CODEL KERREY/WARNER PART TWO: VISIT TO KNIN

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 03309 SIPDIS BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREL PREF MOPS HR PREF MOPS HR PREF MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: CODEL KERREY/WARNER PART TWO: VISIT TO KNIN DECONTROL UPON RECEIPT -- SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. SENATORS WARNER AND KERREY WERE BRIEFED IN KNIN IN THE UN COMPOUND BY LOCAL UNCRO MILITARY OFFICERS AND OBSERVERS, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER, THE EC MONITORING MISSION AND UNHCR. THE UN AND ECMM ASSESSMENTS OF THE ATTACK AND AFTERMATH OF THE HV'S "OPERATION STORM" WERE BLUNT AND FEATURED DISTURBING ALLEGATIONS OF SIGNIFICANT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING LARGE-SCALE BURNING OF SERB HOMES AND VILLAGES, SOME APPARENT MURDERS OF CIVILIANS AND PROBLEMS WITH DISPLACED PERSONS. WARNER AND KERREY ALSO MET BRIEFLY WITH GENERAL CERMAK, CROATIAN MILITARY GOVERNOR OF KNIN, AND DISCUSSED CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE AREA AND THE PLIGHT OF DISPLACED PERSONS IN THE WAKE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS. THE CODEL AND ESCORTING EMBOFFS OBSERVED THAT MOST HOMES LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 03309 01 OF 03 301520Z IN THE AREA OUTSIDE OF THE TOWNS OF DRNIS AND KNIN HAD BEEN BURNED. END SUMMARY. -------------- MILITARY ASPECTS OF "STORM" -------------- ¶2. THE OPENING MILITARY ASSESSMENT BY LOCAL UNCRO COMMANDER FOURAND AND HIS BRIEFER, COLONEL BALFOUR (BOTH CANADIAN OFFICERS),POSITED THAT CROATIAN FORCES (HV) WERE SUCCESSFUL NOT BECAUSE OF MILITARY PROWESS (BALFOUR CHARACTERIZED SOME HV TROOPS IN KNIN AS "A MOTLEY COLLECTION OF THUGS") BUT BECAUSE OF THE "RSK" LEADERSHIP'S EARLY DECISION TO ORDER EVACUATION RATHER THAN MOUNT A SUSTAINED DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN. FOURAND AND BALFOUR NOTED THAT THE TERRAIN OF FORMER UN SECTOR SOUTH IS "A DEFENDER'S DREAM" AND THAT EVEN MARGINALLY EFFECTIVE "RSK" COMMAND AND TACTICS COULD HAVE BOGGED HV ATTACKERS DOWN IN A PROLONGED, DEBILITATING FIGHT. ¶3. SENATOR KERREY CHALLENGED THE VIEW THAT THE HV'S OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS ONLY BY DEFAULT, NOTING THE EXTREMELY RAPID AND COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF THE SERB DEFEAT. BALFOUR REPEATED THAT THE "RSK" DECISION TO EVACUATE REMAINED THE KEY REASON FOR THE CROATIAN VICTORY, AND FURTHER NOTED THE HV OPERATION IN SECTOR SOUTH INVOLVED LITTLE INGENUITY AND MIRRORED EARLIER 
"RSK" AND BSA TACTICS: I.E., STAND OFF AND HAMMER THE ENEMY'S MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CENTERS WITH ARTILLERY -- THE UN CLAIMED OVER 2,000 IMPACTS IN KNIN CITY -- THEN MOVE IN TO TAKE CONTROL OF SURRENDERED OR DESERTED AREAS. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 04 ZAGREB 03309 01 OF 03 301520Z (COMMENT: THE CENTER OF KNIN SHOWED LITTLE DAMAGE, BUT THE UN CLAIMS THE HV UNDERTOOK A CLEAN-UP OF THE AREA DURING THE PERIOD OF AUGUST 5-8, WHILE THE UN WAS STILL CONFINED TO ITS COMPOUND. THE CITY HAD ALSO BEEN SPRUCED UP AUGUST 26 FOR PRESIDENT TUDJMAN'S REOPENING OF THE ZAGREB-KNIN-SPLIT RAILROAD. END COMMENT.) THE UNCRO OFFICERS AND THE MILITARY OBSERVER ALSO CLAIMED THAT THE HV AT ONE POINT THREATENED DIRECT ATTACK ON THE UN COMPOUND IN KNIN AND GAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF HV ATTACKS ON UN OBERVATION POSTS (THERE WERE TWO UN CASUALTIES) AND OF HV ADVANCES THAT "WENT NOWHERE" WHEN SERB TROOPS OFFERED MEANINGFUL RESISTENCE. -------------- HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISPLACED PERSONS -------------- LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNNPTQ4674 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PTQ4674 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 03309 02 OF 03 301521Z ACTION H-06 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 