BOSNIA - DELPONTE GIVES RS MINISTER CADJO 30 DAYS

S E C R E T SARAJEVO 003187

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR S/WCI AND EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2016
TAGS: ICTY KAWC PHUM PINR BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - DELPONTE GIVES RS MINISTER CADJO 30 DAYS
TO DELIVER ZUPLJANAN TO THE HAGUE


Classified By: Ambassador Douglas McElhaney. Reason 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (S) SUMMARY: The HighRep on December 15 told the
Ambassador that ICTY Chief Prosecutor had delivered an
ultimatum to RS Minister of Interior Cadjo demanding action
within 30 days against ICTY indictee Stojan Zupljanan. The
HighRep indicated that he would be prepared to use his Bonn
Powers to remove Cadjo, if DelPonte substantiates her claim
that Cadjo is shielding Zupljanan, a claim OHR staff thinks
is more credible than DelPonte's past claims about RS
cooperation on war crimes. The HighRep plans to consult with
the Quint before taking any action, and asked that the U.S.
share any information it might have on Zupljanan. DelPonte's
deadline to Cadjo falls in early January. END SUMMARY


2. (S) In separate meetings on December 14 and 15, senior OHR
staff and the High Representative confirmed that ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Carla DelPonte had called on Republika Srpska (RS)
Minister of Interior Stanislav Cadjo to "produce results" on
indicted war criminal Stojan Zupljanan within four weeks.
According to OHR, DelPonte delivered the warning on December
6, and she also told Cadjo she would report back to
Schwarz-Schilling, implying that lack of progress could
result in Cadjo's removal by the HighRep. (Note:
Schwarz-Schilling had told PDAS DiCarlo on the margins of the
December PIC that DelPonte planned to deliver this ultimatum
to Cadjo on Zupljanan. End Note.)


3. (S) Our sources indicate that Cadjo responded to DelPonte
by pointing to the RS MUP's recently drafted action plan for
dealing with ICTY fugitives and their support networks as
evidence of his commitment to arresting Zupljanan. He
reportedly blamed the lack of progress on the technical
limitations of the RS MUP's counter intelligence
capabilities, personnel shortages, and the State Border
Service's (SBS) failure to adequately police BiH's borders
with Serbia and Montenegro. According to OHR, DelPonte
rejected these explanations and warned Cadjo that the RS MUP
needed to be much more proactive with regard to its
cooperation with The Hague.


4. (S) After DelPonte briefed the HighRep on her meeting with
Cadjo, Schwarz-Schilling called RS Premier Milorad Dodik to
inform him OHR had obtained "some additional information"
about Minister Cadjo that raised questions about his earlier
vetting and approval by OHR for inclusion in Dodik's
government. The HighRep could not be more precise, he told
Dodik, but he promised he or OHR staff would follow up in the
coming weeks, OHR staff told us.


5. (S) The HighRep told the Ambassador he was prepared to use
his Bonn Powers to remove Cadjo provided DelPonte could
substantiate her claims that Cadjo was protecting Zupljanan
and/or demonstrate Cadjo was obstructing the Zupljanan
investigation. The HighRep also told the Ambassador that he
had talked to the UK and German ambassadors as well as the
EUFOR and NATO commanders about DelPonte's ultimatum to
Cadjo. He had asked each of them to share any information
they had about possible Cadjo-Zupljanan links.
Schwarz-Schilling also asked the Ambassador that the U.S. do
the same.


6. (S) COMMENT: Schwarz-Schilling is notoriously reluctant to
use his Bonn Powers, but has said repeatedly that he would do
so on ICTY-related issues. His staff believe DelPonte's case
against Cadjo on Zupljanan is more credible than her claims
several weeks ago that Karadzic is in Bosnia, but stress the
HighRep will want a "solid legal basis" before acting. The
HighRep promised to consult with the Quint before all this
comes to a head, which should be sometime in early January.

MCELHANEY