TFIZ01: UNCHR/CROATIA: CROATIA WILL OPPOSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000679

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2013
TAGS: PHUM PREL HR IZ UNCHR
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: UNCHR/CROATIA: CROATIA WILL OPPOSE
SPECIAL SITTING; UN ROLE IN POST WAR IRAQ

REF: STATE 76558

CLASSIFIED BY: LAWRENCE G ROSSIN,AMBASSADOR FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE GOC WILL VOTE AGAINST THE PROPOSAL FOR A
SPECIAL SITTING ON THE IRAQ CONFLICT, "AS IT IS CURRENTLY
FRAMED AND GIVEN THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE COMMISSION." HOWEVER,
DEPUTY FM SIMONOVIC TOLD AMBASSADOR IN CONVEYING THIS
POSITION THAT THE SITUATION AT THE UNCHR IS "FLUID" AND THE
GOC MIGHT RECONSIDER IF THE PROPOSAL EVOLVED POSITIVELY AND
PARTICULARLY IF THE EU SWUNG IN BEHIND IT. THIS DECISION WAS
TAKEN AT THE HIGHEST GOC LEVEL. OBVIOUSLY, USMISSION GENEVA
WILL NEED TO WATCH THE CROATIANS CAREFULLY; THEY UNDOUBTEDLY
WILL ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH ANY EU POSITION THAT EMERGES.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) AMBASSADOR DELIVERED REF A DEMARCHE TO DEPUTY FM
SIMONOVIC EARLY MARCH 25. IN ADDITION TO PREVIOUS POINTS,
AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED HIS VIEW THAT A GOC SHIFT FROM "ABSTAIN"
TO "NO" WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE MUTUAL DESIRE OF PM
RACAN AND THE AMBASSADOR TO CIRCUMSCRIBE OUR DIFFERENCES OVER
IRAQ AND FIND COMMON GROUND, PER THEIR MARCH 24 MEETING.
GIVEN OUR COMMON INTEREST IN REBUILDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
THE UN SYSTEM AND FOCUSING THE WORK OF THE UNCHR ON REAL
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, THIS SEEMED AN APPROPRIATE AREA FOR GOC
SUPPORT. IT WAS NO ACCIDENT THAT COUNTRIES LIKE CUBA, LIBYA
AND ZIMBABWE WERE PUSHING THIS; APART FROM BECOMING AN
ANTI-AMERICAN CIRCUS, IT WOULD EAT UP TIME OTHERWISE
AVAILABLE TO EXAMINE THEIR ABUSES.


3. (C) SIMONOVIC SAID HE HAD SPOKEN TO PM RACAN BEFORE THE
MEETING AND WOULD SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN AFTERWARD. PERSONALLY,
HE SEEMED TO FIND MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS APPEALING, BUT HE
SAID HE COULD ONLY PROVIDE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER AFTER
CONSULTING HIS SUPERIORS.


4. (C) SIMONOVIC APPEARED GENERALLY AWARE OF THE CONTENT OF
THE AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSSION WITH PM RACAN MARCH 24. HE
AFFIRMED A GOC DESIRE TO END PUBLIC CONTROVERSY ABOUT OUR
DIVERGENT POLITICAL POSITIONS ON IRAQ AND TO FOCUS ON
CROATIA'S SUPPORT FOR THE GWOT AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE
IN POST-CONFLICT ACTIVITY IN IRAQ AS WELL AS ON THE FUTURE
ROLE OF THE UN IN IRAQ AND IN MAINTAINING A STABLE WORLD
ORDER. UN INVOLVEMENT IN POST-WAR IRAQ WOULD CONSTITUTE "THE
FIRST PHASE FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE UN." HE ASKED IF THE USG
HAD DEVELOPED A POLICY OR FRAMEWORK FOR THE ROLE OF THE UN
VIS-A-VIS IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION.


5. (C) THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THE PRESIDENT'S AND SECRETARY'S
PUBLIC STATEMENTS OF DESIRE THAT THE UNITED NATIONS PLAY A
LEADING ROLE IN POST-CONFLICT IRAQ. IN THAT REGARD, THE
AMBASSADOR NOTED WITH DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THOSE COUNTRIES
THAT HAD OPPOSED THE UNSCR IN THE UNSC SEEMED NOW TO BE
BLOCKING AMENDMENT OF THE OIL-FOR-PEACE ARRANGEMENT TO
BENEFIT THE IRAQI PEOPLE, AND CRITICIZING THE IDEA OF A NEW
UNSCR FOR POST-CONFLICT ACTIVITY. THEIR APPARENT FOCUS WAS
PERPETUATING THE PREVIOUS UNSC DEBATE, NOW ENDED. SUCH
DWELLING ON THE PAST WOULD NOT ENHANCE THE REVITALIZATION OF
THE UN SYSTEM THAT WE AND THE GOC SEEK. SIMONOVIC, CROATIA'S
FORMER UN PERMREP, NODDED IN AGREEMENT. HE SAID HE HAD
WRITTEN AN OP-ED (TO BE PUBLISHED IN A ZAGREB PAPER MARCH 26)
CALLING FOR UN REFORM AND GREATER WEIGHT IN THE UN FOR THE
MORE CAPABLE MEMBER STATES SUCH AS THE UNITED STATES.


6. (C) COMMENT: WHILE SIMONOVIC SAID A LOT POSITIVE, THE FACT
THAT IT TOOK HIM ALL DAY TO GET US AN ANSWER TO OUR UNCHR
DEMARCHE, AND THAT THE ANSWER WAS SO CAREFULLY HEDGED,
INDICATES THAT CROATIA WILL NOT BE PROMINENT IN WORKING FOR
THE SORT OF UN REFORM HE ADVOCATED.
ROSSIN

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