CROATIA TREATS IRAQI CHILDREN

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001515

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID IZ HR HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA TREATS IRAQI CHILDREN


1. (U) Seven seriously ill Iraqi children arrived in Zagreb
on August 26 for medical treatment unavailable in Iraq. The
Government of Croatia will cover transportation costs as well
as all expenses for the children and their accompanying
escorts while in Croatia. Responding to press queries,
Deputy Prime Minister Andrea Hebrang said that this
humanitarian assistance was not being given as "compensation"
for Croatia not sending military troops to Iraq.


2. (U) Minister of Science and Technology Dragan Primorac
publicly praised the role of the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb for
facilitating the logistics for this humanitarian effort. In
particular, USAID Zagreb coordinated with counterparts at
AmEmbassy Baghdad to keep snafus on flight and ground
transportation from delaying this effort.


3. (U) Six Iraqi doctors who arrived on the same flight will
stay in Zagreb for training in forensic psychiatry and
forensic pathology. Minister Primorac, himself a respected
expert in forensic medicine, told the press that Croatia will
train on DNA methods of identifying victims in mass graves.
FRANK


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