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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001944 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  5/17/00 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  OPPOSITION LEADERS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE 
          SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01944  01 OF 02  191618Z 
 
¶1.  CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2.  ON MAY 17/18, LEADING OPPOSITION FIGURES EXPRESSED TO 
AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH THEIR VIEW THAT THE DEPARTURE OF 
ETHNIC SERBS FROM WESTERN SLAVONIA WAS EQUIVALENT TO 
ETHNIC CLEANSING AND A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IN CROATIA. 
MESIC COMPLAINED THAT OPPOSITION PARTIES HAD NOT BEEN 
INFORMED ABOUT EVENTS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA.  ONE PARTY 
CHARGED THAT DEFMIN SUSAK, AMONG OTHERS, WAS IMPLICATED IN 
WAR CRIMES.  THE ALWAYS POLEMICAL SERB PARTY CHARGED THE 
U.S. WITH COMPLICITY IN THE GOC'S "ETHNIC CLEANSING"; THE 
AMBASSADOR VIGOROUSLY REJECTED THESE CHARGES, NOTING OUR 
PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN ABOUT GOC HUMAN RIGHTS 
PERFORMANCE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------- 
OPPOSITION SHUT OUT OF SECTOR WEST 
---------------------------------- 
¶3.  ON MAY 17, THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH STIPE MESIC, 
PRESIDENT OF THE OPPOSITION CROATIAN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS 
(HND).  MESIC CHARGED THAT THE GOC WAS KEEPING THE 
OPPOSITION IN THE DARK ABOUT THE SITUATION IN FORMER 
SECTOR WEST AND EQUATED THE EXODUS OF SERBS WITH ETHNIC 
CLEANSING.  HE SAID THAT IF THE DEPARTURE OF SERBS 
CONTINUED IT WOULD BE A STEP BACKWARD FOR DEMOCRACY IN 
CROATIA.  (NOTE: AS OF MAY 16, 1,100 SERBS -- OUT OF AN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01944  01 OF 02  191618Z 
ESTIMATED REMAINING POPULATION OF 5,000 -- HAD LEFT THE 
AREA OF PAKRAC AND LIPIK FOR SERB-HELD TERRITORY IN 
BOSNIA, AND ONLY 268 HAD RECEIVED THEIR CROATIAN 
CITIZENSHIP PAPERS.  HALF OF THE ESTIMATED 15,000 SERBS 
INHABITING SECTOR WEST PRIOR TO THE INVASION ARE BELIEVED 
TO HAVE FLED TO BOSNIA.)  MESIC COMPLAINED THAT OPPOSITION 
PARTY REPRESENTATIVES WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE AREA UNTIL 
TWO DAYS AFTER MILITARY OPERATIONS HAD ENDED, AND WAS 
DOUBTFUL THAT A VISIT NOW WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL 
IMPACT. 
 
¶4.  ON MAY 18, THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH MILAN DJUKIC AND 
VESELIN PEJNOVIC, PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE 
SERBIAN PEOPLE'S PARTY.  DJUKIC, TYPICALLY POLEMICAL, SAID 
THAT THE GOC'S MODEL OF PEACEFUL REINTEGRATION WAS 
BECOMING A MODEL OF CROATIA WITHOUT SERBS.  SERBS FROM 
EASTERN SLAVONIA HAD NO INCENTIVE TO THINK ABOUT RETURNING 
TO WESTERN SLAVONIA AT A TIME WHEN SERBS WERE LEAVING FOR 
BOSNIA.  DJUKIC CHARGED THAT THE GOC WAS COMMITTING ETHNIC 
CLEANSING IN FORMER SECTOR WEST AND HAD SYSTEMATICALLY 
DAMAGED ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND SERB HOMES.  SPECIFICALLY HE 
NOTED THAT THE HOUSE OF THE PARISH PRIEST IN JASENOVAC WAS 
OCCUPIED BY THE HV.  HE ALSO SAID THAT WHILE VISITING 
JASENOVAC, HE PERSONALLY OBSERVED TROOPS LOOTING THE HOUSE 
IN WHICH HIS WIFE WAS BORN.  OTHER VILLAGES HE CLAIMED 
WERE THE SITES OF WAR CRIMES WERE: PAKLENICA, LUDEVAC, 
RAICI, COVAC, MLAKA, STARA GRADISKA, AND BOROVAC.  DJUKIC 
AND PEJNOVIC ACCUSED THE USG OF TACITLY SUPPORTING ETHNIC 
CLEANSING THROUGH ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOC. 
 
