US embassy cable - 91ZAGREB1569

UNCLASSIFIED SECTION 01 OF 04 ZAGREB  01569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USMISSION USNATO 1096 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0306 
 COMSIXTHFLT//N2// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24// 
CTF SIXTWO 
CTF SIXONE 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ZAGREB 01569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, MOPS, MOPS, MOPS, MOPS, War Crimes 
SUBJECT:  REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY 
MONITORS, CROATIAN ARMY AND JNA ON EVENTS IN WESTERN 
SLAVONIA 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
1.  WE HAVE COMPILED A SERIES OF REPORTS FROM THE EC 
OBSERVERS (WHO WERE IN GRUBISNO POLJE ON NOVEMBER 6 
AND PLAN TO RETURN NOVEMBER 7), THE FIFTH MILITARY 
DISTRICT OF THE JNA, AND CROATIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS 
ON EVENTS, ALLEGED AND OTHERWISE, THAT HAVE RECENTLY 
TAKEN PLACE IN WESTERN SLAVONIA.  THE TEXTS OF THOSE 
REPORTS FOLLOW. 
 
--  REPORT ON EC MONITORING MISSION TEAM NOVEMBER 6 
VISIT TO GRUBISNO POLJE AREA 
 
2.   BEGIN TEXT.  ON 6 NOVEMBER, AN EC MONITORING 
TEAM VISITED THE GRUBISNO POLJE AREA TO INVESTIGATE 
A REPORT BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SFR YUGOSLAVIA 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01569  01 OF 04  071627Z 
(LETTER DATED 4 NOV) THAT FORCES OF THE CROATIAN 
NATIONAL GUARD (CNG) HAD BURNT OR DESTROYED SERBIAN 
VILLAGES IN THE AREA AND KILLED THOSE INHABITANTS 
WHO WERE UNABLE TO ESCAPE. 
 
3.  THE TEAM WERE ESCORTED BY THE PERSONNEL FROM THE 
CNG.  AS SERBIAN IRREGULARS AND UNITS OF THE 
YUGOSLAV PEOPLES ARMY (YPA) REMAINED OPERATIONAL IN 
THE AREA, THERE WERE SOME VILLAGES WHICH THE TEAM 
WERE UNABLE TO VISIT FOR SAFETY REASONS. 
 
