CROATIA UPDATE NO. 36: U.S., UN, EXPLORING CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01824 SIPDIS CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001824 SIPDIS VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU E.O. 12356: DECL 5/11/00 TAGS: SUBJECT: CROATIA UPDATE NO. 36: U.S., UN, EXPLORING CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) VARIOUS UN ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY CIVPOL, ARE STRENGTHENING THEIR EFFORTS TO MONITOR AND INVESTIGATE CONDITIONS FOR SERBS IN "SECTOR WEST." MANY UN OFFICIALS SAY THEY STILL SUSPECT THERE WERE AT LEAST SOME HUMAN RIGHTS TRANSGRESSIONS BY CROATIAN FORCES DURING AND AFTER THE MAY 1 OFFENSIVE, AND ARE UNEASY THAT LITTLE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE OF CROATIAN WRONGDOING HAS TURNED UP SO FAR. ¶2. (LOU) EMBASSY'S INVESTIGATION OF CROAT TREATMENT OF MILITARY DETAINEES AND CIVILIANS CONTINUES TODAY WITH POLOFFS' RETURN VISIT TO BJELOVAR (SITE OF ONE DETENTION CENTER, WHERE WE EXPECT TO INTERVIEW SOME OF THE DETAINEES); STARA GRADISKA TO CHECK THE STATUS OF CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01824 01 OF 02 111828Z THE TOWN AND POSSIBLY INTERVIEW SOME OF THE BOSNIA- BOUND SERBS; AND OTHER LOCATIONS. OUR REQUEST TO THE UN TO BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW SOME OF THE NEPALI TROOPS IN THE AREA WHO MIGHT HAVE WITNESSED ATROCITIES HAS BEEN TURNED DOWN BY UNCRO HEADQUARTERS, ALTHOUGH WE WERE TOLD WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THEM HERE IN ZAGREB. ¶3. (C) ON MAY 11, E.J. FLYNN (PROTECT) OF THE UN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (MAZOWIECKI COMMISSION) IN ZAGREB TOLD US HE IS TAKING A CAUTIOUS ATTITUDE ABOUT GIVING THE GOC A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH ON HUMAN RIGHTS GROUNDS. ALTHOUGH ADMITTING THE UN DOES NOT TAKE THE ACCUSATIONS OUT OF BELGRADE ABOUT A MASSACRE AT THE STARA GRADISKA BRIDGE TERRIBLY SERIOUSLY, HE SAID THERE WERE "A NUMBER" OF REPORTS OF INCIDENTS WHICH SUGGESTED THE CROATIAN ARMY (HV) MIGHT HAVE KILLED CIVILIANS DURING THEIR INITIAL OFFENSIVE. FLYNN FOUND "SUSPECT" THE FACT THAT THERE HAD BEEN VERY LITTLE INFORMATION SO FAR ABOUT SERB CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN THE AREA. THE ONLY SPECIFIC INCIDENT HE RAISED, HOWEVER, WAS ONE THAT VELJO DJAKULA RAISED WITH THE AMBASSADOR MAY 8, IN WHICH SIX OF SEVEN PEOPLE TRYING TO ESCAPE PAKRAC IN A TRUCK AT NIGHT HAD APPARENTLY BEEN KILLED BY CROATIAN FIRE. ¶4. (C) THE UN CENTRE ALSO HAS "VARIOUS" REPORTS OF MISTREATMENT AND PHYSICAL ABUSE OF MILITARY DETAINEES, PARTICULARLY AT THE VARAZDIN CENTER. (NOTE: EMBASSY HAS NOT YET VISITED THE VARAZDIN CENTER BUT WILL BE DOING SO IN THE NEAR FUTURE.) FLYNN TOLD US THAT THE WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL WAS PLANNING TO SEND AN CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01824 01 OF 02 111828Z INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO CROATIA NEXT WEEK; IT WOULD LOOK AT THE QUESTION OF THE ROCKET ATTACKS ON ZAGREB, AS WELL AS QUESTIONS OF CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS. ¶5. (LOU) UNCIVPOL COMMISSION SVEN FREDRIKSSON TOLD US MAY 11 THAT HE HAD ALREADY ADDED 70 ADDITIONAL CIVPOL OFFICERS IN FORMER SECTOR WEST, BRINGING THE TOTAL PRESENCE CURRENTLY TO 130. HE EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO ADD 30 TO 40 MORE AS NEW INCOMING PERSONNEL WERE TRAINED. CIVPOL IS CONTINUING AND EVEN AUGMENTING ITS PREVIOUSLY EXISTING PRESENCE IN "THE NORTHERN PART OF SECTOR WEST" (NOTE: THAT IS THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE FORMALLY DEFINED "UNPA WEST" WHICH HAS IN PRACTICAL TERMS BEEN CONTROLLED BY THE CROATS SINCE BEFORE UNPROFOR FORCES ARRIVED IN CROATIA. BECAUSE A SMALL SERB MINORITY REMAINS IN THE AREA, THERE IS A LEGITIMATE "REASSURANCE" ROLE THERE FOR UNCIVPOL). THE UN THOUGHT ITS HEIGHTENED VISIBILITY IN THIS AREA WOULD BE USEFUL; CIVPOL HAS ORDERS TO VISIT "EVERY VILLAGE EVERY DAY." ¶6. (LOU) MOST OF THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS, HOWEVER, CONFIDENTIAL NNNNPTQ3930 CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3930 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01824 02 OF 02 111827Z ACTION EUR-01 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 OASY-00 EB-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-10 L-01 ADS-00 NEA-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 PA-01 PM-00 PRS-01 P-01 SP-00 SR-00 SS-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SA-01 SNIS-00 NISC-01 PMB-00 PRME-01 PRMC-01 DRL-09 G-00 /035W -------------- C4A889 111827Z /38 P 111925Z MAY 95 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5744 INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J21// JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// COM SIXTHFLT//N2// AMCONSUL MUNICH USLO SKOPJE USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// AMEMBASSY BELGRADE NATO EU COLLECTIVE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01824 02 OF 02 111827Z CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001824 SIPDIS VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU E.O. 12356: DECL 5/11/00 TAGS: SUBJECT: CROATIA UPDATE NO. 36: U.S., UN, EXPLORING CROAT TREATMENT OF SERBS IN WESTERN SLAVONIA WOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE "SOUTHERN PART OF SECTOR WEST," I.E., THE AREA RECENTLY RETAKEN BY THE CROATS. FREDRIKSSON SAID HE AND OTHERS HAD VISITED ALL THE VILLAGES IN THE PAKRAC AND GAVRILICA AREAS ON MAY 10. CIVPOL WOULD CONDUCT "DISPATCHED" (I.E. ROVING) PATROLS BUT WOULD ALSO HAVE STATIONARY POSTS IN THE MOST SENSITIVE AREAS. CIVPOL HAD RETURNED TO OKUCANI MAY 10 AND WOULD BE ABLE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION THERE WITH A TOTAL OF 16 OFFICERS. IN ALL AREAS, THE CIVPOL VIEWED ITS MISSION AS GATHERING SOUND, VERIFIABLE INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE CRIMES AND INCIDENTS, AND REASSURANCE OF THE MINORITY POPULATION. ¶7. (C) CIVPOL NOW HAS ALMOST COMPLETE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND HAS FOUND THE CROATS EXTREMELY COOPERATIVE. FREDRIKSSON SAID THERE HAD BEEN "ONLY" THREE CASES IN WHICH CROATIAN OFFICIALS HAD SOUGHT TO DENY ACCESS (AND EXPLAINED THE WORD "ONLY" BY SAYING, CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01824 02 OF 02 111827Z "I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED MANY MORE"). WHEN MILITARY POLICE IN ONE VILLAGE NEAR PAKRAC DENIED CIVPOL ACCESS, THE CROATIAN CIVILIAN POLICE AUTHORITIES ON THE SCENE HAD GONE TO HIGHER AUTHORITY AND GOT THE MILITARY POLICE DECISION REVERSED, ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE GOC HAD ORDERED "FULL COOPERATION WITH THE UN." WHEN CIVPOL OFFICERS WHO RETURNED TO THEIR FORMER OFFICES IN OKUCANI FOUND THEM OCCUPIED BY THE HV -- BUT THE CROATIAN SOLDIERS DID RELINQUISH THE SPACE ON REQUEST. (ALL THE OFFICE EQUIPMENT WAS MISSING, WHETHER TAKEN BY SERBS OR CROATS, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY). ON THE OTHER HAND, CIVPOL PERSONNEL INVESTIGATING A REPORT OF A GRAVE DESECRATION IN OKUCANI GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THAT A GRAVE APPEARED TO BE OPEN, AND TO DETECT A "POWERFUL ODOR," BUT WERE TURNED AWAY BY MILITARY POLICE. (THIS INCIDENT WILL BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER.) ¶8. (C) FREDRIKSSON SEEMED TO SHARE FLYNN'S VIEW THAT MORE INCIDENTS WOULD COME TO LIGHT. HE SAID CIVPOL HAD FIELDED "LOTS OF COMPLAINTS," AND FELT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT "WRONGDOING" HAD OCCURRED, THOUGH CIVPOL HAD DETECTED NO PATTERN OF ABUSE BUT RATHER, ISOLATED INCIDENTS. THE UN, HE THOUGHT, NEEDED TO "FLOOD THE AREA" WITH OBSERVERS TO DEVELOP "QUALITY INFORMATION" TO BE ABLE TO CONFIRM OR REFUTE REPORTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. FREDRIKSSON ALSO ECHOED A POINT WE HAVE HEARD FROM SOME CROATIAN CONTACTS, I.E. THAT THE CROATIAN POLICE WERE TURNING FOR ASSISTANCE IN ADMINISTERING THE AREA TO PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN MEMBERS OF THE "DOMOBRAN" (LOCAL MILITIA) IN THE AREA BEFORE THE WAR. THESE, HE THOUGHT, WERE "EXACTLY THE WRONG CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01824 02 OF 02 111827Z PEOPLE TO USE" BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HARBOR GRUDGES. HE HAD EXPRESSED HIS MISGIVING TO THE CROATIAN POLICE, WHO COUNTERED THAT THESE PEOPLE'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA MADE THEM INVALUABLE. ¶9. COMMENT: IN SUM, THERE IS A SENSE OF UNEASE AMONG UN PERSONNEL THAT, DESPITE THE LACK OF EVIDENCE SO FAR ON THE GROUND, SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS REMAIN TO BE UNCOVERED. ECHOING THIS ATTITUDE, UN CIVIL AFFAIRS CHIEF FOR CROATIA JAQUE GRINBERG TOLD POLOFF MAY 11 THAT THE ORIGINAL MOVE IN NEW YORK TOWARD CENSURE OF THE CROATIAN ACTION HAD "NOT BEEN PREMATURE," IMPLYING THAT UN'S JUDGMENT WOULD YET BE VINDICATED. WE BELIEVE THERE ARE CERTAINLY INCIDENTS WHICH REQUIRE FULL INVESTIGATION, AND HAVE MADE CLEAR TO UN OFFICIALS THAT OUR OWN EFFORTS WILL LIKEWISE EXPLORE ALL AVENUES TO ASCERTAIN THE FACTS. GALBRAITH CONFIDENTIAL NNNN