WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL -- INTERVIEWING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001155 SIPDIS DEPT FOR L O'BRIEN/NIX, USUN/W BOWMAN, AND EUR/EE VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01155 01 OF 02 221808Z E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PREL PHUM BK PHUM BK HR SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL -- INTERVIEWING REFUGEES IN CROATIA REF: (A) STATE 54617 (NOTAL); (B) STATE 73420 (NOTAL) ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. ¶2. WE WELCOME THE REFUGEE-INTERVIEWING TEAM'S PROPOSED VISIT TO CROATIA. CONTROL OFFICER FOR THE VISIT WILL BE REFCOORD ERIC WHITAKER -- (0) 385-41-444-800, EXT. 63; (H) 385-41-337-736. ¶3. THE DATES SCHEDULED FOR THE TEAM'S BRIEF STOP IN CROATIA INCLUDE EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 3, AND EASTER MONDAY, APRIL 4, A NATIONAL HOLIDAY. IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE TEAM'S ITINERARY, WE WILL TRY TO WORK AROUND THIS POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLE. WE NOTE THAT THE CROATIAN AUTHORITIES ARE PREPARED TO COOPERATE IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. THEY HAVE AGREED, FOR EXAMPLE, TO PROVIDE AN INTERPRETER. ¶4. WE HAVE SOUGHT TO LOCATE THE WITNESS "V.G." WHOSE ACCOUNT OF ATROCITIES AT LUKA WE RECORDED IN 93 ZAGREB 731. WE ARE INFORMED BY A LOCAL CONTACT OF HIS THAT HE IS NOW IN SWEDEN. HIS NAME (STRICTLY PROTECT - HE IS THOUGHT TO STILL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01155 01 OF 02 221808Z HAVE RELATIVES IN BOSNIAN SERB TERRITORY) IS RAGIB CERIMEGIC (CHAIR-I-MEG-ICH),NICKNAMED "BELI." THE LOCAL CONTACT IS SEEKING TO GET US AN ADDRESS OR MEANS OF CONTACT. WE WILL ALSO CONTACT THE SWEDISH EMBASSY HERE TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY RECORD WHICH CAN HELP TO LOCATE HIM. EMBASSY STOCKHOLM MAY ALSO WISH TO SEEK SUCH INFORMATION AS WELL, IF IT CAN BE DONE WITH THE UTMOST DISCRETION. WE NOTE THAT THE WITNESS SHOULD NOT BE APPROACHED EXCEPT IN THE MOST DISCREET MANNER AND WITH DUE REGARD TO HIS REPORTED ANGER THAT THE RISKS HE TOOK IN SHARING HIS STORY WITH US (AND, WE ARE TOLD, WITH UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR MAZOWIECKI) HAVE NOT YET BROUGHT ANY TANGIBLE RESULT. ¶5. FYI: THE "NURSE" FROM LUKA (REFERRED TO IN 93 ZAGREB 731),WHO REPORTEDLY UNDER COERCION HELPED "PREPARE" YOUNG WOMEN FOR MASS RAPE SESSIONS WAS REPORTED TO HAVE LEFT CROATIA ALMOST ONE YEAR AGO. OUR CONTACTS DID NOT KNOW WHERE SHE WAS NOW. ¶6. OUR INITIAL REQUEST TO THE GOC OFFICE OF DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES ELICITED A RESPONSE THAT THERE ARE THOUGHT TO BE SOME 8,000 REFUGEES IN GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED PARTS OF CROATIA WHO CAME ORIGINALLY FROM THE BRCKO AREA. THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES HERE WHO WOULD HAVE COME FROM (AND CONTINUE TO COME FROM) THE PRIJEDOR AREA WOULD, WE SUSPECT, BE FAR LARGER. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01155 01 OF 02 221808Z ¶7. WE ARE WORKING WITH OTHER CONTACTS IN HOPES OF IDENTIFYING A SMALL NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL CREDIBLE WITNESSES WHO EXPERIENCED LUKA OR THE PRIJEDOR CAMPS FIRST-HAND WITH WHOM THE TEAM MIGHT MEET. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL "BRCKO CLUB" IN ZAGREB, WHO INFORMED US THAT A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL WITNESSES FROM BRCKO ARE IN GUNJA, CROATIA, JUST ACROSS THE SAVA RIVER FROM BRCKO, (A FOUR TO SIX-HOUR DRIVE FROM ZAGREB). ¶8. WE PRESUME THE TEAM IS AWARE OF THE NEW SERIES OF REPORTS OF SPRING-EARLY SUMMER 1992 EVENTS IN THE BRCKO AREA THAT WE HAVE BEEN SENDING IN. THESE INCLUDE: ZAGREB 945, 941, 930, 919, 872, AND 827. OTHER REPORTS IN THIS SERIES ARE FORTHCOMING. THESE REPORTS WERE COMPILED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH EYE-WITNESSES CONDUCTED IN MAOCA, B-H (NORTH OF TUZLA) IN LATE ¶1993. WE NOTE IN REFTEL B THAT THE TEAM IS NOW CONSIDERING A FOLLOW-ON TRIP TO THE TUZLA AREA. WE STRONGLY ENDORSE THIS EFFORT AND ARE READY TO CONFIDENTIAL NNNN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01155 02 OF 02 221808Z ACTION EUR-01 INFO LOG-00 AID-01 CIAE-00 C-01 OASY-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 ANHR-01 EB-01 HA-09 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-16 L-01 ADS-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 RPCS-01 SCT-03 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00 SS-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 RPE-01 PMB-00 /045W -------------- 32FAED 221809Z /38 O 221753Z MAR 94 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1297 INFO AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM USOFFICE BERLIN USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMCONSUL ISTANBUL AMCONSUL FRANKFURT AMEMBASSY BONN AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE AMEMBASSY VIENNA AMEMBASSY BELGRADE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001155 SIPDIS DEPT FOR L O'BRIEN/NIX, USUN/W BOWMAN, AND EUR/EE VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01155 02 OF 02 221808Z E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PREL PHUM BK PHUM BK HR SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL -- INTERVIEWING REFUGEES IN CROATIA OFFER ANY SUPPORT WE CAN. GALBRAITH CONFIDENTIAL