US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB501

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000501 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SCE (NARDI) AND EUR/PRA (CAGAN) 
DOD FOR JCS/J5 (EPPERSON); DIA (STEVENS AND LINDER); 
OSD/ISP (SHOEMAKER) 
 
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2013 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, HR, IZ 
SUBJECT: CROATIA: PROCEDURES APPROVED FOR STREAMLINED 
REQUESTS FOR OVERFLIGHT 
 
REF: ZAGREB 428 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF A.F.GODFREY FOR REASONS 1.5 (A,D) 
 
SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) AS OF MARCH 10, CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTING U.S. 
TROOPS TO SUPPORT POTENTIAL ACTION IN IRAQ MAY TRANSIT 
CROATIAN AIRSPACE WITH THE STANDARD ICAO FLIGHT PLAN AS THE 
ONLY ADVANCE WARNING REQUIRED, PROVIDED THEY DO NOT INTEND TO 
LAND.  TWENTY-FOUR HOURS ADVANCE NOTICE IS REQUIRED FOR 
FLIGHTS WHICH INTEND TO LAND AND REFUEL.  THE GOC INTERAGENCY 
WORKING GROUP FINALIZED MODALITIES AND STANDARD OPERATING 
PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT THE FEBRUARY 26 GOVERNMENT DECISION 
TO PROVIDE LIMITED LOGISTICS SUPPORT TO THE U.S.  THE 
PROCEDURES ARE (FOR CROATIA) SURPRISINGLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND 
SHOULD PROVE SIMPLE TO IMPLEMENT.  THE FEBRUARY 26 DECISION 
DID NOT AUTHORIZE TROOPS TO DISEMBARK DURING STOPS IN 
CROATIA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) ON FEBRUARY 26, PM RACAN'S CABINET PASSED A DECISION 
TO AGREE TO LIMITED OVERFLIGHT, LANDING AND REFUELING FOR 
CIVILIAN CONTRACT AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTING U.S. FORCES FOR 
POTENTIAL ACTION IN IRAQ (REFTEL).  THE DECISION ALSO CREATED 
AN INTER-AGENCY WORKING GROUP TO ESTABLISH MODALITIES FOR 
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ENGAGEMENT WITH THE U.S. AND TO DRAFT STANDARD OPERATING 
PROCEDURES. 
 
3.  (C) ON MARCH 7, DAO AND EMBOFF MET WITH ASSISTANT DEFENSE 
MINISTER FOR POLICY JELENA GRCIC POLIC, THE LEADER OF THE 
WORKING GROUP.  SHE PRESENTED US WITH THE GOC'S "PROTOCOL FOR 
USING AIRSPACE AND AIRPORTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA FOR 
THE NEEDS OF COALITION FORCES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."  THE PROTOCOL (FAXED TO EUR/SCE), 
WHICH WAS REFINED IN A SERIES OF INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS, 
ESTABLISHES WHAT APPEAR TO BE REASONABLE GUIDELINES FOR 
NOTIFYING THE GOC OF UPCOMING OVERFLIGHT AND LANDING. 
 
- NO ADVANCE WARNING IS REQUIRED EXCEPT FOR A STANDARD FLIGHT 
PLAN FOR USE OF CROATIA'S AIRSPACE BY CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT WITH 
NO INTENTION TO LAND OR REFUEL; 
 
- A MINIMUM OF 24 HOURS ADVANCE NOTICE BEFORE AIRCRAFT 
ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL IS REQUIRED FOR USE OF CROATIA'S 
AIRPORTS FOR LANDING AND REFUELING; 
 
- CROATIA DESIGNATES ITS AIRPORTS IN SPLIT AND PULA AS 
DESIGNATED LANDING SITES, BUT OTHER AIRFIELDS MAY BE USED IN 
THE CASE OF SPECIFIED NEED. 
 
4.  (C) ASSISTANT MINISTER GRCIC POLIC EXPLAINED THAT 
ALTHOUGH THE PROTOCOL ONLY SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THE USE OF 
AIRPORTS BY MD-11, DC-10 AND B-767 AIRCRAFT, THE WORKING 
GROUP HAS DECIDED TO INTERPRET THIS AS "AIRCRAFT SIMILAR TO 
THESE TYPES."  DISMISSING AN EARLIER POTENTIAL POINT OF 
CONTENTION, GRCIC POLIC TOLD US THAT AIRCRAFT COVERED BY THE 
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PROTOCOL WOULD BE AUTHORIZED USING STANDARD CIVILIAN FLIGHT 
CLEARANCES, AND WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE DESIGNATED AS "STATE 
AIRCRAFT." 
 
5.  (C)  GRCIC POLIC TOLD US THAT THE PROCEDURES AS SPECIFIED 
ABOVE WERE THE MOST FLEXIBLE HER INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP 
COULD PRODUCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEBRUARY 26 DECISION; 
SOME MAY EVEN PUSH THE BOUNDARIES DEFINED BY CROATIAN LAW. 
SHE SHOWED US A COPY OF THE GOC INTERNAL STANDARD OPERATING 
PROCEDURES FOR ACTION TO BE TAKEN UPON NOTIFICATION BY THE 
USG -- THROUGH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY -- OF AN IMPENDING FLIGHT 
COVERED BY THE NEW PROTOCOL.  THE PROCEDURES APPEARED TO US 
TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND BUSINESSLIKE, PROVIDING FOR 24-HOUR 
AVAILABILITY OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICERS IN CASE OF A REQUEST 
OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. 
ROSSIN 
 
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