US embassy cable - 94ZAGREB42

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
EMBASSY VIENNA FOR BOSNIA 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS: PREL, HR, BK, War Crimes 
SUBJECT:  TFSROL:  BOBAN DENIED VISA TO AUSTRALIA; 
          GOC ASKS WHETHER U.S. WILL LET HIM IN 
 
 
SEE ACTION PARAGRAPH 4. 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  IN A JANUARY 4 MEETING FOREIGN MINISTER MATE 
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GRANIC TOLD AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH THAT THE PLANNED 
"LONG VACATION" TO AUSTRALIA BY THE "PRESIDENT" OF 
THE SO-CALLED "REPUBLIC OF HERCEG-BOSNA," MATE BOBAN, 
HAD BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE BOBAN HAD BEEN DENIED A 
VISA.  WE LATER CONTACTED THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN 
VIENNA AND WERE TOLD BY FIRST SECRETARY MARK HIGGIE 
THAT BOBAN HAD BEEN DESIGNATED A "CONTROVERSIAL 
VISITOR" BY THE MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC 
AFFAIRS ON THE BASIS THAT HIS VISIT "DID NOT MEET 
PUBLIC INTEREST CRITERIA."  SPECIFICALLY, HIGGIE SAID 
THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FELT THAT BOBAN'S 
VISIT COULD POTENTIALLY UPSET ETHNIC SERBS AND 
MUSLIMS FROM THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA CURRENTLY RESIDING 
IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
3.  HIGGIE STATED THAT VISAS HAD BEEN DENIED ON 
SIMILAR GROUNDS TO DOBROSLAV PARAGA, PRESIDENT OF THE 
CROATIAN PARTY OF RIGHTS, AND BOSNIAN SERB "VICE 
PRESIDENT" BILJANA PLAVSIC.  HE ADDED THAT THE VISA 
TO BOBAN WAS DENIED, IN PART, TO BALACE THE EARLIER 
REFUSAL OF PLAVSIC.  HE ALSO COMMENTED THAT HAD BOBAN 
APPLIED A YEAR EARLIER, BEFORE THE MUSLIM-CROAT 
CONFLICT AND ENSUING VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, HIS 
APPLICATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAVORABLY RECEIVED. 
 
4.  ACTION REQUEST:  GRANIC SAID THAT BOBAN STILL 
HOPED TO VISIT THE U.S. FOR HIS "LONG VACATION."  HE 
ASKED, "OFF THE RECORD" WHETHER WE COULD TELL HIM 
"OFF THE RECORD" WHETHER THE VISA APPLICATION WOULD 
BE FAVORABLY RECEIVED.  NOTE:  BOBAN WAS GIVEN AN A-1 
TDY VISA WITH 12 MONTHS VALIDITY LAST FEBRUARY TO 
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ATTEND THE PEACE TALKS IN NEW YORK.  PLEASE PROVIDE 
GUIDANCE FOR OUR REPLY TO GRANIC. 
 
5.  COMMENT:  WHEN WE WERE FIRST INFORMED BY FOREIGN 
MINISTER GRANIC THAT BOBAN WOULD BE TAKING A "LONG 
VACATION," THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT THIS WAS PART OF 
AN EFFORT TO GET HIM OUT OF THE WAY AND, COMBINED 
WITH THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL FOR 
"HERCEG-BOSNA," PERHAPS PART OF AN EFFORT TO EASE HIM 
OUT OF THE PICTURE ENTIRELY.  WE ALSO NOTE THAT 
FOREIGN MINISTER GRANIC WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY 
BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS AKMADZIC AND TOMIC (WHOSE STARS 
APPEAR TO BE RISING) AT THE TALKS IN VIENNA WITH B-H 
PRIME MINISTER SALAJDZIC. 
 
6.  COMMENT CONTINUED:  WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT BOBAN 
MIGHT AT SOME POINT BE TRIED FOR WAR CRIMES ALTHOUGH 
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER AT THE PRESENT TIME 
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE EXISTS TO MAKE THE CASE AGAINST 
HIM.  WE BELIEVE THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND HERE 
COULD BE IMPROVED IF ANOTHER "VACATION SITE" WERE 
FOUND FOR MR. BOBAN.  AUSTRALIA WAS AN IDEAL 
DESTINATION, BEING AT LEAST 48 AIR HOURS AWAY AND 
WITH A SUBSTANTIAL TIME DIFFERENCE BUT WE NOTE THAT 
THERE ARE REMOTE PARTS OF THE U.S. AS WELL. 
 
GALBRAITH 
 
 
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