CROATIA PROPOSES CONTRIBUTIONS FOR IRAQ, SEEKS

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000678 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP MNUC IZ HR NATO SUBJECT: CROATIA PROPOSES CONTRIBUTIONS FOR IRAQ, SEEKS FULL MEMBERSHIP IN PSI, WORKS WITH GERMANY ON AFGHANISTAN PRT CONTRIBUTION ¶1. SEE ACTION REQUESTS IN PARAS 2 AND 3. ¶2. (SBU) ON APRIL 16, MFA NATO COORDINATOR PJER SIMUNOVIC TOLD DCM THAT THE GOC HAD DEVELOPED A PROPOSAL TO RESPOND TO SECRETARY RUMSFELD,S REQUEST THAT CROATIA MAKE A SIPDIS CONTRIBUTION TO COALITION EFFORTS IN IRAQ. SIMUNOVIC SAID THE GOC PROPOSES TO OFFER IN ZAGREB FORENSICS EXPERTISE AND PEDIATRIC CARE FOR INJURED IRAQI CHILDREN. IN ADDITION, THE GOC PROPOSES TO PROVIDE A &SMALL8 NUMBER OF POLICE INSTRUCTORS FOR THE COALITION,S POLICE ACADEMY LOCATED IN JORDAN. SIMUNOVIC ADDED THAT CROATIA HAD A NUMBER OF SUCH INSTRUCTIONS WITH EXPERIENCE AS INSTRUCTORS AT THE POLICE ACADEMY IN KOSOVO. HE DID NOT YET HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF INSTRUCTORS ON OFFER, BUT SAID THE &SMALL8 CONTRIBUTION MIGHT BE INCREASED LATER. HE ALSO DID NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL REGARDING WHAT SORTS OF FORENSICS CAPABILITIES WERE ON OFFER NOR HOW TO IMPLEMENT A PEDIATRIC CARE OFFER. HE HOPED THAT THE U.S. COULD RESPOND AS TO THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THESE OFFERS AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS HOW THEY MIGHT BE IMPLEMENTED. ACTION REQUEST: PLEASE ADVISE WHETHER A FORENSICS CAPABILITY IN ZAGREB COULD BE HELPFUL AND HOW A PEDIATRIC CARE PROGRAM COULD BE ORGANIZED (WE UNDERSTAND OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE LAUNCHED SUCH PROGRAMS). ALSO PLEASE ADVISE WHETHER THE OFFER OF POLICE INSTRUCTORS WOULD BE WELCOME AND WHAT STEPS THE GOC SHOULD TAKE. ¶3. (SBU) SIMUNOVIC SAID THAT FOLLOWING INTERNAL CONSULTATIONS, THE GOC HAS DECIDED THAT IT WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE FULL MEMBERSHIP IN PSI. UP UNTIL NOW, CROATIA HAD SOUGHT ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AS AN OBSERVER, BUT NOW THE GOC FELT IT COULD AND SHOULD PARTICIPATE AS A FULL MEMBER. CROATIA TAKES SERIOUSLY ITS COMMITMENTS TO PREVENT THE PROLIFERATION OF WMD AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GWOT. FURTHER, CROATIA HAS AN EXTENSIVE COASTLINE AND A NUMBER OF ACTIVE COMMERCIAL PORTS. SIMUNOVIC ADDED THAT THE GOC FELT A RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTRIBUTE FULLY TO INITIATIVES SUCH AS PSI. ACTION REQUEST: PLEASE ADVISE ON HOW TO RESPOND TO THE GOC REQUEST. ¶4. (SBU) SIMUNOVIC SAID HE WOULD TRAVEL TO BERLIN SOON FOR DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ON THE CROATIAN CONTRIBUTION TO THE GERMAN PRT IN KANDUZ, AFGHANISTAN. THE GOC IS CONSIDERING A COMMITMENT OF ABOUT 10 CIVILIANS, INCLUDING JUNIOR DIPLOMATS, POLICE OFFICERS AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL (TWO DOCTORS, TWO NURSES). SIMUNOVIC WAS AWARE THAT MACEDONIA HAD PROPOSED TO FORM A MEDICAL TEAM COMPOSED OF MILITARY PERSONNEL FROM MACEDONIA, ALBANIA AND CROATIA TO PARTICIPATE IN AFGHANISTAN OPERATIONS, PROBABLY AS PART OF A PRT. HE SAID THAT THE CROATIAN MOD WAS CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL. WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHETHER THE GOC WOULD SEEK SABOR APPROVAL FOR MORE MILITARY PERSONNEL TO DEPLOY TO AFGHANISTAN (THE SABOR MUST APPROVE MILITARY DEPLOYMENTS OUTSIDE CROATIA),SIMUNOVIC SAID HE THOUGHT SEEKING NEW APPROVAL TO STAFF A ADRIATIC CHARTER THREE JOINT PLATOON WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM SINCE THE FORMER GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS NOW IN OPPOSITION, HAD SUPPORTED THE EARLIER DEPLOYMENT OF A 50-PERSON UNIT TO ISAF. FRANK NNNN