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

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01824 
 
SIPDIS 

 
 
 
 
 

CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL 5/11/00 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  CROATIA UPDATE NO. 36:  U.S., UN, EXPLORING 
          CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C)  VARIOUS UN ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY CIVPOL, 
ARE STRENGTHENING THEIR EFFORTS TO MONITOR AND 
INVESTIGATE CONDITIONS FOR SERBS IN "SECTOR WEST." 
MANY UN OFFICIALS SAY THEY STILL SUSPECT THERE WERE AT 
LEAST SOME HUMAN RIGHTS TRANSGRESSIONS BY CROATIAN 
FORCES DURING AND AFTER THE MAY 1 OFFENSIVE, AND ARE 
UNEASY THAT LITTLE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE OF CROATIAN 
WRONGDOING HAS TURNED UP SO FAR. 
 
¶2.  (LOU) EMBASSY'S INVESTIGATION OF CROAT TREATMENT OF 
MILITARY DETAINEES AND CIVILIANS CONTINUES TODAY WITH 
POLOFFS' RETURN VISIT TO BJELOVAR (SITE OF ONE 
DETENTION CENTER, WHERE WE EXPECT TO INTERVIEW SOME OF 
THE DETAINEES); STARA GRADISKA TO CHECK THE STATUS OF 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01824  01 OF 02  111828Z 
THE TOWN AND POSSIBLY INTERVIEW SOME OF THE BOSNIA- 
BOUND SERBS; AND OTHER LOCATIONS.  OUR REQUEST TO THE 
UN TO BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW SOME OF THE NEPALI TROOPS IN 
THE AREA WHO MIGHT HAVE WITNESSED ATROCITIES HAS BEEN 
TURNED DOWN BY UNCRO HEADQUARTERS, ALTHOUGH WE WERE 
TOLD WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THEM HERE IN ZAGREB. 
 
¶3.  (C) ON MAY 11, E.J. FLYNN (PROTECT) OF THE UN 
CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (MAZOWIECKI COMMISSION) IN 
ZAGREB TOLD US HE IS TAKING A CAUTIOUS ATTITUDE ABOUT 
GIVING THE GOC A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
GROUNDS.  ALTHOUGH ADMITTING THE UN DOES NOT TAKE THE 
ACCUSATIONS OUT OF BELGRADE ABOUT A MASSACRE AT THE 
STARA GRADISKA BRIDGE TERRIBLY SERIOUSLY, HE SAID THERE 
WERE "A NUMBER" OF REPORTS OF INCIDENTS WHICH SUGGESTED 
THE CROATIAN ARMY (HV) MIGHT HAVE KILLED CIVILIANS 
DURING THEIR INITIAL OFFENSIVE.  FLYNN FOUND "SUSPECT" 
THE FACT THAT THERE HAD BEEN VERY LITTLE INFORMATION SO 
FAR ABOUT SERB CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN THE AREA.  THE 
ONLY SPECIFIC INCIDENT HE RAISED, HOWEVER, WAS ONE THAT 
VELJO DJAKULA RAISED WITH THE AMBASSADOR MAY 8, IN 
WHICH SIX OF SEVEN PEOPLE TRYING TO ESCAPE PAKRAC IN A 
TRUCK AT NIGHT HAD APPARENTLY BEEN KILLED BY CROATIAN 
FIRE. 
 
¶4.  (C)  THE UN CENTRE ALSO HAS "VARIOUS" REPORTS OF 
MISTREATMENT AND PHYSICAL ABUSE OF MILITARY DETAINEES, 
PARTICULARLY AT THE VARAZDIN CENTER.  (NOTE:  EMBASSY 
HAS NOT YET VISITED THE VARAZDIN CENTER BUT WILL BE 
DOING SO IN THE NEAR FUTURE.)  FLYNN TOLD US THAT THE 
WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL WAS PLANNING TO SEND AN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01824  01 OF 02  111828Z 
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO CROATIA NEXT WEEK; IT WOULD LOOK 
AT THE QUESTION OF THE ROCKET ATTACKS ON ZAGREB, AS 
WELL AS QUESTIONS OF CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS. 
 
