Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BELGRADE268
2007-02-27 13:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Belgrade
Cable title:
MORE SERBIAN REACTIONS TO ICJ RULING
how-toVZCZCXRO8931 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHBW #0268/01 0581352 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 271352Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0352 INFO RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3657 RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1304 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000268
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SR YI
SUBJECT: MORE SERBIAN REACTIONS TO ICJ RULING
REF: BELGRADE 260
-------
SUMMARY
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000268
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SR YI
SUBJECT: MORE SERBIAN REACTIONS TO ICJ RULING
REF: BELGRADE 260
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (SBU) Serbia's major parties (DSS, DS, SRS,
SPS) all heralded the findings issued yesterday
by the International Court of Justice as a
generally "not guilty" verdict for Serbia. While
welcoming the exoneration for complicity in
genocide, both President Tadic and PM Kostunica
did acknowledge the ICJ's charge that SCG did not
act to prevent the genocide, and both
acknowledged Serbia's need to meet its ICTY
obligations. END SUMMARY.
--------------
OFFICIAL RESPONSES
--------------
2. (SBU) In his official statement, President
Tadic noted that the ruling was "immensely
important to Serbia and its citizens for proving
that Serbia did not commit genocide in Bosnia?
but that ?the part of the ruling pertaining to
Serbia?s failure to do what was in its power and
prevent the genocide of Bosnian citizens in
Srebrenica is hard on Serbia". He highlighted
the court's demand that the country act on its
ICTY obligations as soon as possible, stating
that failure to do so would most likely result in
"dramatic political and economic consequences".
President Tadic also urged the Serbian parliament
to adopt a declaration unequivocally denouncing
the crimes committed in Srebrenica saying that
"this would pave the way for improving relations
between Serbia and BiH, building new trust among
the peoples of the two countries and improving
political and economic relations".
3. (SBU) PM Kostunica stressed that ?the ICJ
ruling in Bosnia's lawsuit against FRY is
particularly important as it clears Serbia of the
accusation of genocide.? He allowed, however,
that the only way to achieve reconciliation
between the former Yugoslav nations was in the
completion of the war crimes trials and bringing
their perpetrators to justice. He added that
Serbia was ?undertaking and will continue to
undertake? all the necessary measures leading to
the full cooperation with the ICTY.
4. (SBU) The single dissenting political voice
was provided by the center-left LDP coalition.
In their statement, the party and its partners
expressed their disbelief at the verdict, stating
that there is no room for satisfaction,
highlighting the ICJ's finding that genocide was
committed in Srebrenica. "Serbia is guilty of a
failure to prevent it (genocide) and to punish
it. This should be taken very seriously and the
Serbian Assembly should vote in a resolution on
the immediate arrest and extradition of Mladic".
Local human rights organizations also decried the
ruling as too soft on Serbia. Serbia's most
prominent advocate for justice in war crimes
cases, Natasa Kandic, judged that Serbia's
success in concealing critical evidence from the
ICJ resulted in the lighter ruling.
5. (SBU) Belgrade media largely followed the
pattern of yesterday's coverage, with the major
papers carrying headlines such as "Serbia is not
guilty" and "Freed from the accusation of
genocide". Some chose to highlight the fact that
monetary reparations will not be paid to Bosnia,
and many left out the details of the two negative
findings on their front pages. Most papers
carried the disappointed reactions to the news
from Bosnian and Croatian officials.
6. (SBU) Opinion pieces were fairly balanced,
although some authors took a slightly more
cynical view of the verdict as it pertains to how
Serbia is viewed in the world. Pro-government
Politika's Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Smajlovic
writes that although expected, the International
Court of Justice's ruling that Serbia was not
BELGRADE 00000268 002 OF 002
responsible for the genocide in Bosnia was
received with relief by Serbians, but was not
cause for celebration [Note: This despite
reports that the Serbian Embassy in The Hague
held a party to celebrate the verdict on the
evening of February 26. End note.] Smajlovic
believes that by this ruling, Serbia officially
became linked to the genocide, and pointed out
that Serbia's innocence is not complete. She
writes that "one who watches a crime and does not
do anything to prevent it is not a moral person,"
and concludes that the decision would most likely
be used by Bosnians to destroy the legitimacy of
Republika Srpska.
