Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
91ZAGREB1661
1991-11-26 14:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
ZAGREB UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26, 1991
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0375
COMSIXTHFLT//N2//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24//
CTF SIXTWO
CTF SIXONE
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, War Crimes
SUBJECT: ZAGREB UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26, 1991
-
CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0375
COMSIXTHFLT//N2//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24//
CTF SIXTWO
CTF SIXONE
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, War Crimes
SUBJECT: ZAGREB UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26, 1991
-
1. SUMMARY: ACCORDING TO CROATIAN PRESS
REPORTS AND THE EC MONITORING MISSION IN ZAGREB,
THE UNBLOCKING OF JNA INSTALLATIONS AROUND
ZAGREB IS PROCEEDING, BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS
THAT COULD SPIKE THE EVACUATION AT ANY TIME.
THE EC MONITORS CONTINUE TO SEEK JNA PERMISSION
TO VISIT VUKOVAR HOSPITAL DIRECTOR BOSANAC,
WHOSE ARREST THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT HAS
PROTESTED. THE EC MONITORS HAVE PROVIDED US IN
CONFIDENCE LENGTHY REPORTS OF VIOLATIONS OF THE
SECOND PROTOCOL TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION BY THE
JNA. END SUMMARY
2. EC MONITORS' SPOKESMAN RENILDE STEEGHS TOLD
US THAT FOUR CONVOYS WERE SCHEDULED TO DEPART
TODAY FROM FOUR DIFFERENT INSTALLATIONS,
INCLUDING ONE FROM THE MARSHALL TITO BARRACKS IN
ZAGREB. STEEGHS NOTED THAT THE JNA WAS NOT
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01661 01 OF 02 261449Z
ABIDING BY ITS AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE THE EC
MONITORS WITH 48 HOURS NOTICE OF WHICH CONVOYS
IT INTENDED TO ORGANIZE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR
THE MISSION TO PLACE ITS MONITORING TEAMS.
ALTHOUGH THE MONITORS CONSIDERED THIS A
VIOLATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON UNBLOCKING, THEY
HAVE DECIDED FOR NOW, ABSENT CROATIAN PROTEST,
NOT TO PROTEST THE ISSUE TO THE JNA.
-
3. STEEGHS, WHOSE COMMENTS GENERALLY TRACK
CLOSELY WITH THE VIEWS OF EC CHIEF OF MISSION
VAN HOUTEN NOTED THAT SOME JNA ACTIONS SEEMED
NEEDLESSLY PROVOCATIVE; FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAD
SENT, WITHOUT NOTICE, A CONVOY OF CROATIAN
VEHICLES WHICH HAD BEEN CAPTURED IN SLUNJ AND
HASTILY REPAINTED TO AN INSTALLATION IN ZAGREB
FOR THE EVACUATION. THE CROATIANS HAD SEARCHED
THE VEHICLES AND FOUND WEAPONS, SLOWING DOWN THE
EVACUATION PROCESS. THE JNA WAS ALSO INSISTING
ON FLYING LARGE YUGOSLAV FLAGS ON CONVOY
VEHICLES AS THEY DROVE THROUGH CROATIA.
-
4. AT MIDDAY TODAY STEEGHS REPORTED THAT
PROBLEMS HAD DEVELOPED IN KARLOVAC, THROUGH
WHICH THE CONVEYS ARE PASSING. MINES PREVIOUSLY
PLACED BY THE CROATS HAD STOPPED THE CONVOYS.
THE CROATS WERE SAYING THEY LACKED THE NECESSARY
EXPERTISE TO REMOVE THE MINES AND THAT THEY WERE
BEING FIRED UPON BY JNA SNIPERS WHEN THEY
TRIED. (STEEGHS SAID THE CROATIAN CLAIM OF LACK
OF KNOWLEDGE RINGS TRUE; IN PULA, WHICH HAS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01661 01 OF 02 261449Z
ALREADY BEEN EVACUATED, THE CROATS HAVE BEEN
UNABLE TO REMOVE THEIR OWN MINES--FOUR SOLDIERS
DIED TRYING--AND FINALLY HAVE ASKED THE JNA FOR
CONFIDENTIAL
NNNN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01661 02 OF 02 261449Z
ACTION EUR-01
INFO LOG-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 DODE-00 HA-09 H-01 INRE-00
INR-01 IO-19 L-03 ADS-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 SNP-01 SP-01
SSO-00 SS-01 TRSE-00 T-01 /046W
-------------- B07A16 261456Z /45
O 261432Z NOV 91
FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0019
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE
USIA WASHDC 0893
AMEMBASSY ANKARA
AMEMBASSY ATHENS
AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMCONSUL MUNICH
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY VIENNA
USMISSION USNATO 1165
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01661 02 OF 02 261449Z
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0376
COMSIXTHFLT//N2//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24//
CTF SIXTWO
CTF SIXONE
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, YO
SUBJECT: ZAGREB UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26, 1991
-
ASSISTANCE.) STEEGHS SAID AN URGENT MEETING HAD
BEEN CONVENED AT EC MONITORS HEADQUARTERS TO
DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM.
