Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BELGRADE1694
2006-10-17 14:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Belgrade
Cable title:  

WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR FED UP, THREATENS TO QUIT

Tags:  ICTY PREL PGOV KCRM SR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0041
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBW #1694 2901409
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171409Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9559
INFO RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO IMMEDIATE 0266
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE 0502
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1209
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0619
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0253
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BELGRADE 001694 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DOJ FOR ALEXANDRE
STATE FOR S/WCI

E.O. 12958: DECL: CLOSURE OF ICTY
TAGS: ICTY PREL PGOV KCRM SR
SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR FED UP, THREATENS TO QUIT

Classified By: DCM Roderick Moore, reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BELGRADE 001694

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DOJ FOR ALEXANDRE
STATE FOR S/WCI

E.O. 12958: DECL: CLOSURE OF ICTY
TAGS: ICTY PREL PGOV KCRM SR
SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR FED UP, THREATENS TO QUIT

Classified By: DCM Roderick Moore, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (c) War Crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic stunned
local journalists and emboffs when he announced on Ocotber 17
that he was tendering his resignation as operational
coordinator for the GoS's Action Plan for ICTY cooperation.
Vukcevic cited to us his deep frustration over not having the
authorities and latitudes necessary to coordinate and compel
cooperation and more robust investigative activity from
Serbian intelligence and security services. Vukcevic told
RLA during the conference that he was tired of being little
more than an "errand boy" between the government and ICTY
chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte, and intended to quit his
post. His pronouncement was almost immediately posted on
local news websites, including B92.


2. (c) Vukcevic's co-chair, Rasim Ljajic, told us in
Belgrade that Kostunica immediately called Vukcevic to
convince him to stay on the job. Ljajic said the PM refused
to accept Vukcevic's resignation, and that after their
conversation, Vukcevic withdrew it. Vukcevic and Kostunica
will meet at 1600 local, and we are working to get a readout
of that meeting from Vukcevic's staff. Ljajic confirmed that
he does not intend to step down at the moment since Vukcevic
has withdrawn his own resignation. He told poloffs in past
weeks, though, that both he and Vukcevic intend to resign at
the end of the year if there is not visible progress on the
hunt for Mladic.
POLT