VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0243 0551241
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241241Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5742

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000243 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:    N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPAO PTER IZ HR
SUBJECT:  CROATIA RESPONDS TO REQUEST FOR 
STATEMENTS OF CONDEMNATION OF THE AL-ASKARIYA 
SHRINE BOMBING 
 
REF: SECSTATE 28802 
 
¶1.  Poloff delivered reftel points to North 
America Desk Deputy Director Ankica Vlasic on 
February 23.  Later that same day, the MFA GOC 
issued the following statement as reported by the 
Croatian news agency HINA.  Begin Quote: 
It is with regret that (the Ministry) has received 
news of a bomb attack on the Golden Mosque in 
Samarra and attacks on other religious sites that 
ensued. (The Ministry) strongly condemns this act, 
as well as all other acts of violence against 
human life and attacks on religious sites in Iraq, 
which certainly do not help in defusing tensions 
between the religious communities and undermine 
the process of stabilization and reconstruction of 
Iraq. 
 
The Croatian ministry expressed hope that the 
Iraqi people and their political and religious 
leaders will seek the path of dialogue and a 
peaceful settlement to the conflict in order to 
build a democratic, prosperous and undivided Iraq 
where all its ethnic and religious communities 
will live in peace and equality. 
End quote. 
 
FRANK