MEDIA REACTION - ANNOUNCEMENT OF S/WCI AMB.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000014 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/WCI (PROSPER),EUR/PA/PD (HORNBUCKLE); INR/R/MR, PA-R/MR, EUR/SCE (NARDI),DRL BELGRADE AND SARAJEVO FOR POL AND PAO THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON/KAYE/WHEATON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KAWC PREL PGOV KPAO KMDR PREL PGOV KPAO KMDR HR HRKAWC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - ANNOUNCEMENT OF S/WCI AMB. PROSPER VISIT TO ZAGREB SPARKS RENEWED DEBATE ON ICTY SUMMARY -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00014 01 OF 02 031500Z ¶1. THE JANUARY 2 ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE CROATIAN PRESS OF THE UPCOMING VISIT OF S/WCI AMBASSADOR PIERRE PROSPER SPARKED A USEFUL RENEWAL OF THE PUBLIC DEBATE ON CROATIA'S STANDING WITH ICTY. PRESS COMMENTARIES WERE MIXED. AT ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM WAS CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR PUTTING INTEGRATION WITH NATO AND THE EU AT RISK BY ITS "AUTISTIC" APPROACH TO COOPERATION. AT THE OTHER WAS CRITICISM OF THE TRIBUNAL FOR ITS DELAY IN SENDING A MEDICAL TEAM TO EXAMINE BOBETKO. THE AMCIT ATTORNEY FOR FUGITIVE ICTY INDICTEE GENERAL ANTE GOTOVINA RANTED THAT HIS CLIENT WILL NEVER SURRENDER HIMSELF AND DERIDED THE U.S. POSITION ON ICTY AS "HYPOCRITICAL" CONSIDERING THE USG REFUSAL TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. GOVERNMENT RESPONSES GENERALLY WELCOMED THE VISIT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO AMB. PROSPER HOW CROATIA IS COOPERATING WITH THE TRIBUNAL. END SUMMARY. ¶2. THE CROATIAN PRESS ON JANUARY 2 REPORTED THAT S/WCI AMBASSADOR PIERRE RICHARD PROSPER ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO VISIT BELGRADE, BANJA LUKA, SARAJEVO, AND ZAGREB IN LATE JANUARY 2003. CROATIAN NEWS AGENCY HINA ALSO REPORTED THAT AMBASSADOR PROSPER "ACCUSED THE THREE COUNTRIES OF THE FAILURE TO COOPERATE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR FORMER YUGOSLAVIA (ICTY). ... IN CROATIA, THE U.S. OFFICIAL WILL INSIST ON THE ARREST OF GENERALS JANKO BOBETKO AND ANTE GOTOVINA. 'ALL KNOW WHERE BOBETKO IS AND HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED,' PROSPER SAID." UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00014 01 OF 02 031500Z ¶3. CROATIAN MEDIA ON JANUARY 3 REPORTED ON A STATEMENT BY THE CROATIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON WHICH STATED THAT "CROATIA ENJOYS GOOD COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. SPECIAL AMBASSADOR FOR WAR CRIMES, PIERRE RICHARD PROSPER, AND DURING HIS IMPENDING VISIT TO ZAGREB, WHERE HE WILL URGE THE ARREST OF GENERALS SUSPECTED OF WAR CRIMES, IT WILL BRIEF HIM ABOUT COOPERATION WITH THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL AND THE CASE OF GENERAL JANKO BOBETKO. PROSPER'S VISIT TO ZAGREB LATER THIS MONTH WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CROATIA'S AUTHORITIES TO BRIEF HIM ABOUT COOPERATION WITH THE U.N. WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL, DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION SINCE HIS LAST VISIT, AS WELL AS ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE BOBETKO CASE." ¶4. IN AN ARTICLE BY ITS FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, BRUNO LOPANDIC, ZAGREB-BASED GOVERNMENT-OWNED "VJESNIK" ON JANUARY 3 REPORTED THAT CROATIAN DIPLOMATIC SOURCES HAVE TOLD "VJESNIK" THAT "THERE IS NOTHING DRAMATIC IN THE VISIT. AMBASSADOR PROSPER'S VISIT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM HIM PERSONALLY ABOUT THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT ACTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH COOPERATION WITH THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL. CROATIA IS NOT REFUSING TO COOPERATE WITH THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL AND WE WILL TELL AMBASSADOR PROSPER THAT CLEARLY." ¶5. THE SAME NEWSPAPER CARRIED AN ARTICLE BY ITS LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, VLADO RAJIC, UNDER THE HEADLINE "WHY ISN'T CARLA DEL PONTE SENDING MEDICAL EXPERTS TO EXAMINE GENERAL BOBETKO," IN WHICH HE COMMENTED ON ICTY'S FAILURE TO SEND A MEDICAL TEAM TO ZAGREB. IN THAT CONTEXT, RAJIC ALSO COMMENTS ON AMBASSADOR PROSPER'S UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00014 01 OF 02 031500Z ANNOUNCED VISIT AND WRITES: "THAT'S HOW IT HAS HAPPENED THAT BOTH 'CASES,' BECAUSE OF WHICH DISSATISFIED AMBASSADOR PROSPER WILL VISIT CROATIA, AN UNDEFINED DAY IN JANUARY, ARE IN THE FUNCTION OF INCREASING OR DECREASING PRESSURE ON OFFICIAL ZAGREB." ¶6. SPLIT-BASED