Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
92ZAGREB1002
1992-06-17 12:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
CROATIAN PRESS ON THE DUBROVNIK FRONT,
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01002 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01002 01 OF 02 171305Z VIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSBM; ISLAMABAD FOR POL/JPOGUE - E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, MOPS, PREL, PINR, MOPS, HR, War Crimes SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESS ON THE DUBROVNIK FRONT, TREBINJE AND CROATIAN FORCES IN BOSNIA. 1. THE JULY 12, 1992 EDITION OF THE ZAGREB DAILY "VJESNIK" RAN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ON THE DUBROVNIK FRONT. IT POINTS OUT THE COMPLEXITIES OF THIS BATTLE GROUND MAKING IT CLEAR THAT IT IS UP TO BOSNIAN CROATIAN FORCES TO HELP REDUCE THE PRESSURE ON DUBROVNIK. - 2. BEGIN TEXT VIEW OF DUBROVNIK AND ITS SURROUNDINGS FROM THE ENEMIES' BASES. TO PREVLAKA ACROSS TREBINJE. THE CROATIAN ARMY CANNOT CROSS THE TERRITORY OF BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA FROM WHERE VUCUREVIC'S CANNONS ARE DESTROYING DUBROVNIK. HOW TO CUT THE DUBROVNIK KNOT? WITHOUT THE COMPLETE MILITARY DEFEAT OF THE ILL-FAMED SAO-PRESIDENT, TRUCK DRIVER BOZIDAR VUCUREVIC, THE ENDING OF THE BESTIAL DESTRUCTION OF DUBROVNIK IS OUT OF THE QUESTION, EVEN LESS THE LIBERATION OF KONAVLI IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE DUBROVNIK COMMUNITY WHICH IS UNDER JNA OCCUPATION. THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE NEWEST ATTACK, WHEN VUCUREVIC'S ARTILLERY OF THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01002 01 OF 02 171305Z "HERCEGOVIAN CORPS" FROM THE DIRECTION OF TREBINJE, TOGETHER WITH THE JNA MARITIME SECTOR FOR BOKA KOTORSKA, FROM OCCUPIED CILIPI, HAVE DESTROYED DUBROVNIK. UNINFORMED PERSONS IMPOSE THE QUESTION WHY THE CROATIAN ARMY DOES NOT STEP FORWARD ON THE TERRITORY OF THE NEIGHBORING STATE AND WITH A VIOLENT COUNTER-ATTACK REPULSE THE ENEMY FURTHER FROM THE CROATIAN BORDER. SINCE THE OCCUPYING FORCES HAVE SUFFERED HEAVY DEFEAT IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE DUBROVNIK COMMUNITY AND HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM STRATEGIC POSITIONS NEAR DUBROVNIK, FAVORABLE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR SUCH A RETALIATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, CROATIA HAS RECOGNIZED B-H AS A SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT STATE AND ON THAT ACCOUNT CANNOT DIRECT ITS ARMY ON THAT TERRITORY IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT DUBROVNIK IS CONSTANTLY THREATENED FROM THIS TERRITORY. SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO, WHICH DID NOT RECOGNIZE B-H, WOULD BARELY WAIT TO INFORM THE WORLD ABOUT CROATIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR ON THE B-H TERRITORY. HOW LONG WILL THIS UNBEARABLE SITUATION FOR THE CITIZENS OF DUBROVNIK LAST AND HOW TO CUT THE "DUBROVNIK KNOT"? ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT MILITARY-STRATEGIC SITUATION, THE CROATIAN ARMY CANNOT WITHOUT A GREAT RISK UNDERTAKE THE LIBERATION OF KONAVLI. VUCUREVIC'S CHETNIKS HAVE STRONG FORTIFICATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF DUBROVNIK AND THEY CAN ATTACK THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01002 01 OF 02 171305Z CROATIAN FIGHTERS FROM THE BACK. IN SUCH A WAY, THE CROATIAN UNITS WOULD COME BETWEEN TWO ENEMY LAND FORCES WHICH ARE COVERED BY THE YUGOSLAV NAVY. THE NEAREST AND THE MOST DANGEROUS CHETNIK BASE IS IN GOLUBOVO, ABOVE THE SOURCE OF THE OMBLA RIVER, WHERE UNCLASSIFIED NNNN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01002 02 OF 02 171305Z ACTION EUR-01 INFO LOG-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 PFIP-01 C-01 DODE-00 CISA-02 HA-09 H-01 INRE-00 INR-01 IO-19 L-03 ADS-00 NEA-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-02 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 SCT-03 SNP-01 SP-01 SSO-00 SS-01 TRSE-00 T-01 USIE-00 /056W ------------------3FDD44 171306Z /38 FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1186 INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BONN AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY LISBON AMEMBASSY LONDON AMCONSUL MUNICH AMEMBASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY ROME AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE AMEMBASSY VIENNA USMISSION USNATO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USEC BRUSSELS USMISSION GENEVA
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 01002
SIPDIS
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01002 02 OF 02 171305Z
VIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSBM; ISLAMABAD FOR POL/JPOGUE
-
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MOPS BI HR
SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESS ON THE DUBROVNIK FRONT,
TREBINJE AND CROATIAN FORCES IN BOSNIA.
CANNON FIRE HAS BEEN OPENED AT DUBROVNIK'S SUBURBS
MOKOSICA AND OTHER PLACES OF THE RIJEKA DUBROVACKA.
CHETNIKS HAVE FORTIFIED THEMSELVES ON IVANICA AND
USKOPOLJE, LOCATED AT THE STATE BORDER. THE LITTORAL
BELT AT THE EXTREME SOUTH PART OF CROATIA IS VERY
NARROW AND THE AREA BETWEEN SREBRENO AND MLINI IS NOT
EVEN THREE KILOMETERS FROM THE COAST TO THE .
INTERSTATE BORDER. AN ATTEMPT BY TREBINJE CHETNIKS
TO BREAKTHROUGH ACROSS IVANICA COULD BE EASILY
REPELLED BY THE CROATIAN FORCES WITH THE OPENING OF
FIRE FROM BRGAT, ZARKOVICA AND DUBAC. BREAKTHROUGHS
CAN BE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS THE VISOCNIK SADDLE,
LOWER SLOPES OF SNJEZNICA AND THE JAVOR PASS.
STILL THERE IS AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR THE
NEUTRALIZATION OF THE PRESSURE FROM TREBINJE. HVO
(CROATIAN DEFENSE COUNCIL) FIGHTERS, WHO WITH THEIR
BREAKTHROUGH TO NEUM HAVE PRACTICALLY LIBERATED THE
WHOLE TERRITORY OF THE BOSNIAN-HERCEGOVIAN COMMUNITY
RAVNO, SHOULD NOT CONSIDER THAT THEIR FINAL GOAL HAS
BEEN ACHIEVED. THE TREBINJE TRUCK DRIVER WILL NOT BE
EASILY RECONCILED WITH THE LOSS OF ONE PART OF HIS
PLANNED DUKEDOM AND THEREFORE HE WILL CONTINUE TO
ATTACK RAVNO. THE ONLY WAY TO GIVE A DESERVED
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01002 02 OF 02 171305Z
LECTURE TO VUCUREVIC FOR ALL HIS COMMITTED CRIMES
AGAINST THE CROATIAN AND MUSLIM NATIONS, IS A FIRM
CONTINUATION OF A BREAKTHROUGH UNDERTAKEN BY THE HVO
TO POPOVO POLJE AND THE LIBERATION OF TREBINJE FROM
CHETNIKS. OBJECTIONS OF THE BELGRADE-PODGORICA
AGGRESSORS CONCERNING CROATIAN COMPLICITY IN THE WAR
ON THE B-H TERRITORY, HAVE BEEN DROPPED. INFLUENTIAL
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CIRCLES HAVE RECOGNIZED THE
HVO AS A SPONTANEOUS RESISTANCE OF THE CROATIAN
NATION IN B-H AGAINST THE SERBIAN MONTENEGRIN
AGGRESSION. HVO FORCES HAVE RECOGNIZED B-H AND THEY
FIGHT FOR THIS STATE IN THE SAME WAY AS THE B-H
TERRITORIAL DEFENSE WITH WHICH THEY WILL CREATE IN
THE NEAREST FUTURE A B-H ARMY.
END TEXT.
EINIK
UNCLASSIFIED
NNNN
SIPDIS
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01002 02 OF 02 171305Z
VIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSBM; ISLAMABAD FOR POL/JPOGUE
-
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MOPS BI HR
SUBJECT: CROATIAN PRESS ON THE DUBROVNIK FRONT,
TREBINJE AND CROATIAN FORCES IN BOSNIA.
CANNON FIRE HAS BEEN OPENED AT DUBROVNIK'S SUBURBS
MOKOSICA AND OTHER PLACES OF THE RIJEKA DUBROVACKA.
CHETNIKS HAVE FORTIFIED THEMSELVES ON IVANICA AND
USKOPOLJE, LOCATED AT THE STATE BORDER. THE LITTORAL
BELT AT THE EXTREME SOUTH PART OF CROATIA IS VERY
NARROW AND THE AREA BETWEEN SREBRENO AND MLINI IS NOT
EVEN THREE KILOMETERS FROM THE COAST TO THE .
INTERSTATE BORDER. AN ATTEMPT BY TREBINJE CHETNIKS
TO BREAKTHROUGH ACROSS IVANICA COULD BE EASILY
REPELLED BY THE CROATIAN FORCES WITH THE OPENING OF
FIRE FROM BRGAT, ZARKOVICA AND DUBAC. BREAKTHROUGHS
CAN BE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS THE VISOCNIK SADDLE,
LOWER SLOPES OF SNJEZNICA AND THE JAVOR PASS.
STILL THERE IS AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR THE
NEUTRALIZATION OF THE PRESSURE FROM TREBINJE. HVO
(CROATIAN DEFENSE COUNCIL) FIGHTERS, WHO WITH THEIR
BREAKTHROUGH TO NEUM HAVE PRACTICALLY LIBERATED THE
WHOLE TERRITORY OF THE BOSNIAN-HERCEGOVIAN COMMUNITY
RAVNO, SHOULD NOT CONSIDER THAT THEIR FINAL GOAL HAS
BEEN ACHIEVED. THE TREBINJE TRUCK DRIVER WILL NOT BE
EASILY RECONCILED WITH THE LOSS OF ONE PART OF HIS
PLANNED DUKEDOM AND THEREFORE HE WILL CONTINUE TO
ATTACK RAVNO. THE ONLY WAY TO GIVE A DESERVED
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01002 02 OF 02 171305Z
LECTURE TO VUCUREVIC FOR ALL HIS COMMITTED CRIMES
AGAINST THE CROATIAN AND MUSLIM NATIONS, IS A FIRM
CONTINUATION OF A BREAKTHROUGH UNDERTAKEN BY THE HVO
TO POPOVO POLJE AND THE LIBERATION OF TREBINJE FROM
CHETNIKS. OBJECTIONS OF THE BELGRADE-PODGORICA
AGGRESSORS CONCERNING CROATIAN COMPLICITY IN THE WAR
ON THE B-H TERRITORY, HAVE BEEN DROPPED. INFLUENTIAL
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CIRCLES HAVE RECOGNIZED THE
HVO AS A SPONTANEOUS RESISTANCE OF THE CROATIAN
NATION IN B-H AGAINST THE SERBIAN MONTENEGRIN
AGGRESSION. HVO FORCES HAVE RECOGNIZED B-H AND THEY
FIGHT FOR THIS STATE IN THE SAME WAY AS THE B-H
TERRITORIAL DEFENSE WITH WHICH THEY WILL CREATE IN
THE NEAREST FUTURE A B-H ARMY.
END TEXT.
EINIK
UNCLASSIFIED
NNNN