US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB428

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000428 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, HR, IZ, MARR, MOPS, HR, IZ, FR, FRPREL 
SUBJECT: CROATIA APPROVES USE OF AIRSPACE, AIRFIELDS FOR 
CIVAIR TRANSIT OF TROOPS TO MIDEAST 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00428  01 OF 02  261352Z 
 
REF: ZAGREB 409 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR LAWRENCE ROSSIN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B.D) 
 
1.  (C) ON FEBRUARY 26, THE CROATIAN CABINET PASSED A FORMAL 
DECISION (TEXT AT PARA 5 BELOW) TO AGREE TO A USG REQUEST FOR 
THE USE OF CROATIAN AIRSPACE AND AIRFIELDS BY COMMERCIAL 
AIRCRAFT FOR REFUELING AND STOPOVER IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY 
OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AGAINST IRAQ.  THE DECISION 
CREATES AN INTER-AGENCY WORKING GROUP, TO BE CHAIRED BY AN 
ASSISTANT MINISTER OF DEFENSE, WHICH WILL IMPLEMENT AND 
MONITOR ACTIVITIES UNDER THE DECISION.  ALTHOUGH THE DECISION 
GOES INTO EFFECT ON FEBRUARY 26, IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS TWO 
WEEKS FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO BE FORMALLY ESTABLISHED; 
CROATIA WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR 
FLIGHTS UNTIL THAT TAKES PLACE. 
 
2.  (C) THIS DECISION WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT 
PRECISELY AS PM RACAN TOLD THE AMBASSADOR ON FEBRUARY 24 IT 
WOULD BE (REFTEL).  AT THE SABOR'S VERSION OF "QUESTION TIME" 
ON FEBRUARY 26, RACAN TOLD MP'S THAT THE DECISION WAS TAKEN 
"WITH THE UNDERSTANDING" OF EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS WHICH ARE 
DECIDING ON CROATIA'S EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION.  RACAN ALSO 
SAID THAT CROATIA'S OFFER OF LOGISTICS SUPPORT WAS A 
MINIMALIST POSITION.  "SOME COUNTRIES WHICH ARE AGAINST THE 
APPROACH OF THE UNITED STATES ARE PROVIDING MORE LOGISTICS 
SUPPORT THAN WE ARE OFFERING," RACAN EXPLAINED.  RACAN 
INSISTED THAT THE DECISION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT IS WITHIN 
THE COMPETENCE OF THE CABINET, BUT ANY REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL 
SUPPORT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT, AS REQUIRED BY 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00428  01 OF 02  261352Z 
CROATIAN LAW. 
 
3.  (C) IN A FEBRUARY 25 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, 
PRESIDENT MESIC WAS MORE SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. POLICIES/REQUESTS 
ON IRAQ THAN WE EXPECTED, CONSIDERING SOME OF HIS RECENT 
STATEMENTS TO THE LOCAL PRESS.  MESIC SAID THAT HE SUPPORTS 
THE GOC DECISION TO AGREE TO THE USG REQUEST FOR LANDING 
RIGHTS IN CROATIA.  HE SAID THAT HE RAISED THE ISSUE DURING 
HIS JANUARY 24 MEETING IN PARIS WITH PRESIDENT CHIRAC, WHO 
CHARACTERIZED CROATIA'S DECISION TO PROVIDE FLOW-THROUGH 
ACCESS AS APPROPRIATE. 
 
4.  (C) IN A FEBRUARY 25 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, DEFMIN 
ANTUNOVIC SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT DECISION WOULD APPROVE OUR 
REQUEST WITH VERY NARROW PARAMETERS; ANY REQUEST BEYOND 
AIRSPACE, LANDING AND REFUELING WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO THE 
PARLIAMENT.  CROATIA'S DEFENSE LAW REQUIRES SABOR APPROVAL 
BEFORE THE ENTRY OF ANY FOREIGN TROOPS INTO CROATIA.  THE GOC 
INTERPRETATION IS THAT THE SABOR WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IN 
ADVANCE -- WITH A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY -- IF A U.S. SOLDIER IS 
TO SET FOOT ON CROATIAN SOIL.  UNDER THE CURRENT DECISION, 
TROOPS WILL HAVE TO REMAIN ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT DURING 
REFUELING.  IN THE CASE OF AN AIRCRAFT BREAKDOWN, THE GOC 
COULD OFFER OVERNIGHT STAYS WITHOUT OVERSTEPPING ITS LEGAL 
BOUNDARIES.  SUCH A CASE WOULD BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY STOP 
UNDER ICAO RULES AND THE GOC WOULD BE LEGALLY COVERED. 
 
5. (U)  BEGIN TEXT OF FEBRUARY 26 CROATIAN CABINET DECISION 
(NOTE INTERNAL NUMBERING): 
 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00428  01 OF 02  261352Z 
 
BASED ON THE ARTICLE 30 SECTION 2 OF THE LAW ON THE REPUBLIC 
OF CROATIA (OFFICIAL GAZETTE, NO 101/98, 15/200 AND 
117/2001), GOVERNMENT OF CROATIA AT ITS SESSION ON 26 
FEBRUARY 2003, REACHED THE FOLLOWING 
 
DECISION  ON THE USE OF AIRSPACE AND AIRPORTS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF CROATIA FOR THE NEEDS OF COALITION FORCES LED BY THE 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
I.  BASED ON REPUBLIC OF CROATIA'S DETERMINATION TO COMBAT 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND PREVENT PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS 
OF MASS DESTRUCTION, REPEATEDLY DECLARED BY CROATIA'S 
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, 
CROATIA'S GOVERNMENT WILL WITHIN ITS ABILITY, MEET THE 
REQUEST TO EXTEND ITS SERVICES TO COALITION FORCES LED BY THE 
UNITED STATES IN CONDUCTING OPERATIONS AIMED AT DISARMING 
IRAQ, AS IT IS DETERMINED IN UN SECURITY RESOLUTION 1441. 
 
II.  IN EVENT THAT THERE IS A REQUEST AS STATED IN THE ITEM I 
OF THIS DECISION, CROATIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES THE USE OF 
CROATIA'S AIRSPACE FOR OVER-FLIGHTS, LANDING AND REFUELING 
CIVIL TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AT CROATIAN AIRPORTS. 
 
III. TO IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR ACTIVITIES FROM THIS DECISION, 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9561 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00428  02 OF 02  261353Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00 
      DS-00    EB-00    E-00     FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00 
      NSCE-00  OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00 
      SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00 
      EPAE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01   G-00     NFAT-00 
      SAS-00   SWCI-00    /004W 
                  ------------------3BAF2C  261353Z /38 
O 261348Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9547 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 
COMUSEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
COMUSEUCOM ALT SHAPE BE IMMEDIATE 
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
COMSIXTHFLT  IMMEDIATE 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000428 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, HR, IZ, FR 
SUBJECT: CROATIA APPROVES USE OF AIRSPACE, AIRFIELDS FOR 
CIVAIR TRANSIT OF TROOPS TO MIDEAST 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00428  02 OF 02  261353Z 
CROATIAN GOVERNMENT WILL ESTABLISH INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP 
CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING: 
 
- MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, CHAIR 
- MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, TRAFFIC AND COMMUNICATIONS, MEMBER 
- MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MEMBER 
- MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, MEMBER 
- CROATIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, MEMBER 
 
IV. CROATIAN GOVERNMENT WILL INFORM CROATIAN PARLIAMENT ON 
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS DECISION. 
 
V. THIS DECISION BECOMES EFFECTIVE AS OF THE PROCLAMATION 
DATE AND IT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE. 
 
ZAGREB, 26 FEBRUARY 2003 
PRIME MINISTER 
IVICA RACAN 
END TEXT 
ROSSIN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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