US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB325

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000325 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, HR, KWAC, ICTY, War Crimes 
SUBJECT: GOC SEEKS CONFIRMATION OF LEAD ON PIFWC ANTE 
GOTOVINA 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF ROBERT SILBERSTEIN, REASON 1.5 
(B) AND (D) 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00325  121256Z 
 
1. (C) THE CROATIAN POLICE ARE TRYING TO CONFIRM THE 
CREDIBILITY OF INFORMATION INDICATING THAT ICTY INDICTEE ANTE 
GOTOVINA WAS HIDING IN BOSNIA, NEAR THE CROATIAN BORDER, IN 
JANUARY 2003.  THAT IS WHAT BORIS SPUDIC, ASSISTANT HEAD OF 
CROATIAN CRIMINAL POLICE TOLD RSO DURING AN MEETING -- HELD 
AT SPUDIC'S REQUEST -- LATE ON FEBRUARY 7.  SPUDIC SAID THAT 
HE ALSO WAS PASSING THIS INFORMATION TO THE BRITISH AND OTHER 
WESTERN EUROPEAN CONTACTS.  SPUDIC WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE 
IDENTITY OR RELIABILITY OF THE SOURCE, BUT OFFERED TO 
RECONTACT HIM IF WE FOUND THE MATERIAL USEFUL AND ACCURATE. 
 
2. (C) BEGIN TEXT OF CROATIAN POLICE INFORMATION (AS 
PROVIDED): 
 
CROATIAN POLICE HAS INFORMATION ON THE MOVEMENT OF ANTE 
GOTOVINA IN RELATION OF KUPRES AND LJUBUSKI, FEDERATION 
BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA. 
 
BY INFORMATION, GOTOVINA WAS DURING JANUARY ON SEVERAL 
OCCASIONS, TOGETHER WITH HIS ESCORT, SPOTTED IN CAFE BAR ON 
GAS STATION IN PLACE VELJACI, ON ROAD VRGORAC - VITINA, ON 
ROUTE TO VISIT RETIRED HVO GENERAL AND EX-PRESIDENT OF B&H 
HDZ PARTY ANTI JELAVIC, WHO POSSES THE HOUSE ON HERCEGOVINIAN 
SIDE OF THE STATE BORDER, IN DIRECTION TOWARDS PLACE 
PODPROLOG AND CROATIAN BORDER. 
 
BY INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SOURCE, GOTOVINA FREQUENTLY IS 
STAYING AT THE NEWLY OPENED HOTEL ABOVE KUPRES, WHOSE OWNERS 
ARE VINKO ZULJEVIC "KLICA", AND SLAVEN PETRICEVIC, EX MEMBERS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00325  121256Z 
OF HVO SPECIAL FORCES.  SOME MEMBERS OF THOSE EX SPECIAL 
FORCES (EX 22ND COMMANDO SQUAD) ARE SECURITY MEMBERS OF ANTE 
GOTOVINA. 
 
3. (C) END TEXT. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
4. (C) THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE GOTOVINA'S DISAPPEARANCE 
18 MONTHS AGO THAT THE CROATIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY HAS PASSED 
US INFORMATION ON THE ICTY FUGITIVE.  IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN 
THE GOC FINDS ITSELF UNDER MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM THE 
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AT THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL TO DEMONSTRATE THAT 
IT IS TAKING ACTIVE MEASURES TO FIND GOTOVINA. 
 
5. (C) WE DEFER TO EMBASSY SARAJEVO AND OTHERS TO ASSESS THE 
QUALITY OF THE GOC INFORMATION AND WOULD WELCOME ANY ANALYSIS 
THAT WE CAN PASS TO SPUDIC ON HIS LEAD.  WE NOTE THAT VINKO 
ZULJEVIC "KLICA" IS IMPRISONED IN ZAGREB PENDING TRIAL FOR 
THE JUNE 2002 MURDER OF A ALLEGED CROATIAN INTELLIGENCE 
AGENCY INFORMANT, VESELIN MARINOV.  "KLICA," A BOSNIAN CROAT, 
IS A WELL KNOWN CROATIAN MAFIA FIGURE, WHO REPORTEDLY SERVED 
IN THE NOTORIOUS "CONVICTS" BRIGADE OF ICTY INDICTEE MLADEN 
NALETILIC TUTA AND HVO GENERAL IVAN ANDABAK IN BOSNIA DURING 
THE WAR. 
ROSSIN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
>