¶5.  (LOU)  UNCIVPOL COMMISSION SVEN FREDRIKSSON TOLD US 
MAY 11 THAT HE HAD ALREADY ADDED 70 ADDITIONAL CIVPOL 
OFFICERS IN FORMER SECTOR WEST, BRINGING THE TOTAL 
PRESENCE CURRENTLY TO 130.  HE EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO 
ADD 30 TO 40 MORE AS NEW INCOMING PERSONNEL WERE 
TRAINED.  CIVPOL IS CONTINUING AND EVEN AUGMENTING ITS 
PREVIOUSLY EXISTING PRESENCE IN "THE NORTHERN PART OF 
SECTOR WEST" (NOTE: THAT IS THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF 
THE FORMALLY DEFINED "UNPA WEST" WHICH HAS IN PRACTICAL 
TERMS BEEN CONTROLLED BY THE CROATS SINCE BEFORE 
UNPROFOR FORCES ARRIVED IN CROATIA.  BECAUSE A SMALL 
SERB MINORITY REMAINS IN THE AREA, THERE IS A 
LEGITIMATE "REASSURANCE" ROLE THERE FOR UNCIVPOL).  THE 
UN THOUGHT ITS HEIGHTENED VISIBILITY IN THIS AREA WOULD 
BE USEFUL; CIVPOL HAS ORDERS TO VISIT "EVERY VILLAGE 
EVERY DAY." 
 
¶6. (LOU)  MOST OF THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS, HOWEVER, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNNPTQ3930 
 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ3930 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01824  02 OF 02  111827Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  OASY-00  EB-01    H-01 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-10    L-01     ADS-00   NEA-01   NSAE-00 
      NSCE-00  OIC-02   PA-01    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     SP-00 
      SR-00    SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  USIE-00  SA-01    SNIS-00 
      NISC-01  PMB-00   PRME-01  PRMC-01  DRL-09   G-00       /035W 
                  ------------------C4A889  111827Z /38 
P 111925Z MAY 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5744 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J21// 
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USLO SKOPJE 
USMISSION GENEVA 
 
AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01824  02 OF 02  111827Z 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL 5/11/00 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  CROATIA UPDATE NO. 36:  U.S., UN, EXPLORING 
          CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA 
 
WOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE "SOUTHERN PART OF SECTOR 
WEST," I.E., THE AREA RECENTLY RETAKEN BY THE CROATS. 
FREDRIKSSON SAID HE AND OTHERS HAD VISITED ALL THE 
VILLAGES IN THE PAKRAC AND GAVRILICA AREAS ON MAY 10. 
CIVPOL WOULD CONDUCT "DISPATCHED" (I.E. ROVING) PATROLS 
BUT WOULD ALSO HAVE STATIONARY POSTS IN THE MOST 
SENSITIVE AREAS.  CIVPOL HAD RETURNED TO OKUCANI MAY 10 
AND WOULD BE ABLE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION THERE WITH A 
TOTAL OF 16 OFFICERS.  IN ALL AREAS, THE CIVPOL VIEWED 
ITS MISSION AS GATHERING SOUND, VERIFIABLE INFORMATION 
ON POSSIBLE CRIMES AND INCIDENTS, AND REASSURANCE OF 
THE MINORITY POPULATION. 
 
¶7. (C)  CIVPOL NOW HAS ALMOST COMPLETE FREEDOM OF 
MOVEMENT AND HAS FOUND THE CROATS EXTREMELY 
COOPERATIVE.  FREDRIKSSON SAID THERE HAD BEEN "ONLY" 
THREE CASES IN WHICH CROATIAN OFFICIALS HAD SOUGHT TO 
DENY ACCESS (AND EXPLAINED THE WORD "ONLY" BY SAYING, 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01824  02 OF 02  111827Z 
"I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED MANY MORE").  WHEN MILITARY 
POLICE IN ONE VILLAGE NEAR PAKRAC DENIED CIVPOL ACCESS, 
THE CROATIAN CIVILIAN POLICE AUTHORITIES ON THE SCENE 
HAD GONE TO HIGHER AUTHORITY AND GOT THE MILITARY 
POLICE DECISION REVERSED, ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE GOC 
HAD ORDERED "FULL COOPERATION WITH THE UN."  WHEN 
CIVPOL OFFICERS WHO RETURNED TO THEIR FORMER OFFICES IN 
OKUCANI FOUND THEM OCCUPIED BY THE HV -- BUT THE 
CROATIAN SOLDIERS DID RELINQUISH THE SPACE ON REQUEST. 
(ALL THE OFFICE EQUIPMENT WAS MISSING, WHETHER TAKEN BY 
SERBS OR CROATS, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY).  ON THE 
OTHER HAND, CIVPOL PERSONNEL INVESTIGATING A REPORT OF 
A GRAVE DESECRATION IN OKUCANI GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE 
THAT A GRAVE APPEARED TO BE OPEN, AND TO DETECT A 
"POWERFUL ODOR," BUT WERE TURNED AWAY BY MILITARY 
POLICE.  (THIS INCIDENT WILL BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER.) 
 
¶8.  (C)  FREDRIKSSON SEEMED TO SHARE FLYNN'S VIEW THAT 
MORE INCIDENTS WOULD COME TO LIGHT.  HE SAID CIVPOL HAD 
FIELDED "LOTS OF COMPLAINTS," AND FELT THERE WAS NO 
DOUBT THAT "WRONGDOING" HAD OCCURRED, THOUGH CIVPOL HAD 
DETECTED NO PATTERN OF ABUSE BUT RATHER, ISOLATED 
INCIDENTS.  THE UN, HE THOUGHT, NEEDED TO "FLOOD THE 
AREA" WITH OBSERVERS TO DEVELOP "QUALITY INFORMATION" 
TO BE ABLE TO CONFIRM OR REFUTE REPORTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS 
VIOLATIONS.  FREDRIKSSON ALSO ECHOED A POINT WE HAVE 
HEARD FROM SOME CROATIAN CONTACTS, I.E. THAT THE 
CROATIAN POLICE WERE TURNING FOR ASSISTANCE IN 
ADMINISTERING THE AREA TO PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN MEMBERS 
OF THE "DOMOBRAN" (LOCAL MILITIA) IN THE AREA BEFORE 
THE WAR.  THESE, HE THOUGHT, WERE "EXACTLY THE WRONG 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01824  02 OF 02  111827Z 
PEOPLE TO USE" BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HARBOR GRUDGES.  HE 
HAD EXPRESSED HIS MISGIVING TO THE CROATIAN POLICE, WHO 
COUNTERED THAT THESE PEOPLE'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA 
MADE THEM INVALUABLE. 
 
¶9.  COMMENT:  IN SUM, THERE IS A SENSE OF UNEASE AMONG 
UN PERSONNEL THAT, DESPITE THE LACK OF EVIDENCE SO FAR 
ON THE GROUND, SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS REMAIN 
TO BE UNCOVERED.  ECHOING THIS ATTITUDE, UN CIVIL 
AFFAIRS CHIEF FOR CROATIA JAQUE GRINBERG TOLD POLOFF 
MAY 11 THAT THE ORIGINAL MOVE IN NEW YORK TOWARD 
CENSURE OF THE CROATIAN ACTION HAD "NOT BEEN 
PREMATURE," IMPLYING THAT UN'S JUDGMENT WOULD YET BE 
VINDICATED.  WE BELIEVE THERE ARE CERTAINLY INCIDENTS 
WHICH REQUIRE FULL INVESTIGATION, AND HAVE MADE CLEAR 
TO UN OFFICIALS THAT OUR OWN EFFORTS WILL LIKEWISE 
EXPLORE ALL AVENUES TO ASCERTAIN THE FACTS. 
 
GALBRAITH 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN