TFSROL: BOBAN DENIED VISA TO AUSTRALIA;

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000042 SIPDIS EMBASSY VIENNA FOR BOSNIA E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PREL HR BK SUBJECT: TFSROL: BOBAN DENIED VISA TO AUSTRALIA; GOC ASKS WHETHER U.S. WILL LET HIM IN SEE ACTION PARAGRAPH 4. ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. ¶2. IN A JANUARY 4 MEETING FOREIGN MINISTER MATE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00042 041835Z GRANIC TOLD AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH THAT THE PLANNED "LONG VACATION" TO AUSTRALIA BY THE "PRESIDENT" OF THE SO-CALLED "REPUBLIC OF HERCEG-BOSNA," MATE BOBAN, HAD BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE BOBAN HAD BEEN DENIED A VISA. WE LATER CONTACTED THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN VIENNA AND WERE TOLD BY FIRST SECRETARY MARK HIGGIE THAT BOBAN HAD BEEN DESIGNATED A "CONTROVERSIAL VISITOR" BY THE MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS ON THE BASIS THAT HIS VISIT "DID NOT MEET PUBLIC INTEREST CRITERIA." SPECIFICALLY, HIGGIE SAID THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FELT THAT BOBAN'S VISIT COULD POTENTIALLY UPSET ETHNIC SERBS AND MUSLIMS FROM THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA CURRENTLY RESIDING IN AUSTRALIA. ¶3. HIGGIE STATED THAT VISAS HAD BEEN DENIED ON SIMILAR GROUNDS TO DOBROSLAV PARAGA, PRESIDENT OF THE CROATIAN PARTY OF RIGHTS, AND BOSNIAN SERB "VICE PRESIDENT" BILJANA PLAVSIC. HE ADDED THAT THE VISA TO BOBAN WAS DENIED, IN PART, TO BALACE THE EARLIER REFUSAL OF PLAVSIC. HE ALSO COMMENTED THAT HAD BOBAN APPLIED A YEAR EARLIER, BEFORE THE MUSLIM-CROAT CONFLICT AND ENSUING VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, HIS APPLICATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAVORABLY RECEIVED. ¶4. ACTION REQUEST: GRANIC SAID THAT BOBAN STILL HOPED TO VISIT THE U.S. FOR HIS "LONG VACATION." HE ASKED, "OFF THE RECORD" WHETHER WE COULD TELL HIM "OFF THE RECORD" WHETHER THE VISA APPLICATION WOULD BE FAVORABLY RECEIVED. NOTE: BOBAN WAS GIVEN AN A-1 TDY VISA WITH 12 MONTHS VALIDITY LAST FEBRUARY TO CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00042 041835Z ATTEND THE PEACE TALKS IN NEW YORK. PLEASE PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR OUR REPLY TO GRANIC. ¶5. COMMENT: WHEN WE WERE FIRST INFORMED BY FOREIGN MINISTER GRANIC THAT BOBAN WOULD BE TAKING A "LONG VACATION," THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT THIS WAS PART OF AN EFFORT TO GET HIM OUT OF THE WAY AND, COMBINED WITH THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL FOR "HERCEG-BOSNA," PERHAPS PART OF AN EFFORT TO EASE HIM OUT OF THE PICTURE ENTIRELY. WE ALSO NOTE THAT FOREIGN MINISTER GRANIC WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS AKMADZIC AND TOMIC (WHOSE STARS APPEAR TO BE RISING) AT THE TALKS IN VIENNA WITH B-H PRIME MINISTER SALAJDZIC. ¶6. COMMENT CONTINUED: WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT BOBAN MIGHT AT SOME POINT BE TRIED FOR WAR CRIMES ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER AT THE PRESENT TIME SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE EXISTS TO MAKE THE CASE AGAINST HIM. WE BELIEVE THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND HERE COULD BE IMPROVED IF ANOTHER "VACATION SITE" WERE FOUND FOR MR. BOBAN. AUSTRALIA WAS AN IDEAL DESTINATION, BEING AT LEAST 48 AIR HOURS AWAY AND WITH A SUBSTANTIAL TIME DIFFERENCE BUT WE NOTE THAT THERE ARE REMOTE PARTS OF THE U.S. AS WELL. GALBRAITH CONFIDENTIAL NNNN