LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH FROM PRIME MINISTER

UNCLAS ZAGREB 002623 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/ES-CR AND S/ES-O ALSO FOR EUR/SCE (KABUMOTO) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ HR SUBJECT: LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH FROM PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE SANADER ON THE OCCASION OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CAPTURE ¶1. ON DECEMBER 14, HDZ PARTY PRESIDENT AND CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE IVO SANADER SENT TO THE EMBASSY A LETTER FOR PRESIDENT BUSH. THE LETTER (ORIGINAL BEING POUCHED TO WASHINGTON, FULL TEXT BELOW) CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT BUSH ON THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AND PLEDGES CLOSER BILATERAL COOPERATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT OF DECEMBER 14 LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I AM THRILLED BY THE NEWS OF THE SUCCESSFUL APPREHENSION OF SADDAM HUSSEIN, THE FORMER RULER OF IRAQ AND ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS DICTATORS. IT IS WITH UTMOST SATISFACTION THAT I CONGRATULATE YOU ON THIS GREAT SUCCESS. THIS IS A GLORIOUS DAY FOR THE FREE WORLD AND FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO ASPIRE TO A WORLD OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY. TODAY'S SUCCESS WILL HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF NOT ONLY IRAQ AND ITS PEOPLE BUT ALSO ON THE WHOLE OF THE MIDDLE EAST. AS I POINTED OUT IN MY WALL STREET JOURNAL OP-ED IN MARCH 2003, GIVEN ITS OWN EXPERIENCE, CROATIA ALSO APPRECIATES THAT EVIL IS NOT A METAPHYSICAL ABSTRACTION BUT THAT ITS WRIT RUNS THROUGH THE AFFAIRS OF MEN - AND THAT USE OF FORCE, WHILE INVARIABLE A HORRIBLE ENTERPRISE, IS SOMETIMES THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE CHALLENGE POSED BY EVIL REGIMES. THIS IS WHY YOUR SUPERB LEADERSHIP IN GUIDING THE WORLD COMMUNITY IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST WORLDWIDE TERRORISM IS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL. SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE WAR ON TERROR THE CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION AND I HAVE GIVEN UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO THE LEADING ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES. AS THE FUTURE PRIME MINISTER OF CROATIA I AM COMMITTED TO STEP-UP CROATIA'S ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. I SEE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. AS A KEY PILLAR OF CROATIA'S FOREIGN POLICY. I LOOK FORWARD TO COOPERATING WITH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON STRENGTHENING THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. SINCERELY YOURS, DR. IVO SANADER, PRESIDENT OF THE CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION AND PRIME MINISTER DESGINATE. END TEXT.