4.  THE TEAM INTERVIEWED THE COMMANDER OF THE LOCAL 
CNG FORCES IN GRUBISNO POLJE WHO SAID THAT CROATIAN 
FORCES HAD "LIBERATED" THE IMMEDIATE AREA IN TWO 
DAYS OF FIGHTING FROM 31 OCT TO 1 NOV; THIS HAD 
FOLLOWED A PERIOD OF 2-3 MONTHS OCCUPATION IN WHICH, 
IT WAS CLAIMED, A NUMBER OF LOCAL CZECHS AND 
CROATIANS HAD BEEN KILLED (16 IN THE VILLAGES 
SUBSEQUENTLY VISITED), HOUSES BURNT AND OTHER LOCAL 
INHABITANTS TERRORISED. THIS WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN 
DONE BY SERBIAN IRREGULARS (CHETNIKS) MADE UP FROM 
AMONG THE LOCAL SERBIAN VILLAGERS.  WITH THE ADVANCE 
OF THE CNG FORCES, THE SERBIAN FORCES, SUPPORTED BY 
YPA UNITS, HAD WITHDRAWN TOGETHER WITH MOST OF THE 
LOCAL SERBIAN POPULACE FROM THE VILLAGES CONCERNED. 
THE TEAM, STILL WITH CNG ESCORT FOR SAFETY, 
SUBSEQUENTLY VISITED THE VILLAGES OF VELIKA 
PERATOVICA, D RASENICA AND IVANOVO SELO; THEY ALSO 
PASSED THROUGH PARTS OF THE VILLAGES OF MALA 
PERATOVICA AND POLJANI AND THROUGH SERBIAN AREAS OF 
GRUBISNO POLJE.  THERE WAS CONVINCING EVIDENCE OF 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01569  01 OF 04  071627Z 
CHETNIK KILLINGS OF CZECH INHABITANTS OF VELIKA 
PERATOVICA AND IVANOVO SELO, INCLUDING GRAVES, BLOOD 
STAINED BLANKETS ACCOMPANIED BY BROKEN HUMAN TEETH, 
AND THE PERSONAL WITNESS OF A NUMBER OF LOCAL CZECH 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01569  02 OF 04  071628Z 
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 
                  ------------------A9A802  071630Z /38 
O 071605Z NOV 91 
FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9918 
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 
USIA WASHDC 0824 
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 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01569  02 OF 04  071628Z 
USMISSION USNATO 1097 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0307 
 COMSIXTHFLT//N2// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24// 
CTF SIXTWO 
CTF SIXONE 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 04 ZAGREB 01569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, MOPS, YO 
SUBJECT:  REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY 
MONITORS, CROATIAN ARMY AND JNA ON EVENTS IN WESTERN 
SLAVONIA 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
VILLAGERS.  ONLY ONE SERBIAN COUPLE WAS FOUND DURING 
THE VISITS BUT THEY CONFIRMED CNG CLAIMS THAT THERE 
HAD BEEN NO CNG MALTREATMENT OF THOSE SERBIANS WHO 
HAD REMAINED IN THEIR VILLAGES.  THIS WAS ALSO 
CONFIRMED BY THE SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CZECHS TO WHOM 
THE TEAM TALKED.  THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SYSTEMATIC 
DESTRUCTION OF SERBIAN HOMES THOUGH A NUMBER OF 
HOUSES, INCLUDING THOSE OF LOCAL SERBS, HAD BEEN 
DAMAGED IN THE CONFLICT.  SOME OF THE DAMAGE TO 
SERBIAN HOMES WAS SEVERE REFLECTING THE CNG USE OF 
ARTILLERY.  THERE WAS ALSO EVIDENCE OF MORE RECENT 
BURNING OF A SMALL NUMBER OF SERBIAN HOUSES, FARM 
BUILDINGS AND HAY STACKS.  THE TEAM WAS UNABLE TO 
ESTABLISH FROM THOSE INTERVIEWED WHETHER THIS WAS DUE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01569  02 OF 04  071628Z 
TO ACTS OF LOCAL REVENGE AGAINST THE PROPERTY OF 
LEADING CHETNIK FIGURES, TO CNG ACTION OR TO A 
RETROSPECTIVE SERBIAN SCORCHED EARTH POLICY. 
 
5.  IN CONCLUSION, WHILE THERE WAS COMPELLING 
EVIDENCE OF CHETNIK EXCESSES DURING THEIR 2-3 MONTHS 
PERIOD OF CONTROL OF THE AREA, THE TEAM COULD FIND NO 
EVIDENCE OF SUBSEQUENT CROATIAN KILLINGS OR OF A 
SYSTEMATIC POLICY OF DESTRUCTION OF SERBIAN PROPERTY 
ON THE PART OF THE CNG OR LOCAL CROAT OR OTHER 
MINORITY GROUPS.  A SECOND VISIT WILL BE MADE BY AN 
EC MONITORING TEAM ON 7 NOV TO INVESTIGATE THE 
POSITION IN OTHER VILLAGES REFERRED TO IN THE LETTER 
FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF SFR YUGOSLAVIA.  END TEXT. 
 
-- JNA REPORT 
 
6.  BEGIN TEXT.  ON 1 NOV 91 THE MEMBERS OF NATIONAL 
GUARD AND MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
CROATIA HAVE UNDERTAKEN A BROAD AND EXTREMELY BRUTAL 
OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE SERBIAN POPULATION IN THE AREA 
OF SOUTHERN SLOPES OF MT. BILOGORA AND AT THE 
DIRECTIONS OF VELIKI GREDJEVAC-GRUBISNO POLJE-IVANOVO 
SELO AND THE VILLAGE OF LEVINOVAC-MIOKOVICEVO. 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
7.  EIGHTEEN (18) SERBIAN VILLAGES WERE SET ON FIRE, 
AS PER INCOMPLETE DATA AND INFORMATION, WHILE THE 
NUMBER OF KILLED AND WOUNDED CITIZENS IS HIGH. 
 
