CGYOOL-HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE UPDATE NO. 38

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01526 SIPDIS STATE FOR D/EEA/JOHN MENZIES AND EUR/EE/ALEC MALLY . STATE PASS TO AID FOR EUR/RME AND FHA/OFDA/DRD . SECDEF ALSO FOR ISA/GLOBAL AFFAIRS . E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREF AORC EAID MASS PHUM HR BK AORC EAID MASS PHUM HR BK SUBJECT: CGYOOL-HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE UPDATE NO. 38 REF: STATE 237028 ¶1. THIS REPORT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A BRIEF, DAILY UPDATE ON THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE SITUATION IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA WITH REGARD TO CONVOYS, COORDINATION, DISTRIBUTION OF U.S.-DONATED ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER RELATED SUBJECTS. AIRPORT UPDATE -------------- ¶2. THE SARAJEVO AIRLIFT IS ON AGAIN WITH 26 PLANES SCHEDULED TO FLY TODAY. UNPROFOR REPORTS THAT BOTH THEY AND UNHCR WERE READY TO RESUME FLYING YESTERDAY BUT APPARENTLY ALL THE PILOTS HAD BEEN GIVEN LEAVE AND THERE WAS NO ONE TO FLY THE PLANES. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01526 01 OF 02 201443Z ¶3. REGARDING THE INCIDENT THAT HALTED THE FLIGHTS, UNPROFOR REPORTS THAT GENERAL NAMBIAR FINDS THE EVIDENCE IMPLICATING SERB FORCES INCONCLUSIVE. IN FACT, UNPROFOR CLAIMS THAT THE BRITISH PLANE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN FLYING OVER CROAT/MUSLIM-CONTROLLED TERRITORY WHEN LOCKED-ON BY UNIDENTIFIED ANTI-AIRCRAFT RADAR. . JOINT COMMISSION UPDATE -------------- ¶4. THE "JOINT COMMISSION" SET UP TO OVERSEE AND MONITOR THE PROCESS OF RESTORATION OF THE CRO?IAN GOVERNMENT'S AUTHORITY IN THE "PINK ZONES" WILL ATTEMPT TO MEET TOMORROW (AUGUST 21). THE COMMISSION FAILED TO HOLD ITS SECOND SESSION A WEEK AGO WHEN THE CROATS REFUSED TO MEET CERTAIN PRE-CONDITIONS DEMANDED BY THE SERBS. UNPROFOR IS HOPEFUL THAT THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE THIS TIME. ¶5. THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT HAS AGEED IN PRINCIPLE TO RETURN THE EXHUMED CORPSES OF SERBS WHO DIED FIGHTING IN THE AREA OF THE MILJEVICI PLATEAU. THEY HAVE ALSO AGREED TO RELEASE A NUMBER OF PRISONERS HELD IN OSIJEK AND CONVICTED OF WAR CRIMES. RUMOR HAS IT THAT A PARDON MAY ALSO BE FORTHCOMING FROM PRESIDENT TUDJMAN'S OFFICE. ¶6. THE SERBS IN TURN HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO LET A GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS INSPECT THE PERUCA DAM WITH A VIEW TO MAKING IT OPERATIONAL BEFORE THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01526 01 OF 02 201443Z AUTUMN RAINS. FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD APPARENTLY RISK CREATING AN "ECOLOGICAL DISASTER." UNHCR-ZAGREB UPDATE -------------- UNCLASSIFIED NNNN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01526 02 OF 02 201444Z ACTION EUR-01 INFO LOG-00 ACDA-16 AGRE-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 C-01 CISA-02 EB-01 FDRE-00 HA-09 HHS-06 H-01 INRE-00 INR-01 IO-19 LAB-04 L-03 ADS-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-02 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 RP-10 SIL-01 SP-01 SR-01 SSO-00 SS-01 STR-20 TRSE-00 T-01 USIE-00 VO-06 DTC-01 /116W -------------- 57E39D 201444Z /38 O 201444Z AUG 92 FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1776 INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE USEC BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GM//ECJ3/ECJ5// IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BONN AMEMBASSY ATHENS AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST AMEMBASSY VIENNA USMISSION USNATO CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// CTF SIXZERO//N2// CTF SIXONE//N2// CTF SIXTWO//N2// CTF SIXSEVEN//JOCC// FOSIF ROTA SP SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01526 02 OF 02 201444Z JCS WASHDC UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 01526 SIPDIS STATE FOR D/EEA/JOHN MENZIES AND EUR/EE/ALEC MALLY . STATE PASS TO AID FOR EUR/RME AND FHA/OFDA/DRD . SECDEF ALSO FOR ISA/GLOBAL AFFAIRS . E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREF AORC EAID MASS PHUM HR BK AORC EAID MASS PHUM HR BK SUBJECT: CGYOOL-HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE UPDATE NO. 38 ¶7. CONVOY (HCR-Z 4) TO BIHAC/TOPUSKO CONSISTING OF TWO TRUCKS AND 48 TONS OF MEDICINES, POWDERED MILK FOR CHILDREN AND BULK FOOD RETURNED SAFELY TO ZAGREB TODAY (AUGUST 21). THE ONLY DIFFICULTY EXPERIENCED ON THE TRIP WAS AT A SERB CHECKPOINT WHERE THE CONVOY WAS FORCED TO GO BACK 30 KILOMETERS FOR A SLIP OF PAPER BEFORE THEY COULD PASS THROUGH. ¶8. OFDA CONSULTANT TIM KNIGHT, WHO ACCOMPANIED THE ABOVE CONVOY, REPORTS THAT THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE SUPPLIES WERE UNLOADED TOOK THREE DIRECT HITS SHORTLY AFTER THEY LEFT. HE WAS UNABLE TO STATE HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. THE BIHAC HOSPITAL HOUSES 800 PATIENTS MOST OF WHOM, ACCORDING TO KNIGHT, ARE OF CHILDREN WOUNDED IN THE SEIGE OF THE CITY. MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE SCARCE. ¶9. KNIGHT REPORTS A VERY TENSE AND DIFFICULT UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01526 02 OF 02 201444Z SITUATION IN BIHAC. THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY HARD HIT BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE RANDOM SHELLING. DAILY, THERE IS AN "EVENING SHELLING" AND A "MORNING SHELLING." KNIGHT NOTED THAT ONE CAN SEE THE SIGNS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL FATIGUE ON THE FACES OF THE RESIDENTS. A MORE COMPLETE REPORT FROM KNIGHT WILL FOLLOW. NEITZKE UNCLASSIFIED NNNN