US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB292

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2008 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, PGOV, IZ, HR, HRPREL, UNSC 
SUBJECT: CROATIA SUPPORTIVE AFTER POWELL PRESENTATION 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 34169 
     B. (B) ZAGREB 34089 
     C. (C) ZAGREB 288 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY NICHOLAS HILL, POL/ECON COUNSELOR, 
FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (U) CROATIAN PRESIDENT MESIC AND OTHERS IN THE GOC HAVE 
BEEN LARGELY SUPPORTIVE SINCE SECRETARY POWELL'S PRESENTATION 
TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 5.  THE AMBASSADOR SAW 
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TOMISLAV JAKIC, MESIC'S FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR, AND MARIO 
NOBILO, ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS, 
ON FEBRUARY 6, TO DISCUSS IRAQ AND DELIVER A TRANSCRIPT OF 
THE SECRETARY'S SECURITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION. 
 
2.  (C) JAKIC SAID THAT MESIC PLANNED TO DELIVER A TOUGHLY 
WORDED STATEMENT (ADVANCE COPY PARA 5) TO THE NATION AT 7 PM 
ON FEBRUARY 6 CONVEYING CROATIA'S POSITION ON IRAQ.  CROATIA 
WANTS TO SEE THE U.S. USE THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND TO PURSUE 
MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY IN ITS EFFORTS TO DISARM IRAQ, BUT AT 
THE END THE DAY, IRAQ MUST BE DISARMED.  ACCORDING TO JAKIC, 
PRESIDENT MESIC WAS NOT INFORMED IN ADVANCE OF THE GOC'S 
SUPPORT FOR THE VILNIUS 10 STATEMENT (REFTEL B) ISSUED AFTER 
THE SECRETARY'S UNSC PRESENTATION AND WANTED TO DO HIS PART 
IN READYING THE CROATIAN PEOPLE FOR THE DIFFICULT PERIOD 
AHEAD.  THE AMBASSADOR COMMENDED THE PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVE. 
 
3.  (C) AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, THE AMBASSADOR HEARD A 
SIMILAR MESSAGE FROM ASSISTANT MINISTER NOBILO.  THE U.S. CAN 
COUNT ON CROATIA'S SUPPORT, BUT HOPES THAT THE U.S. WILL MAKE 
EVERY EFFORT TO EXPLAIN ITS POLICIES CLEARLY, TAKING INTO 
ACCOUNT ARAB AUDIENCES, AND WORKING TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE 
THROUGH THE SECURITY COUNCIL.  HE NOTED THAT CROATIA HAD BEEN 
PUT IN AN "UNPLEASANT" SITUATION.  THERE WAS A SPLIT IN THE 
EU ON THE ISSUE AND THE GOC WAS BEING "PUSHED FROM VARIOUS 
SIDES" ON HOW TO REACT.  THE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT THE U.S. 
WAS DOING EVERYTHING IT COULD TO WORK THE ISSUE IN THE 
SECURITY COUNCIL.  THE U.S. IS EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THE 
SECURITY COUNCIL REMAIN RELEVANT; PART OF THE COUNCIL'S 
REMAINING RELEVANT, HE ADDED, INVOLVES ENFORCING EXISTING 
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SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS ON IRAQ.  THIS IS IN THE 
INTEREST OF THE U.S. AND THE UNITED NATIONS AS AN 
INSTITUTION.  OTHERWISE THE UN BECOMES THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. 
 
4.  (U) THE FOREIGN MINISTRY ISSUED TWO STATEMENTS ON 
FEBRUARY 5 ON THE SITUATION IN IRAQ.  THE FIRST EXPRESSED 
CROATIA'S "PARTNERSHIP AND SOLIDARITY" WITH THE INTERNATIONAL 
EFFORT TO DISARM IRAQ.  THE MFA UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR IRAQ 
TO HONOR "UNCONDITIONALLY" UN RESOLUTION 1441, WHICH CALLS 
FOR COMPLETE COOPERATION WITH THE UN INSPECTORS ON THE 
GROUND.  THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 
POSES "THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT" TO SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE 
WORLD TODAY.  THE MFA'S SECOND STATEMENT WAS IN SUPPORT OF 
THE EU PRESIDENCY'S FEBRUARY 4 APPEAL TO IRAQ.  ECHOING THE 
PRESIDENCY, THE MFA STATEMENT NOTED THAT THE DEADLINE WHICH 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD SET IN UNSC RESOLUTION 1441 
HAD PASSED AND THAT IRAQ MUST "IMMEDIATELY AND 
UNCONDITIONALLY" COMPLY WITH ALL UN RESOLUTIONS.  ALL UN 
MEMBER STATES MUST RESPECT UN DECISIONS "FOR THE SAKE OF 
PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE WORLD."  (TRANSLATIONS EMAILED TO 
EUR/SCE NARDI.) 
 
