1. (C) ON JUNE 12, THE CROATIAN CABINET PASSED A
"DETERMINATION" TO DEPLOY AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF MILITARY
PERSONNEL TO IRAQ TO PARTICIPATE IN MULTINATIONAL
PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS. THIS "DETERMINATION" (FULL TEXT BELOW)
CONSTITUTES THE SOLID POLITICAL COMMITMENT WE TOLD THE
CROATIANS WE NEEDED BEFORE THE USG WOULD AUTHORIZE
PRELIMINARY MILITARY-TO-MILITARY DISCUSSIONS ON DETAILS OF A
POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT (REF). AT THESE PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS,
THE GOC WOULD LEARN SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT DEPLOYMENT AND
COSTS AND U.S. PLANNERS WOULD SEEK TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE
CROATIAN OFFER WOULD ADD VALUE TO THE COALITION. UPON
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THESE MILITARY-TO-MILITARY TALKS,
THE GOC MUST PASS A MORE FORMAL "DECISION" WHICH MUST BE
APPROVED BY THE CROATIAN PARLIAMENT, BEFORE CONCRETE
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DEPLOYMENT COULD BE INITIATED.



2. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF JUNE 12 GOC "DETERMINATION" (NOTE
INTERNAL NUMBERING):

- 1. BASED ON THE INTEREST AND READINESS OF THE REPUBLIC
OF CROATIA TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND ASSIST THE POSTWAR
STABILIZATION OF IRAQ, WHICH IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH UN
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1483 (2003), THE REPUBLIC OF
CROATIA AFFIRMS ITS READINESS TO CONTRIBUTE MEMBERS OF ITS
ARMED FORCES TO THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION FORCES IN PEACE
AND ORDER KEEPING OPERATIONS, AIMED AT CREATING CONDITIONS
FOR NORMALIZATION OF THE SITUATION, THE DEMOCRATIC
DEVELOPMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ.

- 2. WITH A VIEW TO IMPLEMENTING POINT 1 OF THIS
DETERMINATION, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS INSTRUCTED
TO DEFINE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, THE
COMPOSITION, PROFILE AND NUMBER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT
WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION FORCES IN
IRAQ.

END TEXT.
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