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 03 ZAGREB 000305 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR, EUR/SCE, S/WCI 
THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON/KAYE/WHEATON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X6 5 YEARS AFTER CLOSURE OF ICTY 
TAGS: KAWC PGOV PREL PGOV PREL PGOV PREL HR RVKAWC ICTY HR RV
SUBJECT: DOES THE OTP HAVE A STRATEGY FOR CROATIA? 
 
REF: A. THE HAGUE 236 
 
     ¶B. JOHNSON - SILBERSTEIN 2/7/03 E-MAIL 
     ¶C. 02 ZAGREB 2298 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00305  01 OF 03  120643Z 
     ¶D. 02 ZAGREB 2565 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR LAWRENCE G. ROSSIN, REASONS 1.5(B) 
AND (D) AND 1.6 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (C) THOMAS OSORIO, HEAD OF ICTY'S ZAGREB OFFICE, TOLD US 
THAT OTP SPOKESPERSON FLORENCE HARTMANN'S FEBRUARY 5 
STATEMENT CRITICIZING THE GOC FOR FAILING TO APPREHEND ICTY 
INDICTEE ANTE GOTOVINA AND FOR FAILING TO MEET ICTY 
INFORMATION REQUESTS REPRESENTS THE OPENING SALVO OF A NEW 
OTP BID TO PRESS THE GOC TO TAKE MORE VISIBLE ACTION TO 
ARREST THE FUGITIVE.  OSORIO SAID THE OTP IS "CONVINCED" THAT 
THE GOTOVINA IS HIDING IN CROATIA, BUT WAS UNWILLING (OR 
UNABLE) TO OFFER CONCRETE EVIDENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE HARTMANN'S 
HARSH CLAIMS.  OSORIO, WHO WAS NOT/NOT CONSULTED BEFORE 
HARTMANN'S PRESS STATEMENT, THOUGHT THAT HER CRITICISM OF GOC 
DOCUMENT SHARING LAPSES WAS OVERSTATED. 
 
¶2. (C) WHILE THE OTP OFTEN HAS GOOD REASON TO BE FRUSTRATED 
WITH THE GOC -- IT IS A RELUCTANT AND FAIR WEATHER PARTNER 
-- THE OTP URGENTLY NEEDS TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF ITS 
"CROATIA ACCOUNT."  MISSTEPS IN THE NOW-SUSPENDED BOBETKO WAR 
CRIMES CASE, PARTICULARLY THE OTP DECISION NOT TO INTERVIEW 
THE SUSPECT BEFORE INDICTING HIM (REF C), HELPED FOSTER A 
CRISIS THAT WRACKED THE GOC IN FALL 2002, DIMINISHED ICTY'S 
CREDIBILITY HERE AND COMPLICATED CROATIAN EU ASPIRATIONS WITH 
NOTHING TO SHOW FOR THE EFFORT.  WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS 
THE GOC ON GOTOVINA AND ICTY COOPERATION WRIT LARGE. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00305  01 OF 03  120643Z 
HOWEVER, PRESSURE MUST BE WELL ORCHESTRATED AND WELL THOUGHT 
OUT.  WITHOUT SOLID GROUNDING IN FACT, BETTER INTERNAL 
COORDINATION AND PRIOR CONSULTATION WITH US AND ICTY'S OTHER 
SUPPORTERS, THE OTP'S GOTOVINA "STRATEGY" MAY END UP BEING 
JUST ANOTHER FUTILE AND PYRRHIC CONFRONTATION WITH THE GOC. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
FIGHTING WORDS... 
----------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  IN THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE USED BY AN ICTY OFFICIAL 
SINCE THE CRISIS OVER GENERAL BOBETKO FLARED IN SEPTEMBER 
2002, HARTMANN ACCUSED THE GOC OF FAILING TO APPREHEND 
FUGITIVE CROATIAN GENERAL AND ICTY INDICTEE ANTE GOTOVINA. 
GOTOVINA, HARTMANN ALLEGED, WAS "TRAVELING FREELY IN 
CROATIA."  HARTMANN ALSO ACCUSED THE GOC OF "SELECTIVE, SLOW 
AND INCOMPLETE COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR 
DOCUMENTS." 
 
¶4.  (C) IN LIGHT OF HARTMANN'S STATEMENT, WE MET FEBRUARY 6 
WITH ICTY ZAGREB OFFICE RESREP THOMAS OSORIO (PROTECT 
THROUGHOUT).  ALTHOUGH HE WOULD NOT -- OR COULD NOT -- GO 
INTO DETAILS, OSORIO ASSERTED THAT THE OTP HAS EVIDENCE TO 
BACK UP HARTMANN'S ACCUSATION ON GOTOVINA.  THERE ARE "NEW 
SIGHTINGS AND NEW INFORMATION," ALTHOUGH HE SAID THAT NONE OF 
THE NEW LEADS ARE AS SOLID AS THE REPORTED SFOR SIGHTING OF 
GOTOVINA IN HERCEGOVINA IN 2002 (REF D).  IN SUM, ICTY NOW IS 
CONVINCED THAT GOTOVINA IS MOVING IN AND OUT OF CROATIA AND 
THAT THE GOC HAS NOT/NOT BEEN ACTING IN GOOD FAITH TO 
APPREHEND HIM.  OSORIO NOTED THAT IF THE EU MADE GOTOVINA'S 
CAPTURE A PRECONDITION FOR ACTING ON CROATIA'S EU MEMBERSHIP 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00305  01 OF 03  120643Z 
APPLICATION, THE GOC WOULD CAPTURE THE GENERAL WITHIN "24 
HOURS." 
 
...AND A NEW OTP "STRATEGY" 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C)  DURING OUR DISCUSSION, OSORIO CALLED HARTMANN AND 
CONFIRMED THAT HER STATEMENT WAS ISSUED UNDER INSTRUCTIONS 
FROM CHIEF PROSECUTOR DEL PONTE.  OSORIO CONCLUDED THAT HER 
STATEMENT WAS THE OPENING SALVO OF A NEW ICTY "STRATEGY" TO 
FORCE THE GOC TO TAKE STRONGER ACTION TO FIND GOTOVINA, OR 
SHOULD THE GOC BALK, DEMONSTRATE CATEGORICALLY THAT CROATIA 
IS FAILING TO COMPLY WITH ITS ICTY OBLIGATIONS.   ACCORDING 
TO OSORIO, THIS STRATEGY WOULD CALL FOR CROATIAN LAW 
ENFORCEMENT TO CONDUCT HIGH VISIBILITY RAIDS ON GOTOVINA'S 
HOMES, INTERVIEW GOTOVINA'S ATTORNEYS AND ASSOCIATES AND 
MOUNT ROADBLOCKS IN AREAS OF DALMATIA WHERE THE SUSPECT IS 
BELIEVED TO FREQUENT.  ICTY STAFF WILL ACTIVELY MONITOR THESE 
AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AND MAY SEEK TO ACCOMPANY THE POLICE ON 
THEIR RAIDS TO VERIFY GOC COMPLIANCE. 
 
¶6. (C) OSORIO SAID THAT THIS NEW AGGRESSIVE STRATEGY HAS BEEN 
THE CAUSE OF MUCH DEBATE WITHIN ICTY BETWEEN "ACTIVISTS," WHO 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7424 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00305  02 OF 03  120644Z 
ACTION SWCI-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01 
      PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00 
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DRL-01   G-00     SAS-00 
        /003W 
                  ------------------34D23A  120644Z /20 
P 111735Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9419 
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 000305 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR, EUR/SCE, S/WCI 
THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON/KAYE/WHEATON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X6 5 YEARS AFTER CLOSURE OF ICTY 
TAGS: KAWC PGOV PREL PGOV PREL PGOV PREL HR RVKAWC ICTY HR RV
SUBJECT: DOES THE OTP HAVE A STRATEGY FOR CROATIA? 
 
WANT TO USE ICTY'S LEVERAGE TO PUSH THE GOC TO FIND GOTOVINA, 
AND "LEGALISTS," WHO BELIEVE THAT ICTY'S SOLE FUNCTION IS TO 
RULE ON COMPLIANCE/NON-COMPLIANCE AND INFORM THE UNSC OF ITS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00305  02 OF 03  120644Z 
FINDINGS.  (OSORIO LISTED HIMSELF AND CHIEF PROSECUTOR DEL 
PONTE AS "ACTIVISTS.")  OSORIO SAID THAT THE ICTY ALREADY HAS 
RECEIVED A PROTEST NOTE FROM THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR IN THE 
HAGUE ACCUSING THE TRIBUNAL OF A DOUBLE STANDARD FOLLOWING 
DEL PONTE'S SPEECH TO THE UN LAST OCTOBER -- A SPEECH IN 
WHICH SHE DECLARED SERBIA TO BE IN NON-COMPLIANCE FOR ITS 
FAILURE TO DELIVER RATKO MLADIC, BUT ONLY WARNED CROATIA OVER 
ITS FAILURE TO DELIVER GOTOVINA.  OSORIO EXPECTS MORE 
COMPLAINTS FROM THE RUSSIANS OVER THE OTP'S GOTOVINA GAMBIT; 
HE ANTICIPATED THAT THE RUSSIANS WILL INSIST AGAIN THAT ICTY 
SHOULD DECLARE CROATIA NON-COMPLIANT.  HOWEVER, OSORIO ARGUES 
THAT, UNLIKE THE MLADIC CASE, THE OTP NEEDS TO PRESS FOR 
VISIBLE ACTION TO DEBUNK THE GOC ARGUMENT THAT GOTOVINA FLED 
THE REGION. 
 
WHERE'S THE PROOF? 
------------------ 
 
¶7. (C) OTP FRUSTRATION WITH GOC PASSIVITY ON GOTOVINA IS 
UNDERSTANDABLE; THE GOC DREADS THE PROSPECT OF HAVING TO 
TRANSFER GOTOVINA TO THE HAGUE AND DESPERATELY DOES NOT WANT 
THE GENERAL TO BE IN CROATIA.  HOWEVER, OUR EXPERIENCE WITH 
MUCH OF WHAT WE KNOW OF THE OTP'S "EVIDENCE" ON GOTOVINA IS 
THAT IT IS BASED ON CIRCULAR REPORTING AND HEARSAY.  WHILE 
GOTOVINA VERY WELL MAY BE IN THE REGION, WE HAVE SEEN 
NOTHING, ASIDE FROM THE SFOR SIGHTING, TO UNDERPIN THE HARSH 
OTP STATEMENT THAT GOTOVINA IS "WALKING FREELY" IN CROATIA 
(AND WE HAVE BEEN ASKING OSORIO AND THE CROATIANS FOR 
MONTHS).  PER REF B, OTP POLITICAL ADVISOR JEAN-JAQUES JORIS 
TOLD OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE HAGUE THAT "CROATIAN AND FOREIGN 
SOURCES" SUPPORTED THE OTP CLAIM THAT GOTOVINA WAS MOVING 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00305  02 OF 03  120644Z 
FREELY IN CROATIA.  HE SAID THAT THE CROATIAN SOURCE WAS (OR 
INCLUDED) PRESIDENT MESIC.  HOWEVER, MESIC'S FOREIGN POLICY 
ADVISOR TOLD US THAT MESIC BASED HIS STATEMENT ON A CROATIAN 
INTELLIGENCE REPORT, WHICH, WE KNOW FOR A FACT, WAS BASED ON 
A FALSE SIGHTING OF GOTOVINA IN ZAGREB AND OTHER CIRCULAR 
REPORTING.  OTHER REPORTED "SIGHTINGS" OF GOTOVINA HAVE 
PROVEN TO BE EQUALLY UNSUBSTANTIATED. 
 
DOCUMENT SHARING 
---------------- 
 
¶8. (C) OSORIO SAID HE WAS NOT CONSULTED BEFORE HARTMANN 
ISSUED HER STATEMENT.  IN HIS VIEW CRITICISM OF THE GOC'S 
PERFORMANCE ON INFORMATION SHARING WAS OVERSTATED AND THE 
GOC, AS A RULE, WAS RESPONSIVE ON DOCUMENT REQUESTS. 
ACCORDING TO OSORIO, THERE ARE THREE OUTSTANDING DOCUMENT 
DELIVERY PROBLEMS:  1) THE GOC HAS FAILED TO DELIVER BODY 
COUNT AND AUTOPSY RESULTS CONDUCTED BY THE CROATIAN MILITARY 
AFTER OPERATION STORM; 2) THE GOC HAS NOT MET A DEADLINE TO 
PROVIDE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WHICH ICTY NEEDS TO HELP DEMONSTRATE 
YUGOSLAV ETHNIC CLEANSING FOR THE MILOSEVIC TRIAL; AND 3) THE 
GOC HAS MISSED A NUMBER OF DEADLINES ON INFORMATION LINKED TO 
INVESTIGATIONS OF CROATIAN WAR CRIMES IN BOSNIA.  IN THE CASE 
OF THE FIRST TWO DOCUMENT SHARING ISSUES, OSORIO TOLD US THAT 
THE GOC FAILURE TO DELIVER THE DOCUMENTS WAS A TECHNICAL, 
SHORT-TERM HICCUP.  IN FACT, IN THE CASE OF THE BODY COUNT 
INFORMATION, OSORIO SAID THAT HE HAD OBTAINED A BOOTLEG COPY 
FROM THE HEAD OF THE GOC COMMISSION FOR MISSING PERSONS.  IN 
THE CASE OF THE OUTSTANDING BIH INFORMATION, THE ISSUE COULD 
HAVE BEEN HANDLED "THROUGH REGULAR CHANNELS," OSORIO 
ASSERTED. 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00305  02 OF 03  120644Z 
 
¶9.  (C) ALTHOUGH PROBLEMS EXIST, THERE IS ALSO PROGRESS. 
OSORIO CONFIRMED THAT THE GOC GAVE PERMISSION FOR THE OTP AND 
THE CROATIAN PROSECUTORS' OFFICE TO BEGIN TO SHARE 
INFORMATION DIRECTLY.  AN ICTY PROSECUTOR WAS SENT TO ZAGREB 
FEBRUARY 5 TO WORK WITH HIS COUNTERPARTS TO SOLIDIFY THE 
CROATIAN CASE AGAINST LOWER LEVEL PERPETRATORS IN THE MEDAK 
POCKET AND TO SEEK ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BOLSTER THE 
OTP'S CASE AGAINST GENERAL ADEMI FOR CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE 
SAME OPERATION. 
 
