the stay in that country. Robertson had a British and Hudicurc an American passport. The first was reported as a cameraman and the other as a reporter.

Several days ago border units of the Macedonian army captured alleged reporters in the attempt to illegally enter Yugoslavia, near the border post of Jezerce, in the vicinity of the border post Blace, while carrying a cargo of the illegal arms and military equipment.

Military patrol reported that a five-manned group of Albanians was escorting Robertson and Hudicurc, and that they managed to escape, although it was published that they ware arrested as well.

American soldiers, who disguised themselves as reporters, together with the five Albanians, tried to smuggle a large amount of weapons, military equipment and food in Yugoslavia, "Dnevnik" daily says. The cargo was about 100 000 dollars worth.

Captured smugglers were turned in to the police in the station of Mirkovci where they were questioned and then set free but no regular court procedure was carried out against them.

Macedonian police, accidentally or deliberately, made a mistake and failed to use a legal possibility to deliver the turn the reporters in to the district attorney who would imprison them immediately, "Dnevnik" daily says.

Using that mistake by the Macedonian authorities, Robertson and Hudicurc left the country, avoiding to face the legal organs and take the responsibility of violating the law.

After the discovery by "Dnevnik" daily that the CNN reporters were actually soldiers, suspect that there are many of those dealing with the same business as Robertson and Hudicurc among the 2700 foreign correspondents and cameramen registered in Macedonia was intensified.