MOORE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SR YI
SUBJECT: MORE SERBIAN REACTIONS TO ICJ RULING
REF: BELGRADE 260
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (SBU) Serbia's major parties (DSS, DS, SRS,
SPS) all heralded the findings issued yesterday
by the International Court of Justice as a
generally "not guilty" verdict for Serbia. While
welcoming the exoneration for complicity in
genocide, both President Tadic and PM Kostunica
did acknowledge the ICJ's charge that SCG did not
act to prevent the genocide, and both
acknowledged Serbia's need to meet its ICTY
obligations. END SUMMARY.
--------------
OFFICIAL RESPONSES
--------------
2. (SBU) In his official statement, President
Tadic noted that the ruling was "immensely
important to Serbia and its citizens for proving
that Serbia did not commit genocide in Bosnia?
but that ?the part of the ruling pertaining to
Serbia?s failure to do what was in its power and
prevent the genocide of Bosnian citizens in
Srebrenica is hard on Serbia". He highlighted
the court's demand that the country act on its
ICTY obligations as soon as possible, stating
that failure to do so would most likely result in
"dramatic political and economic consequences".
President Tadic also urged the Serbian parliament
to adopt a declaration unequivocally denouncing
the crimes committed in Srebrenica saying that
"this would pave the way for improving relations
between Serbia and BiH, building new trust among
the peoples of the two countries and improving
political and economic relations".
3. (SBU) PM Kostunica stressed that ?the ICJ
ruling in Bosnia's lawsuit against FRY is
particularly important as it clears Serbia of the
accusation of genocide.? He allowed, however,
that the only way to achieve reconciliation
between the former Yugoslav nations was in the
completion of the war crimes trials and bringing
their perpetrators to justice. He added that
Serbia was ?undertaking and will continue to
undertake? all the necessary measures leading to
the full cooperation with the ICTY.
4. (SBU) The single dissenting political voice
was provided by the center-left LDP coalition.
In their statement, the party and its partners
expressed their disbelief at the verdict, stating
that there is no room for satisfaction,
highlighting the ICJ's finding that genocide was
committed in Srebrenica. "Serbia is guilty of a
failure to prevent it (genocide) and to punish
it. This should be taken very seriously and the
Serbian Assembly should vote in a resolution on
the immediate arrest and extradition of Mladic".
Local human rights organizations also decried the
ruling as too soft on Serbia. Serbia's most
prominent advocate for justice in war crimes
cases, Natasa Kandic, judged that Serbia's
success in concealing critical evidence from the
ICJ resulted in the lighter ruling.
5. (SBU) Belgrade media largely followed the
pattern of yesterday's coverage, with the major
papers carrying headlines such as "Serbia is not
guilty" and "Freed from the accusation of
genocide". Some chose to highlight the fact that
monetary reparations will not be paid to Bosnia,
and many left out the details of the two negative
findings on their front pages. Most papers
carried the disappointed reactions to the news
from Bosnian and Croatian officials.
6. (SBU) Opinion pieces were fairly balanced,
although some authors took a slightly more
cynical view of the verdict as it pertains to how
Serbia is viewed in the world. Pro-government
Politika's Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Smajlovic
writes that although expected, the International
Court of Justice's ruling that Serbia was not
BELGRADE 00000268 002 OF 002
responsible for the genocide in Bosnia was
received with relief by Serbians, but was not
cause for celebration [Note: This despite
reports that the Serbian Embassy in The Hague
held a party to celebrate the verdict on the
evening of February 26. End note.] Smajlovic
believes that by this ruling, Serbia officially
became linked to the genocide, and pointed out
that Serbia's innocence is not complete. She
writes that "one who watches a crime and does not
do anything to prevent it is not a moral person,"
and concludes that the decision would most likely
be used by Bosnians to destroy the legitimacy of
Republika Srpska.
MOORE