AMBASSADOR REBUFFS EFFORT AT HOLOCAUST DENIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 002249 SIPDIS FOR EUR/OHI AND EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2013 TAGS: PHUM PGOV HR SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR REBUFFS EFFORT AT HOLOCAUST DENIAL CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) ON OCTOBER 10 THE AMBASSADOR CALLED ON ARCHBISHOP JOSIP BOZANIC TO PROTEST A RECENT ARTICLE IN "GLAS KONCILA," THE OFFICIAL PAPER OF THE CROATIAN COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, TITLED "WHY IS THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN THE SERVICE OF ANTI-CROATIAN SLANDERERS?" MASQUERADING AS COMMENTARY, THE ARTICLE IS LITTLE MORE THAN A SCREED ON HOW THE UNITED STATES CONDUCTS DIPLOMACY ("FALLACIES OF THE BIG BROTHER") AND WHY, BY HAVING A LINK ON THE EMBASSY WEB SITE TO THE U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM, WE ARE "SPREADING FALSEHOOD AND ANTI-CROATIAN SLANDER." ¶2. (C) THE AMBASSADOR TOLD THE ARCHBISHOP -- AND SOON TO BE CARDINAL -- THAT THE GLAS KONCILA ARTICLE COULD BE PERCEIVED AS AN EFFORT AT HOLOCAUST DENIAL. IN ADDITION, IT ALLEGED A CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE INTERESTS OF CROATIA ON THE PART OF ETHNIC SERBS AND JEWS IN THE UNITED STATES. SUCH AN ARTICLE, THE AMBASSADOR SAID, WOULD ONLY HARM CROATIA, AND THE IMAGE OF CROATIA'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THAT THE ARTICLE STOOD IN STARK CONTRAST TO A CLEAR MESSAGE OF ETHNIC RECONCILIATION, TOLERANCE, AND PEACE DELIVERED BY THE POPE DURING HIS JUNE VISIT TO CROATIA. ¶3. (C) BOZANIC CLAIMED FIRST NOT TO HAVE READ THE ARTICLE, BUT THEN NOTED IT WAS A "COMMENTARY" WRITTEN BY A LAYPERSON THAT DOES NOT WRITE WELL AND WAS EXPRESSING THE "IMAGINATION OF CERTAIN ELEMENTS." BOZANIC NEXT RECALLED WITH A GLINT IN HIS EYE THAT DURING THE TUDJMAN REGIME THE FIRST TOPIC OF EVERY DISCUSSION WITH THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR WAS FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND THE NEED FOR NON-INTERFERENCE IN THE MEDIA. HE MAINTAINED THAT AN INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL BOARD, NOT THE CHURCH, DETERMINED THE CONTENTS OF GLAS KONCILA. HE SUGGESTED THAT SOMEONE IN THE MEDIA COULD WRITE AN APPROPRIATE REPLY -- AND, IF CERTAIN FACTS WERE NOT TRUE, WE SHOULD REFUTE THEM DIRECTLY. WHILE MAINTAINING THE PAPER'S INDEPENDENCE, BOZANIC CONCEDED THAT PREVIOUSLY HE HAD SPOKEN TO "SOME ELEMENTS" OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD, ON "SOME ASPECTS OF SOME ISSUES." ¶4. (C) BOZANIC DEFENDED THE AUTHOR, SAYING HE AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY CAME FROM THE VOJVODINA REGION OF SERBIA, "WHERE THEY SUFFERED AND SUFFERED WOUNDS," AND THAT FOR SUCH PEOPLE IT WILL TAKE GENERATIONS FOR THOSE WOUNDS TO HEAL. THE AMBASSADOR UNDERSCORED AGAIN THAT THE ARTICLE SERVED NO POSITIVE PURPOSE, AND IN FACT WAS AN EGREGIOUS AFFRONT TO THOSE WORKING TO PROMOTE A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL CROATIANS. BOZANIC THANKED THE AMBASSADOR AND SAID HE WOULD "TAKE CERTAIN STEPS," ALTHOUGH HE CAUTIONED ONE FINAL TIME THAT GLAS KONCILA IS NOT AN OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CROATIA. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) THE MEETING WITH BOZANIC TOOK PLACE ON THE EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE FOR ROME, WHERE HE ATTENDED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN PAUL II'S PAPACY AND WILL REMAIN FOR HIS ELEVATION TO CARDINAL ON OCTOBER 21. THE VATICAN REACHED BACK IN THE RANKS WHEN IT APPOINTED BOZANIC ARCHBISHOP IN 1997. ALTHOUGH A MODERATE BY REPUTATION, HE WILL NOT ROCK THE BOAT IN DEALING WITH THE LARGELY CONSERVATIVE AND NATIONALIST HIERARCHY OF THE CHURCH IN CROATIA. THE ARTICLE WILL ONLY LEND STRENGTH TO THE ARGUMENT THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CROATIA REMAINS MORE A PART OF THE PROBLEM THAN THE SOLUTION IN TERMS OF PROMOTING ETHNIC TOLERANCE, RECONCILIATION, AND THE "NORMAL" LIFE SOUGHT BY ALL CROATIANS. FRANK NNNN