This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 04 ZAGREB 00082 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 

AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USEC BRUSSELS 
 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 04 ZAGREB 000082 
 
 
VIENNA FOR BOSNIA 
WARSAW FOR AMB. ALBRIGHT'S PARTY 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR BK
SUBJECT:  TSFROL:  UNPROFOR FORCE COMMANDER GEN. COT'S 
          JAN 5 BRIEFING FOR AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  IN A JAN 5 ZAGREB BRIEFING CHAIRED BY UNSYG SPECIAL 
REPRESENTATIVE AKASHI, UNPROFOR FORCE COMMANDER GENERAL 
COT BRIEFED AMBASSADORS ALBRIGHT AND GALBRAITH, ASSTSEC 
SHATTUCK, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ALBRIGHT DELEGATION ON 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00082  01 OF 04  071631Z 
THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN CROATIA AND BOSNIA.  COT 
EMPHASIZED THAT WHILE PEACKEEPING IS THE MANDATE IN 
CROATIA, PROTECTION OF HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS IS THE 
TASK IN B-H.  WHILE THERE IS AT LEAST A TEMPORARY 
CEASEFIRE WORKING IN CROATIA, GENERAL WARFARE AND 
TARGETING OF HUMANITARIAN AID CONVOYS IN B-H CONTINUE 
UNABATED.  AMB. ALBRIGHT STRESSED THE NEED TO KEEP BOTH 
DISCUSSION OF UNPROFOR AND CRITICISM OF UN RESOLUTIONS 
AFFECTING ITS OPERATIONS WITHIN "THE BOSOM OF THE 
FAMILY," AND OUT OF PUBLIC FORA. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  AFTER A BRIEF INTRODUCTION FROM AKASHI AND A SHORT 
PRESENTATION ON UNPROFOR CIVIL AND HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS 
PROJECTS, GENERAL COT OPENED THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS. 
AMB. ALBRIGHT ASKED FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT 
COMBAT LEVELS IN CROATIA AND BOSNIA AND THEIR EFFECT ON 
PEACE PROSPECTS AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS. 
 
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CROATIA 
------- 
 
¶3.  COT SAID THAT PEACEKEEPING IS THE UNPROFOR MANDATE IN 
CROATIA.  SINCE DECEMBER 23 THERE HAD BEEN A GENERALLY- 
RESPECTED, UNPROFOR-BROKERED PROVISIONAL CEASEFIRE 
BETWEEN CROATIAN AND KRAJINA SERB FORCES.  UNPROFOR IS 
WORKING TO PERSUADE THE SIDES TO EXTEND THE CEASEFIRE 
BEYOND ITS CURRENT JAN 15 TERMINATION DATE.  THIS PERIOD 
OF RELATIVE STABILITY MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH UNPROFOR 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00082  01 OF 04  071631Z 
EFFORTS IS "THE SORT OF GOOD NEWS NOT OFTEN REPORTED ON 
CNN," COT ADDED. 
 
------ 
BOSNIA 
------ 
 
¶4.  COT SAID UNPROFOR'S MANDATE TO PROTECT HUMANITARIAN 
AID OPERATIONS IN BOSNIA WAS SEVERELY HAMPERED BY THE 
HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE GROUND, ESPECIALLY IN 
CENTRAL BOSNIA.  BOTH THE GENERAL LEVEL OF COMBAT AND 
TARGETING OF HUMANITARIAN CONVOYS WERE INCREASING.  COT 
PARTICULARLY NOTED THE RECENT HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE VITEZ 
AREA.  AT PRESENT, SERB FORCES THERE HAD BECOME 
"INTERESTED SPECTATORS" TO THE RAGING CONFLICT BETWEEN 
BOSNIAN CROAT (HVO) AND MAINLY MUSLIM GOVERNMENT FORCES, 
BUT COT PREDICTED NEW SERB OFFENSIVES SOON. 
 
 
 
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PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00082  02 OF 04  071632Z 
ACTION IO-16 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  C-01     OASY-00  EAP-01 
      EB-01    EUR-01   OIGO-01  HA-09    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      L-01     ADS-00   NSAE-00  OIC-02   PA-01    PM-01    PRS-01 
      P-01     RP-10    SIL-00   SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   SS-00 
      STR-01   TRSE-00  USIE-00  RPE-01   SNIS-00  NISC-02    /054W 
                  ------------------17C51B  071633Z /38 
O 071604Z JAN 94 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0431 
INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
AMEMBASSY WARSAW 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY SOFIA 
AMEMBASSY MADRID 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00082  02 OF 04  071632Z 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USEC BRUSSELS 
 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 04 ZAGREB 000082 
 
 
VIENNA FOR BOSNIA 
WARSAW FOR AMB. ALBRIGHT'S PARTY 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR BK
SUBJECT:  TSFROL:  UNPROFOR FORCE COMMANDER GEN. COT'S 
          JAN 5 BRIEFING FOR AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT 
 
¶5.  A/S SHATTUCK ASKED COT TO CHARACTERIZE UNPROFOR 
TACTICS FOR PROTECTING AID OPERATIONS IN BOSNIA, 
PARTICULARLY UNPROFOR'S VIEW ON WHETHER A MORE "RIGOROUS" 
POSTURE IN DEFENDING RELIEF FLOWS WOULD BE WISE.  COT 
RESPONDED THAT UNPROFOR AND UNHCR OPERATIONS ARE "WHOLLY 
INTERTWINED," DESPITE UNHCR'S "TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF 
AVOIDING PEOPLE IN KHAKI."  COT RESISTED ANY IMPLICATION 
THAT UNPROFOR WAS LESS THAN RIGOROUS IN ITS RELIEF 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00082  02 OF 04  071632Z 
PROTECTION EFFORTS.  HE NOTED THAT A FRENCH UNPROFOR 
SOLDIER IN SARAJEVO HAD RECENTLY BEEN WOUNDED, AND 
POSSIBLY PARALYZED, WHEN HE DROVE A UNHCR RELIEF DELIVERY 
INTO A SECTOR CONSIDERED TOO DANGEROUS FOR UNHCR DRIVERS. 
UNPROFOR REGULARLY MAKES DIRECT DELIVERI 
ES INTO SUCH 
AREAS OF SARAJEVO, AS WELL AS MANY OF THE MOST DANGEROUS 
ZONES IN CENTRAL BOSNIA. 
 
-------- 
SARAJEVO 
-------- 
 
¶6.  AMB. ALBRIGHT ASKED COT FOR HIS ASSESSMENT OF THE 
SITUATION IN SARAJEVO.  COT RESPONDED THAT UNHCR COULD 
OFFER A MORE GENERAL BRIEFING, BUT HE COULD ADDRESS THE 
MILITARY ENVIRONMENT.  COT OBSERVED THAT THE FIGHTING IN 
SARAJEVO IS TERRIBLE, BUT DISTRIBUTION THERE OF 
HUMANITARIAN AID WAS, IN MANY WAYS, THE BEST IN BOSNIA. 
HE FURTHER STRESSED THAT SOME HIGHLY VISIBLE ASPECTS OF 
THE SIEGE, NAMELY THE CONSTANT SERB ARTILLERY AND SNIPER 
FIRE, MAY OBSCURE THE REAL MILITARY EQUATION. 
APOLOGIZING FOR ENGAGING IN "A MACABRE ARITHMETIC," COT 
STRESSED THAT THE NUMBER OF KILLED AND WOUNDED IN 
SARAJEVO WAS GENERALLY LOWER THAN WHAT MIGHT BE ASSUMED 
ON THE BASIS OF THE DAILY COUNT OF ARTILLERY IMPACTS. 
MOREOVER, ESPECIALLY HEAVY SERB ARTILLERY BARRAGES IN 
RECENT DAYS WERE IN PART RESPONSES TO INCREASINGLY STRONG 
INFANTRY CHALLENGES BY BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT FORCES IN THE 
MOUNT ZUK AREA OF THE CITY AND ELSEWHERE. 
 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00082  02 OF 04  071632Z 
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ATROCITIES 
---------- 
 
¶7.  AMB. ALBRIGHT AND A/S SHATTUCK BOTH STRESSED THE 
DELEGATION'S CONCERN THAT UNPROFOR TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN 
KEEPING THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES COMMISSION AND OTHER 
BODIES INFORMED ABOUT ATROCITIES IN CROATIA AND BOSNIA. 
COT NOTED THAT THE RECENT MASSACRES IN THE MEDAK POCKET 
(IN CROATIA) AT STUPNI DOL (IN CENTRAL B-H) HAD BEEN 
THOROUGHLY DOCUMENTED BY UNPROFOR MILITARY AND CIVILAN 
POLICE ELEMENTS AND REPORTED TO THE COMMISSION AND OTHER 
APPROPRIATE ENTITIES.  HE THEN OPINED, IN PASSIONATE 
TERMS, THAT "ALTHOUGH WE IN UNPROFOR ARE NOT ALWAYS SURE 
WHY WE ARE STILL HERE, WE DO KNOW THAT, WERE WE NOT HERE 
AS WITNESSES, THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE ATROCITIES." 
REFERRING LATER TO THIS POINT, AMB. ALBRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGED 
THAT UNPROFOR'S PRESENCE MUST INDEED HAVE PREVENTED 
 
 
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PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00082  03 OF 04  071632Z 
ACTION IO-16 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  C-01     OASY-00  EAP-01 
      EB-01    EUR-01   OIGO-01  HA-09    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      L-01     ADS-00   NSAE-00  OIC-02   PA-01    PM-01    PRS-01 
      P-01     RP-10    SIL-00   SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   SS-00 
      STR-01   TRSE-00  USIE-00  RPE-01   SNIS-00  NISC-02    /054W 
                  ------------------17C530  071634Z /38 
O 071604Z JAN 94 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0432 
INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
AMEMBASSY WARSAW 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY SOFIA 
AMEMBASSY MADRID 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00082  03 OF 04  071632Z 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USEC BRUSSELS 
 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 03 OF 04 ZAGREB 000082 
 
 
VIENNA FOR BOSNIA 
WARSAW FOR AMB. ALBRIGHT'S PARTY 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR BK
SUBJECT:  TSFROL:  UNPROFOR FORCE COMMANDER GEN. COT'S 
          JAN 5 BRIEFING FOR AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT 
 
COUNTLESS ADDITIONAL ATROCITIES. 
 
----------- 
RESOLUTIONS 
----------- 
 
¶8.  IN A CONCLUDING DISCUSSION, AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT 
REFLECTED ON THE EXTRAORDINARY LEVEL OF ACTIVITY IN THE 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00082  03 OF 04  071632Z 
UN SECURITY COUNCIL IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, NOTING THAT 
MORE RESOLUTIONS HAD PASSED THERE IN THAT TIME THAN IN 
THE INSTITUTION'S ENTIRE PREVIOUS HISTORY.  ONE REASON 
WAS SIMPLY THAT IT WAS EASIER IN A POST-COLD WAR 
ENVIRONMENT TO PASS RESOLUTIONS.  BEYOND THIS FACT, 
HOWEVER, THERE WERE EXTREMELY HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR UN 
PEACEKEEPING IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD WAR.  SHE WENT ON TO 
OBSERVE THAT GENERAL COT HAD SOMETIMES CRITICIZED THE 
COUNCIL'S RESOLUTIONS IN THEIR APPLICATION TO THE FORMER 
YUGOSLAVIA, AND ASKED IF HE COULD ELABORATE ON HIS 
PUBLICLY-STATED VIEWS. 
 
¶9.  COT SAID THAT, AS A SOLDIER, HE WAS ACCUSTOMED TO 
EXPRESSING HIMSELF IN DIRECT AND SIMPLE FASHION.  PLANS 
CONCEIVED UNDER SOME UN RESOLUTIONS SEEMED TO HIM 
"INCONCRETE."  HE CALLED THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION AND 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VANCE PLAN FOR CROATIA "A SWINDLE," 
IN THE SENSE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD NEVER 
MADE AVAILABLE THE FORCES AND AUTHORITIY TO ACCOMPLISH 
THE MISSION.  WALKING TO A THEATER MAP ON THE CONFERENCE 
ROOM WALL, COT POINTED OUT THAT HE HAD HAD TO "SCRAPE UP 
EVERY SOLDIER HE COULD LOCATE IN CROATIA AND B-H COMMAND" 
TO STEM AN AUTUMN OUTBREAK OF FIGHTING BETWEEN CROATS AND 
KRAJINA SERBS IN CROATIA.  SUCH A SCRAMBLE POINTED UP THE 
WEAKNESSES OF UNPROFOR ASSETS, AND WAS A HUMILIATING 
EXERCISE FOR A GENERAL IN COMMAND OF INTERNATIONALLY- 
SUPPORTED PEACEKEEPING FORCES.  OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS 
ON UNPROFOR IN BOSNIA MADE THE UN'S PROTECTION EFFORT 
THERE ANOTHER "SWINDLE," COT SAID.  OF THE 7,500 
ADDITIONAL TROOPS CALLED FOR TO IMPLEMENT "SAFE AREAS," 
ONLY 2,000 HAD BEEN FORTHCOMING. 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00082  03 OF 04  071632Z 
 
¶10.  AMB. ALBRIGHT RESPONDED THAT SHE UNDERSTOOD THESE 
FRUSTRATIONS, AND THAT THE UN NOW FINDS ITSELF WORKING IN 
"A NEURALGIC TIME" IN TRYING TO MAINTAIN PEACEKEEPING 
OPERATIONS AS PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT THE POLITICAL, FISCAL, 
AND HUMAN COSTS OF SUCH OPERATIONS INCREASES IN MANY 
NATIONS, INCLUDING THE UN 
ITED STATES.  EMPHASIZING THE 
NECESSITY OF LEARNING FROM MISTAKES, AMB. ALBRIGHT SAID 
SHE WAS NONETHELESS TROUBLED WHEN CRITICISMS OF THE UN BY 
OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE INSTITUTION APPEARED IN PUBLIC 
STATEMENTS.  THE SECURITY COUNCIL MAY NEED TO LOOK EVEN 
MORE REALISTICALLY AT FUTURE RESOLUTIONS, BUT COMMANDERS 
IN THE FIELD SHOULD ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS FIRST "IN THE 
BOSOM OF THE FAMILY" AT THE UN, AND NOT IN PUBLIC FORA. 
GENERAL COT DID NOT RESPOND.  IN CONCLUSION, BOTH 
AMBASSADORS GALBRAITH AND ALBRIGHT EMPHASIZED THEIR 
APPRECIATION FOR THE COMMITMENT AND COURAGE OF UNPROFOR 
 
 
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PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00082  04 OF 04  071633Z 
ACTION IO-16 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  C-01     OASY-00  EAP-01 
      EB-01    EUR-01   OIGO-01  HA-09    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      L-01     ADS-00   NSAE-00  OIC-02   PA-01    PM-01    PRS-01 
      P-01     RP-10    SIL-00   SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   SS-00 
      STR-01   TRSE-00  USIE-00  RPE-01   SNIS-00  NISC-02    /054W 
                  ------------------17C537  071634Z /38 
O 071604Z JAN 94 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0433 
INFO WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
AMEMBASSY WARSAW 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY SOFIA 
AMEMBASSY MADRID 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00082  04 OF 04  071633Z 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USEC BRUSSELS 
 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 04 OF 04 ZAGREB 000082 
 
 
VIENNA FOR BOSNIA 
WARSAW FOR AMB. ALBRIGHT'S PARTY 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR PREF EAID MOPS HR BK
SUBJECT:  TSFROL:  UNPROFOR FORCE COMMANDER GEN. COT'S 
          JAN 5 BRIEFING FOR AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT 
 
PEOPLE IN THE FIELD. 
 
¶11.  THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN CLEARED BY AMB. ALBRIGHT. 
 
GALBRAITH 
 
 
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