KOSOVO: UNMIK BELIEVES UK HOLDS INFORMATION TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRISTINA 000637

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE, AND EUR/SSA, NSC FOR BRAUN,
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: UNMIK BELIEVES UK HOLDS INFORMATION TO
BRING BUS BOMBING CASE TO TRIAL


Classified By: COM Tina Kaidanow for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) Summary: The UN in Kosovo believes that the
British SIS has in its possession of 700-page report with
information that could lead to the conviction of four
suspects in the murder of Serb civilians in 2001. UNMIK,s
Department of Justice has asked the UK Office to make the
report available, subject to any necessary redaction for
protection of sources and methods. UK Chief of Mission Blunt
says that his government has searched for it, but only found
a shorter document that has already been shared. End summary.


2. (C/NF) A/SRSG Schook chaired a meeting on July 28 with UK
Chief of Mission David Blunt, AmCit International Prosecutor
Thomas Hickman, and UNMIK Department of Justice Director
AmCit Al Moskowitz and Annuziata Ciaravolo. DPO also
attended. UNMIK is developing cases against suspects in the
February 2001 bombing of a bus carrying Serb civilians, which
left 11 dead and 40 wounded.


3. (C/NF) Hickman made the following points:

-- The UK has possession of a 700-page report on the incident
prepared by UK KFOR personnel and including SIS
representatives;

-- Information in the report could lead to the conviction of
at least four of the suspects in the attack, one of whom
escaped from US military custody and was re-arrested by
Albanian police;

-- The commander of UK KFOR at the time allowed three judges
and one defense attorney to examine the report, but not to
make copies or take notes;

-- The report contains anonymous sources, which meet UNMIK,s
evidentiary standard as long as they are not the sole basis
for subsequent convictions;

-- The report also contains forensic evidence, including a
DNA sample from a cigarette butt found near the spot where
the explosives were triggered;

-- Swedish KFOR personnel had a camera trained on the bus
just as the explosive device went off. The SIS took the film
and returned it with one minute deleted from the tape.

-- If the report contains the names of witnesses, UNMIK
asserts it now has the capacity to protect them, something
that was lacking at the time of the investigation.


4. (C/NF) Blunt said that he had been informed by London
that the UK had no such report in its possession. A search
of SIS files revealed a 30-page report presented to the
Detention Review Commission. Blunt said that the UK KFOR
would not have kept forensic evidence, and he had no
information about the alleged Swedish video tape of the
incident.


5. (C/NF) Blunt said that he would take the additional
information and relay it back to London to see if any new
data might be forthcoming. He stressed that his government
was eager to assist the prosecution and ) subject to
protection of sources and methods, as well as witness safety
) would share all information with the UN.


6. (C/NF) Comment: We do not know what ) if any )
information was developed and retained in this case. It is
in our interests that suspects are prosecuted and we will
continue to follow this matter.


7. (U) U.S. Office Pristina does not/not this cable for
release to U.N. Special Envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari.
KAIDANOW