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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
95ZAGREB1795	1995-05-09 18:44	2011-08-30 01:44	UNCLASSIFIED	Embassy Zagreb

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

091844Z May 95

UNCLASSIFIED SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 01795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USMISSION GENEVA 
SECDEF WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 001795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR A/S HOLBROOKE AND DS/OP/EUR 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM MOPS PGOV MOPS PGOV MOPS PGOV HR
SUBJECT:  UPDATE NO. 29 - CROATIA LAUNCHES PR OFFENSIVE 
          WITH BUS TOUR OF SECTOR WEST FOR DIP CORPS 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.   ON MAY 8, EMBOFF VISITED THE SECTOR WEST TOWNS OF 
JASENOVAC, OKUCANI, PAKRAC, AND A DETENTION CENTER IN 
BJELOVAR WITH A GROUP OF ZAGREB BASED DIPLOMATS ORGANIZED 
BY THE MFA.  THE CONDITION OF THESE TOWNS IS AS DESCRIBED 
IN OTHER REPORTING OF PREVIOUS EMBASSY TRIPS.  THE SERBS 
WE SPOKE WITH WERE CLEARLY DISTRESSED BY THE DILEMMA THEY 
NOW FACE; WHETHER TO STAY IN CROATIA WHERE THEY FACE 
POTENTIALLY BLEAK ECONOMIC PROSPECTS AND LIKELY 
DISCRIMINATION, OR OPT FOR THE EVEN BLEAKER PROSPECTS AND 
CONTINUING CONFLICT WHICH AWAIT THEM IN BOSNIA OR THE 
REMAINING AREAS OF SERB-CONTROLLED CROATIA.  END SUMMARY. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01795  01 OF 03  091745Z 
 
¶2.  THE CROATIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ARRANGED A 
VISIT TO SECTOR WEST FOR THE ZAGREB DIPLOMATIC CORPS ON 
MONDAY, MAY 8, LED BY FOREIGN MINISTER MATE GRANIC.  A 
MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON EXPLAINED THAT THE POPULATION IN THE 
SERB-HELD PORTION OF SECTOR WEST WAS ROUGHLY 43,000 PEOPLE 
BEFORE THE 1991 WAR.  OF THIS FIGURE, AROUT 25,000 WERE 
SERBS, 16,000 CROATS, AND 2,000 "YUGOSLAVS."  THE CROATS 
HAD ALL FLED (14,000 ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ZAGREB). 
OF THE SERB POPULATION, THE SPOKESPERSON CLAIMED THAT 
15,000 STILL REMAINED IN THE SECTOR, WHILE 7,000 HAVE FLED 
IN THE RECENT FIGHTING.  (COMMENT: THE DIFFERENCE IS 
PROBABLY ACCOUNTED FOR BY PEOPLE WHO EMIGRATED TO BOSNIA 
OR SERBIA DURING THE INTERVENING THREE YEARS.) 
 
------------------------------------- 
JASENOVAC PRESERVED; OKUCANI DESERTED 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  THE VISIT BEGAN IN JASENOVAC, THE SITE OF THE WWII 
CONCENTRATION CAMP.  THE MONUMENT TO THOSE WHO HAD 
PERISHED THERE OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO (MOSTLY SERBS) 
REMAINED UNTOUCHED, AS DID THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. 
THE NEARBY CATHOLIC CHURCH, IN STARK CONTRAST, WAS BADLY 
DAMAGED ALTHOUGH THE VAULTED ROOF REMAINED INTACT AND WE 
WERE TOLD MASS WOULD BE CELEBRATED THERE THE FOLLOWING 
DAY. 
 
