KOSOVO: NORTH MITROVICA KPS CHIEF EVINCES GUARDED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000577 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR, EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND S/WCI, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR ACKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2017 TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO: NORTH MITROVICA KPS CHIEF EVINCES GUARDED OPTIMISM ON SERB POLICE PERFORMANCE POST-STATUS, BUT ACKNOWLEDGES UNCERTAINTIES Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: North Mitrovica Kosovo Police Service (KPS) Commander Milija Milosevic, speaking for the first time directly with USOP on July 18, maintained that his officers would continue to do their job regardless of the outcome of Kosovo status. Eager to show goodwill, he asserted that, at least "for now," there is good communication and cooperation among security actors in northern Mitrovica, including KFOR, UNMIK Police, KPS Mitrovica Regional Headquarters colleagues, and KPS crowd and riot control (CRC) units. He noted with some pride that he has participated in successful status-related tabletop exercises with KFOR, UNMIK Police and his KPS colleagues, and claimed he has contingency plans in place for a variety of possible status day and post-status scenarios. Further, he reported that he and UNMIK Police Mitrovica Regional Commander Giulio Turessi recently initiated a task force to carry out sensitive crime investigations in the north that Kosovo Albanian Mitrovica Regional Headquarters investigators in the south have been unable to conduct. However, Milosevic was clear that political developments in the event of an independence outcome, which he privately admitted was likely, could overtake his ability to maintain order and discipline among Serb police. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Poloff met July 18 with Kosovo Police Service (KPS) Captain Milija Milosevic (protect),the ethnic Serb station commander in northern Mitrovica, to begin a dialogue on security issues. Bosniak KPS Border Police Colonel Ergin Medic, who lives in northern Mitrovica and has close ties with KPS officers there, and Greek UNMIK International Police Officer (IPO) Spiros Varsamas, Milosevic's mentor and advisor, were also present. Medic, who introduced poloff to Milosevic at our July 4 reception and helped arrange this meeting, asserted privately that Milosevic is also a member of the Serbian Ministry of Interior Police (MUP). Milosevic: KPS North Mitro will do its job ¶3. (C) Milosevic began the meeting by indicating that he was happy to participate in a direct dialogue with the U.S. Office. He warned that, while north Mitrovica is relatively calm now, the situation could deteriorate quickly, as it did in March 2004. He noted that the multi-ethnic neighborhoods of Bosniak Mahala, Three Towers, Suvi Do, and Coca Cola Hill are potential flashpoints that he monitors closely. Milosevic said he meets on a periodic basis with community leaders from these enclaves, and his community police officers regularly visit the neighborhoods to reassure residents. He stressed repeatedly that KPS in northern Mitrovica "are policemen, not politicians," and asserted they would "do their job" in protecting all residents of north Mitrovica regardless of the status outcome. Communication and Cooperation in North Mitrovica are "good, for now" ¶4. (C) That said, Milosevic acknowledged from the start that the political environment remains fluid and "unpredictable." Thus far, he maintained, communications and cooperation among KPS and other northern Mitrovica actors, including local politicians, KFOR, UNMIK Police, and the KPS Regional Operational Support (ROSU) and Formed Police Units (FPU),are good. Asked specifically about cooperation with KPS counterparts on the south side of the Ibar River, his reply was the same. Milosevic went on to report he is making an effort to reach out more to the Mitrovica Regional Headquarters and that he and UNMIK Mitrovica Regional Headquarters Commander and international police officer (IPO) Giulio Turessi had formed a special task force to investigate crimes in the north, where it is impossible for Kosovo Albanian KPS investigators to work. The task force, which has been in place for a little over a month, is under Milosevic's command and will focus on narcotics, smuggling, PRISTINA 00000577 002 OF 002 explosives and other sensitive crimes. In its initial phase, the task force consists of three Kosovo Serb officers and one IPO, with authority to investigate from north Mitrovica up to Gates 1 and 31 along the administrative boundary line (ABL) with Serbia. Milosevic said both he and Turessi are pleased with the task force's results and will regularly review its achievements with an eye to expanding its size in future. ¶5. (C) Milosevic was reluctant to engage in overtly political discussion, echoing the same "good for now" message and avoiding further elaboration. Pressed on whether he had robust enough communication with local political leaders to anticipate possible rallies or demonstrations, he spoke solely about the legal requirement for parties to inform the police of such activities in advance. On the basis of that requirement, he claimed, police have been able to develop good operational planning for most contingencies. Nevertheless, he cautioned, the question remains whether "radical parties" will respect this law in the future and inform police of their intentions. "Contingency Plans in Place" for Status and Beyond ¶6. (C) Interestingly, when queried on what he thought would happen on status day and thereafter, Milosevic declined to speculate, but noted with dark humor that "we all know what the status decision will be." He reiterated that the situation is "unpredictable," but pointed out that he had participated in status-specific tabletop exercises with KFOR, UNMIK Police and KPS colleagues, and said there were contingency plans in place for a variety of possible scenarios. He also noted that his station had received good marks for its performance on a north Mitrovica-specific exercise involving a crowd trying to cross the main bridge from the south into the north. Milosevic closed by reiterating his desire to keep open contacts with the U.S. and international community. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: With the delay in status determination, concerns about the reaction of Serb communities and specifically the Serb police have receded for the time being -- but they will reemerge sharply when we approach the eventual end of this new phase of negotiations and a status decision becomes imminent. UNMIK has already considered the possibility that, in the event of an independence outcome, Serb police may walk off the job in some numbers -- perhaps as a result of direct orders from Belgrade or the northern Kosovo Serb leadership rather than personal or professional conviction, as Milosevic maintains -- but walk off nonetheless. UNMIK has contingency plans that would place international police officers in key police stations in all three northern municipalities and north Mitrovica (currently, international police operate only in north Mitro),but these plans need to be evaluated on an ongoing basis in light of political developments. We will continue our dialogue with Serb KPS, as well as UNMIK and the ESDP planning team, to ensure there is full coordination and advance planning for a range of eventualities. End comment. KAIDANOW