GREECE WELCOMES KARADZIC ARREST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001053

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TAGS: PREL PGOV BK SR GR
SUBJECT: GREECE WELCOMES KARADZIC ARREST

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) GOG officials, including FM Bakoyannis, and the
main opposition party have welcomed Serbia's arrest of former
Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and have emphasized that
this action further opens Serbia's path to Europe. The only
discordant note was sounded by Greece's Communist Party,
which criticized the arrest and called instead for the arrest
of the NATO SYG and Allied political leaders. Although media
commentary covers a wide gamut of reactions, the arrest has,
surprisingly, led some to question the nature and level of
Greek support for Serb authorities during the break-up of
Yugoslavia. End Summary.

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GOG Welcomes Karadzic Arrest
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2. (U) GOG officials have welcomed the Karadzic arrest,
highlighting that it further opens up Serbia's European
perspective. Shortly after the arrest became public, FM
Bakoyannis told reporters that it shows "Serbia is steadily
closing the chapter of the problematic past and entering,
with a new momentum, on its European course . . . " which
Greece supports "with all its strength." In a later
statement posted on the MFA website, Bakoyannis said Serbia
is "freed from the burdens of a past that has been condemned
outright," and can now look "with optimism upon the future
and its European perspective, of which Greece will continue
to be a firm and ardent supporter."


3. (U) Meanwhile, Deputy FM Valinakis, attending the EU
General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC),
issued a statement that the arrest "vindicates a firm
European policy," and "is tangible proof" of Serbia's
"intentions regarding full cooperation with ICTY." Valinakis
also reiterated Greece's "ardent support" of Serbia's EU
perspective, highlighting Greece's desire to see the Serbian
Stability and Association Agreement (SAA) ratified by
parliaments ASAP and for the EU Interim Agreement to be
"implemented directly."

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The Main Opposition Also Cheers
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4. (U) A spokesman for Greece's main opposition PASOK party
also termed the arrest an "important step in Serbia's course
towards the European Union." The PASOK spokesman also
emphasized that PASOK President and Socialist International
President George Papandreou "contributed to the formation of
this new government of Serbia and for this country to turn a
page."

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Greek Communist Party Discordant Note
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5. (U) The Greek Communist Party (KKE),one of the few
parties in the world maintaining a Stalinist orientation,
sounded a discordant note, terming the arrest a sign that
Serbia has "given in" to U.S. and EU pressure. The KKE
statement termed the Hague Tribunal "illegal and
disreputable," as it is the same court that "is responsible
for the incarceration and death" of Milosevic "for daring to
resist NATO's war against his country." The KKE also called
for the arrests of the NATO Secretary General and Allied
political leaders for their "mass crimes against the peoples
of Yugoslavia, for the succession of Kosovo, and the flare-up
of nationalism and threats to peace that we endure in the
region today."

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Comment - A Look At Greece's Posture?
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6. (SBU) Informed commentary in Greece, not surprisingly,
coversa wide gamut, from praise of the arrest and wha it
means for Serbia's future; to discussion of the prospects for
"justice" with concomitant expressions of concern with the
absence of U.S., Chinese, and Russian participation in the
ICC; to suggestions that not only Karadzic, but U.S. and
European officials may also be guilty of war crimes during
the period in question and that this particular justice is
"selective." A few commentators have also stated that the

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arrest and the upcoming trial offer an important opportunity
for Greece to reevaluate its posture vis-a-vis Serbia during
the wars that broke-up of Yugoslavia, suggesting that the
close relations Milosevic, Karadzic and other Serb officials
had with Greek officials and the support they received from
elements of Greek society should be subject to a critical
review. Viewed positively, this last point is a refreshing
departure from the norm -- in which a myth of "orthodox
solidarity" tends to result in little critical
self-examination of Greece's posture during this period.
From a more cynical perspective, some have hinted that this
focus -- which would include review of Greek/Serb relations
during the era of former PM Mitsotakis -- could be directed
at his daughter, current Foreign Minister Bakoyannis. End
Comment.
SPECKHARD