Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ZAGREB758
2008-10-31 13:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - OCTOBER 30, 2008

Tags:  PREL PGOV HR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHVB #0758/01 3051302
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 311302Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8735
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000758 

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR POPOVICH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - OCTOBER 30, 2008

Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 (B/D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000758

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR POPOVICH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - OCTOBER 30, 2008

Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, POL/ECON, Reasons 1.4 (B/D)


1. (U) AMCIT VRLJANOVIC ACQUITTED OF WAR CRIMES, CODEFENDANT
RECEIVES 20 YEAR SENTENCE:
Zeljko Vrljanovic, a Serbian-American on trial in Croatia for
war crimes, was acquitted on all charges on October 24 and
has returned to the United States after nearly 15 months in
detention. Embassy officers were present in the court room
throughout the trial. The judge ruled that there was no
evidence placing Vrljanovic at the scene of the murders of a
Croatian family near the town of Novska in March 1993. This
is the first case in which this judge acquitted a Serb
charged with war crimes. The co-defendant, an ethnic Serb,
received a 20-year sentence, although no physical evidence
linked him to the crime. Three other members of the unit
named in the indictment are still in Serbia and have yet to
be tried for this crime. Prosecutors are likely to appeal
the acquittal once the formal written verdict is released.
(CZimmer)


2. (U) NEW MINISTERS OF JUSTICE AND INTERIOR OUTLINE MEASURES
TO FIGHT ORGANIZED CRIME:
Croatia's new Ministers of Justice and Interior, Ivan
Simonovic and Tomislav Karamarko, appeared before the
Croatian Sabor on October 29 to describe to legislators the
steps they have already taken since their appointment on
October 10 to try and crack down on organized crime after two
high-profile murders in dowtown Zagreb during October.
Details of the measures outlined will be reported septel, but
include several actions that have been advocated by
USG-funded assistance programs over the past few years,
including reforms of investigative procedures and a more
aggressive approach to asset seizures.


3. (U) SLOVAK PRESIDENT VISITS CROATIA, DEFENDS DECISION NOT
TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO:
Ivan Gasparovic, President of Slovakia, addressed the Sabor
on October 30 during his state visit to Croatia. As
expected, Gasparovic voiced Slovakia's firm support for
Croatia's accession to the EU, even in the absence of a new
Lisbon Treaty. More notably, Gasparovic strongly defended
Slovakia's decision not to recognize Kosovo, saying
"unilaterally imposed changes of borders have no support in

international law and cannot be a stabilizing factor." He
went on to argue that events in Georgia had "show(n) that our
position was justified...It is not possible to invoke
international law in one region of Europe and ignore it in
another European region."
(C) NOTE: Curiously, Prime Minister Sanader, in his meeting
with Richard Holbrooke (see next item),said that his
impression after meeting privately with Gasparovic was that
Slovakia would eventually recognize Kosovo. END NOTE.


4. (SBU) FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD
HOLBROOKE VISITS CROATIA:
Former Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs
Richard Holbrooke is visiting Croatia October 29-31 to give a
speech at a private business conference. Ambassador Bradtke
accompanied Holbrooke on Oct. 30 to meetings with President
Mesic and Prime Minister Sanader. In both meetings, the
principle topic of discussion was the situation in Bosnia.
Both Mesic and Sanader said they were very concerned about
developments in B-H, although Mesic was rather more alarmist
about the possible consequences of a crisis there. Details
of Mesic's and Sanader's comments will be reported septel.


5. (U) EMBASSY SPEAKER PROGRAM ENGAGES WIDE RANGE OF
CROATIAN AUDIENCES:
Responding to the broad interest in the U.S. presidential
elections, embassy officers spoke with groups in Zadar,
Rijeka, and Zagreb. Political officer Peter D'Amico spoke
with university students in Zadar, discussing the U.S.
political system, the electoral college and media coverage of
the campaigns. His talk received coverage in the local
media. Economic officer Derek Westfall spoke with university
students at the American Corner in Rijeka, delivering a
presentation on U.S. presidents and fielding questions on
U.S. politics and history. Management Counselor Tom Favret
met with students at an elite Zagreb high school, sharing
perspective on the two-party system, political campaigns and
the electoral college. Speaking about United Nations reform
at the Zagreb Model United Nations simulation, political
officer Dan Meges interacted with university students from
Croatia and other European countries. The lecture builds on
support the Embassy has provided to this Model UN program in
the past. SGT Kaleb Griffel of the Embassy's Marine Security
Guard Detachment spoke to American studies students at a
Zagreb high school about the U.S. Marine Corps, his life in

ZAGREB 00000758 002 OF 002


Croatia, teenagers in the U.S., and the U.S. education
system. (KWetzel)


6. (U) EMBASSY SUPPORTS JAZZ TRIBUTE TO JAZZ LEGEND DIZZY
GILLESPIE:
On October 21, the 91st anniversary of Dizzy Gillespie's
birth, the Big Band of Croatia Radio Television together with
Dizzy's protege on the trumpet, Jon Faddis, showed a packed
house of fans what the music of Dizzy Gillespie should sound
like. Both young and old were present, but among the older
crowd were several who had been present for Dizzy Gillespie's
State Department-sponsored tour to Zagreb in 1956. Faddis
and his quartet were supported in their visit by an Embassy
grant. (KWetzel)


7. (U) SCHOLARSHIP FAIR DRAWS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS:
U.S. Embassy Zagreb participated in the Scholarship Fair 2009
organized by the Education USA partner Institute for the
Development of Education on October 22. Drawing more than
7000 visitors and over 35 presenters, the Scholarship Fair is
the biggest education event in the region. Ambassador Robert

A. Bradtke attended the opening ceremony while the PAS
presented various USG scholarships such as the Fulbright
programs, JFDP scholarship and Ben Franklin Fellowship. The
event attracted wide media coverage and the U.S. Embassy's
participation was covered on all television channels and in
several newspapers. (KWetzel)
Bradtke