VZCZCXRO7794
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVB #0167 0451454
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141454Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7302
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017 
TAGS: PREL IT HR REGIONAL ISSUES
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL SPARRING IN THE PRESS OVER ANNUAL 
"FOIBE" COMMEMORATION 
 
 
Classified By: AMB Bradtke for reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) In a sharply worded statement February 12, Croatian 
President Mesic expressed "unpleasant surprise" at Italian 
President Napolitano's remarks at the annual February 10 
Italian commemoration of ugly WWII-era massacres of Italians 
by Yugoslav anti-fascist Partisans.  The Croatian press 
inaccurately reported that Napolitano blamed the events on 
"Slavic bloodthirsty hatred and rage" and questioned the 
validity of the 1947 peace treaty between Italy and 
Yugoslavia.  Reacting to a bad translation of the Italian 
comments, Mesic told the press that those words had "elements 
of open racism, historical revisionism and political 
revenge-seeking."  The press reported Mesic's reaction and 
the counter-reactions of Italian FM D'Alema and PM Prodi, to 
which Mesic replied (again in the press) by admitting that 
"our forces also committed crimes during WWII and I cannot 
justify crime". 
 
¶2. (C) At a previously-scheduled February 13 meeting with 
Ambassador Bradkte, Mesic explained his views with some 
emotion, arguing that Napolitano's remarks were unacceptable 
and failed to take account of Italian atrocities during WWII. 
Mesic further noted that he would propose that a panel of 
history and forensic experts investigate the incidents. 
 
¶3.  (C) On February 14, Mesic advisor Tomislav Jakic told 
Ambassador Bradtke that Italian Ambassador to Croatia 
Graffini had proposed an exchange of letters between 
Napolitano and Mesic to ease tensions.  According to Jakic, 
Napolitano's letter would state that he "had not said" what 
he said, while Mesic's reply would agree.  Jakic said Mesic 
had declined to go along with that course of action, 
proposing instead that the Napolitano letter "explain" what 
he said.  Mesic's reply would accept the "explanation." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The annual Italian commemoration of the 
massacre, during which anti-Fascist, Yugoslav Communist 
Partisans killed many Italians (estimates range from several 
thousand to more) by throwing them into naturally-occurring 
limestone chasms locally known as "foibe", sparks mild 
reaction every year.  The rhetoric reflects the fact that all 
ethnicities in this region have an acutely honed sense of 
victim-hood lurking just beneath the "European" surface. 
Reaction this year differed in the level and specificity, but 
both the Croatians and Italians have too strong a stake in 
good bilateral relations to allow this dispute to continue 
for long. 
BRADTKE