-
VUKOVAR DOCTOR STILL IN JNA CUSTODY
--------------
5. ON THE FATE OF HOSPITAL DIRECTOR VESNA
BOSANAC FROM VUKOVAR, STEEGHS SAID THE JNA HAS
TURNED DOWN SEVERAL EC MONITORS' REQUESTS TO
MEET WITH HER. IN AN INDIGNANT EXCHANGE AT EC
MONITORS' OFFICES, JNA GENERAL RASETA REPORTEDLY
INSISTED THAT BOSANAC WAS "IN GOOD HEALTH" BUT
THAT SHE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR "WAR
CRIMES." STEEGHS SAID AN EC DECISION ON WHAT
FURTHER STEPS TO TAKE WOULD BE MADE AFTER
LEARNING WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER EC REQUEST TO
SEE DR. BOSANAC WOULD BE GRANTED.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01661 02 OF 02 261449Z
-
EC REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
--------------
6. THE EC MONITORS' GROUP PROVIDED US THIS
AFTERNOON WITH COPIES OF THEIR LENGTHY
CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS ON ALLEGATIONS OF
SIPDIS
VIOLATIONS OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN THE ZADAR
AREA, IN SLAVONSKA POZEGA (IN RESPONSE TO JNA
CHARGES THAT SERBIAN VILLAGES WERE BEING
FORCIBLY EVACUATED BY THE CROATS),AND
ELSEWHERE, AND ON EC MONITORS' VISITS TO
VUKOVAR. THE REPORTS INCLUDE A CONCLUSION OF
SERIOUS JNA VIOLATIONS IN SOME AREAS OF THE
SECOND PROTOCOL OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION. WE
ARE POUCHING FULL COPIES TO EMBASSY BELGRADE.
STEPHENS
CONFIDENTIAL
NNNN
SIPDIS
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0375
COMSIXTHFLT//N2//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24//
CTF SIXTWO
CTF SIXONE
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, War Crimes
SUBJECT: ZAGREB UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26, 1991
-
1. SUMMARY: ACCORDING TO CROATIAN PRESS
REPORTS AND THE EC MONITORING MISSION IN ZAGREB,
THE UNBLOCKING OF JNA INSTALLATIONS AROUND
ZAGREB IS PROCEEDING, BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS
THAT COULD SPIKE THE EVACUATION AT ANY TIME.
THE EC MONITORS CONTINUE TO SEEK JNA PERMISSION
TO VISIT VUKOVAR HOSPITAL DIRECTOR BOSANAC,
WHOSE ARREST THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT HAS
PROTESTED. THE EC MONITORS HAVE PROVIDED US IN
CONFIDENCE LENGTHY REPORTS OF VIOLATIONS OF THE
SECOND PROTOCOL TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION BY THE
JNA. END SUMMARY
2. EC MONITORS' SPOKESMAN RENILDE STEEGHS TOLD
US THAT FOUR CONVOYS WERE SCHEDULED TO DEPART
TODAY FROM FOUR DIFFERENT INSTALLATIONS,
INCLUDING ONE FROM THE MARSHALL TITO BARRACKS IN
ZAGREB. STEEGHS NOTED THAT THE JNA WAS NOT
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01661 01 OF 02 261449Z
ABIDING BY ITS AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE THE EC
MONITORS WITH 48 HOURS NOTICE OF WHICH CONVOYS
IT INTENDED TO ORGANIZE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR
THE MISSION TO PLACE ITS MONITORING TEAMS.
ALTHOUGH THE MONITORS CONSIDERED THIS A
VIOLATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON UNBLOCKING, THEY
HAVE DECIDED FOR NOW, ABSENT CROATIAN PROTEST,
NOT TO PROTEST THE ISSUE TO THE JNA.
