Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
95ZAGREB2174
1995-06-06 17:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

GOC OFFERS MORE DETAIL ON SECTOR WEST KIA, GRAVES, DETAINEES

Tags:  HR NOTAG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 02174 

SIPDIS


AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE


LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 002174


VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
BAKU FOR FINN

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS:
SUBJECT: GOC OFFERS MORE DETAIL ON SECTOR WEST KIA,
GRAVES, DETAINEES

REF: ZAGREB 2007

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 02174

SIPDIS


AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE


LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 002174


VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
BAKU FOR FINN

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS:
SUBJECT: GOC OFFERS MORE DETAIL ON SECTOR WEST KIA,
GRAVES, DETAINEES

REF: ZAGREB 2007


1. AN OFFICIAL OF THE UN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN
ZAGREB (PROTECT) SAYS THAT CENTER DIRECTOR MAZOWIECKI,
IN THE WAKE OF HIS CHARGES THAT THERE WERE "MASS
GRAVES" IN PARTS OF SECTOR WEST, HAD TALKS WITH DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER KOSTOVIC TO TRY TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE
REMAINING DISCREPANCIES AND HOLES IN INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT (REFTEL).


2. KOSTOVIC REPORTEDLY GAVE THE UNCHR THE FOLLOWING
DATA ON DETAINEES: 205 PERSONS REMAIN IN DETENTION
FROM THE SECTOR WEST OPERATION; 186 OF THESE ARE
SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE WAR CRIMES CHARGES AND THEY ARE
DISTRIBUTED AMONG FOUR DETENTION CENTERS, IN BJELOVAR,
POZEGA, OSIJEK, AND SPLIT. AN ADDITIONAL 19 PERSONS
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PAGE 03 ZAGREB 02174 01 OF 02 061626Z
ARE DESCRIBED AS "FOREIGN NATIONALS" BEING CONSIDERED
AS POWS, AND THEY ARE DETAINED IN SPLIT.


3. KOSTOVIC SAID THE GOC HAD TURNED OVER A COMPLETE
LIST OF THESE INDIVIDUALS TO THE CROATIAN RED CROSS.
MAZOWIECKI OBSERVED THAT THE CROATIAN RED CROSS MIGHT
NOT BE VIEWED BY SERBS AS THE MOST NEUTRAL
ORGANIZATION. KOSTOVIC AGREED AND PROMISED TO PROVIDE
THE DATA ALSO TO ICRC. THE ICRC HAS CONFIRMED TO THE
UNCHR THAT IS HAS BOTH A LIST AND/AND ACCESS TO THE
DETAINED PERSONS.


4. REGARDING THE CHARGES OF MASS GRAVES, (FYI, WE NOW
UNDERSTAND MAZOWIECKI'S PEOPLE OBSERVED, NOT "MASS
GRAVES" AS SUCH BUT ROWS OF NEW GRAVEMOUNDS),KOSTOVIC
PROVIDED THE UNCHR A LIST OF THE BURIAL SITES WHERE A
TOTAL OF 188 FATALITIES FROM THE SECTOR WEST OPERATION
HAD BEEN BURIED. 156 OF THESE HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED; 20
WERE DEFINITELY CIVILIANS, MOST EVIDENTLY KILLED IN THE
CROSSFIRE OF A SKIRMISH NEAR NOVI VAROS. AN ADDITIONAL
34 WERE "POSSIBLE" CIVILIANS -- THOUGHT TO BE CIVILIANS
ALTHOUGH MANY WERE DRESSED IN UNIFORMS OR PARTIAL
UNIFORMS. KOSTOVIC REPEATED THE GOC'S OFFER TO MAKE
INFORMATION ON THE IDENTITIES OF THE CIVILIAN DEAD
AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUAL RELATIVES WHO MIGHT INQUIRE.
HE SPECIFICALLY REJECTED THE IDEA OF PROVIDING THE
NAMES OF THE MILITARY DEAD ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE
"RSK" HAD NEVER PROVIDED SIMILAR INFORMATION AFTER THE
FIGHTING IN EASTERN SLAVONIA (VUKOVAR).
-

5. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW SAYING THERE WERE 10 SERB

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PAGE 04 ZAGREB 02174 01 OF 02 061626Z
WOUNDED FOUND AFTER THE OPERATION; THEY HAD BEEN
TREATED AND RELEASED.


6. ASKED IF UN OR OTHER AUTHORITIES INTENDED TO PURSUE
THE ISSUE OF MASS GRAVES OR OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS
FURTHER, OUR SOURCE THOUGHT THIS RELATIVELY UNLIKELY.
REGARDING THE GRAVES, FM GRANIC HAD PROMISED WAR CRIMES
TRIBUNAL CHIEF PROSECUTOR GOLDSTONE DURING THE LATTER'S
VISIT HERE THAT CROATIA WOULD COOPERATE WITH ANY
INVESTIGATION. IT SEEMED POSSIBLE, HOWEVER, THAT THE
TRIBUNAL WOULD FIND INSUFFICIENT CAUSE TO PURSUE THE
MATTER FURTHER OR TO SEEK EXHUMATION. OUR CONTACT
BELIEVED MAZOWIECKI WAS RELATIVELY SATISFIED WITH THE
EXPLANATIONS GIVEN BY THE GOC. REGARDING THE OVERBLOWN
ESTIMATE OF KIAS GIVEN BY DEFMIN SUSAK, HE FELT THERE
WERE ENOUGH CREDIBLE SOURCES SUGGESTING THAT SUSAK HAD,
IN EFFECT, BEEN SPEAKING WITHOUT BASIS. THE UN IN THE
BANJA LUKA AREA HAD REPORTED "SEVERAL HUNDRED" WOUNDED
AMONG THOSE WHO FLED FROM CROATIAN TO BOSNIAN
TERRITORY











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NNNNPTQ9605





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PAGE 01 ZAGREB 02174 02 OF 02 061627Z
ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 OASY-00 SRPP-00 EB-01
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-08 L-01 ADS-00 NSAE-00
OIC-02 PA-01 PRS-01 P-01 SP-00 SS-00 STR-01
TRSE-00 USIE-00 SNIS-00 NISC-01 PRME-01 DRL-09 G-00
/030W
-------------- CCE5B5 061627Z /38
P 061712Z JUN 95
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6038
INFO CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN//
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD//
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J21//
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD//
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP//
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5//
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22//
COM SIXTHFLT//N2//
WHITEHOUSE WASHDC
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL MUNICH
USLO SKOPJE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
USMISSION GENEVA
AMEMBASSY BAKU
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
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PAGE 02 ZAGREB 02174 02 OF 02 061627Z
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE


LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 002174


VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA; USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
BAKU FOR FINN

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS:
SUBJECT: GOC OFFERS MORE DETAIL ON SECTOR WEST KIA,
GRAVES, DETAINEES

IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE ASSAULT, SO THAT THE FIGURE OF
ONLY 10 WIA REMAINING ON THE CROATIAN SIDE COULD WELL
BE CORRECT.


7. COMMENT: ALTHOUGH THE GOC HAS NOT BEEN PROACTIVE
IN OFFERING INFORMATION IT WOULD BE IN ITS OWN INTEREST
TO GIVE FREELY, THE UN HAS EVIDENTLY MADE SOME HEADWAY
IN GETTING THE INFORMATION NEEDED. NEVERTHELESS, SERB
POLITICIANS IN CROATIA SUCH AS THE SNS'S VESELIN
PEJNOVIC CONTINUE TO CALL (WITH JUSTIFICATION) FOR
CLARIFICATION OF NUMERICAL DISCREPANCIES (SUSAK'S
ESTIMATE OF 1200 WOUNDED VS. KOSTOVIC'S 10),THE STATUS
OF THE DETAINEES AND THE CHARGES AGAINST THEM, AND
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RETURN TO SERBS OF THEIR PROPERTY.
CONFIDENCE-BUILDING HAS A LONG WAY TO GO YET.

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PAGE 03 ZAGREB 02174 02 OF 02 061627Z
GALBRAITH






























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