BOBETKO: CASE FROZEN 
-------------------- 
 
¶10.  (C) OSORIO CONFIRMED THAT, AFTER REVIEWING THE ICTY 
MEDICAL SPECIALISTS' REPORT, CHIEF PROSECUTOR DEL PONTE 
RECOMMENDED TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE THAT THE TRIAL OF FORMER 
CROATIAN CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF JANKO BOBETKO BE 
SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF HIS POOR HEALTH.  ICTY WILL SEND ANOTHER 
MEDICAL TEAM TO ZAGREB IN THREE TO FOUR MONTHS TO REVIEW 
BOBETKO'S HEALTH, BUT BARRING A MIRACULOUS RECOVERY FROM 
PROGRESSIVE HEART AND RENAL FAILURE, OTP'S PURSUIT OF THE 
HIGHEST RANKING CROATIAN TO BE INDICTED BY ICTY IS AT AND 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7428 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00305  03 OF 03  120645Z 
ACTION SWCI-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01 
      PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00 
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DRL-01   G-00     SAS-00 
        /003W 
                  ------------------34D24F  120645Z /20 
P 111735Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9420 
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 000305 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR, EUR/SCE, S/WCI 
THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON/KAYE/WHEATON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X6 5 YEARS AFTER CLOSURE OF ICTY 
TAGS: KAWC PGOV PREL PGOV PREL PGOV PREL HR RVKAWC ICTY HR RV
SUBJECT: DOES THE OTP HAVE A STRATEGY FOR CROATIA? 
 
END.  OSORIO DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE OTP WOULD CONDUCT A 
"LESSONS LEARNED" EXERCISE OVER BOBETKO.  HE DID EXPRESS 
HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE BOBETKO CRISIS, 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00305  03 OF 03  120645Z 
ICTY FINALLY WOULD ESTABLISH THE BASIC STANDARDS WHICH WOULD 
HELP PROSECUTORS DETERMINE THE FITNESS OF AN INDICTEE TO 
STAND TRIAL. 
 
¶11. (C) WITH BOBETKO OUT OF THE PICTURE, THE OTP IS 
STRUGGLING TO MAKE SENSE OF ITS PROSECUTION STRATEGY FOR THE 
ENTIRE MEDAK POCKET WAR CRIMES CASE.  BOBETKO WAS AT THE TOP 
OF THE PYRAMID OF THE MILITARY CHAIN OF COMMAND -- INDICTEE 
RAHIM ADEMI WAS THE CHIEF MILITARY OFFICER IN THE FIELD. 
GENERAL MIRKO NORAC, WHOSE INDICTMENT WAS DEFERRED AT THE 
REQUEST OF THE GOC SO THAT IT COULD TRY A SEPARATE WAR CRIMES 
CASE ("GOSPIC") LOCALLY, HEADED THE CROATIAN MILITARY UNIT 
PRINCIPALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATROCITIES AT MEDAK.  WITH 
BOBETKO GONE, OSORIO SAID THAT THE OTP WILL HAVE TO REEXAMINE 
THE INDICTMENT AGAINST ADEMI AND THE PENDING INDICTMENT 
AGAINST NORAC.  (OSORIO TOLD US THAT ICTY RECENTLY HAD 
DISCUSSED WITH CHIEF PROSECUTOR MLADEN BAJIC THE POSSIBILITY 
THAT HE INCLUDE NORAC IN THE LOCAL CROATIAN INDICTMENT OF 
LOWER-LEVEL SOLDIERS THAT BAJIC IS PREPARING.) 
 
¶12. (C) ACCORDING TO OSORIO, MEDAK IS IMPORTANT FOR ICTY, NOT 
JUST BECAUSE THE OTP BELIEVES THIS TO BE ONE OF THEIR 
STRONGEST CROATIA CASES, BUT BECAUSE IT WILL BE A TEST-BED 
FOR ITS EFFORTS TO PROVE THAT THE GOC CONCEPTUALIZED AND 
PRE-PLANNED THE 1995 OPERATION STORM AS AN ETHNIC CLEANSING 
OPERATION.  OSORIO HAS TOLD US THAT THE PROSECUTION BELIEVES 
IT HAS EVIDENCE THAT THE SAME ORGANIZED TECHNIQUES TO RAZE 
SERB VILLAGES IN MEDAK WERE USED ON A WIDER SCALE AFTER 
OPERATION STORM. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00305  03 OF 03  120645Z 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶13. (C) THE OTP IS UNDERSTANDABLY FRUSTRATED.  THE BOBETKO 
CASE, AND YEARS AND YEARS OF WORK, IS SLIPPING AWAY WITHOUT A 
DAY IN COURT.  JUSTICE IS DENIED AND THE GOC, WHICH EVADED 
FOR MONTHS ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT AS ICTY'S AGENT ON THE 
CASE, HAS COME OUT THE WINNER.  THE BRITISH, WHO WENT OUT ON 
A LIMB TO SUPPORT THE OTP ON BOBETKO BY SUSPENDING CROATIA'S 
STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT, ARE FURIOUS WITH THE 
OTP ABOUT THIS.  SO ARE WE.  IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING DEL 
PONTE, WE DAMAGED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER 
GORAN GRANIC, ONE OF THE GOC'S KEY DECISIONMAKERS.  AS A 
RESULT OF THE BOBETKO CRISIS, THOSE IN CROATIA -- INCLUDING 
THOSE WITHIN THE GOC -- WHO ARGUED THAT CROATIA SHOULD HOLD 
FIRM FOR A SOLUTION MORE TO ITS LIKING WERE VINDICATED.  THEY 
MAY BE EMBOLDENED TO TAKE THE SAME HARD, "WE KNOW BETTER," 
STANCE ON NEW ICTY INDICTMENTS OR ON OTHER THORNY ISSUES SUCH 
AS REFUGEE RETURN. 
 
¶14. (C) THE OTP'S ACTIONS HAVE ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR 
CROATIA, THE REGION AND US.  BOBETKO'S REAL AND SERIOUS 
MEDICAL AILMENTS WERE WELL KNOWN -- A RESPECTED CROATIAN 
HUMAN RIGHTS LEADER TOLD THE AMBASSADOR SHORTLY AFTER BOBETKO 
WAS INDICTED THAT "NO ONE WHO KNEW BOBETKO'S MEDICAL 
CONDITION WOULD HAVE INDICTED HIM," AND WONDERED WHY DEL 
PONTE DECIDED NOT TO DO SO.  AS REPORTED REF D, DEL PONTE -- 
DESPITE GOC REQUESTS AND OTP STAFF INTENT -- PASSED UP AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW THE 83-YEAR OLD GENERAL BEFORE 
ISSUING THE INDICTMENT, APPARENTLY FOR NO SOLID REASON. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00305  03 OF 03  120645Z 
¶15. (C) HARTMANN'S UNSUBSTANTIATED STATEMENT, THE OTP'S LACK 
OF CONSULTATION WITH ITS OWN REPRESENTATIVE ON THE GROUND, 
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A "STRATEGY" WITHOUT PRIOR DISCUSSION 
WITH THE ICTY'S INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS SUGGESTS 
THAT THE OTP WILL STUMBLE AGAIN, THIS TIME ON THE GOTOVINA 
CASE.  THE OTP MUST DO BETTER.  AS A FIRST STEP, WE SHOULD 
DEMAND THAT THE OTP PRESENT TO US ITS EVIDENCE THAT GOTOVINA 
IS "FREELY MOVING" IN CROATIA.  AS THINGS STAND, WE ARE 
SKEPTICAL OTP HAS EVIDENCE -- WE SHOULD DEMAND TO KNOW.  IF 
IT DOES HAVE EVIDENCE AND IT IS CREDIBLE,  WE SHOULD INSIST 
THAT THE OTP CONSULT WITH US AND THE BRITISH ABOUT ITS 
"STRATEGY" FOR PRESSING THE GOC TO ACT.  THE QUESTION IS NOT 
WHETHER WE SHOULD PRESS THE GOC ON WAR CRIMES AND ICTY 
COOPERATION, BUT HOW TO ORCHESTRATE THAT PRESSURE TO THE BEST 
EFFECT.  OTHERWISE, WE RISK GOING OUT ON A LIMB AGAIN FOR DEL 
PONTE ONLY TO HAVE IT BREAK UNDER US. 
ROSSIN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>