Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BELGRADE510
2009-06-12 16:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Belgrade
Cable title:
SERBIAN DAILY PUBLISHES MLADIC DIARY EXCERPTS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBW #0510/01 1631606 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 121606Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1370 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RHEHNS/NSC WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
UNCLAS BELGRADE 000510
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWAC SR
SUBJECT: SERBIAN DAILY PUBLISHES MLADIC DIARY EXCERPTS
Summary
-------
UNCLAS BELGRADE 000510
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWAC SR
SUBJECT: SERBIAN DAILY PUBLISHES MLADIC DIARY EXCERPTS
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) A local daily newspaper published on June 5 and 6 excerpts
of International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
indictee Ratko Mladic's diary, containing notes on meetings and
plans to bribe U.S. officials. Officials from the Serbian
government and the ICTY confirm that the excerpts are part of
diaries obtained in a Serbian government raid and handed over to the
ICTY to prosecute other defendants. Serbian officials do not seem
concerned by the story, and it does not seem to have aroused much
interest in the public. End Summary.
Mladic Says He Can Buy U.S. Officials
--------------
2. (U) Blic daily published on June 5 the first of what it described
as a series of excerpts from ICTY indictee Ratko Mladic's diary from
1995. The excerpts consist of three pages of handwritten notes on
meetings with Serbian officials, as well as meetings he had planned
to have with such "influential" Americans as Illinois Senator Paul
Simon, Kyle Vandenen, and someone named Bill whose last name begins
with "s" but was illegible. Mladic also wrote that he was close to
Congressman Lee Hamilton and had photos with him; he described
Hamilton as "the key person for the purchase of arms and military
equipment." Mladic discussed apparent plans to attempt to bribe
U.S. officials, because "politics is business." (The notes do not
indicate if the meetings ever took place.)
3. (U) Mladic also quotes a Tab or Gab Lajos, described as the
president of the Democratic Party in Chicago, as saying that he
would bring a group of Senators to Belgrade so that Mladic could
give them money. He also noted that "Chicago Democrats always pick
the U.S. president." Mladic wrote that on the eve of the Dayton
Accords he had suggested defining new borders and relocation of
people, at a cost of $8 billion to be split between the U.S. and the
EU, and that President Clinton had accepted the idea. Mladic wrote
that Clinton had also agreed to lift sanctions on Serbia and
Montenegro in exchange for $50 million, from the $200 million frozen
in the U.S. under sanctions.
Serbian Government Confirms Authenticity
--------------
4. (SBU) Officials have confirmed the authenticity of the excerpts.
President of the National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY
Rasim Ljajic told the press that he believed the excerpts were part
of Mladic's diary seized by the government, but said that his office
did not know how they had become public. National Council for
Cooperation with the ICTY Deputy Director Zorana Dimitrijevic
confirmed to us that the diaries appeared to be those that the
National Council had turned over to the ICTY Office of the
Prosecutor. ICTY Belgrade Office Head Deyan Mihov told us the
government had obtained the diaries in a raid in December 2008 and
had turned them over in March 2009 at the request of Chief
Prosecutor Brammertz for use in ongoing cases. (According to media
reports, quotes from the diaries were used in the trial of Serbia's
State Security Service Jovica Stanisic and his deputy Franko
Simatovic on June 10.) Mihov said the diaries were provided to
defense attorneys in those trials, "so you can guess how they
leaked." Mihov said neither the ICTY nor Ljajic was worried about
the appearance in the press of the excerpts.
Short-Lived Media Coverage
--------------
5. (U) Although Blic had announced a series of excerpts, it
published only two additional pages on June 6 with notes from other
meetings with Serbs on military and everyday issues. The notes
contained a reference to a Mike Pavlovic who had contributed
$200,000 for a bridge. A commentary in weekly Vreme on June 10
stated the excerpts showed Mladic was living in a fantasy world,
unable to understand political reality as Milosevic was negotiating
the Dayton Accords. Tabloid weekly Nedeljni Telegraf on June 10
published an interview with an unnamed Western diplomat, who claimed
that the release of the diaries was proof that the government of
Serbia was still negotiating with Mladic. Dimitrijevic told us this
story was ridiculous.
Comment
--------------
6. (SBU) While the diary excerpts appear to be authentic, at this
point their impact on public opinion in Serbia has been minimal.
Most Serbs would not recognize the names of most of the Americans
mentioned. Government officials are curious as to how they leaked
but are not otherwise concerned. End Comment.
BRUSH
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWAC SR
SUBJECT: SERBIAN DAILY PUBLISHES MLADIC DIARY EXCERPTS
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) A local daily newspaper published on June 5 and 6 excerpts
of International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
indictee Ratko Mladic's diary, containing notes on meetings and
plans to bribe U.S. officials. Officials from the Serbian
government and the ICTY confirm that the excerpts are part of
diaries obtained in a Serbian government raid and handed over to the
ICTY to prosecute other defendants. Serbian officials do not seem
concerned by the story, and it does not seem to have aroused much
interest in the public. End Summary.
Mladic Says He Can Buy U.S. Officials
--------------
2. (U) Blic daily published on June 5 the first of what it described
as a series of excerpts from ICTY indictee Ratko Mladic's diary from
1995. The excerpts consist of three pages of handwritten notes on
meetings with Serbian officials, as well as meetings he had planned
to have with such "influential" Americans as Illinois Senator Paul
Simon, Kyle Vandenen, and someone named Bill whose last name begins
with "s" but was illegible. Mladic also wrote that he was close to
Congressman Lee Hamilton and had photos with him; he described
Hamilton as "the key person for the purchase of arms and military
equipment." Mladic discussed apparent plans to attempt to bribe
U.S. officials, because "politics is business." (The notes do not
indicate if the meetings ever took place.)
3. (U) Mladic also quotes a Tab or Gab Lajos, described as the
president of the Democratic Party in Chicago, as saying that he
would bring a group of Senators to Belgrade so that Mladic could
give them money. He also noted that "Chicago Democrats always pick
the U.S. president." Mladic wrote that on the eve of the Dayton
Accords he had suggested defining new borders and relocation of
people, at a cost of $8 billion to be split between the U.S. and the
EU, and that President Clinton had accepted the idea. Mladic wrote
that Clinton had also agreed to lift sanctions on Serbia and
Montenegro in exchange for $50 million, from the $200 million frozen
in the U.S. under sanctions.
Serbian Government Confirms Authenticity
--------------
4. (SBU) Officials have confirmed the authenticity of the excerpts.
President of the National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY
Rasim Ljajic told the press that he believed the excerpts were part
of Mladic's diary seized by the government, but said that his office
did not know how they had become public. National Council for
Cooperation with the ICTY Deputy Director Zorana Dimitrijevic
confirmed to us that the diaries appeared to be those that the
National Council had turned over to the ICTY Office of the
Prosecutor. ICTY Belgrade Office Head Deyan Mihov told us the
government had obtained the diaries in a raid in December 2008 and
had turned them over in March 2009 at the request of Chief
Prosecutor Brammertz for use in ongoing cases. (According to media
reports, quotes from the diaries were used in the trial of Serbia's
State Security Service Jovica Stanisic and his deputy Franko
Simatovic on June 10.) Mihov said the diaries were provided to
defense attorneys in those trials, "so you can guess how they
leaked." Mihov said neither the ICTY nor Ljajic was worried about
the appearance in the press of the excerpts.
Short-Lived Media Coverage
--------------
5. (U) Although Blic had announced a series of excerpts, it
published only two additional pages on June 6 with notes from other
meetings with Serbs on military and everyday issues. The notes
contained a reference to a Mike Pavlovic who had contributed
$200,000 for a bridge. A commentary in weekly Vreme on June 10
stated the excerpts showed Mladic was living in a fantasy world,
unable to understand political reality as Milosevic was negotiating
the Dayton Accords. Tabloid weekly Nedeljni Telegraf on June 10
published an interview with an unnamed Western diplomat, who claimed
that the release of the diaries was proof that the government of
Serbia was still negotiating with Mladic. Dimitrijevic told us this
story was ridiculous.
Comment
--------------
6. (SBU) While the diary excerpts appear to be authentic, at this
point their impact on public opinion in Serbia has been minimal.
Most Serbs would not recognize the names of most of the Americans
mentioned. Government officials are curious as to how they leaked
but are not otherwise concerned. End Comment.
BRUSH