¶5.  DJUKIC AND PEJNOVIC ALSO ASKED, IF THE GOC FIGURE OF 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01944  01 OF 02  191618Z 
350-450 SERB DEAD WAS CORRECT, WHERE THE BODIES WERE. 
THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS HELD AT 
POZEGA AND VARAZDIN.  DJUKIC SAID THAT HV TROOPS 
THREATENED TO BURN ALIVE ONE WOMAN IN THE VILLAGE OF 
SEOVICA, WHO THEN ATTEMPTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE; WHILE 
ANOTHER SERB IN THE VILLAGE REPORTEDLY HANGED HIMSELF 
AFTER BEING INTIMIDATED.  DJUKIC AND PEJNOVIC ALSO CLAIMED 
THAT SERBS WERE BEING FORCED TO SELL THEIR HOMES AND 
LIVESTOCK TO CROATS AT A FRACTION OP THEIR VALUE. 
 
¶6.  THE AMBASSADOR SUGGESTED TO MESIC THAT IT WOULD BE 
USEFUL FOR OPPOSITION PARTIES TO CONTACT SERB LEADERS, 
SUCH AS VELJKO DZAKULA IN PAKRAC.  MESIC AGREED THAT 
ESTABLISHING A POLITICAL DIALOGUE WITH LOCAL SERB LEADERS 
COULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARD CONVINCING PEOPLE WHO WERE 
UNDECIDED ABOUT WHETHER THEY SHOULD STAY OR GO THAT THEY 
HAD A PUTURE IN CROATIA.  THE AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZED THAT 
THIS WAS VITAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY AS WELL AS 
CROATIA'S INTEGRATION INTO EUROPE.  HE TOLD BOTH POLITICAL 
PARTIES THAT THE U.S. IS NOT INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING 
REINTEGRATION OP AN ETHNICALLY PURE COUNTRY.  HE REPUTED 
DJUKIC'S ACCUSATION OP USG SUPPORT FOR ETHNIC CLEANSING BY 
POINTING TO STATEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC RECORD WHICH HAD 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNNPTQ0952 
 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0952 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01944  02 OF 02  191618Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  OASY-00  DODE-00 
      EB-01    FBIE-00  H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-08    LAB-01 
      L-01     ADS-00   M-00     NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01 
      PA-01    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     SCT-00   SP-00    SR-00 
      SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRME-01 
      PRMC-01  DRL-09   G-00       /032W 
                  ------------------C77F90  191653Z /38 
R 191712Z MAY 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5841 
INFO JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USLO SKOPJE 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001944 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  5/17/00 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  OPPOSITION LEADERS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE 
          SITUATION IN WESTERN SLAVONIA 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01944  02 OF 02  191618Z 
 
RAISED SERIOUS U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT GOC HUMAN RIGHTS 
VIOLATIONS DURING AND AFTER THE OPPENSIVE, INCLUDING THE 
AMBASSADOR'S CRITICISM OP THE GOC'S DETENTION OF ELDERLY 
RESIDENTS OP OKUCANI.  THE AMBASSADOR SAID THE U.S. 
OPPOSED THE USE OF PORCE AND CONSIDERED IT A VIOLATION OF 
THE COPENHAGEN AGREEMENT.  HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE UN 
SHOULD CONTINUE ITS ROLE IN THE SECTOR SO THAT THE SERBS 
WOULD HAVE ASSURANCES OF SAPETY. 
 
----------------------------------- 
CONCERNS ABOUT GOC POLICY ON BOSNIA 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  MESIC SAID THAT THE OPPOSITION HAD A NUMBER OF 
CONCERNS ABOUT THE GOC'S POLICIES, NOT ONLY IN WESTERN 
SLAVONIA, BUT ALSO IN BOSNIA.  HE WAS WORRIED THAT TUDJMAN 
WAS STRIKING SOME KIND OP DEAL WITH MILOSEVIC TO PARTITION 
BOSNIA.  THE AMBASSADOR QUOTED AN OP-ED PIECE IN THE 
GOVERNMENT-INFLUENCED DAILY NEWSPAPER VECERNJI LIST WHICH 
STATED THE NEED FOR A NEW SERB-CROAT RELATIONSHIP, BUT 
ALSO THE REQUIREMENT THAT BONN AND WASHINGTON CHANGE THEIR 
BOSNIA POLICY IN THE FACE OF GEOPOLITICAL REALITIES.  THE 
AMBASSADOR TOLD MESIC THAT THE USG WOULD NOT CHANGE ITS 
POLICY, BUT MESIC THOUGHT TUDJMAN WAS CONVINCED THAT THE 
WEST WOULD ALLOW THE DIVISION OP BOSNIA BECAUSE IT IS IN 
CROATIA'S STRATEGIC INTEREST TO TAKE AS MUCH TERRITORY AS 
POSSIBLE. 
 