-
3. STEEGHS, WHOSE COMMENTS GENERALLY TRACK
CLOSELY WITH THE VIEWS OF EC CHIEF OF MISSION
VAN HOUTEN NOTED THAT SOME JNA ACTIONS SEEMED
NEEDLESSLY PROVOCATIVE; FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAD
SENT, WITHOUT NOTICE, A CONVOY OF CROATIAN
VEHICLES WHICH HAD BEEN CAPTURED IN SLUNJ AND
HASTILY REPAINTED TO AN INSTALLATION IN ZAGREB
FOR THE EVACUATION. THE CROATIANS HAD SEARCHED
THE VEHICLES AND FOUND WEAPONS, SLOWING DOWN THE
EVACUATION PROCESS. THE JNA WAS ALSO INSISTING
ON FLYING LARGE YUGOSLAV FLAGS ON CONVOY
VEHICLES AS THEY DROVE THROUGH CROATIA.
-
4. AT MIDDAY TODAY STEEGHS REPORTED THAT
PROBLEMS HAD DEVELOPED IN KARLOVAC, THROUGH
WHICH THE CONVEYS ARE PASSING. MINES PREVIOUSLY
PLACED BY THE CROATS HAD STOPPED THE CONVOYS.
THE CROATS WERE SAYING THEY LACKED THE NECESSARY
EXPERTISE TO REMOVE THE MINES AND THAT THEY WERE
BEING FIRED UPON BY JNA SNIPERS WHEN THEY
TRIED. (STEEGHS SAID THE CROATIAN CLAIM OF LACK
OF KNOWLEDGE RINGS TRUE; IN PULA, WHICH HAS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01661 01 OF 02 261449Z
ALREADY BEEN EVACUATED, THE CROATS HAVE BEEN
UNABLE TO REMOVE THEIR OWN MINES--FOUR SOLDIERS
DIED TRYING--AND FINALLY HAVE ASKED THE JNA FOR
CONFIDENTIAL
NNNN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01661 02 OF 02 261449Z
ACTION EUR-01
INFO LOG-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 DODE-00 HA-09 H-01 INRE-00
INR-01 IO-19 L-03 ADS-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 SNP-01 SP-01
SSO-00 SS-01 TRSE-00 T-01 /046W
-------------- B07A16 261456Z /45
O 261432Z NOV 91
FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0019
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE
USIA WASHDC 0893
AMEMBASSY ANKARA
AMEMBASSY ATHENS
AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMCONSUL MUNICH
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY VIENNA
USMISSION USNATO 1165
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01661 02 OF 02 261449Z
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0376
COMSIXTHFLT//N2//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24//
CTF SIXTWO
CTF SIXONE
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 01661
SIPDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, MARR, PHUM, YO
SUBJECT: ZAGREB UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26, 1991
-
ASSISTANCE.) STEEGHS SAID AN URGENT MEETING HAD
BEEN CONVENED AT EC MONITORS HEADQUARTERS TO
DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM.
-
VUKOVAR DOCTOR STILL IN JNA CUSTODY
--------------
5. ON THE FATE OF HOSPITAL DIRECTOR VESNA
BOSANAC FROM VUKOVAR, STEEGHS SAID THE JNA HAS
TURNED DOWN SEVERAL EC MONITORS' REQUESTS TO
MEET WITH HER. IN AN INDIGNANT EXCHANGE AT EC
MONITORS' OFFICES, JNA GENERAL RASETA REPORTEDLY
INSISTED THAT BOSANAC WAS "IN GOOD HEALTH" BUT
THAT SHE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR "WAR
CRIMES." STEEGHS SAID AN EC DECISION ON WHAT
FURTHER STEPS TO TAKE WOULD BE MADE AFTER
LEARNING WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER EC REQUEST TO
SEE DR. BOSANAC WOULD BE GRANTED.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01661 02 OF 02 261449Z
-
EC REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
--------------
6. THE EC MONITORS' GROUP PROVIDED US THIS
AFTERNOON WITH COPIES OF THEIR LENGTHY
CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS ON ALLEGATIONS OF
SIPDIS
VIOLATIONS OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN THE ZADAR
AREA, IN SLAVONSKA POZEGA (IN RESPONSE TO JNA
CHARGES THAT SERBIAN VILLAGES WERE BEING
FORCIBLY EVACUATED BY THE CROATS),AND
ELSEWHERE, AND ON EC MONITORS' VISITS TO
VUKOVAR. THE REPORTS INCLUDE A CONCLUSION OF
SERIOUS JNA VIOLATIONS IN SOME AREAS OF THE
SECOND PROTOCOL OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION. WE
ARE POUCHING FULL COPIES TO EMBASSY BELGRADE.
STEPHENS
CONFIDENTIAL
NNNN