VZCZCXYZ4750
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0184/01 0631402
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031402Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8660
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000184 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
Zagreb Sending for Belgrade 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ASEC SR
SUBJECT:  Gasoline on a Fire: Serb Leaders' Rhetoric Inflaming 
Situation 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) In the wake of Kosovo's declaration of independence, 
Serbian leaders within the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New 
Serbia (NS) coalition have publicly incited and enflamed the 
delicate political situation through continued statements condoning 
violence as a legitimate response to Kosovo's loss.  Even in the 
week following the attacks on diplomatic missions in Serbia, DSS-NS 
ministers, specifically Velimir Ilic and Slobodan Samardzic, have 
only passively condemned the violence directed towards the 
international community, while Ilic has also directed rage-laden 
rhetoric against domestic opponents.  Above this hardline 
nationalist chest thumping, a few leaders within the Democratic (DS) 
and G-17 Plus parties have shown the guts to speak out against 
inflammatory statements, but they have yet to gain any significant 
traction.  Post has become increasingly vocal in singling out those 
individuals who incite violent behavior and has demanded that they 
be held accountable. End Summary. 
 
Ilic: Condoning Violence and Targeting Opponents 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) New Serbia leader and Infrastructure Minister within the 
coalition government, Velimir Ilic continues to carry the banner of 
hardline nationalist rhetoric.  Since Kosovo's declaration of 
independence, some of his remarks have condoned violence.  Most 
recently his statements have targeted democratic opposition leaders, 
falsely blaming them for instigating the riots.  On February 18, 
after the first riots against diplomatic missions, Ilic attempted to 
legitimize violence as a means to express Serbia's outrage about 
Kosovo when he told the press that, "breaking windows is democracy." 
 On February 22, responding to the attacks against embassies the 
night before, Ilic said to a rally in Central Serbia that, "Some 
ambassadors, considering what they deserve, fared really well." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Taking a different tactic to distance himself from the 
violence, on February 28, Ilic said that "traitor groups," including 
the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), had organized the February 21 
riots in order to overshadow the peaceful and dignified national 
protest, according to B92.  When asked if people who did not share 
the government's position were safe in Serbia, Ilic said, "We cannot 
protect people who are conducting operations, stating that Kosovo is 
not ours, from getting beaten up by someone who has come from 
Kosovo."  Following the LDP's accusations that the minister was 
spreading hatred, Ilic said, "the LDP condemns everything that 
smells like Serbia," adding, "it is shameful that such a political 
option even exists."  Contacts in the LDP told poloff on February 29 
that the party would file a libel suit against Ilic. 
 
Samardzic: Violence a Response to Western Actions 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) As point person for the coalition government's Kosovo 
policy, Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic, DSS, described violence 
against UNMIK as an expected reaction, given the West's support for 
Kosovo's independence.  On February 20, Samardzic told B92 that the 
destruction of police checkpoints along the Serbia-Kosovo border was 
a direct reaction by the Serb population in Kosovo.   "I believe 
that it is legitimate. It may not be nice, but it is legitimate," he 
said.  After the attack on the U.S. Embassy, Samardzic told 
international media on February 24 that the "basis of all violent 
acts was the violation of international law" with Kosovo's 
declaration of independence, which began "a chain of events." "The 
United States is the main culprit ... for all those violent acts," 
he said.  On February 25, Samardzic issued a statement saying he 
wanted to "continue to calming and stabilizing the situation" in 
Kosovo, but did not directly condemn the violence or his previous 
remarks. 
 
Individual Leaders in DS and G17 Begin to Speak Up 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶5.  (SBU) Several DS and G-17 ministers have begun to refute the 
hardline nationalist rhetoric but their statements are still 
sporadic and uncoordinated.  Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said 
on February 22 that the violence in the city was "one of Belgrade's 
saddest days."  Sutanovac said "nationalist politicians" had fueled 
the riots.  On the night of the attacks, Sutanovac personally went 
to B92, which was a target of attacks, to help guarantee its safety. 
 On February 28, Economy Minister Mladen Dinkic (G-17), publicly 
protested against the DSS -NS Kosovo policy and stated that he could 
not "tolerate the battle for preserving the country's sovereignty 
being turned into widespread collective hysteria."   In response to 
the DSS policy of not engaging with countries that recognize Kosovo, 
Dinkic said, "Are we in a concentration camp here? We cannot allow 
things like this."  On March 2, Dinkic spoke out against the DSS's 
provocative statements, stating that DSS officials were "abundant 
with idiotic, foolish comments as if they were competing for a boss' 
sympathies."  A G-17 contact told poloff on February 29 that Dinkic 
would become more vocal in the weeks to come, but acknowledged that 
the party was not coordinating or enlisting others. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The unapologetic, and at times inflammatory comments by 
hardline nationalists, led by Ilic and Samardzic, continue to incite 
the delicate political situation in Serbia.  Though numerically 
small, the DSS and NS maintain the upper hand in the political arena 
as a result of the near silence from the DS.  The recent comments by 
both Sutanovac and Dinkic are evidence that some democratic leaders 
are beginning to find their voice and courage to speak up, but they 
have yet to coordinate their messages, limiting their effectiveness. 
 Post has begun singling out hardline nationalists and demanding the 
government hold them accountable for their words and the actions 
that they trigger.  Post will continue this effort and will continue 
to encourage democratic leaders to speak up against incendiary 
remarks and the nationalists that promote them.  End Comment. 
 
 
MUNTER