WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL: CROATIAN RESPONSE

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 04 ZAGREB 00023 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS AMEMBASSY BONN AMEMBASSY BOGOTA AMEMBASSY BELGRADE AMEMBASSY ATHENS AMEMBASSY ANKARA C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000023 SIPDIS EMBASSY VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL: CROATIAN RESPONSE REF: STATE 385591 ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. - ¶2. AS REQUESTED IN REFTEL, AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH CALLED ON FOREIGN MINISTER GRANIC JANUARY 13 TO DISCUSS ASSISTANCE TO THE PROSECUTOR FOR THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL. HE LEFT A COPY OF THE TALKING POINTS IN THE REFTEL. ¶3. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE AREAS OF IDENTIFICATION AND INTERROGATION OF WITNESSES, AND APPREHENSION OF SUSPECTED PERPETRATORS, NOTING THAT CROATIA ALMOST CERTAINLY HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST CONCENTRATIONS OF POTENTIAL WITNESSES TO WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00023 031858Z ¶4. GRANIC REPLIED THAT CROATIA WILL GIVE "VERY STRONG SUPPORT" TO THE WORK OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMES TRIBUNAL. HE STATED THAT, AT THE MOMENT, INFORMATION ON WAR CRIMES IS SCATTERED AMONG VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. GRANIC MENTIONED THE LEADING ROLE PLAYED TO DATE BY DR. IVICA KOSTAVIC, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND CROATIAN AMBASSADOR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WAR CRIMES HEADED BY DR. (AND SUPREME COURT PRESIDENT) VUKOVIC AS WELL AS SEVERAL PRIVATE GROUPS HAD BEEN ESPECIALLY ACTIVE IN THIS AREA. ¶5. ASKED IF CROATIA HAD ANY PLANS TO CONSOLIDATE THE INFORMATION ON HAND AND DESIGNATE A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL AS COORDINATOR ON WAR CRIMES ISSUES, GRANIC REPLIED THAT HE WOULD BE DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH KOSTOVIC "WHO IS THE ONE WHO KNOWS BEST." HE PROMISED TO PROVIDE US WITH A LIST OF PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS BY THE END OF THE WEEK. ¶6. WITH RESPECT TO IDENTIFYING AND DETAINING SUSPECTED WAR CRIMINALS, INCLUDING POSSIBLY CROATS, GRANIC REPLIED THAT CROATIA WAS IN PRONCIPLE PREPARED TO COOPERATE BUT THAT HE WANTED TO EXAMINE OUR POINTS IN MORE DETAIL AND WOULD WOULD GIVE AN OFFICIAL REPLY IN WRITING BY THE END OF THE WEEK. WHEN IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT AMBASSADOR ALBRIGHT WOULD LIKELY RAISE THESE ISSUES DURING HER VISIT TO CROATIA, GRANIC STATED THAT THE GOC WOULD BE READY TO REPLY TO HER QUESTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00023 031858Z GALBRAITH CONFIDENTIAL NNNN