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