MANPADS DESTRUCTION MOVING FORWARD IN CROATIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000123 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE AND PM/WRA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER MASS MARR PARM HR SUBJECT: MANPADS DESTRUCTION MOVING FORWARD IN CROATIA REF: A. 08 ZAGREB 00334 ¶B. ZAGREB 00078 ¶C. STATE 11218 Classified By: PolOfficer Peter D'Amico, Reasons 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) Summary: During a February 18-20 visit, PM/WRA Senior Advisor Mark Adams met with key officials at the Ministries of Defense (MOD) and Foreign Affairs to discuss the arrangement between the USG and the GoC on the destruction of excess Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) as well as possible future assistance. The Director for Material Resources Department (M3),Darko Polanec, stated the MOD was moving ahead on plans to destroy 929 excess SA-7 Strela missiles in April and May of 2009 as well as following up on recommendations from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to improve site security at facilities where MANPADS are stored. Officials at MOD also expressed interest in possible future cooperation regarding the destruction of MANPADS systems and other excess munitions. Adams also discussed the possibility of the USG holding a regional workshop in Croatia on reducing weapons and munitions stockpiles in May of 2009. End Summary. ¶2. (C) At a meeting on February 19 in the Ministry of Defense, Darko Polanec, Director for Material Resources Department (M3),confirmed to PM/WRA Senior Advisor Mark Adams that the MOD was moving ahead on the MANPADS arrangement signed with the USG (ref A). According to Polanec, the GoC planned to destroy 929 excess SA-7 Strela missiles in April and May of 2009. Polanec stated that the MOD was also planning on following up on the recommendations for site security improvements for facilities where MANPADS are stored from the DTRA team that visited Croatia earlier in February (Ref B). Polanec expressed appreciation for the U.S. help in destroying MANPADS in Croatia and noted that the GoC viewed this program as part of its fight against terrorism. ¶3. (C) Adams thanked the GoC for its efforts on destroying MANPADS and expressed appreciation that the MOD was following up on the recommendations of the DTRA team. Adams noted that the USG could provide technical assistance on the MANPADS destruction, but Polanec said that at the moment the MOD did not require help for the destruction was scheduled to be completed by June 2009. ¶4. (C) Adams inquired about the possibility of destroying more excess Croatian MANPADS and corresponding gripstocks. Brigadier General Milan Knezevic head of the Development, Acquisition and Modernization Service in the M3 said that the MOD was working on a list of excess ammunition to be destroyed that included MANPADS as well as several thousand tons of other types of aging munitions. Adams said that if the GoC decided to accept further U.S. assistance to destroy MANPADS and/or the associated gripstocks there was a possibility that the USG could provide some funding for the destruction of other types of munitions. Adams stressed that to keep the weapons out of the hands of terrorists it would be best to destroy the entire MANPADS system of both the missile and the gripstocks. If the GoC wanted to try and do another deal for FY09 it should try to provide a list of what MANPADS, gripstocks, and other items slated for destruction that it would like to have USG assistance with by May 2009. Polanec replied that he hoped to have the list ready by then and that the GoC might also be interested in seeking more funding for site security upgrades. ¶5. (C) Adams also briefed MFA Director for International Organizations and Security Mario Nobilo on the current cooperation between the GoC and USG on MANPADS destruction as well as possible future cooperation. Nobilo expressed his support for the cooperation between the two countries on this issue. In both the meetings at the MFA and MOD, Adams mentioned the USG would like to hold a two day regional workshop in Croatia in May on reducing weapons and munitions stockpiles that would have approximately 50 participants (ref c). (Note: The MFA in a meeting on February 26 stated that MFA State Secretary Matokovic had approved the proposal.) ¶6. (U) Mark Adams cleared this cable. BRADTKE