8.  REFUGE OF SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF SERBS, MOSTLY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01569  02 OF 04  071628Z 
WOMEN, OLD PEOPLE AND CHILDREN, ARE ON THE MOVE 
TOWARDS THE SLAVONIAN MOUNTAINS AND BANJA LUKA. 
 
9.  APART FROM THAT, A PROCLAMATION FOR FORCED EXODUS 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01569  03 OF 04  071629Z 
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 
                  ------------------A9A82B  071631Z /38 
O 071605Z NOV 91 
FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9919 
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 
USIA WASHDC 0825 
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 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01569  03 OF 04  071629Z 
USMISSION USNATO 1098 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0308 
 COMSIXTHFLT//N2// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24// 
CTF SIXTWO 
CTF SIXONE 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 04 ZAGREB 01569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, MOPS, YO 
SUBJECT:  REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY 
MONITORS, CROATIAN ARMY AND JNA ON EVENTS IN WESTERN 
SLAVONIA 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OF THE SERBIAN POPULATION FROM APPROX. TWENTY SEVEN 
(27) VILLAGES IN THE POZESKA KOTLINA (SLAVONSKA 
POZEGA) HAS BEEN ISSUED AND THEY ARE DIRECTED TO THE 
ALREADY ORGANIZED CAMPS. 
 
10.  FURTHER TO THE ABOVE STATED, WE DEMAND THAT THE 
HEAD OF THE EC MONITORING MISSION STRONGLY PROTESTS 
WITH THE CROATIAN AUTHORITIES AGAINST THESE GENOCIDE 
ACTIONS AND OTHER PROCEDURES AND TO SEND URGENTLY THE 
MONITORING TEAMS FOR COLLECTING OF RELEVANT DATA AND 
SUBMITTING OF REPORTS TO THE EC MONITORING MISSION. 
 
11.  A REQUEST WAS ADDRESSED TO THE REGIONAL 
COORDINATION CENTER OF THE EC MISSION IN SARAJEVO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01569  03 OF 04  071629Z 
THAT THE MONITORS, FROM THE SUB-CENTER ALLOCATED IN 
BANJA LUKA IMMEDIATELY PAY VISIT TO LT. COL. GENERAL 
NIKOLA UZELAC WHO WILL INFORM THEM IN DETAILS ON 
DRAMATIC POSITION OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE IN THE 
WESTERN SLAVONIA.  END TEXT. 
 
-- CROATIAN ARMY REPORT (ROUGH CONSULATE TRANSLATION) 
 
12.  BEGIN TEXT.  ALREADY FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF 
TIME, SINCE THE AGGRESSION ON THE CROATIAN REPUBLIC 
BEGAN, JNA ENEMY FORCES AND CHETNIK UNITS ARE TRYING 
TO ACHIEVE THEIR IMPERIALIST GOAL OF "GREAT SERBIA". 
NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO REALIZE THIS IRRATIONAL GOAL 
CONFIRM THOUSANDS OF HURT CIVILIANS, DESTROYED 
CROATIAN VILLAGES AND TOWNS.  CHILDREN, WOMEN, 
WOUNDED, OLD AND FEEBLE ARE NOT SPARED FROM THE WAR 
SUFFERINGS CAUSED BY THE OCCUPYING FORCES. 
WP                                                       U 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HOSPITALS, CHURCHES, KINDERGARTEN SCHOOLS, OLD FOLKS 
HOMES, OBJECTS OF ZERO CATEGORY, ETC., ARE DESTROYED. 
 
