REHN STRIKES A NERVE IN ZAGREB

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000173

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KAWC PREL PHUM HR
SUBJECT: REHN STRIKES A NERVE IN ZAGREB

REF: ZAGREB 00128


1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: EU Enlargement Commissioner
Olli Rehn's January 31 statement casting doubt on a March 17
start for Croatia's EU accession talks due to lack of full
cooperation with The Hague elicited several statements from
the political leadership designed to show a united front and
put new energy into the search for ICTY fugitive Ante
Gotovina. Through yesterday's vigorously unambiguous
statements, PM Sanader and a number of his ministers may
hope to create a slightly more positive atmosphere around
what is likely to be a negative report by ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Carla del Ponte tomorrow in Brussels -
specifically because of inaction in the hunt for Gotovina
and disturbing presidential campaign statements last month.
END SUMMARY AND COMMENT

PRESIDENT NOT SURPRISED, PM INSISTS FULLY COOPERATING
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2. (U) Croatian media February 1 extensively covered EU
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn's January 31: "If I had
to give a recommendation to the EC based on today's
information, I must say I could not recommend the opening of
negotiations with Croatia" until Gotovina is handed over to
the ICTY. President Mesic's initial reaction, reported by
spokesperson Daniela Barisic, was that he was not surprised
by the news that the European Commission at this time could
not support the start of talks with the EU on March 17. "It
has been clear since the beginning that the start of talks
is directly connected to solving the Gotovina issue. Mr.
Rehn's statement shows that nothing regarding this issue has
changed, and anyway - it is illusionary to expect anything
different."


3. (U) PM Sanader's initial reaction to the statement,
while on an official visit to Luxembourg, was: "I am not
worried because Croatia is cooperating with the Hague in
full and this is where our opinion differs from that of the
Commissioner. Of course it is serious when the Commissioner
reacts like this and we will talk both tonight and tomorrow
with the European Commission to see what grounds the
statement is based on." Sanader expressed "surprise, not
worry" and asserted that Croatia has shown its cooperation
with The Hague. He again invited anyone in Europe to come
forward to the Croatian government if they have any
information regarding Gotovina, and denied Rehn's statement
that the Croatian government had initiated negotiations with
Gotovina on his voluntary surrender: "I don't know what Mr.
Rehn meant by that, but it's not true."

OPPOSITION ACCUSES EU OF POLITICIZING GOTOVINA
-------------- -


4. (U) The February 1 press carried additional reaction
from the opposition:

-- The Social Democrats (SDP) Vice President Zeljka
Antunovic commented that the entire Gotovina problem was "in
greater part manufactured" and that this case "should not
present such a problem to EU or Croatia." She also told the
press, "I am further of the opinion that the EU and The
Hague turned Gotovina into a political issue. The status of
General Gotovina is a problem, but I think it has been
exaggerated and if Gotovina has become the only measure by
which Croatia can continue on it path to the EU, then that
is not fair." Her SDP colleague, MP Zoran Milanovic, said,
"Sanader's optimistic forecast for the start of talks just
lacked seriousness. The truth is that the condition for
extradition of Gotovina is unreal, unfair and very difficult
- but that is the way things are and the SDP stands behind
all government efforts to prove that Gotovina is not
findable."

-- The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) Pero Kovacevic: "The
HSP warned of this possibility earlier when we stated that
the opening of talks was not going to be unconditional. We
think that there will be no delay in talks, rather, that
Croatia will have to make concessions for the EU. We will
tie our hands in this manner and this is a well known
scenario."

-- Ante Markov of the HSS (Croatian Peasant Party): "We are
surprised by the EU ultimatum. They do not want to accept
that Gotovina is not available to the Croatian government.
They are obviously trying to avoid the date of the start of
talks and this would, regarding their internal plans, cause
disorder and problems for the EU idea. The proof here is
that the EU does not have equal criteria for everyone."

GOVERNMENT COORDINATES FEBRUARY 1 RESPONSE
--------------


5. (U) Late in the afternoon of February 1, the GoC issued


a barrage of statements to offer a coordinated response to
Rehn's statements. President Mesic and PM Sanader put out a
joint statement, noting they had ordered all relevant state
agencies, including intelligence services, the Ministry of
the Interior and the Chief State Attorney, to "increase to
the fullest all necessary measures and activities to
establish Gotovina's whereabouts, arrest him and transfer
him to ICTY's jurisdiction." They also encouraged those
agencies to cooperate in this effort with their counterparts
from foreign countries.


6. (U) Justice Minister Vesna Skare-Ozbolt told Reuters on
February 1, "It's high time we said it openly: we are
determined to locate, arrest and extradite Gotovina."
Commenting on her January 31 meeting with Carla del Ponte,
Minister Skare-Ozbolt said ICTY's Chief Prosecutor was not
convinced that the GOC was willing to arrest Gotovina. "The
prosecutor was angered by our calls for Gotovina to
surrender and did not believe we were ready to go out and
arrest him," she said. Skare-Ozbolt said GOC had no contact
with Gotovina although official people have been sent to
locate him but with no result thus far. "One lead suggested
that he might be hiding in Bosnia. We are checking it and
have informed ICTY about our actions. But I doubt he will be
there. The man is a legionnaire and could go anywhere."


7. (U) European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar
Kitarovic said in Brussels that GOC was not in touch with
the fugitive general, claiming it had a strong political
will to resolve this issue. Interior Ministry Spokesman
Zlatko Mehun told the Croatian News Agency (HINA) February 1
that "To track down and apprehend Ante Gotovina, police
officers, in cooperation with the security services and the
Chief State Prosecutor, are gathering information on his
whereabouts and persons who may be assisting him in hiding.
The police are taking all necessary steps to verify that
information." Mehun added that all police departments in the
country were under orders to intensify the search.


8. (SBU) All this sudden tough talk from the GoC may in part
be designed to counter fall-out from remarks made during
last month's presidential campaign by ruling party
presidential candidate and Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka
Kosor. Asked on national TV what she would do if she ran
into Gotovina on the street, Kosor said she would NEVER
recognize him (not even if she really did). Local ICTY reps
interpreted this as a GoC message to police officers across
the country: If you arrest Gotovina, we will not support
you. The highest levels of the GoC are now on record
supporting Gotovina's arrest.

FRANK


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