US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB2249

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 002249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FOR EUR/OHI AND EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, HR, Regional Issues 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR REBUFFS EFFORT AT HOLOCAUST DENIAL 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF MITCH BENEDICT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (SBU) ON OCTOBER 10 THE AMBASSADOR CALLED ON ARCHBISHOP 
    JOSIP BOZANIC TO PROTEST A RECENT ARTICLE IN "GLAS KONCILA," 
THE OFFICIAL PAPER OF THE CROATIAN COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, TITLED 
"WHY IS THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN THE SERVICE OF ANTI-CROATIAN 
SLANDERERS?"  MASQUERADING AS COMMENTARY, THE ARTICLE IS 
LITTLE MORE THAN A SCREED ON HOW THE UNITED STATES CONDUCTS 
DIPLOMACY ("FALLACIES OF THE BIG BROTHER") AND WHY, BY HAVING 
A LINK ON THE EMBASSY WEB SITE TO THE U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL 
MUSEUM, WE ARE "SPREADING FALSEHOOD AND ANTI-CROATIAN 
SLANDER." 
 
2. (C) THE AMBASSADOR TOLD THE ARCHBISHOP -- AND SOON TO BE 
CARDINAL -- THAT THE GLAS KONCILA ARTICLE COULD BE PERCEIVED 
AS AN EFFORT AT HOLOCAUST DENIAL.  IN ADDITION, IT ALLEGED A 
CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE INTERESTS OF CROATIA ON THE PART OF 
ETHNIC SERBS AND JEWS IN THE UNITED STATES.  SUCH AN ARTICLE, 
THE AMBASSADOR SAID, WOULD ONLY HARM CROATIA, AND THE IMAGE 
OF CROATIA'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.  THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THAT 
THE ARTICLE STOOD IN STARK CONTRAST TO A CLEAR MESSAGE OF 
ETHNIC RECONCILIATION, TOLERANCE, AND PEACE DELIVERED BY THE 
POPE DURING HIS JUNE VISIT TO CROATIA. 
 
3. (C) BOZANIC CLAIMED FIRST NOT TO HAVE READ THE ARTICLE, 
BUT THEN NOTED IT WAS A "COMMENTARY" WRITTEN BY A LAYPERSON 
THAT DOES NOT WRITE WELL AND WAS EXPRESSING THE "IMAGINATION 
OF CERTAIN ELEMENTS."  BOZANIC NEXT RECALLED WITH A GLINT IN 
HIS EYE THAT DURING THE TUDJMAN REGIME THE FIRST TOPIC OF 
EVERY DISCUSSION WITH THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR WAS FREEDOM OF 
THE PRESS AND THE NEED FOR NON-INTERFERENCE IN THE MEDIA.  HE 
MAINTAINED THAT AN INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL BOARD, NOT THE 
CHURCH, DETERMINED THE CONTENTS OF GLAS KONCILA. HE SUGGESTED 
THAT SOMEONE IN THE MEDIA COULD WRITE AN APPROPRIATE REPLY -- 
    AND, IF CERTAIN FACTS WERE NOT TRUE, WE SHOULD REFUTE THEM 
DIRECTLY.  WHILE MAINTAINING THE PAPER'S INDEPENDENCE, 
BOZANIC CONCEDED THAT PREVIOUSLY HE HAD SPOKEN TO "SOME 
ELEMENTS" OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD, ON "SOME ASPECTS OF SOME 
ISSUES." 
 
4. (C) BOZANIC DEFENDED THE AUTHOR, SAYING HE AND HIS ENTIRE 
FAMILY CAME FROM THE VOJVODINA REGION OF SERBIA, "WHERE THEY 
SUFFERED AND SUFFERED WOUNDS," AND THAT FOR SUCH PEOPLE IT 
WILL TAKE GENERATIONS FOR THOSE WOUNDS TO HEAL.  THE 
AMBASSADOR UNDERSCORED AGAIN THAT THE ARTICLE SERVED NO 
POSITIVE PURPOSE, AND IN FACT WAS AN EGREGIOUS AFFRONT TO 
THOSE WORKING TO PROMOTE A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL CROATIANS. 
BOZANIC THANKED THE AMBASSADOR AND SAID HE WOULD "TAKE 
CERTAIN STEPS," ALTHOUGH HE CAUTIONED ONE FINAL TIME THAT 
GLAS KONCILA IS NOT AN OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 
IN CROATIA. 
 
COMMENT 
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5. (C) THE MEETING WITH BOZANIC TOOK PLACE ON THE EVE OF HIS 
DEPARTURE FOR ROME, WHERE HE ATTENDED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
JOHN PAUL II'S PAPACY AND WILL REMAIN FOR HIS ELEVATION TO 
CARDINAL ON OCTOBER 21.   THE VATICAN REACHED BACK IN THE 
RANKS WHEN IT APPOINTED BOZANIC ARCHBISHOP IN 1997.  ALTHOUGH 
A MODERATE BY REPUTATION, HE WILL NOT ROCK THE BOAT IN 
DEALING WITH THE LARGELY CONSERVATIVE AND NATIONALIST 
HIERARCHY OF THE CHURCH IN CROATIA.  THE ARTICLE WILL ONLY 
LEND STRENGTH TO THE ARGUMENT THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN 
CROATIA REMAINS MORE A PART OF THE PROBLEM THAN THE SOLUTION 
    IN TERMS OF PROMOTING ETHNIC TOLERANCE, RECONCILIATION, AND 
THE "NORMAL" LIFE SOUGHT BY ALL CROATIANS. 
FRANK 
 
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