CROATIAN MEDIA COVERAGE OF SECRETARY OF

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000288 SIPDIS STATE FOR OPS CENTER, S/ES, EUR, EUR/SCE (NARDI), EUR/PA/PD (HORNBUCKLE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO KMDR HR SUBJECT: CROATIAN MEDIA COVERAGE OF SECRETARY OF STATE POWELL'S FEBRUARY 5 SPEECH TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL REF: STATE 34089 ¶1. CROATIAN MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE SECRETARY'S FEBRUARY 5 PRESENTATION TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD. TIMING OF THE SECRETARY'S PRESENTATION UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00288 061035Z HELPED: IT OCCURRED SHORTLY BEFORE CROATIA'S NIGHTLY NEWS BROADCASTS, FACILITATING EXTENSIVE PLAY ON TV AND RADIO NEWS. MUCH FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE VILNIUS GROUP'S STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE U.S. POSITION ISSUED AFTER POWELL'S PRESENTATION (REFTEL). WHILE NOT AN INCOMING NATO MEMBER LIKE MOST OTHERS IN THE V-10, CROATIA BELONGS TO THIS GROUP. ¶2. THERE HAVE BEEN FEW COMMENTARIES YET. ONE WAS FEATURED PROMINENTLY IN THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED DAILY "VJESNIK" ON FEBRUARY 6 BY BRUNO LOPANDIC UNDER THE HEADLINE "CROATIA WILL HAVE TO TAKE A CLEARER POSITION TOWARD THE IRAQI CRISIS." LOPANDIC WROTE THAT THE VILNIUS GROUP STATEMENT WAS INITIATED BY BRUCE JACKSON. HE NOTED THAT CROATIA'S INSISTENCE ON SIGNING SUCH A DOCUMENT WILL "FORCE THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE MORE CLEARLY" HOW CROATIA SHOULD POSITION ITSELF ON THE ISSUE. ¶3. THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL GOC REACTION YET OTHER THAN THE V-10 STATEMENT TO THE SECRETARY'S PRESENTATION. WE EXPECT MORE COMMENTARIES AND ANALYSIS IN COMING DAYS AND WILL REPORT SEPTEL. ¶4. FEBRUARY 6 HEADLINES IN THE CROATIAN DAILIES: -- ZAGREB-BASED MASS-CIRCULATION "JUTARNJI LIST" - "SUPPORT FOR WAR AGAINST SADDAM - CROATIAN YES TO ATTACK ON IRAQ" -- ZAGREB-BASED MASS-CIRCULATION "VECERNJI LIST" - "CROATIA TOO SIDES WITH BUSH" UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00288 061035Z -- ZAGREB-BASED GOVERNMENT-OWNED "VJESNIK" - "IRAQ IS HIDING WEAPONS, CHEATING INSPECTORS, AND WILL NOT STOP UNLESS SOMEONE PUTS AN END TO IT" -- RIJEKA-BASED "NOVI LIST" - "POWELL: IRAQ HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO DISARM ITSELF." ROSSIN UNCLASSIFIED >