ICTY ACTION PLAN UPDATE #5; SEPTEMBER 27, 2006

S E C R E T BELGRADE 001568

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SWCI AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: CLOSURE OF ICTY
TAGS: ICTY PREL PROG PHUM SR
SUBJECT: ICTY ACTION PLAN UPDATE #5; SEPTEMBER 27, 2006

REF: (A) BELGRADE 1547 (B) BELGRADE 1371 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Michael C. Polt, reasons 1.4 (b,c,d)


1. (U) This is the most recent in our weekly reports on GOS
efforts on the Mladic Action Plan. Last week's report was
included in reftel (a),the reporting cable of Ambassador
Williamson's (S/WCI) visit to Belgrade 12-14 September and
our subsequent discussion with Ljajic on the 15th. Prior
reports in reftel (b). This report covers the period from
18-22 September.


2. (S) Summary: ICTY Action Plan co-coordinator Rasim Ljajic
had very little to report in this week's (18-22 September)
review of Action Plan developments. He confirmed that
co-coordinator Vukcevic had sent the latest progress report
to ICTY earlier this week and engaged in a "disappointing"
DVC with Carla Del Ponte on September 21; he pledged that the
pending law providing access to intel reports and
jurisdiction regarding the activities of the Mladic support
network would be passed next week; and he referred to the
latest leads in the surveillance operation of suspected
Mladic supporters. End Summary.


3. (S) Ljajic expressed frustration with Del Ponte's critical
comments during the September 21 DVC. Del Ponte, he said,
seems to have now adopted a uniformly negative view of
Belgrade's efforts. She told Vukcevic that he was not
sufficiently involved in the effort and that she was
dissatisfied with results. Ljajic echoed his comments to us
last week, complaining about Del Ponte's "mixed messages" and
observing that in was unrealistic to expect either
Coordinator to be as involved operationally as she now seemed
to suggest. Ljajic said that Del Ponte seems to have fixed on
references in the interrogation reports which had Pavkovic
remarking that "if you want information about Mladic you
should ask VBA head Kovac; he knows everything." According
to Ljajic, Del Ponte told them in the DVC that she was sure
Kovac had all the answers.


4. (S) Ljajic said that Vukcevic's latest report had been
transmitted to The Hague earlier in the week, but played down
its significance. It recounted details of interviews and
surveillance reports which only reflected Belgrade's long
shot approach: pursue small fish in the network in the hope
of inadvertently netting a big catch. Ljajic said that
Tolimir's wife had showed up at the VMA, apparently trying to
link up with a cousin who had checked out earlier in the
morning. She had been able to evade her handlers for several
minutes and may have been able to exchange information with
several Doctors. There were strong indications that Tolimir
was quite ill and was in need of critical medical attention.
Ljajic also noted that Jogo had sent a threatening letter to
Kovac's deputy warning him to back off.


5. (S) Ljajic said that he expected the draft law that would
provide access to files on the activity of the support
network, the same law that would give Vukcevic jurisdiction
over accomplicies aiding and abetting fugatives, to be
adopted by parliament the week of September 25. He noted
that the law will likely allow the government to prosecute
Lugonja, who had been under surveillance for some time.
(Note: Lugonja's arrest was reported in the press on 9/22;
Ljajic says he was immediately taken custody at the airport
before departing Serbia.) Ljajic noted that Zarko
Stojanovic, a military policeman shown saluting a picture of
Mladic earlier in the week in the Belgrade daily Glas, had
been suspended without pay. He played down press reports
that there were leads about PFWC Hadjic's whereabouts.
POLT