Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09PODGORICA73
2009-03-26 18:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Podgorica
Cable title:
MONTENEGRO MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATO INTERVENTION
how-toVZCZCXRO1124 PP RUEHPOD DE RUEHPOD #0073/01 0851838 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 261838Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1226 INFO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0517 RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY 0131 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0144 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 0192 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 0232 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0109 RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 1314
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000073
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATO INTERVENTION
RELATIVELY QUIETLY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000073
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATO INTERVENTION
RELATIVELY QUIETLY
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The 10th anniversary of the beginning of
NATO's air campaign against the former Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia was marked in Montenegro on March 24 by a handful of
political parties and NGOs, to some extent as part of the
parliamentary election campaign. The campaign is a sore subject
particularly with Montenegrins who identify themselves as Serbs.
The commemorations this year were, however, relatively
restrained and did not involve large numbers of people. END
SUMMARY.
Anniversary As Campaign Fodder
--------------
2. (U) As in every year since 2000, on March 24, some
Montenegrins marked the anniversary of the beginning of the NATO
intervention against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with
public events and statements. This year's date had potentially
more significance, as it is the 10th anniversary of the start of
the air campaign, and as it occurred on the eve of Montenegro's
March 29 parliamentary elections.
3. (U) Not surprisingly, the event was raised at least one
political rally. At a campaign stop in the northern
municipality of Pljevlja, Andrija Mandic, leader of the New
Serbian Democracy (NOVA) party decried the "unjustified"
intervention, while hinting darkly that "traitors" had
precipitated the events of 1999 just as they had caused the
legendary Serb defeat in Kosovo at the hands of the Turks in
1389. Mandic also said that Serbs in Montenegro would never
renounce Serbia or recognize the "false" state of Kosovo. At
the same rally, NOVA deputy leader Goran Danilovic criticized PM
Milo Djukanovic (who was also PM at the time of bombing) for
allegedly being hostile to Serbs, remarking that in 1999,
Djukanovic "flew on the wings of the NATO jet planes."
Serb Organizations Mark Event
--------------
4. (U) Several Serb NGOs also arranged their own commemorations
on March 24. Gojko Raicevic, Secretary General of the Serb
National Council, and Slavisa Guberinic and Budimir Dubak of the
Peoples' Party visited Murino, a village near Andrijevica (in
northern Montenegro) where a NATO air strike killed six
civilians in April 1999. The three leaders laid a wreath at a
monument dedicated to the victims and stopped in at an art
exhibit devoted to the air strikes.
5. (U) In the coastal municipality of Herceg Novi, which has a
large Serbian population, representatives of the Serb National
Council also organized a concert to commemorate the event.
Priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church held a memorial service
at a local church. (Note: The press did not report how many
people attended each event.)
6. (U) In Bar, Milenko Jovanovic, the President of the Serbs
Displaced from Kosovo NGO, spoke at gathering (at City Hall) to
commemorate the intervention, which he described as a "misdeed
of the new world order, personified by a highly organized and
devastating military power based on a powerful system of media
lies and propaganda." In addition, Jovanovic was reported to
have said that he was convinced that, "~the start of the
aggression against Yugoslavia was at the same time the beginning
of an end of the darkest empire that the world has ever seen."
(Note: As was the case in Herceg Novi, the press did not report
on attendance.)
7. (U) Finally, representatives of the "Association of
Participants of Wars During the 1990s," together with the
PODGORICA 00000073 002 OF 002
families of the Yugoslav Army (JA) solders killed during the air
strikes, laid wreaths at various locations in Podgorica, Niksic,
Mojkovac, Berane, and Andrijevica. The same organization also
laid flowers at a memorial plaque in Danilovgrad in memory of a
Yugoslav Army soldier in Belgrade who was the first person
killed by the air strikes. The Association issued a press
release stating that "the beginning of aggression on FR
Yugoslavia was the beginning of the massive crime," and that the
" horrible crime and the shameful conduct of the then
Montenegrin dignitaries thrilled by the NATO bombardment for
political reasons will never be forgotten."
Comment
--------------
8. (SBU) Although this was the 10th anniversary of the
commencement of the NATO air campaign, and this anniversary
occurred just five days before a parliamentary election,
reactions in Montenegro were restrained and all gatherings were
small-scale and peaceful (while the press did not report on
numbers in attendance, we assume this was because gatherings
were not sizeable). While it is far too early to say that time
has healed the wounds, we also note that the calm election
campaign was relatively devoid of nationalist rhetoric.
MOORE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MW
SUBJECT: MONTENEGRO MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATO INTERVENTION
RELATIVELY QUIETLY
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The 10th anniversary of the beginning of
NATO's air campaign against the former Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia was marked in Montenegro on March 24 by a handful of
political parties and NGOs, to some extent as part of the
parliamentary election campaign. The campaign is a sore subject
particularly with Montenegrins who identify themselves as Serbs.
The commemorations this year were, however, relatively
restrained and did not involve large numbers of people. END
SUMMARY.
Anniversary As Campaign Fodder
--------------
2. (U) As in every year since 2000, on March 24, some
Montenegrins marked the anniversary of the beginning of the NATO
intervention against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with
public events and statements. This year's date had potentially
more significance, as it is the 10th anniversary of the start of
the air campaign, and as it occurred on the eve of Montenegro's
March 29 parliamentary elections.
3. (U) Not surprisingly, the event was raised at least one
political rally. At a campaign stop in the northern
municipality of Pljevlja, Andrija Mandic, leader of the New
Serbian Democracy (NOVA) party decried the "unjustified"
intervention, while hinting darkly that "traitors" had
precipitated the events of 1999 just as they had caused the
legendary Serb defeat in Kosovo at the hands of the Turks in
1389. Mandic also said that Serbs in Montenegro would never
renounce Serbia or recognize the "false" state of Kosovo. At
the same rally, NOVA deputy leader Goran Danilovic criticized PM
Milo Djukanovic (who was also PM at the time of bombing) for
allegedly being hostile to Serbs, remarking that in 1999,
Djukanovic "flew on the wings of the NATO jet planes."
Serb Organizations Mark Event
--------------
4. (U) Several Serb NGOs also arranged their own commemorations
on March 24. Gojko Raicevic, Secretary General of the Serb
National Council, and Slavisa Guberinic and Budimir Dubak of the
Peoples' Party visited Murino, a village near Andrijevica (in
northern Montenegro) where a NATO air strike killed six
civilians in April 1999. The three leaders laid a wreath at a
monument dedicated to the victims and stopped in at an art
exhibit devoted to the air strikes.
5. (U) In the coastal municipality of Herceg Novi, which has a
large Serbian population, representatives of the Serb National
Council also organized a concert to commemorate the event.
Priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church held a memorial service
at a local church. (Note: The press did not report how many
people attended each event.)
6. (U) In Bar, Milenko Jovanovic, the President of the Serbs
Displaced from Kosovo NGO, spoke at gathering (at City Hall) to
commemorate the intervention, which he described as a "misdeed
of the new world order, personified by a highly organized and
devastating military power based on a powerful system of media
lies and propaganda." In addition, Jovanovic was reported to
have said that he was convinced that, "~the start of the
aggression against Yugoslavia was at the same time the beginning
of an end of the darkest empire that the world has ever seen."
(Note: As was the case in Herceg Novi, the press did not report
on attendance.)
7. (U) Finally, representatives of the "Association of
Participants of Wars During the 1990s," together with the
PODGORICA 00000073 002 OF 002
families of the Yugoslav Army (JA) solders killed during the air
strikes, laid wreaths at various locations in Podgorica, Niksic,
Mojkovac, Berane, and Andrijevica. The same organization also
laid flowers at a memorial plaque in Danilovgrad in memory of a
Yugoslav Army soldier in Belgrade who was the first person
killed by the air strikes. The Association issued a press
release stating that "the beginning of aggression on FR
Yugoslavia was the beginning of the massive crime," and that the
" horrible crime and the shameful conduct of the then
Montenegrin dignitaries thrilled by the NATO bombardment for
political reasons will never be forgotten."
Comment
--------------
8. (SBU) Although this was the 10th anniversary of the
commencement of the NATO air campaign, and this anniversary
occurred just five days before a parliamentary election,
reactions in Montenegro were restrained and all gatherings were
small-scale and peaceful (while the press did not report on
numbers in attendance, we assume this was because gatherings
were not sizeable). While it is far too early to say that time
has healed the wounds, we also note that the calm election
campaign was relatively devoid of nationalist rhetoric.
MOORE