US embassy cable - 04VATICAN1989

UNCLAS VATICAN 001989 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN; EUR/SCE; IO/PHO: CARLSON; IO/UNP; 
DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF, MW, PREL, SOCI, SR, VT, YI, UNMIK 
SUBJECT: SERB AMBASSADOR CONCERNED ABOUT KOSOVO, ISLAM 
 
REF: A. PRISTINA 660 ET AL. 
     B. 03 VATICAN 5351 
 
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    SUMMARY 
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1.  (SBU)  DARKO TANASKOVIC, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (SAM) 
AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE, PASSED THE AMBASSADOR MAY 19 
SAM'S DISCUSSION PAPER ON KOSOVO (REF A) AND IMPRESSED UPON 
HIM HIS CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE SERBIAN MINORITY IN 
THE PROVINCE.  TANASKOVIC DESCRIBED A GROWING EXTREMISM AMONG 
MUSLIMS IN THE BALKANS, AND WAS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE 
PROSPECTS FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE.  THE AMBASSADOR 
STRESSED THE CONTINUING USG COMMITMENT TO THE BALKANS AND OUR 
CONDEMNATION OF THE MARCH VIOLENCE IN KOSOVO.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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SAM'S KOSOVO PAPER 
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2.  (SBU) SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (SAM) AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY 
SEE DARKO TANASKOVIC CALLED ON THE AMBASSADOR MAY 19 TO BRIEF 
HIM ON SAM'S PLAN FOR KOSOVO.  TANASKOVIC PASSED US A COPY OF 
SAM'S "PLAN FOR THE POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE SITUATION IN 
KOSOVO AND METOHIJA," NOTING THAT IT HAD BEEN PRESENTED TO 
THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT FM DRASKOVIC HAD SPOKEN ON IT TO THE 
UN SECURITY COUNCIL.  THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED THE USG'S 
CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE BALKANS, NOTING THE SACRIFICE OF 
THE THREE U.S. CIVILIAN POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN KOSOVO 
RECENTLY.  HE ALSO REITERATED OUR CONDEMNATION OF THE MARCH 
VIOLENCE IN THE PROVINCE. 
 
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MORE PROTECTION NEEDED FOR SERBS 
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3.  (SBU) TANASKOVIC APPEALED FOR GREATER PROTECTION FROM THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR THE SERB MINORITY IN KOSOVO, 
PITCHING THE ISSUE IN PART AS ONE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.  HE 
BEMOANED THE DESTRUCTION OF CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES IN THE 
MARCH VIOLENCE, AND SAID THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
NEEDED TO PROTECT THE SERBS AS THEY HAD ONCE PROTECTED 
KOSOVAR ALBANIANS.  HE NOTED THAT HE AND HIS FAMILY HAD BEEN 
IN BELGRADE DURING THE 1999 NATO BOMBING.  ALTHOUGH HE AND 
MOST SERBS DID NOT HOLD THIS MILITARY ACTION AGAINST THE 
U.S., THEY EXPECTED US TO BE CONSISTENT IN OUR EFFORTS TO 
PROTECT MINORITIES.  "NO ONE" THINKS THAT KOSOVO WILL BE PART 
OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO IN THE SAME WAY IT WAS BEFORE, 
TANASKOVIC SAID.  BUT, HE CONTINUED, THAT DID NOT MEAN KOSOVO 
WAS READY FOR INDEPENDENCE. 
 
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RADICAL ISLAM GROWING IN BALKANS; DIALOGUE CRUCIAL 
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4.  (SBU) TANASKOVIC, A SCHOLAR OF ISLAM WHO SERVED 
PREVIOUSLY IN TURKEY (REF B), SAID HE WAS ALARMED AT THE 
GROWING RADICALISM OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN THE FORMER 
YUGOSLAVIA.  HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A NEW NETWORK OF SCHOOLS 
AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE PRODUCING A MUCH DIFFERENT 
BRAND OF MUSLIM THAN HE HAD KNOWN IN THE REGION IN THE PAST. 
AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION NEEDED TO FIND SOME ANSWER TO THIS 
RADICALIZATION, HE SAID.  "BUT," HE ASKED,  "HOW DO YOU MAKE 
A MOVEMENT COMPATIBLE WITH DEMOCRACY THAT IS, AT ITS HEART, 
SO ANTI-DEMOCRATIC?"  TANASKOVIC WAS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT 
    ATTEMPTS AT INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, NOTING THAT IT SEEMED AS 
IF THE SAME FEW MODERATE MUSLIMS SHOWED UP AT ALL THE 
INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE EVENTS.  INDEED, THESE FEW SEEMED 
SOMEWHAT MARGINALIZED FROM THE REST OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD. 
THE AMBASSADOR ALLOWED THAT THE OBSTACLES TO MEANINGFUL 
DIALOGUE WERE FORMIDABLE, BUT ENCOURAGED TANASKOVIC TO WORK 
WITH POST AS WE PRESSED FORWARD IN OUR EFFORTS ON THIS FRONT. 
 THE AMBASSADOR SAID WE COULD NOT GIVE UP ON WHAT HE 
CONSIDERED PERHAPS THE MOST CRUCIAL ISSUE FACING THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TODAY. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
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 2004VATICA01989 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED