BOSNIA - SILAJDZIC USES STATEHOOD COMMEMORATION TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 002516

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR (DICARLO),EUR/SCE (HOH, SILBERSTEIN, FOOKS,
STINCHCOMB)
NSC FOR BRAUN
DEFENSE FOR FATA, BEIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - SILAJDZIC USES STATEHOOD COMMEMORATION TO
ATTACK SERBIA, INTERNATIONAL "APPEASEMENT"


Classified By: Ambassador Charles English for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Presidency's commemoration of Bosnia's
Statehood Day November 20, which marks the 64th anniversary
of the declaration of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina by
the Anti-Fascist Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ZAVNOBiH)
during World War II, took a particularly political and
strident tone this year in the midst of the ongoing political
crisis. As has been the practice in previous years
celebrations, Bosnian-Serb member of the Tri-Presidency
Nebojsa Radmanovic did not co-host the event with his Bosniak
and Croat colleagues, and Bosnian-Serb officials did not
attend. Bosniak member of the Tri-Presidency Haris Silajdzic
delivered a vitriolic speech attacking Serbia, the Republika
Srpska and international community "appeasement," which
several of the guests we spoke with found inappropriate for
the occasion. In his own remarks, Croat member of the
Tri-Presidency Zeljko Komsic noted the absence of the
Bosnian-Serb leadership, linking the World War II struggle
against fascism the contemporary nationalism in today's
Bosnia. Republika Srpska officials and Bosnian Serb
political leaders celebrate Dayton today, November 21, in
Banja Luka with the opening of a new RS government building.
END SUMMARY

BOSNIAN-SERBS MISS STATEHOOD DAY
--------------


2. (SBU) Presidents Komsic and Silajdzic hosted an official
commemoration of Bosnia's Statehood Day on November 20. The
event marked the declaration of the state of Bosnia and
Herzegovina by ZAVNOBiH during World War II and was attended
by most Bosniak and some Bosnian Croat leaders at the state
and Federation level, High Representative Miroslav Lajcak,
the Ambassador, and senior members of the diplomatic
community. President Radmanovic did not co-host the event.
No Bosnian-Serb officials from either the state or Republika
Srpska (RS) government attended the commemoration event.
(Note. This is consistant with Bosnian Serb practice in
previous years' celebrations. End Note.) Bosnian-Serbs mark
November 21, the anniversary of the Dayton Accords, as the
official establishment of the Bosnian State. Bosnian Serb
and RS leaders will do so by opening the new RS government
building in Banja Luka.

SILAJDZIC CLAIMS "APPEASEMENT"
--------------


3. (C) Silajdzic opened the ceremony with a lengthy and
strident speech recounting the 1992-1995 war, which he said
had been initiated by the "fascism and extreme nationalism"
of "Milosevic's Serbia... and the self-proclaimed Republika
Srpska," adding that the war "ended with the most gruesome
crime of all -- the crime of genocide." Silajdzic said that
the current political crisis was an attempt to advance
Milosevic's agenda, and he accused Belgrade of playing a
substantial role in creating the current tensions. Silajdzic
also took aim at the international community, particularly
the European Union, which he attacked for initialing a
Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia.

Silajdzic attacked the EU for ignoring its own SAA
conditionally, noting that Serbia had not turned ICTY
indictees Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic over to The
Hague. Silajdzic stressed that Serbia's failure to do so
also violated the remedies prescribed by the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) in its February 2007 ruling that
Serbia had failed to fulfill its responsibilities under the
Genocide Convention. Silajdzic said "such a strategy,
however, does not promise results, as history has
demonstrated that appeasement of nationalist forces in Serbia
in one field has never occasioned a positive resolution of
another matter." Many of the guests at the reception
following the ceremony told us that they found Silajdzic's
speech inappropriate and unnecessarily provocative.

KOMSIC: MUST FIGHT FASCIST IDEOLOGY
--------------


4. (C) President Komsic delivered remarks after President
Silajdzic. (Note: Under normal protocol rules, Komsic, as
Presidency Chairman, speaks before the other two Presidents

at formal events. Komsic told us during the reception that
due to the content of Silajdzic's speech, he elected to speak
second in order end the ceremony on a less confrontational
note. End Note.) Without directly naming the Bosnian Serbs,
Komsic challenged those who did not attend the commemoration
and did not hold Statehood Day "sacrosanct." Komsic drew
parallels between the efforts of ZAVNOBiH to fight the
fascist occupation and create a multi-ethnic state and the
current tensions in Bosnia, implying that today's opponents
of a united, multiethnic Bosnia were themselves fascists.
Komsic called on all citizens to remember the ZAVNOBiH
principles and the need to create a "modern democratic
state." Komsic accused "political interest groups... (of)
protecting their material economic interest" and of "causing
fear with ordinary people." After the ceremony, Komsic
expanded on these themes of his address, telling us privately
that Silajdzic and RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik were
jointly working to paralyze Bosnia and to create an
environment that advanced their personal financial interests.

COMMENT: ANOTHER SIGN OF WHERE WE ARE
--------------


5. (C) Silajdzic's rhetoric echoed his most strident
statements over the last year and effectively urged Bosniaks
to continue the politics of grievance rather than
reconciliation. He said nothing that would help create a
more positive political atmosphere in Bosnia. Even Komsic,
whose agenda is closer to ours and who prefers consensus
based reform process, was unable to articulate a clear way
forward. He, too, devoted the bulk of his address to the
past, though he studiously avoided Silajdzic's
grievance-laden approach to the day.
ENGLISH