GOVERNMENT-OWNED "SLOBODNA DALMACIJA," IN AN ARTICLE BY ITS FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, BISERA LUSIC, ALSO REPORTED ON CROATIAN DIPLOMATIC SOURCES WHICH STATED THAT CROATIA "HAS NEVER GIVEN UP COOPERATION WITH THE HAGUE, AND LAST YEAR SIMPLY USED THE LEGAL POSSIBILITIES WHICH, BASED ON THE TRIBUNAL'S STATUTE, WERE AT ITS DISPOSAL. ALSO, EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES DO NOT FORGET TO MENTION THAT OFFICIAL ZAGREB HAD, IN THE BOBETKO CASE, IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD RESPECT THE APPEALS COUNCIL'S DECISION, WHATEVER IT WAS. IT WILL EXPLAIN THIS IN THE DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH THE AMERICAN ENVOY FOR WAR CRIMES ISSUES." ¶7. ZAGREB-BASED MASS-CIRCULATION "JUTARNJI LIST" ON JANUARY 3 CARRIES A COMMENTARY BY LUKA MISETIC, ANTE GOTOVINA'S PURPORTED AMCIT ATTORNEY, WHO ALSO COMMENTS UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ5684 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 00014 02 OF 02 031500Z ACTION SWCI-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 PA-00 IRM-00 SS-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 R-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- 1FBF03 031501Z /38 R 031449Z JAN 03 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9133 INFO AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE AMEMBASSY BELGRADE AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000014 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/WCI (PROSPER),EUR/PA/PD (HORNBUCKLE); INR/R/MR, PA-R/MR, EUR/SCE (NARDI),DRL BELGRADE AND SARAJEVO FOR POL AND PAO THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON/KAYE/WHEATON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KAWC PREL PGOV KPAO KMDR PREL PGOV KPAO KMDR HR HRKAWC SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - ANNOUNCEMENT OF S/WCI AMB. PROSPER VISIT TO ZAGREB SPARKS RENEWED DEBATE ON ICTY ON AMBASSADOR PROSPER'S ANNOUNCED VISIT. MISETIC STATES THAT GOTOVINA WILL NEVER TURN HIMSELF IN TO THE HAGUE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00014 02 OF 02 031500Z TRIBUNAL, AND THAT HE HAS TOLD "CROATIAN AND FOREIGN POLITICIANS AND DIPLOMATS THAT THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS FACT. MISETIC REACTED TO STATEMENTS BY PIERRE RICHARD PROSPER, SPECIAL AMERICAN AMBASSADOR FOR WAR CRIMES, WHO IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CROATIAN RADIO- TELEVISION AND HINA REQUESTED THE ARREST OF GENERALS GOTOVINA AND BOBETKO. MISETIC ASSESSED THIS STATEMENT AS HYPOCRITICAL. 'THE U.S. IS REFUSING TO JOIN THE PERMANENT INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL (NOTE: WE ASSUME HE MEANS THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. END NOTE.),BECAUSE SUCH TRIBUNALS ARE POLITICIZED, AND IT DOESN'T WANT ITS OFFICERS AND CITIZENS TO STAND TRIALS AT SUCH TRIBUNALS. AT THE SAME TIME, PROSPER IS REQUESTING THE ARREST OF A CROATIAN CITIZEN, GENERAL GOTOVINA, WHO DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE INDICTMENT BECAUSE HE CONSIDERS IT TO BE POLITICIZED. THAT'S HYPOCRITICAL,' COMMENTED ATTORNEY MISETIC, WHO LIVES IN CHICAGO." ¶8. RIJEKA-BASED "NOVI LIST" ON JANUARY 3 CARRIED A COMMENTARY BY DAMIR GRUBISA UNDER THE HEADLINE "RENEWED INCREASE OF AUTISM IN CROATIA," IN WHICH HE TOO COMMENTED ON AMBASSADOR PROSPER'S ANNOUNCED VISIT. GRUBISA COMMENTED: "THE LATEST, ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE VISIT BY PIERRE RICHARD PROSPER, AMERICAN AMBASSADOR FOR WAR CRIMES, AND HIS UNAMBIGUOUS CONDEMNATION OF CROATIA BECAUSE OF ITS FAILURE TO EXTRADITE GENERALS BOBETKO AND GOTOVINA, IS ANOTHER SERIOUS WARNING TO CROATIA THAT ITS AUTISM WILL NOT TAKE IT TO THE WEST. ... THAT'S WHY PROSPER'S VISIT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT: AMERICAN AMBASSADOR IN ZAGREB HAS ALREADY CLEARLY ENOUGH, IN A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00014 02 OF 02 031500Z FEW RECENT STATEMENTS, WARNED CROATIA THAT IT MUST FULFILL ITS COMMITMENTS, IF IT WANTS TO COUNT ON AMERICAN SUPPORT. AT THIS MOMENT, REGARDLESS OF ITS INVOLVEMENT IN PREPARATIONS FOR THE WAR IN THE GULF, THE U.S. REMAINS A SERIOUS GUARANTOR OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION, WITHOUT WHICH THE HERITAGE OF WAR IN THIS AREA CANNOT BE OVERCOME, AND PEACE AND SECURITY AMONG FORMER YUGOSLAVIA SUCCESSOR COUNTRIES CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED. THAT'S WHY WE NEED NATO MEMBERSHIP, ONE DAY, AND IT MEANS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." ¶9. POST WILL REPORT ON ADDITIONAL PRESS COVERAGE AND COMMENTARIES AS THEY APPEAR. ROSSIN UNCLASSIFIED >