DS-00 EUR-01 TEDE-00 IO-02 ADS-00 OIC-02 SS-00 DSCC-00 /011W -------------- E8021C 301521Z /38 R 301503Z AUG 95 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7079 INFO AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST AMEMBASSY BELGRADE DIA WASHDC JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21// SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// NSC WASHDC NATO EU COLLECTIVE CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// COMSIXTHFLT //N2// CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD// HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMCONSUL MUNICH USLO SKOPJE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 ZAGREB 03309 02 OF 03 301521Z LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 003309 BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREL PREF MOPS HR PREF MOPS HR PREF MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: CODEL KERREY/WARNER PART TWO: VISIT TO KNIN ¶4. THE MOST DRAMATIC AND DISTURBING BRIEFINGS DEALT WITH REPORTS FROM THE EC MONITORING MISSION AND UN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE HV OR OTHER CROAT ELEMENTS HAD ENGAGED IN SIGNIFICANT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE AFTERMATH OF "STORM," INCLUDING WIDE- SPREAD BURNING OF SERB HOMES AND VILLAGES AND SOME APPARENT MURDERS OF CIVILIANS. ¶5. BURNINGS: THE ECMM MONITOR, SOREN LIBORIUS, ESTIMATED THAT AT LEAST 60 PERCENT OF FORMERLY SERB DWELLINGS HAD BEEN BURNED FROM AUGUST 7 THROUGH AUGUST 24, AND SUPPLIED A WRITTEN REPORT DOCUMENTING DOZENS OF SPECIFIC INCIDENTS. IN SOME INSTANCES, ECMM MONITORS OBSERVED HOUSES BEING BURNT BY UNIFORMED HV SOLDIERS SUPPLIED BY FUEL TRUCKS IN AREAS UNDER HV OR POLICE CONTROL. IN OTHER INSTANCES, MIXED GROUPS OF CIVILIANS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE SEEN BURNING HOUSES. WHILE ECMM AND THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPS ATTRIBUTED SOME BURNINGS TO INCIDENTS OF INDIVIDUAL RETRIBUTION OR THUGGERY, THEY BELIEVED THERE MAY EXIST AN ORGANIZED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 03309 02 OF 03 301521Z CROATIAN EFFORT TO DEPRIVE WOULD-BE SERB RETURNEES OF HABITATION. THEY OBSERVED A WIDE PATTERN OF DESTRUCTION OF REMOTE SERB HOMES AND VILLAGES WHILE TRADITIONAL CROATIAN VILLAGES AS WELL AS LARGER POPULATION CENTERS (E.G., KNIN, VRILKA, DRNIS) WERE SPARED, POSSIBLY AS POTENTIAL HOUSING FOR RETURNING CROATIANS DISPLACED IN 1991-92. (COMMENT: IN ADDITION TO THE UN AND ECMM COMMENTS, EMBOFFS WITH WARNER AND KERREY SAW SEVERAL RECENTLY BURNED HOUSES AND VILLAGES IN THE AREA OF KNIN. APPROXIMATELY 80 - 90 PERCENT OF BUILDINGS ALONG THE ROAD THROUGH DRNIS - KNIN - VRPOLJE - KIJEVO HAD BEEN BURNED. EMBOFFS SAW TWO FIRES IN DRNIS AND OTHERS ALONG THE ROAD. IN SOME AREAS THE AIR SMELLED OF RECENTLY-BURNED BUILDINGS. END COMMENT.) ¶6. KILLINGS: IN ADDITION TO HOUSE-BURNING INCIDENTS, THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER REPRESENTATIVE, E.J. FLYNN, AND THE ECMM REP RECOUNTED CHILLING CASES OF APPARENT MURDER OF UNARMED SERBS AFTER THE CROATIAN MILITARY OPERATION WAS COMPLETE. IN ONE INSTANCE IN A REMOTE RURAL AREA, A CANADIAN UN OFFICER OBSERVED HV SOLDIERS POSING FOR A PHOTO WITH AN ELDERLY SERB, "DISPLAYING HIM LIKE A HUNTING TROPHY." SOME TIME LATER, THE SERB WAS FOUND IN A NEARBY FIELD WITH A BULLET IN HIS HEAD. IN ANOTHER INSTANCE, AN UNARMED SERB WAS ESCORTED BEHIND A HOUSE BY HV TROOPS, AND LATER FOUND THERE WITH HIS HEAD SHATTERED BY A BULLET. THE BODY REMAINS LEANING AGAINST A WOODPILE, ACCORDING TO THE EC MONITOR. IN A THIRD CASE RECOUNTED AFTER THE BRIEFING TO AN EMBOFF BY A CANADIAN UN OFFICER, AN ELDERLY SERB MAN CAME TO THE UN COMPOUND IN KNIN AT NIGHT SEEKING PROTECTION FOR HIMSELF AND HIS LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 04 ZAGREB 03309 02 OF 03 301521Z WIFE. WHEN UN OFFICERS WENT AT DAWN WITH THE MAN TO HIS HOME, THE WIFE'S BODY WAS FOUND IN THE COUPLE'S WELL. ¶7. FLYNN ALSO DISCUSSED EARLY UN REPORTS OF A POSSIBLE "MASS GRAVE" AT KNIN CEMETERY. ALTHOUGH THOSE INITIAL REPORTS ARE NOW OPEN TO QUESTION, FLYNN OPINED THAT THE PLACEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL GRAVE MARKERS ON THE SUSPECT SITE MAY BE ONLY "COSMETIC COVER." FLYNN INDICATED THAT HUMAN RIGHTS CASES ARE BEING DOCUMENTED AND WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL AT THE HAGUE. ¶8. DISPLACED PERSONS: ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF DISPLACED SERBS HAVE NOW DEPARTED KRAJINA, 760 SERB DISPLACED PERSONS ARE STILL TAKING REFUGEE IN THE UN COMPOUND IN KNIN. THE UN IS STILL ENGAGED IN DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS WITH CROATIAN AUTHORITIES CONCERNING THEIR DEPARTURE. SENATORS WARNER AND KERREY MET BRIEFLY WITH A LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNNPTQ4678 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PTQ4678 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 03309 03 OF 03 301521Z ACTION H-06 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 DS-00 EUR-01 TEDE-00 IO-02 ADS-00 OIC-02 SS-00 DSCC-00 /011W -------------- E80228 301521Z /38 R 301503Z AUG 95 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7080 INFO AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST AMEMBASSY BELGRADE DIA WASHDC JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21// SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// NSC WASHDC NATO EU COLLECTIVE CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// COMSIXTHFLT //N2// CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD// HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMCONSUL MUNICH USLO SKOPJE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 ZAGREB 03309 03 OF 03 301521Z LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 003309 BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PREL PREF MOPS HR PREF MOPS HR PREF MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: CODEL KERREY/WARNER PART TWO: VISIT TO KNIN REPRESENTATIVE OF THESE DPS, WHO ASKED THAT THE SENATORS AND USG TRY TO ASSIST IN EFFECTING THEIR SAFE PASSAGE TO SERBIA. -------------- MEETING WITH GENERAL CERMAK -------------- ¶9. SENATORS WARNER AND KERREY MET BRIEFLY WITH GENERAL CERMAK, THE CROATIAN MILITARY GOVERNOR OF KNIN, WHO SEEMED SOMEWHAT DISTRACTED BY THE APPROACHING VISIT OF PRESIDENT TUDJMAN. CERMAK INDICATED THAT THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO TURN GOVERNING AUTHORITY OVER TO A CIVILIAN IN APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 WEEKS, LIKELY SOMEONE ORIGINALLY FROM THE REGION OF KNIN, AND THAT MUNICIPAL AND POLICE DUTIES WERE BEING HANDED OVER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO CIVIL AUTHORITIES. (COMMENT: UN OFFICIALS COMPLAINED OF A LARGE CONTINUING HV PRESENCE IN KNIN, ALTHOUGH MOST TROOPS AND ARMOR OBSERVED BY EMBOFFS BELONGED TO HEAVILY-ARMED INTERIOR MINISTRY POLICE UNITS. END COMMENT.) LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 03309 03 OF 03 301521Z ¶10. CERMAK ALSO REPEATED CROATIAN PUBLIC STATEMENTS THAT SERBS WILLING TO LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CROATIAN LAWS WOULD BE WELCOME AND PROVIDED THE FULL RANGE OF RIGHTS AND SOCIAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS. ¶11. SENATOR KERREY ASKED WHY SERBS STILL IN THE UN COMPOUND HAD NOT BEEN ALLOWED YET TO LEAVE. CERMAK REPLIED THAT CROATIAN MILITARY AND JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES WISHED TO QUESTION 62 MEN IN THE GROUP FOR POSSIBLE WAR CRIMES. HE INSISTED THAT CROATIA HAD DOSSIERS ON THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE AVAILABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL REVIEW. OTHERS WERE FREE TO DEPART, BUT SOME WERE RELATIVES OF THE 62 MEN AND WERE UNWILLING TO DEPART WITHOUT THEM. GALBRAITH LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNN