US embassy cable - 04ZAGREB2002

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 002002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE:KABUMOTO AND BELL, EUR/RPM:SHINAGEL 
EUCOM FOR ECJF-E:CAPELLO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, KTIA, PINR, HR, Defense Reform (Mil & NATO) 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT MESIC KICKS UP DUST ON EUCOM MEMORANDUM 
OF UNDERSTANDING 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Justin Friedman, reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
1. (C) President Mesic has kicked up some political dust 
over the EUCOM Memorandum of Understanding (signed in July) 
on using Croatian facilities and airspace for bilateral 
military 
exercises.  Without objecting to the substance of the MoU, 
Mesic's office has asserted publicly that it was not 
informed about the MoU until it came up for Sabor 
ratification late last week.  Our understanding is that 
lead negotiator Assistant Minister of Defense for Policy 
Jelena Grcic-Polic was keeping Mesic's office in the loop. 
However, it is possible that in the finalization of the MoU 
text, the internal clearance process inside the GoC may 
have fallen short of the spirit, if not necessarily the 
letter of the regulations.  Mesic may be trying to use 
the uproar to throw some dirt on the ruling HDZ party and, 
indirectly, on HDZ Presidential candidate Jadranka Kosor. 
Parliamentary ratification of the standard agreement is not 
seriously in doubt.  END SUMMARY and COMMENT. 
 
NOT IN THE LOOP? 
---------------- 
 
2. (SBU) President Mesic's office touched off a small 
political dust storm with the public assertion over the 
weekend that his office was not consulted before the 
Ministry of Defense signed a Memorandum of Understanding 
with EUCOM over the use of Croatian facilities and airspace 
for military exercises.  On national television news on 
November 16, Mesic positioned himself above the fray, 
saying that he would have his staff review the MoU and the 
process leading up to its signing, but would not interfere 
in the Parliamenary ratification process if legal procedures 
had been followed. 
 
3. (C) Assitant Military Advisor to President Mesic, Maj. 
Robert Baric, confirmed for us the press reports that the 
President's office believes it was not fully consulted in 
the run up to the MoU signing. 
 
WHO IS THE TARGET? 
------------------ 
 
4. (C) Press reports have focused on the fact that the MoU 
was signed by Grcic-Polic.  Although Grcic-Polic was a key 
MoD office official in the previous coalition government, 
she is one of the few senior officials to stay in 
government when the HDZ assumed power last winter and may 
be perceived as too pro-U.S.  Our experience with 
Grcic-Polic is that she is a tough negotiator and an 
effective, if prickly advocate for Croatian interests.  We 
have heard rumors of Grcic-Polic's departure from the MoD 
since this summer when she was short-listed to be Croatia's 
Ambassador to Brussels.  However, President Mesic appeared 
to have nixed her nomination.  In the end, Grcic-Polic may 
be just collateral damage as she is seen as close to 
Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul, in part from her previous 
diplomatic service. 
 
5. (C) Mesic's real target may be the HDZ and its 
presidential candidate, Jadranka Kosor.  Some press 
commentators have picked up on this tiff as further 
evidence that the HDZ is too eager to kowtow to the U.S. as 
compensation for not delivering on pre-election promises of 
sending troops to Iraq or an Article 98 agreement.  In the 
last week, Mesic has dropped his non-party, 
president-of-the-people stance and alligned himself with 
the SDP, HSS, and LIBRA opposition parties, as well as with 
his own former party, the HNS.  Mesic is still polling 
above 50% with Kosor trailing far behind in second place 
with just 20% support. 
 
RATIFICATION STILL SEEMS LIKELY 
------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) On substance, the MoU is a standard, 
non-controversial document.  In a press conference November 
16, former Defense Minister and opposition MP Zelka 
Antunovic only questioned the fact that the MoU had not 
been made public although it is not confidential. 
Pointedly, Antunovic did not challenge the substance or 
need for the MoU.  This current dust up may slow 
ratification of the MoU, but MoD sources indicate ratification 
is not in jeopardy. 
DELAWIE 
 
 
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