CROATIA SUPPORTIVE AFTER POWELL PRESENTATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000292

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2008
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ PGOV IZ HR HRPREL UNSC
SUBJECT: CROATIA SUPPORTIVE AFTER POWELL PRESENTATION

REF: A. (A) STATE 34169

B. (B) ZAGREB 34089

C. (C) ZAGREB 288

CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY NICHOLAS HILL, POL/ECON COUNSELOR,
FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (U) CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC AND OTHERS IN THE GOC HAVE
BEEN LARGELY SUPPORTIVE SINCE SECRETARY POWELL'S PRESENTATION
TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 5. THE AMBASSADOR SAW
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TOMISLAV JAKIC, MESIC'S FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR, AND MARIO
NOBILO, ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS,
ON FEBRUARY 6, TO DISCUSS IRAQ AND DELIVER A TRANSCRIPT OF
THE SECRETARY'S SECURITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION.


2. (C) JAKIC SAID THAT MESIC PLANNED TO DELIVER A TOUGHLY
WORDED STATEMENT (ADVANCE COPY PARA 5) TO THE NATION AT 7 PM
ON FEBRUARY 6 CONVEYING CROATIA'S POSITION ON IRAQ. CROATIA
WANTS TO SEE THE U.S. USE THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND TO PURSUE
MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY IN ITS EFFORTS TO DISARM IRAQ, BUT AT
THE END THE DAY, IRAQ MUST BE DISARMED. ACCORDING TO JAKIC,
PRESIDENT MESIC WAS NOT INFORMED IN ADVANCE OF THE GOC'S
SUPPORT FOR THE VILNIUS 10 STATEMENT (REFTEL B) ISSUED AFTER
THE SECRETARY'S UNSC PRESENTATION AND WANTED TO DO HIS PART
IN READYING THE CROATIAN PEOPLE FOR THE DIFFICULT PERIOD
AHEAD. THE AMBASSADOR COMMENDED THE PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVE.


3. (C) AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, THE AMBASSADOR HEARD A
SIMILAR MESSAGE FROM ASSISTANT MINISTER NOBILO. THE U.S. CAN
COUNT ON CROATIA'S SUPPORT, BUT HOPES THAT THE U.S. WILL MAKE
EVERY EFFORT TO EXPLAIN ITS POLICIES CLEARLY, TAKING INTO
ACCOUNT ARAB AUDIENCES, AND WORKING TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE
THROUGH THE SECURITY COUNCIL. HE NOTED THAT CROATIA HAD BEEN
PUT IN AN "UNPLEASANT" SITUATION. THERE WAS A SPLIT IN THE
EU ON THE ISSUE AND THE GOC WAS BEING "PUSHED FROM VARIOUS
SIDES" ON HOW TO REACT. THE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT THE U.S.
WAS DOING EVERYTHING IT COULD TO WORK THE ISSUE IN THE
SECURITY COUNCIL. THE U.S. IS EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THE
SECURITY COUNCIL REMAIN RELEVANT; PART OF THE COUNCIL'S
REMAINING RELEVANT, HE ADDED, INVOLVES ENFORCING EXISTING
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SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS ON IRAQ. THIS IS IN THE
INTEREST OF THE U.S. AND THE UNITED NATIONS AS AN
INSTITUTION. OTHERWISE THE UN BECOMES THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.


4. (U) THE FOREIGN MINISTRY ISSUED TWO STATEMENTS ON
FEBRUARY 5 ON THE SITUATION IN IRAQ. THE FIRST EXPRESSED
CROATIA'S "PARTNERSHIP AND SOLIDARITY" WITH THE INTERNATIONAL
EFFORT TO DISARM IRAQ. THE MFA UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR IRAQ
TO HONOR "UNCONDITIONALLY" UN RESOLUTION 1441, WHICH CALLS
FOR COMPLETE COOPERATION WITH THE UN INSPECTORS ON THE
GROUND. THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
POSES "THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT" TO SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE
WORLD TODAY. THE MFA'S SECOND STATEMENT WAS IN SUPPORT OF
THE EU PRESIDENCY'S FEBRUARY 4 APPEAL TO IRAQ. ECHOING THE
PRESIDENCY, THE MFA STATEMENT NOTED THAT THE DEADLINE WHICH
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD SET IN UNSC RESOLUTION 1441
HAD PASSED AND THAT IRAQ MUST "IMMEDIATELY AND
UNCONDITIONALLY" COMPLY WITH ALL UN RESOLUTIONS. ALL UN
MEMBER STATES MUST RESPECT UN DECISIONS "FOR THE SAKE OF
PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE WORLD." (TRANSLATIONS EMAILED TO
EUR/SCE NARDI.)