13.  ONE OF THE MANY DAMAGED PLACES IS GRUBISNO POLJE 
WHICH FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO 
ENEMY MILITARY ACTION.  ATTACKS FROM THE AIR AND 
MORTAR SHELLS THREATENED IN ADDITION TO THE TOWN ALSO 
CROATIAN VILLAGES IN THE AREA AND IN ADDITION TO THE 
SUFFERINGS OF CIVILIANS, GREAT MATERIAL DAMAGE WAS 
DONE. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01569  03 OF 04  071629Z 
14.  TO JUSTIFY ALL THIS, AND TO DRAW ATTENTION FROM 
THEIR OWN CRIMES, THE ENEMY IS USING ITS SERBIAN 
PROPAGANDA TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THAT CROATIA IS AN 
"USTASHA COUNTRY" AND IN CONNECTION WITH THIS, IS 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01569  04 OF 04  071629Z 
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 
                  ------------------A9A837  071631Z /38 
O 071605Z NOV 91 
FM AMCONSUL ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9920 
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 
USIA WASHDC 0826 
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 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01569  04 OF 04  071629Z 
USMISSION USNATO 1099 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0309 
 COMSIXTHFLT//N2// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON//N24// 
CTF SIXTWO 
CTF SIXONE 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ5// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 04 OF 04 ZAGREB 01569 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, MOPS, YO 
SUBJECT:  REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY 
MONITORS, CROATIAN ARMY AND JNA ON EVENTS IN WESTERN 
SLAVONIA 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LAUNCHING NEW MISINFORMATION WHICH AS A RULE REVEAL 
FURTHER CRIMINAL INTENTIONS. 
 
15.  AN EXAMPLE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED IS THE STRIKING 
SUBJECT OF THE SERBIAN MEDIA IN RECENT DAYS, ABOUT A 
SUPPOSED BURNING OF SERBIAN VILLAGES AND KILLING OF 
"UNARMED" SERBIAN PEOPLE ON THE TERRITORY OF GRUBISNO 
POLJE FROM THE SIDE OF "USTASHA COMBATANTS."  BY 
THIS, FOR WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES, IT IS ATTEMPTED 
TO CREATE MISUNDERSTANDING, IN ORDER, UNDER THE 
PRESSURE OF THE WORLD PUBLICITY, TO TRY TO PREVENT 
MILITARY ACTION OF THE CROATIAN ARMY FROM THE 
LIBERATION OF ITS OWN TERRITORY, AND TO JUSTIFY ITS 
OWN IMPERIALIST ACTIVITY. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01569  04 OF 04  071629Z 
 
16.  THE CROATIAN ARMY IS LEADING AND WILL LEAD THE 
LIBERATION WAR FOR EVERY INCH OF ITS HOMELAND 
ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS.  BY THE DIRTY 
WAR WHICH WAS IMPOSED UPON US NOT ONLY FROM THE 
GRUBISNO POLJE REGION, BUT FROM THE WHOLE CROATIAN 
TERRITORY, ALL WILL DISAPPEAR WHO REACHED OUT FOR 
CROATIAN TERRITORY AND ALSO THOSE WHO VIOLATED THE 
CROATIAN STATE.  THERE WILL BE NO MERCY IN THE NAME 
OF ALL INNOCENT VICTIMS FROM VUKOVAR TO DUBROVNIK. 
ALL LOYAL CITIZENS OF THE CROATIAN REPUBLIC HAVE NO 
REASON FOR FEAR.  CROATIAN SOLDIERS ARE DEFENDING 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RULES OF MILITARY BEHAVIOR IN 
DISTINCTION FROM THOSE WHO DID NOT 
 
WP 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SUCCEED TO LEARN IT DURING MILITARY SCHOOLING.  (NO 
WONDER THAT THERE ARE SO MANY CRIMES|) 
 
17.  CROATIAN ARMY WILL WIN, FIGHTING TO THE LAST 
DROP OF BLOOD IF THIS IS NECESSARY FOR ITS HOMELAND, 
BUT THE FLAME WHICH BURNS ON THE GROUND OF THE 
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA IS THREATENING WITH INCREASED 
PROPORTIONS.  IT IS THE VERY LAST MOMENT THAT THE 
WORLD, WHICH SEES AND UNDERSTANDS ALL, VERY WELL, 
UNDERTAKES SOMETHING.  END TEXT. 
EINIK 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01569  04 OF 04  071629Z 
 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN