US embassy cable - 91ZAGREB1589

UNCLASSIFIED SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB  01589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USMISSION USNATO 1107 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0318 
 COMSIXTHFLT//N2// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24// 
CTF SIXTWO 
CTF SIXONE 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, War Crimes 
SUBJECT: CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER APPEALS TO UN 
SECURITY COUNCIL 
 
1.  FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF NOVEMBER 11, 1991 LETTER FROM 
DR. ZVONIMIR SEPAROVIC ADDRESSED TO THE UN SECURITY 
COUNCIL APPEALING FOR ASSISTANCE FOR DUBROVNIK. 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
SECURITY COUNCIL OF THE UN 
NEW YORK 
 
NOVEMBER 11, 1991 
 
GENTLEMEN, 
 
ACCORDING TO LATEST NEWS DUBROVNIK - THE TOWN UNDER 
UNESCO PROTECTION AS A CULTURAL MONUMENT OF WORLDWIDE 
SIGNIFICANCE - IS BEING SHELLED WITH A VENGEANCE.  THE 
OLD PART OF THE CITY AND ITS HISTORICAL CORE 
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CONTAINING MOST VALUABLE MONUMENTS OF THE CROATIAN AND 
WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE HAS NOW COME UNDER HEAVIEST 
ATTACKS, WHILE THERE IS ALREADY STREET FIGHTING IN ITS 
IMMEDIATE VICINITY. 
 
SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE TOWN OF VUKOVAR THAT HAS BEEN 
UNDER SIEGE SINCE SEPTEMBER IS SUBJECT TO FEROCIOUS 
ATTACKS.  ITS REMAINING 15,000 INHABITANTS LIVE IN 
CELLARS UNDER RUINS, WITHOUT WATER, ELECTRICITY AND 
THE BASIC NECESSITIES, WHILE THEIR VERY LIVES ARE 
UNDER CONSTANT THREAT.  AS WAS DECLARED IN THE 
STATEMENT BY THE HEADS OF STATES AND GOVERNMENTS AT 
THE NATO COUNCIL IN ROME, ON NOVEMBER 8, THE 
CONTINUING ATTACKS ON DUBROVNIK AND OTHER CROATIAN 
TOWNS ARE OUT OF ALL PROPORTION. 
 
WE WANT TO CALL THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD PUBLIC TO 
THE FACT THAT ASIDE FROM THE YUGOSLAV FEDERAL ARMY 
THERE ARE ALSO UNITS MADE UP OF SERBIAN AND 
MONTENEGRIN RESERVISTS TAKING PART IN THESE BRUTAL 
ATTACKS. 
 
THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFICIENT AND RAPID INTERVENTION OF 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WE WERE CALLING FOR SINCE 
THE BEGINNING OF THE AGGRESSION AGAINST CROATIA, MADE 
POSSIBLE THE COMMITMENT OF NUMEROUS WAR CRIMES AGAINST 
UNARMED CIVILIANS, UNPROTECTED URBAN CENTRES AND 
CULTURAL MONUMENTS OF NATIONAL AND WORLDWIDE 
SIGNIFICANCE BY THE YUGOSLAV ARMY.  DESTRUCTION ON 
THIS SCALE HAS NO PRECEDENT IN OUR MODERN HISTORY. 
WE ARE APPEALING TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01589  01 OF 02  121342Z 
STOP THIS BARBARIC AND INHUMAN DESTRUCTION OF 
PROPERTY, HUMAN LIFE AND CULTURAL TREASURES.  WE 
ENTREAT YOU TO TAKE IMMEDIATE AND URGENT STEPS IN 
ORDER TO SEPARATE THE AGGRESSOR FROM THE VICTIM AND TO 
 
 
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PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01589  02 OF 02  121343Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   ADS-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  DODE-00  CSCE-01 
      HA-09    H-01     INRE-00  INR-01   IO-19    L-03     NSAE-00 
      NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-02    PM-01    PRS-01   P-01 
      SCT-03   SNP-01   SP-01    SSO-00   SS-01    TRSE-00  T-01 
        /052W 
                  ------------------AAEB04  121343Z /38 
O 121223Z OCT 91 
FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9943 
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 
USIA WASHDC 0836 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY LISBON 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG 
AMEMBASSY MADRID 
AMCONSUL MILAN 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
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PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01589  02 OF 02  121343Z 
USMISSION USNATO 1108 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0319 
 COMSIXTHFLT//N2// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24// 
CTF SIXTWO 
CTF SIXONE 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 01589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, YO 
SUBJECT: CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER APPEALS TO UN 
SECURITY COUNCIL 
 
PUBLICLY DECLARE BEFORE THE WHOLE WORLD THAT THE 
YUGOSLAV FEDERAL ARMY AND SERBIA ARE THE AGGRESSORS, 
WHO WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 
CRIMES COMMITTED. 
 
WE ARE HEREWITH URGING YOU TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IN 
ORDER TO SAVE DUBROVNIK, VUKOVAR AND THE OTHER 
CROATIAN TOWNS THAT ARE NOW ENCIRCLED AND EXPOSED TO 
INCESSANT SHELLING AND BOMBING AND TO BRUTAL AND 
RUTHLESS DESTRUCTION THAT HAS NO EQUAL IN RECENT 
HISTORY. 
 
HOPING THAT YOU WILL GIVE THIS MATTER YOUR IMMEDIATE 
ATTENTION, I REMAIN 
 
FAITHFULLY YOURS, 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01589  02 OF 02  121343Z 
 
DR. ZVONIMIR SEPAROVIC 
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA 
 
END TEXT. 
EINIK 
 
 
 
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