5. (U) ADVANCE COPY OF PRESIDENT MESIC STATEMENT TO THE
NATION ON FEBRUARY 6 (INFORMAL EMBASSY TRANSLATION). BEGIN
TEXT:

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC

AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL SESSION, THE U.S. SECRETARY
OF STATE PRESENTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE IRAQI CRISIS, AND THE POSSIBLE LINKS BETWEEN
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IRAQ AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. PART OF THIS INFORMATION
CAN QUALIFY IN THE EVIDENCE CATEGORY, WHILE THE SECOND PART
CONSISTS OF STRONG INDICATIONS. BOTH LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION
THAT DOUBTS ABOUT THE LACK OF THE BAGHDAD REGIME,S FULL
COOPERATION WITH UN INSPECTORS ARE WELL-FOUNDED, AND THAT
THIS VIOLATES SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1441 DATED NOVEMBER
OF LAST YEAR, WHICH REQUESTS DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ IN THE
CONTEXT OF POSSESSION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, I HAVE ON
MORE THAN ONE OCCASION EXPRESSED STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE
CREATION AND OPERATION OF THE GLOBAL ANTI-TERRORIST
COALITION. I HAVE ALSO STRESSED THAT FACTORIES FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, AS WELL AS THE
WEAPONS THEMSELVES, MUST BE PUT UNDER EFFICIENT INTERNATIONAL
CONTROL, THAT IS, THAT THEY MUST BE DESTROYED IF SUCH CONTROL
CANNOT BE IMPLEMENTED.

THIS CONTINUES TO BE MY STANDPOINT. I AM CERTAIN THAT
ALONG WITH IT I AM PROTECTING THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA,S AND
ALL OF ITS CITIZENS, KEY INTERESTS, BECAUSE BOTH
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WHICH
ARE NOT UNDER CONTROL, REPRESENT A POTENTIAL BUT VERY

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ACTION IO-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 DHS-00 SSO-00 SS-00
DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /005W
-------------- 3217DC 061736Z /38
O 061715Z FEB 03
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9408
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000292

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2008
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ PGOV IZ HR HRPREL UNSC
SUBJECT: CROATIA SUPPORTIVE AFTER POWELL PRESENTATION

REALISTIC DANGER FOR ALL, INCLUDING OUR COUNTRY.

I ALSO REPEAT THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CONCRETE
OPERATIONS DIRECTED AT FIGHTING GLOBAL TERRORISM, IT IS
NECESSARY TO UNDERTAKE A LONG-TERM FIGHT AGAINST ITS ROOTS.
I ALSO DEEM IT NECESSARY TO ONCE AGAIN POINT OUT THE
COMPELLING PLACE AND ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, BOTH IN THE
FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, AS WELL AS IN EFFORTS
TO FIND, PUT UNDER CONTROL, OR, IF IT PROVES TO BE THE ONLY
SOLUTION, DESTROY WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00292 02 OF 02 061736Z
THE BAGHDAD AUTHORITIES BEAR THE CRUCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY. THEY HAVE TO PROVE IRREFUTABLY THAT THEY ARE
FULLY COOPERATING WITH THE UNITED NATIONS INSPECTORS, IN
OTHER WORDS, THEY MUST, IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER AND WITHOUT
DELAY, PROVIDE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE INFORMATION
PRESENTED BY THE UNITED STATES TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL.
DENIAL IS NOT AN ANSWER THAT CAN SATISFY THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY. INSPECTORS MUST BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR
WORK ) NOT INDEFINITELY, OF COURSE.

BEFORE THE DECISION ON THE USE OF FORCE IS MADE, ONE
HAS TO BE CERTAIN THAT ABSOLUTELY ALL OTHER MEANS FOR
REALIZATION OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1441 HAVE BEEN
USED.

INSPECTORS, THEREFORE, CANNOT CONTINUE WITH THEIR WORK
INDEFINITELY, BUT THE OPTION OF WAR CANNOT BE RESORTED TO
IMPRUDENTLY AND WITHOUT PREPARATION.

IF WE WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF PEACE, STABILITY, AND
SECURITY, AND I AM CERTAIN THAT THAT,S WHAT WE ALL WANT,
SOMETIMES WE CANNOT AVOID DIFFICULT DECISIONS.

A WISE MAN SAID LONG TIME AGO THAT THE LARGEST CRIME IS
TO REFUSE TO FIGHT, WHEN THE FIGHT SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED.

WE HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE TERROR OF WAR AND KNOW
HOW TO APPRECIATE PEACE. THAT,S WHY WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED
TO RESOLVING ALL PROBLEMS THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS. HOWEVER, WE
ALSO KNOW THAT REPUBLIC OF CROATIA WOULD NOT EXIST IF WE HAD
NOT FOUGHT, WHEN THE WAR WAS IMPOSED ON US.
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IF A WAR FOR WHAT IS RIGHT IS INEVITABLE, THEN THE
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA KNOWS WHERE HER PLACE IS. HOWEVER, I
STILL BELIEVE THAT A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION IS POSSIBLE AND WE
SHOULD GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.

THANK YOU!

END TEXT.

ROSSIN

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