Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ZAGREB136
2009-03-13 10:48:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2009

Tags:  PREL PGOV HR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8606
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVB #0136 0721048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131048Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9071
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000136 

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2009

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000136

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MARCH 12, 2009


1. (U) NEW WEBSITE FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL SITE:
The Jasenovac Memorial Site and Museum has launched a new
website providing information on the WWII era atrocities
committed there as well as a searchable database of the
approximately 75,000 victims identified to date. Jasenovac
was the largest extermination camp in operation under the
fascist Ustasa regime during WWII. Exact figures of victims
are disputed but consisted mainly of Serbs, Roma, and Jews.
The website is currently only in Croatian with plans for an
English translation. The online database of victims requires
only minimal knowledge of Croatian and will be an invaluable
resource for families of survivors unable to travel to the
area for research. The website can be found at
http://www.jusp-jasenovac.hr. The searchable database of
identified victims is located at
http://www.jusp-jasenovac.hr/Default.aspx?sid =7618.
(JNCallahan)


2. (U) DEMINING PROJECTS TO HELP RETURNEES; SIGNS MISSING:
Emboff accompanied representatives from the Croatian Mine
Action Centar (CROMAC) and the municipality of Pakrac on a
tour of potential mine clearing projects. USG funds would
pay for mine removal at five sites, four of which contain
known minefields and the fifth is mine-suspected. Together
with other efforts in the area funded by the Croatian state
budget, the projects would clear all land along the road from
Pakrac through four Serb-returnee villages. The homes and
yards have already been cleared, but agricultural land needed
to sustain villagers is still mine contaminated. A majority
of the newly reconstructed homes, however, are already
inhabited by returnees. Also along the road from Pakrac,
Emboff noticed several mine warning markers were missing
(their locations are marked on highly detailed maps
maintained by CROMAC). Recently, media report that thousands
of signs have been stolen. A CROMAC representative told
Emboff that every year, CROMAC visits all sites to replace
missing signs and that it is a big problem. She said several
people have been charged for stealing the signs. In one
case, a man stole three signs to build a dog house. She also
said hunters sometimes steal signs and repost them to protect
their favorite hunting grounds as the signs keep others off
the land, including police, and even enable them to hunt out
of season. (CZimmer)


3. (U) GLAVAS FIGHTING BACK IN OSIJEK:
Despite press reports that Branimir Glavas and his party the
Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB)
are struggling under the weight of Glavas's ongoing war
crimes trial (reftel A),the HDSSB has gained some unlikely
coalition partners and is touting its electoral momentum. In
a surprising move, the Croatian People's Party (HNS) decided
to back the HDSSB's candidate for mayor, current county
prefect Kresimir Bubalo (reftel B). HNS party chief for
Osijek County, Ivan Vrdoljak, is likely to get one of the two
deputy mayor slots. Similarly, the HDSSB hammered out a
coalition deal with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the
mayoral race in Donji Miholjac and in Slatina. While in Beli
Manastir, the HDSSB, SDP, and HNS will back a joint candidate
that has yet to be announced. Furthermore, the HDSSB is in
close talks with the Croatian Peasants Party (HSS) for a
coalition at the county (zupanija) level as well as joint
mayoral candidates for 10 other smaller towns in the area.
(Note: While these party coalitions are clearly out-of-step
with the composition of the national-level coalition
government, and most coalition pairings in the rest of
Croatia, the city of Osijek has had 5 different coalition
governments since the last local election in 2005 and
witnessed nearly every pairing between leftish-oriented and
rightist-oriented parties possible. End Note) (D. Meges)


4. (U) GLAVAS WAR CRIMES TRIAL UPDATES:
On March 5th and 9th, Emboffs attempted to attend the war
crimes trial of Branimir Glavas and several other defendants,
but on both dates the hearings were postponed when one or
more defendants called in sick. On March 9, the hearing was
postponed due to the non-appearance of the second and the
third accused, Krnjak and Getos-Magdic. The presiding judge
warned that if Krnjak did not appear for the hearing
scheduled for March 12th, he would order his detention as
Krnjak had been found fit to stand trial by a court expert.
All defendants were released from detention in December after
the Constitutional Court ruled their detention was
excessively long during the oft-delayed trial, particularly
since the prime defendant, Glavas, was not detained due to
his parliamentary immunity. (CZimmer)

BRADTKE