C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000325

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR KWAC ICTY
SUBJECT: GOC SEEKS CONFIRMATION OF LEAD ON PIFWC ANTE
GOTOVINA


CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF ROBERT SILBERSTEIN, REASON 1.5
(B) AND (D)
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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00325 121256Z


1. (C) THE CROATIAN POLICE ARE TRYING TO CONFIRM THE
CREDIBILITY OF INFORMATION INDICATING THAT ICTY INDICTEE ANTE
GOTOVINA WAS HIDING IN BOSNIA, NEAR THE CROATIAN BORDER, IN
JANUARY 2003. THAT IS WHAT BORIS SPUDIC, ASSISTANT HEAD OF
CROATIAN CRIMINAL POLICE TOLD RSO DURING AN MEETING -- HELD
AT SPUDIC'S REQUEST -- LATE ON FEBRUARY 7. SPUDIC SAID THAT
HE ALSO WAS PASSING THIS INFORMATION TO THE BRITISH AND OTHER
WESTERN EUROPEAN CONTACTS. SPUDIC WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE
IDENTITY OR RELIABILITY OF THE SOURCE, BUT OFFERED TO
RECONTACT HIM IF WE FOUND THE MATERIAL USEFUL AND ACCURATE.


2. (C) BEGIN TEXT OF CROATIAN POLICE INFORMATION (AS
PROVIDED):

CROATIAN POLICE HAS INFORMATION ON THE MOVEMENT OF ANTE
GOTOVINA IN RELATION OF KUPRES AND LJUBUSKI, FEDERATION
BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA.

BY INFORMATION, GOTOVINA WAS DURING JANUARY ON SEVERAL
OCCASIONS, TOGETHER WITH HIS ESCORT, SPOTTED IN CAFE BAR ON
GAS STATION IN PLACE VELJACI, ON ROAD VRGORAC - VITINA, ON
ROUTE TO VISIT RETIRED HVO GENERAL AND EX-PRESIDENT OF B&H
HDZ PARTY ANTI JELAVIC, WHO POSSES THE HOUSE ON HERCEGOVINIAN
SIDE OF THE STATE BORDER, IN DIRECTION TOWARDS PLACE
PODPROLOG AND CROATIAN BORDER.

BY INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SOURCE, GOTOVINA FREQUENTLY IS
STAYING AT THE NEWLY OPENED HOTEL ABOVE KUPRES, WHOSE OWNERS
ARE VINKO ZULJEVIC "KLICA", AND SLAVEN PETRICEVIC, EX MEMBERS
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PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00325 121256Z
OF HVO SPECIAL FORCES. SOME MEMBERS OF THOSE EX SPECIAL
FORCES (EX 22ND COMMANDO SQUAD) ARE SECURITY MEMBERS OF ANTE
GOTOVINA.


3. (C) END TEXT.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE GOTOVINA'S DISAPPEARANCE
18 MONTHS AGO THAT THE CROATIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY HAS PASSED
US INFORMATION ON THE ICTY FUGITIVE. IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN
THE GOC FINDS ITSELF UNDER MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM THE
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AT THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL TO DEMONSTRATE THAT
IT IS TAKING ACTIVE MEASURES TO FIND GOTOVINA.


5. (C) WE DEFER TO EMBASSY SARAJEVO AND OTHERS TO ASSESS THE
QUALITY OF THE GOC INFORMATION AND WOULD WELCOME ANY ANALYSIS
THAT WE CAN PASS TO SPUDIC ON HIS LEAD. WE NOTE THAT VINKO
ZULJEVIC "KLICA" IS IMPRISONED IN ZAGREB PENDING TRIAL FOR
THE JUNE 2002 MURDER OF A ALLEGED CROATIAN INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY INFORMANT, VESELIN MARINOV. "KLICA," A BOSNIAN CROAT,
IS A WELL KNOWN CROATIAN MAFIA FIGURE, WHO REPORTEDLY SERVED
IN THE NOTORIOUS "CONVICTS" BRIGADE OF ICTY INDICTEE MLADEN
NALETILIC TUTA AND HVO GENERAL IVAN ANDABAK IN BOSNIA DURING
THE WAR.
ROSSIN

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