5.  (U) ADVANCE COPY OF PRESIDENT MESIC STATEMENT TO THE 
NATION ON FEBRUARY 6 (INFORMAL EMBASSY TRANSLATION).  BEGIN 
TEXT: 
 
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 
 
      AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL SESSION, THE U.S. SECRETARY 
OF STATE PRESENTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN THE 
CONTEXT OF THE IRAQI CRISIS, AND THE POSSIBLE LINKS BETWEEN 
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IRAQ AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.  PART OF THIS INFORMATION 
CAN QUALIFY IN THE EVIDENCE CATEGORY, WHILE THE SECOND PART 
CONSISTS OF STRONG INDICATIONS.  BOTH LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION 
THAT DOUBTS ABOUT THE LACK OF THE BAGHDAD REGIME,S FULL 
COOPERATION WITH UN INSPECTORS ARE WELL-FOUNDED, AND THAT 
THIS VIOLATES SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1441 DATED NOVEMBER 
OF LAST YEAR, WHICH REQUESTS DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ IN THE 
CONTEXT OF POSSESSION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. 
 
      AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, I HAVE ON 
MORE THAN ONE OCCASION EXPRESSED STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE 
CREATION AND OPERATION OF THE GLOBAL ANTI-TERRORIST 
COALITION.  I HAVE ALSO STRESSED THAT FACTORIES FOR THE 
PRODUCTION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, AS WELL AS THE 
WEAPONS THEMSELVES, MUST BE PUT UNDER EFFICIENT INTERNATIONAL 
CONTROL, THAT IS, THAT THEY MUST BE DESTROYED IF SUCH CONTROL 
CANNOT BE IMPLEMENTED. 
 
      THIS CONTINUES TO BE MY STANDPOINT.  I AM CERTAIN THAT 
ALONG WITH IT I AM PROTECTING THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA,S AND 
ALL OF ITS CITIZENS, KEY INTERESTS, BECAUSE BOTH 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WHICH 
ARE NOT UNDER CONTROL, REPRESENT A POTENTIAL BUT VERY 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1849 
 
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ACTION IO-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DODE-00 
      DS-00    EUR-00   FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01 
      VCE-00   DCP-01   NSAE-00  OIC-02   DHS-00   SSO-00   SS-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01   NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /005W 
                  ------------------3217DC  061736Z /38 
O 061715Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9408 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2008 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, UNSC, IZ, HR 
SUBJECT: CROATIA SUPPORTIVE AFTER POWELL PRESENTATION 
 
REALISTIC DANGER FOR ALL, INCLUDING OUR COUNTRY. 
 
      I ALSO REPEAT THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CONCRETE 
OPERATIONS DIRECTED AT FIGHTING GLOBAL TERRORISM, IT IS 
NECESSARY TO UNDERTAKE A LONG-TERM FIGHT AGAINST ITS ROOTS. 
I ALSO DEEM IT NECESSARY TO ONCE AGAIN POINT OUT THE 
COMPELLING PLACE AND ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, BOTH IN THE 
FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, AS WELL AS IN EFFORTS 
TO FIND, PUT UNDER CONTROL, OR, IF IT PROVES TO BE THE ONLY 
SOLUTION, DESTROY WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. 
 
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      THE BAGHDAD AUTHORITIES BEAR THE CRUCIAL 
RESPONSIBILITY.  THEY HAVE TO PROVE IRREFUTABLY THAT THEY ARE 
FULLY COOPERATING WITH THE UNITED NATIONS INSPECTORS, IN 
OTHER WORDS, THEY MUST, IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER AND WITHOUT 
DELAY, PROVIDE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE INFORMATION 
PRESENTED BY THE UNITED STATES TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL. 
DENIAL IS NOT AN ANSWER THAT CAN SATISFY THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY.   INSPECTORS MUST BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR 
WORK ) NOT INDEFINITELY, OF COURSE. 
 
      BEFORE THE DECISION ON THE USE OF FORCE IS MADE, ONE 
HAS TO BE CERTAIN THAT ABSOLUTELY ALL OTHER MEANS FOR 
REALIZATION OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1441 HAVE BEEN 
USED. 
 
      INSPECTORS, THEREFORE, CANNOT CONTINUE WITH THEIR WORK 
INDEFINITELY, BUT THE OPTION OF WAR CANNOT BE RESORTED TO 
IMPRUDENTLY AND WITHOUT PREPARATION. 
 
      IF WE WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF PEACE, STABILITY, AND 
SECURITY, AND I AM CERTAIN THAT THAT,S WHAT WE ALL WANT, 
SOMETIMES WE CANNOT AVOID DIFFICULT DECISIONS. 
 
      A WISE MAN SAID LONG TIME AGO THAT THE LARGEST CRIME IS 
TO REFUSE TO FIGHT, WHEN THE FIGHT SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED. 
 
      WE HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE TERROR OF WAR AND KNOW 
HOW TO APPRECIATE PEACE.  THAT,S WHY WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED 
TO RESOLVING ALL PROBLEMS THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS.  HOWEVER, WE 
ALSO KNOW THAT REPUBLIC OF CROATIA WOULD NOT EXIST IF WE HAD 
NOT FOUGHT, WHEN THE WAR WAS IMPOSED ON US. 
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      IF A WAR FOR WHAT IS RIGHT IS INEVITABLE, THEN THE 
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA KNOWS WHERE HER PLACE IS.  HOWEVER, I 
STILL BELIEVE THAT A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION IS POSSIBLE AND WE 
SHOULD GIVE PEACE A CHANCE. 
 
      THANK YOU! 
 
END TEXT. 
 
ROSSIN 
 
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