¶4.  IN OKUCANI, THE MAJOR POPULATION CENTER IN THE SERB- 
HELD PART OF THE SECTOR, THERE WERE SIGNS OF RECENT DAMAGE 
TO THE HOUSING AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN THE CITY.   MOST OF 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01795  01 OF 03  091745Z 
THE HOUSES APPEARED DESERTED EXCEPT FOR STRAY CHICKENS AND 
PIGS.  THE GROUP VISITED THE ORTHODOX CHURCH, WHICH WAS 
INTACT EXCEPT FOR SOME BROKEN WINDOWS.  SILVER FRAMED 
ICONS, BIBLES AND OTHER VALUABLE RELIGIOUS ARTICLES WERE 
UNDISTURBED.  IT APPEARED THAT THE PRIEST MIGHT HAVE FLED 
WITHOUT TIME ENOUGH TO GO TO THE CHURCH AND COLLECT THOSE 
THINGS MOST PRECIOUS TO HIM. 
 
¶5.  A NUMBER OF CROATIAN OFFICIALS MET US IN THE TOWN 
CENTER.  WE WERE TOLD THAT, OF A POPULATION OF 2,000 SERBS 
BEFORE THE CROATIAN ACTION, ONLY A FEW HUNDRED REMAINED. 
NUMEROUS GROUPS OF MUNICIPAL WORKERS IN BLUE COATS FROM 
NEARBY TOWNS WERE ON THE SCENE TO HELP IN THE CLEAN-UP 
EFFORT.  ZAGREBACKA BANKA HAD OPENED A BRANCH OFFICE IN 
THE CENTER OF THE TOWN.  SIGNS HAD ALREADY BEEN POSTED AT 
THE TOWN HALL FOR A NUMBER OF CROATIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICES 
INCLUDING THE OFFICE FOR PENSIONS AND SOCIAL WELFARE AND 
THE OFFICE FOR TAX COLLECTION. 
 
¶6.  THERE WERE SIGNS OF POSSIBLE LOOTING.  PILES OF 
CLOTHING COULD BE SEEN OUTSIDE SOME HOUSES, SUGGESTING 
EITHER THAT LOOTING HAD TAKEN PLACE OR THAT OCCUPANTS HAD 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNNPTQ5777 
 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ5777 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01795  02 OF 03  091828Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  OASY-00  DOEE-00 
      DS-00    EB-01    FBIE-00  H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-10 
      LAB-01   L-01     ADS-00   M-00     NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01 
      PA-02    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     SCT-00   SP-00    SR-00 
      SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  SNIS-00  NISC-01 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRME-01  PRMC-01  DRL-09   G-00       /036W 
                  ------------------C3CB8A  091829Z /38 
P 091844Z MAY 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5704 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J21// 
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
NSC WASHDC 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USLO SKOPJE 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USMISSION USVIENNA 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01795  02 OF 03  091828Z 
USMISSION GENEVA 
SECDEF WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 001795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR A/S HOLBROOKE AND DS/OP/EUR 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM MOPS PGOV MOPS PGOV MOPS PGOV HR
SUBJECT:  UPDATE NO. 29 - CROATIA LAUNCHES PR OFFENSIVE 
          WITH BUS TOUR OF SECTOR WEST FOR DIP CORPS 
 
DEPARTED HURRIEDLY (OR BOTH).  HERE AND THERE WERE WAGONS 
LOADED WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE MOSTLY 
PERISHABLE ITEMS. AS THE BUS DROVE BY A SMALL GROCERY 
STORE, WE SAW CROATIAN MILITIA TAKING BOXES OUT AND 
PUTTING THEM IN A PICKUP.  THERE WERE NO CLEAR SIGNS, 
HOWEVER, THAT LOOTING HAD BEEN SYSTEMATIC OR ON A WIDE 
SCALE. 
 
---------------------------- 
UNCERTAINTY REIGNS IN PAKRAC 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7.  THE FORMERLY SERB-CONTROLLED SIDE OF PAKRAC TOWNSHIP, 
UNLIKE OKUCANI, IS A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE FROM THE 
BOSNIAN BORDER, AND PEOPLE HAD LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO FLEE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01795  02 OF 03  091828Z 
ROUGHLY 3,000 REMAINED IN AND AROUND THE TOWN.  DAMAGE WAS 
LIGHT.  THE SERB MILITIA TRAPPED IN THIS AREA SURRENDERED 
WITHOUT MUCH OF A FIGHT, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE REPORTS OF 
ARMED SERBS STILL HOLED UP IN THE SURROUNDING HILLS. 
 
--------------------- 
SOME INDIVIDUAL CASES 
--------------------- 
 
¶8.  WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK PRIVATELY WITH THE (MOSTLY 
FEMALE) SERBS WE ENCOUNTERED.  NO ONE REPORTED ANY LOOTING 
OR MISTREATMENT.  THEY WERE CONCERNED FOR THEIR MEN, WHO 
HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY TO NEARBY BJELOVAR.  THERE WAS ALSO 
OBVIOUS CONCERN OVER WHAT THE FUTURE HELD IN STORE FOR 
THEM.  THE GOC HAD OPENED AN OFFICE THAT DAY TO REGISTER 
THOSE WISHING TO APPLY FOR CROATIAN CITIZENSHIP AND 
CLAIMED THAT 100 HAD ALREADY DONE SO.  NEVERTHELESS, NO 
ONE EMBOFF SPOKE TO HAD MADE A DECISION TO TAKE THAT STEP. 
- 
¶9.  MANY HAD FLED TO THE AREA FROM THE CROATIAN CONTROLLED 
PART OF THE SECTOR DURING THE 1991 WAR.  AN ELDERLY WOMAN 
FROM PAKRAC SAID THAT ALTHOUGH SHE HAD BEEN OFFERED THE 
CHANCE TO RETURN NOW, SHE HAD NO INTENTION OF DOING SO 
SINCE HER HOUSE HAD BEEN DESTROYED AND SHE HAD NOWHERE TO 
LIVE.  SHE INDICATED SHE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO BOSNIA IF 
GIVEN THE CHANCE. 
 
¶10.  A YOUNG MAN WHO HAD FLED TO THE AREA FROM DARUVAR IN 
1991 HAD BEEN ROUNDED UP WHEN THE CROATIAN FORCES ARRIVED 
AND SENT TO BJELOVAR.  HE HAD BEEN RELEASED THE NIGHT 
BEFORE AS PART OF A GROUP OF 49 THAT HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01795  02 OF 03  091828Z 
RETURN.  ALTHOUGH HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONDITION OF 
HIS HOME IN DARUVAR HE SAID HE HAD NO INTENTION OF 
RETURNING THERE, WHERE HE FELT HE WOULD HAVE NO JOB 
PROSPECTS AND VERY POSSIBLY FACE THE ILL WILL OF HIS 
FORMER CROATIAN NEIGHBORS. 
 
¶11.  ANOTHER YOUNG MAN OF MILITARY AGE HAD ALSO RECENTLY 
BEEN RELEASED FROM THE DETENTION CENTER IN NEARBY 
BJELOVAR.  HE WAS ORIGINALLY FROM PAKRAC.  HIS MOTHER HAD 
LEFT FOR BOSNIA THREE YEARS EARLIER.  HE CANDIDLY 
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD BEEN ON ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY FOR 
THE "RSK" MILITIA SINCE THAT TIME.  HIS RECORD WAS 
APPARENTLY NO IMPEDIMENT TO HIS RELEASE. 
 
------------------- 
"PLEASE RELEASE ME" 
------------------- 
 
¶12.  THE DETEMTION CENTER IN BJELOVAR IS LOCATED IN A 
SPORTS HALL.  WE WERE TOLD THAT, TO DATE, THE CROATS HAD 
DETAINED 1,475 SERBS IN VARIOUS SITES, OF WHOM 554 HAD 
BEEN RELEASED, 105 WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR WAR 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNNPTQ5779 
 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ5779 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01795  03 OF 03  091829Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  OASY-00  DOEE-00 
      DS-00    EB-01    FBIE-00  H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-10 
      LAB-01   L-01     ADS-00   M-00     NSAE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01 
      PA-02    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     SCT-00   SP-00    SR-00 
      SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  SNIS-00  NISC-01 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRME-01  PRMC-01  DRL-09   G-00       /036W 
                  ------------------C3CB92  091829Z /38 
P 091844Z MAY 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5705 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J21// 
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
NSC WASHDC 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USLO SKOPJE 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USMISSION USVIENNA 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01795  03 OF 03  091829Z 
USMISSION GENEVA 
SECDEF WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 001795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
DEPT FOR A/S HOLBROOKE AND DS/OP/EUR 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM MOPS PGOV MOPS PGOV MOPS PGOV HR
SUBJECT:  UPDATE NO. 29 - CROATIA LAUNCHES PR OFFENSIVE 
          WITH BUS TOUR OF SECTOR WEST FOR DIP CORPS 
 
CRIMES, AND 816 HAD YET TO BE QUESTIONED.  IN BJELOVAR, 
BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL, 187 HAD ALREADY BEEN RELEASED.  THE 
CENTER STILL CONTAINED 469 MEN, SOME OF WHOM WERE ELDERLY 
BUT MOST LOOKED TO BE OF MILITARY AGE. 
 
¶13.  TO THE RADIO STRAINS OF TOM JONES SINGING "PLEASE 
RELEASE ME," THE GROUP BROKE UP TO SPEAK PRIVATELY WITH 
THE PRISONERS.  NONE OF THE PRISONERS TO WHOM EMBOFF SPOKE 
REPORTED ANY MISTREATMENT.  ICRC HAD ALREADY VISITED AND 
MANY HAD SENT MESSAGES TO THEIR LOVED ONES.  EMBOFF SPOKE 
TO A MAN FROM PAKRAC WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN INTERVIEWED BY 
THE CROATS.  IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHY HE WAS STILL IN BJELOVAR 
WHEN SEVERAL OTHER MEN FROM PAKRAC HAD ALREADY BEEN 
ALLOWED TO RETURN. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 

 
 
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01795  03 OF 03  091829Z 
¶14.  SEVERAL OF THE MEN WERE SERBS FROM BOSNIA OR SERBIA 
WHO WERE PRESUMABLY IN THE "RSK" TO HELP DEFEND IT. 
MINISTER GRANIC HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD THE GROUP THAT A 
NUMBER OF "WAR CRIMINALS" FROM SERBIA WERE AMO 
NG THOSE 
DETAINED, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF ARKAN'S "WHITE EAGLES."  WE 
WERE NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHETHER ANY INDIVIDUALS WERE 
BEING HELD SEPARATELY FROM THE MAIN GROUP. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶15.  WHILE THIS MFA-ORGANIZED TOUR SERVED US LARGELY TO 
CONFIRM IMPRESSIONS WE HAD OBTAINED IN THREE EARLIER 
EMBASSY VISITS TO WESTERN SLAVONIA, IT WAS PROBABLY 
VALUABLE FOR OTHERS IN THE DIP CORPS WHO WERE MAKING THEIR 
FIRST TRIP.  FROM THE GOC POINT OF VIEW, THIS FIRST EFFORT 
TO GIVE FOREIGN MISSIONS A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT THE AREA 
WILL DOUBTLESS PAY DIVIDENDS -- AS IT IS INTENDED TO -- IN 
THE FORM OF REPORTS THAT WILL SERVE TO REASSURE MANY KEY 
GOVERNMENTS THAT EARLY UN REPORTS OF ATROCITIES WERE 
EXAGGERATED. 
 
GALBRAITH 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN

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Viewing cable 95ZAGREB1795, UPDATE NO. 29 - CROATIA LAUNCHES PR OFFENSIVE