MOST CROATIAN POLITICAL PARTIES DISAPPROVE OF THE MILITARY ACTION

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000657 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM HR SUBJECT: MOST CROATIAN POLITICAL PARTIES DISAPPROVE OF THE MILITARY ACTION ¶1. MEDIA COVERAGE OF IRAQ IN CROATIA IN THE LAST 24 HOURS HAS BEEN UNIFORMLY HOSTILE TO THE U.S. POSITION. MUCH OF IT HAS FOCUSED ON CRITICISM OF THE IRAQ CAMPAIGN BY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. MPS REPRESENTING THE RULING COALITION AND JOINED BY SOME OF THE MARGINAL PARTIES IN THE OPPOSITION HAVE ECHOED THE VIEWS AIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT -- THEY REGRET THE ATTACK ON IRAQ AND PURPORT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER. ONLY THE CHIEF OPPOSITION HDZ PARTY DECLINED TO OFFER COMMENTS, POINTING OUT ITS VIEWS HAD BEEN PRESENTED EARLIER. ON THE EVE OF THE WAR, THE HDZ WAS THE ONLY CROATIAN POLITICAL PARTY TO SUPPORT THE U.S. POLICY ON IRAQ, INCLUDING IN A BROADLY SUPPORTIVE OP-ED PIECE IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LAST WEEK BY PARTY LEADER IVO SANADER. ¶2. PEOPLES PARTY PRESIDENT VESNA PUSIC (HNS) TOOK THE GLASS AS HALF FULL PERSPECTIVE OF THE CONFLICT. SHE WISHED THE WAR, FOR THE SAKE OF BOTH ALLIED FORCES AND THE IRAQI PEOPLE, WOULD BE OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN GONE. SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO REBUILDING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS. OTHERS WERE LESS OPTIMISTIC. ZDRAVKO TOMAC (SDP),WHO CHAIRS THE PARLIAMENTARY FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, SAID THAT THE U.N. SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN MORE TIME AS "IRAQ AT THE MOMENT POSED NO THREAT TO WORLD PEACE." THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIBRA PARTY, JOZO RADOS, CONDEMNED THE DECISION TO ATTACK IRAQ WITHOUT A SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION. HE TOLD REPORTERS THE DECISION "PROBABLY MEANT SOWING THE SEEDS OF TERRORISM FOR THE FUTURE." THE LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENT, IVO BANAC, SAID THAT, WITHOUT UNSC APPROVAL, THE WAR WAS A "DANGEROUS OPERATION WITH UNCLEAR RESULTS." HE ADDED THAT THE "U.S. GOVERNMENT WOULD BEAR ALL CONSEQUENCES" FOR THE DECISION. ¶3. EXCEPT FOR HDZ, CROATIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES AIRED SIMILAR NEGATIVE VIEWS. THE SOCIAL LIBERAL PRESIDENT DRAZEN BUDISA (HSLS) SAID THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR WOULD BE GRAVE FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS, FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW, FOR THE ROLE OF THE UN AND FOR RELATIONS AMONG ALLIES IN THE EURO-ATLANTIC PROCESS. DEMOCRATIC CENTER PRESIDENT MATE GRANIC (DC) SUPPORTED THE PRINCIPLE OF MILITARY INTERVENTIONS WITHIN THE UNSC FRAMEWORK, RATHER THAN "PLAYING ON THE CARD OF DIVISIONS" BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE EU, OR EVEN WITHIN THE EU. CROATIAN BLOC LEADER IVIC PASALIC (HB) HOPED THE ACTION WOULD BE OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND CASUALTIES KEPT TO A MINIMUM. ANTO DJAPIC OF THE RIGHT WING CROATIAN PARTY OF RIGHTS (HSP) DESCRIBED THE MILITARY ACTION AS POSING THE "BIGGEST CRISIS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER IN THE LAST 40 YEARS." ROSSIN NNNN