VZCZCXRO8586
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVB #0827/01 3391551
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041551Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8820
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000827 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA 
OSD FOR POPOVICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - DECEMBER 4, 2008 
 
¶1.  (U) FACEBOOK ARRESTS SPARK OUTRAGE AND APOLOGIES FROM 
POLICE: 
The police on Wednesday, December 3, apologized for detaining 
an organizer of a group on Facebook, the on-line social 
networking site, calling for antigovernment rallies across 
the country against the government's latest austerity 
measures.  The young man had been detained for several hours 
on December 2, while putting up posters for a 'You tighten 
your belts, you bunch of thieves' rally planned for Zagreb on 
December 5.  This was the latest in a series of well 
publicized police actions against anti-government activists 
who have used Facebook as an organizational tool and means to 
voice their dissatisfaction with the government.  While 
defending an earlier investigation into alleged use of 
pro-Nazi Ustasha symbols on a different anti-government 
Facebook site, Police Director Vladimir Faber apologized to 
the public for the December 3 Zagreb detention and a similar 
incident in Zadar.  He said that the police officers who 
detained the activists will face disciplinary action.  Prime 
Minister Sanader also issued a statement in support of 
freedom of expression and requested that the police submit a 
report on the Facebook arrests.  Sanader stated that 'no-one 
should be detained or arrested in Croatia just for expressing 
different views, just because they disagree with my policies 
or anyone else's.  To defend this freedom is my task as the 
Prime Minister.' 
(MJelenc/JNCallahan) 
 
¶2. (U) GOVERNMENT LEADS HIGH LEVEL FIELD VISIT TO INSPECT 
RETURNEE HOUSING: 
On Tuesday, December 2, the Croatian Minister for Regional 
Development, Forestry and Water Management, Petar Cobankovic, 
led representatives of the international community including 
U.S. Ambassador Bradtke, EC Ambassador Degert, OSCE 
Ambassador Fuentes, and UNHCR ResRep Buchhorn on a field 
visit to inspect housing construction for returnees (former 
occupancy tenancy rights holders) in the municipalities of 
Donji Lapac and Vrhovine in the Lika region of Croatia. 
Cobankovic reported that the government was accelerating its 
latest forecast, and now foresees completing delivery of its 
2007 benchmark of 1400 housing units to returnee families by 
the end of this year, and reiterated that the 2008 benchmark 
of an additional 1400 units would be complete by mid 2009 or 
earlier.  Ambassador Degert stated that the EC would consider 
the 2007 benchmark "met" for the purposes of opening Chapter 
23 EU negotiations on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights.  The 
delegates of the international community praised the 
government for its progress in fulfilling its obligations to 
provide returnee housing, while stressing the need for 
continued development of economically depressed regions of 
the country in order to create an environment conducive to 
returns and long term resettlement (JNCallahan) 
 
¶3.  (U) MOD STATE SECRETARY VISITS AFGHANISTAN: 
On December 2, MOD State Secretary Mate Raboteg met with ISAF 
Commander General David McKiernan in 
Kabul. General McKiernan thanked Croatia for its support of 
ISAF as well as the outstanding 
efforts of the Croatian forces serving there.  Raboteg stated 
that part of the reason for his 
visit was to gain insight in into how the MOD could better 
meet the needs of the Croatian troops 
serving in Afghanistan.  Raboteg said he also wanted to 
express the GoC's support for the mission 
in Afghanistan and that, while the size of the Croatian 
contingent was still the same, it was 
developing new capabilities. (Note: Croatia nearly 300 troops 
to ISAF. End Note.) (PD'Amico) 
 
¶4.  (U) CROATIAN FORCES RECEIVE ARMORED VEHICLES: 
On November 30 Croatian forces in Afghanistan signed for 30 
up-armored HMMWVs from US Forces in support of their ISAF 
mission.  The vehicles are leased at no-cost under the 
provisions of the 1202 IA agreement between Croatia and U.S. 
CENTCOM.  These vehicles replace the 10 non-armored HMMWVs 
that the nearly 300 soldiers had been using.  Seven of the 
new vehicles will be used by the Joint Croatian/Minnesota 
National Guard OMLT when it deploys in March 2009.  (CDavis) 
 
¶5.  (U) CROATIAN SUPPORT FOR K9 UNITS IN IRAQ: 
On November 30, local press announced that Croatia will send 
6 trained German Shepherds to Iraq 
to be used by Iraqi security forces to prevent terrorist 
attacks.  Six Iraqi soldiers are 
scheduled to arrive in April to work with Croatian 
instructors and the dogs for seven months. The 
dogs will be trained to detect explosives and should arrive 
in Iraq later in 2009. (ZTomic) 
 
ZAGREB 00000827  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U) FLORIDA HIGH STUDENTS VISIT EMBASSY WITH CROATIAN 
PARTNER SCHOOL: 
High school students and teachers from Clearwater, Florida 
visited the U.S. Embassy on November 21, along with members 
of their Croatian sister school, Zagreb's Fourth Gymnasium. 
These schools have sponsored student exchanges for the past 
eight years.  The students visited the Consular section, met 
with the Public Affairs Officer and the Regional Security 
Officer Assistant, to discuss the work of the Embassy and 
foreign service careers.  (KWetzel) 
 
¶7.  (U) AMERICAN WEEK IN PETRINJA: 
During Croatian Book Month in November, the City Library in 
Petrinja, approximately fifty miles outside Zagreb, organized 
an America Week focusing on American history, literature, 
music, food, youth culture and Native Americans.  For the 
final event of the program, the APAO gave a presentation to 
an audience of over 100, ranging from five year olds in 
native dress to the city mayor, discussing the recent U.S. 
elections and life in the United States.  The America Week is 
an outgrowth of an Embassy visit to the public library in 
Petrinja in 2007.  The event was covered by a local newspaper 
and radio station.  (KWetzel) 
 
¶8. (U) FULBRIGHT PROFESSOR DISCUSSES U.S. CULTURE WITH 
STUDENTS AT THE AMERICAN CORNER ZAGREB: 
A group of 52 students and two teachers from a high school in 
Koprivnica visited the American Corner Zagreb on November 25. 
 Mark Sawin, a Fulbright professor at the English Department 
in Zagreb, gave an extremely dynamic and engaging lecture 
entitled Mixing, Melting, Money - Rock'n'Roll, Hip Hop & 
American Youth.  Students asked numerous questions and 
greatly appreciated the opportunity to engage in a dialogue 
with a native-speaker of English.  The students were also 
interested in the possibility of studying in the United 
States.  The event offered a personal perspective of the 
United States to students whose knowledge of the U.S. is 
based solely on the mass media.  (MBahlen) 
BRADTKE