¶8.  MESIC WAS ALSO UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE PUTURE OP UNCRO. 
THE OPPOSITION DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF WHERE UNCRO 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01944  02 OF 02  191618Z 
WAS HEADED AND WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THE ISSUE WITH THE 
UN. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
CROATIA MUST COME TO TERMS WITH ITS OWN WAR CRIMINALS 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶9.  MESIC AND DJUKIC ARGUED THAT CROATIA MUST ACKNOWLEDGE 
ITS OWN WAR CRIMINALS TO DEMONSTRATE ITS CREDIBILITY WITH 
THE SERB POPULATION, BUT SO FAR THE GOC HAD SHOWN NO 
WILLINGNESS TO CONFRONT THE ISSUE.  THEY ASSERTED THAT 
HIGH OFFICIALS HAD ORDERED KILLINGS AND ORGANIZED CAMPS IN 
BOSNIA, BUT HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED BECAUSE THEY WERE CLOSE 
TO TUDJMAN.  THE AMBASSADOR ASKED SPECIFICALLY WHO ORDERED 
KILLINGS.  MESIC CLAIMED DEFMIN SUSAK WAS IMPLICATED IN 
THE DESTRUCTION OF 32 SERB VILLAGES AFTER MILITARY ACTION 
ENDED IN 1991.  HE AND DJUKIC ALSO CHARGED THAT SINISA 
LINAC, WHO CURRENTLY COMMANDS A UNIT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL 
GUARD AND WAS FORMERLY SUSAK'S BODYGUARD, WAS RESPONSIBLE 
FOR MURDERING A SERB FAMILY IN ZAGREB AND ALSO KILLED 
SERBS IN PAKRAC AND GOSPIC.  THEY ALSO CHARGED THAT HV 
LOGISTICS SUPPORTS MERCEP'S PARAMILITARY ACTIVITIES IN 
BOSNIA.  MESIC ALSO NOTED THAT TUDJMAN BESTOWED HIGH 
MILITARY HONORS ON A BRIGADE NAMED AFTER GENERAL JURE 
BOBAN WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIMES IN WORLD WAR II. 
 
¶10.  THE AMBASSADOR ASKED FOR MESIC'S IMPRESSIONS OF THE 
GOC'S COMMEMORATION OF THE BLEIBURG MASSACRE IN 1945. 
MESIC REPLIED THAT WHILE THE MASSACRE WAS A WAR CRIME, IT 
SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT MANY OF THOSE KILLED WERE ALSO 
WAR CRIMINALS RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING DEATH CAMPS, SUCH AS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01944  02 OF 02  191618Z 
JASENOVAC.  HE INSISTED THAT RECOGNITION OF THE BLEIBURG 
VICTIMS NEEDED TO BE DEPOLITICIZED. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11.  WHILE WE HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE GOC'S HUMAN 
RIGHTS PERFORMANCE IN WESTERN SLAVONIA, AT LEAST SOME OF 
DJUKIC'S ACCUSATIONS APPEAR TO BE EXAGGERATIONS.  EMBOFFS 
HAVE VISITED SOME OF THE VILLAGES DJUKIC MENTIONED -- 
PARTICULARLY TWO VISITS TO SEOVICA -- AND HAVE HEARD 
CREDIBLE STORIES OF INTIMIDATION, BUT NONE OF OUR CONTACTS 
MENTIONED ANYTHING AS SERIOUS AS RESIDENTS COMMITTING 
SUICIDE IN RESPONSE TO HV ABUSE.  WE CONTINUE TO VISIT THE 
AREA AND WILL CHECK OTHER VILLAGES THAT DJUKIC MENTIONED 
TO US.  ONE PATTERN THAT SEEMS TO BE EMERGING IS THAT 
RELIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA IS 
LACKING.  THE RUMOR MILL THAT IS GUIDING THE DECISION- 
MAKING OF RESIDENTS APPEARS TO EXTEND ZAGREB AS WELL. 
 
GALBRAITH 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN