US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB2623

UNCLAS ZAGREB 002623 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/ES-CR AND S/ES-O 
ALSO FOR EUR/SCE (KABUMOTO) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, IZ, HR 
SUBJECT: LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH FROM PRIME MINISTER 
DESIGNATE SANADER ON THE OCCASION OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S 
CAPTURE 
 
1.  ON DECEMBER 14, HDZ PARTY PRESIDENT AND CROATIAN PRIME 
MINISTER-DESIGNATE IVO SANADER SENT TO THE EMBASSY A LETTER 
FOR PRESIDENT BUSH.  THE LETTER (ORIGINAL BEING POUCHED TO 
WASHINGTON, FULL TEXT BELOW) CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT BUSH ON 
THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AND PLEDGES CLOSER BILATERAL 
COOPERATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM. 
 
    2.  BEGIN TEXT OF DECEMBER 14 LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH. 
 
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: 
 
I AM THRILLED BY THE NEWS OF THE SUCCESSFUL APPREHENSION OF 
SADDAM HUSSEIN, THE FORMER RULER OF IRAQ AND ONE OF THE 
WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS DICTATORS.  IT IS WITH UTMOST 
SATISFACTION THAT I CONGRATULATE YOU ON THIS GREAT SUCCESS. 
THIS IS A GLORIOUS DAY FOR THE FREE WORLD AND FOR ALL PEOPLE 
WHO ASPIRE TO A WORLD OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.  TODAY'S 
SUCCESS WILL HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF NOT 
ONLY IRAQ AND ITS PEOPLE BUT ALSO ON THE WHOLE OF THE MIDDLE 
EAST. 
 
AS I POINTED OUT IN MY WALL STREET JOURNAL OP-ED IN MARCH 
2003, GIVEN ITS OWN EXPERIENCE, CROATIA ALSO APPRECIATES THAT 
EVIL IS NOT A METAPHYSICAL ABSTRACTION BUT THAT ITS WRIT RUNS 
THROUGH THE AFFAIRS OF MEN - AND THAT USE OF FORCE, WHILE 
INVARIABLE A HORRIBLE ENTERPRISE, IS SOMETIMES THE ONLY 
ANSWER TO THE CHALLENGE POSED BY EVIL REGIMES.  THIS IS WHY 
YOUR SUPERB LEADERSHIP IN GUIDING THE WORLD COMMUNITY IN THE 
STRUGGLE AGAINST WORLDWIDE TERRORISM IS AN INSPIRATION TO US 
ALL. 
 
SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE WAR ON TERROR THE CROATIAN 
DEMOCRATIC UNION AND I HAVE GIVEN UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO THE 
LEADING ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES.  AS THE FUTURE PRIME 
MINISTER OF CROATIA I AM COMMITTED TO STEP-UP CROATIA'S 
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM. 
 
    I SEE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. AS A KEY PILLAR OF 
CROATIA'S FOREIGN POLICY.  I LOOK FORWARD TO COOPERATING WITH 
YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED 
STATES OF AMERICA ON STRENGTHENING THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN 
OUR TWO COUNTRIES. 
 
SINCERELY YOURS, DR. IVO SANADER, PRESIDENT OF THE CROATIAN 
DEMOCRATIC UNION AND PRIME MINISTER DESGINATE. 
 
END TEXT.