US embassy cable - 94ZAGREB513

UNCLASSIFIED SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB  00513 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
USIA WASHDC 4224 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 000513 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, MOPS, HR, BK, MOPS, HR, BK, MOPS, HR, BK, War Crimes 
SUBJECT:  CROATIAN WEEKLY LISTS ALLEGED B-H ARMY 
          ATROCITIES AGAINST BOSNIAN CROATS IN 1993 
 
1.  THE SEMI-INDEPENDENT SPLIT-BASED WEEKLY "NEDELJNA 
DALMACIJA" ON JAN 5 PUBLISHED A LENGTHY PIECE BY 
RESPECTED FREELANCER MARIO MARUSIC ON THE THREAT 
FACED BY BOSNIAN CROATS FROM B-H ARMY OR ALLIED 
FORCES.  MARUSIC DECRIES THE PAUCITY OF ATTENTION TO 
ATROCITIES SUFFERED BY BOSNIAN CROATS WHILE THE 
WORLD'S ATTENTION WAS RIVETED ON "AHMICI, STUPNI DOL, 
AND THE OLD BRIDGE (IN MOSTAR).  AT THE END OF THE 
PIECE, MARUSIC INCLUDED A LIST OF "THE MAJOR" 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00513  01 OF 03  041824Z 
(ALLEGED) ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY B-H ARMED FORCES 
AGAINST BOSNIAN CROATS IN 1993. 
 
2.  SOME OF THE INCIDENTS ARE WELL-KNOWN, SUCH AS 
UZDOL AND THE KILLING OF THE TWO FRANCISCAN FRIARS AT 
FOJNICA; OTHERS, SUCH AS THOSE CENTERED AROUND 
KONJIC, HAVE LONG BEEN BEEN ALLEGED BUT NEVER 
SUBSTANTIATED (OR, IN MOST CASES, EVEN INVESTIGATED, 
SO FAR AS WE KNOW); AND STILL OTHERS WE HAD NOT 
HERETOFORE HEARD ABOUT. 
 
3.  IN ATTEMPTING TO ASCERTAIN THE ORIGINAL SOURCES 
OF MARUSIC'S REPORT, WE LEARNED THAT MOST OR ALL OF 
THE PRE-AUGUST 20 ALLEGED INCIDENTS WERE CHRONICLED 
IN A "HERCEG-BOSNA" PUBLICATION OF AROUND THAT DATE 
WHICH COVERED THE PERIOD FROM 1991 TO THE DATE OF 
PUBLICATION.  SOURCE MATERIAL FOR INCIDENTS ALLEGED 
TO HAVE OCCURRED AFTER AUGUST 20 ALSO COMES FROM 
"HERCEG-BOSNA," FROM TESTIMONIES FILED WITH ODPR 
(OFFICE OF DISPLACE PERSONS AND REFUGEES) BY PERSONS 
ALLEGEDLY WITNESSING THE EVENT. 
 
4.  BECAUSE OF THE ORIGINAL "HERCEG-BOSNA" SOURCING, 
THE ATROCITIES LIST CANNOT BE CONSIDERED 
SUBSTANTIATED.  WE REPORT IT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF ITS 
SPECIFICITY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AT LEAST SOME OF 
THESE INCIDENTS DID TAKE PLACE, AND BECAUSE MARUSIC, 
WHO HAS A SOLID REPUTATION, CLAIMS TO HAVE PERSONALLY 
GONE OVER THE ORIGINAL SOURCE MATERIALS (TESTIMONIES, 
MAPS, ETC) FOR BOTH PRE AND POST AUGUST 20 ATROCITIES 
AND FOUND THEM COMPELLING. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00513  01 OF 03  041824Z 
 
5.  "LOCATIONS OF GREATEST CRIMES (IN 1993) AGAINST 
CROATS IN BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA" 
- 
    -- JANUARY 29, 1993, GUSTI GRAB, MUNICIPALITY OF 
ZENICA:  FIVE CIVILIANS AGED BETWEEN 70 AND 80 KILLED 
AND MASSACRED; 
 
    -- MARCH 23, 1993, ORLISTE, KONJIC:  FOUR MEN 
AGED BETWEEN 70 AND 90 KILLED; 
 
    -- MARCH 23, 1993, BUSCAK, KONJIC:  THREE 
CIVILIANS KILLED, AS WELL AS THE PERSON WHO TRIED TO 
BURY THEM; 
 
    -- APRIL 16, 1993, TRUSINA, KONJIC:  SIXTEEN 
CIVILIANS KILLED, SEVEN SOLDIERS OF THE CROATIAN 
DEFENSE COUNCIL (HVO) SHOT IN FRONT OF WOMEN AND 
CHILDREN; 
 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00513  02 OF 03  041824Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  C-01     OASY-00  EB-01 
      HA-09    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-16    L-01     ADS-00 
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   PA-02    PM-01    PRS-01   P-01     RPCS-01 
      SB-00    SIL-00   SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-01 
      TRSE-00  RPE-01   SNIS-00  NISC-02    /044W 
                  ------------------220626  041829Z /38 
P 041917Z FEB 94 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0759 
INFO WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN/POLAD// 
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// 
USMISSION USVIENNA 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USEC BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY MADRID 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00513  02 OF 03  041824Z 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
USIA WASHDC 4225 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 000513 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PHUM, MOPS, HR, BK, UN 
SUBJECT:  CROATIAN WEEKLY LISTS ALLEGED B-H ARMY 
          ATROCITIES AGAINST BOSNIAN CROATS IN 1993 
 
    -- APRIL 24, 1993, MILETICI, TRAVNIK:  FIVE 
PERSONS MASSACRED:  THEIR EYES WERE GOUGED OUT, THEY 
DRANK THEIR OWN BLOOD, AND WERE THEN STRANGLED WITH 
CHAINS; 
 
    -- APRIL 27, 1993, BILIVODE, ZENICA:  THREE 
ELDERLY PEOPLE BURNT ALIVE IN A HOUSE; 
 
    -- APRIL 27, 1993, SUSANJ, ZENICA:  IT WAS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00513  02 OF 03  041824Z 
ESTABLISHED THAT TEN CIVILIANS WERE SHOT BY FIRING 
SQUAD; 
 
    -- JUNE 8, 1993, MALJINE, TRAVNIK:  A VILLAGE WAS 
SET ON FIRE, SEVEN WOUNDED ON STRETCHERS, FOUR 
CIVILIANS, AND THREE SOLDIERS WERE SHOT ABOVE THE 
RAVINE IN THE VILLAGE OF POLJANKE; 38 PRIS 
ONERS SHOT 
IN THE VILLAGE OF BIKOSE; 
 
    -- JUNE 11, 1993, VITEZ:  EIGHT DIED, AND OVER 20 
CHILDREN WERE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED BY MUSLIM ARTILLERY 
SHRAPNEL; 
 
    -- JUNE 11, 1993;   DRENOVIK, KAKANJ:  EIGHT 
CIVILIANS KILLED, NINE WOUNDED, SEVEN CIVILIANS FROM 
THE BRADARIC FAMILY TOOK REFUGE; UNPROFOR REFUSED TO 
HELP; 
 
    -- JUNE 16, 1993,  BUSOVACKE STAJE, BUSOVACA: 
CONVOY CARRYING FOOD ATTACKED-- FOURTEEN CTVILIANS 
AND EIGHT HVO SOLDIERS KILLED, EIGHTEEN WOUNDED; 
 
    -- JULY 15, 1993, MOSTAR:  AT THE "SOKOL" 
BUILDING SIXTEEN CIVILIANS BURNT ALIVE; 
 
    -- JULY 27, 1993, DOLJANI:  THIRTY SEVEN PERSONS 
MASSACRED, ONE HUNDRED AND NINTY CAPTURED (TWENTY ONE 
CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 5, FORTY TWO CHILDREN AGED 
BETWEEN 5 AND 15, TEN PREGNANT WOMEN) 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00513  02 OF 03  041824Z 
    -- AUGUST 16, 1993, KISELJAK, ZEPCE:  FORTY THREE 
PERSONS KILLED AND MASSACRED; 
 
    -- SEPTEMBER 13 1993, MOSTAR:  FIVE CIVILIANS 
KILLED AND TWENTY WOUNDED (SEVEN CHILDREN BETWEEN THE 
AGE OF 4 AND 11); 
 
    -- SEPTEMBER 14, 1993, UZDOL, PROZOR:  SOME FORTY 
CIVILIANS KILLED, MOSTLY WOMEN AND ELDERLY PERSONS; 
 
    -- SEPTEMBER 25, 1993;  GRABOVICA, MOSTAR: 
THIRTY EIGHT CROATS KILLED AND MASSACRED:  CRUCIFIED, 
IMPALED, THEIR HEARTS TAKEN OUT; 
 
    -- OCTOBER 25, 1993, RASTOVCI, NOVI TRAVNIK: 
SEVEN CIVILIANS KILLED; 
 
    -- NOVEMBER 4, 1993, VINISTE, ZAVIDOVCI:  BED 
RIDDEN ELDERLY MAN SLAIN IN BED, A CIVILIAN KILLED IN 
FRONT OF HIS FAMILY; 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00513  03 OF 03  041825Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  C-01     OASY-00  EB-01 
      HA-09    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-16    L-01     ADS-00 
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   PA-02    PM-01    PRS-01   P-01     RPCS-01 
      SB-00    SIL-00   SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-01 
      TRSE-00  RPE-01   SNIS-00  NISC-02    /044W 
                  ------------------22062D  041828Z /38 
P 041917Z FEB 94 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0760 
INFO WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN/POLAD// 
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// 
USMISSION USVIENNA 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USEC BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY MADRID 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00513  03 OF 03  041825Z 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 
AMEMBASSY BONN 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
USIA WASHDC 4226 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 000513 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PHUM, MOPS, HR, BK, UN 
SUBJECT:  CROATIAN WEEKLY LISTS ALLEGED B-H ARMY 
          ATROCITIES AGAINST BOSNIAN CROATS IN 1993 
 
 
    -- NOVEMBER 13, 1993, FOJNICA:  TWO FRANCISCANS 
FRIARS KILLED IN THE FRANCISCAN MONASTERY; 
 
    -- DECEMBER 22, 1993,  KRIZANCEVO SELO, VITEZ: 
SEVENTY FOUR CROATS KILLED AND BURIED IN MASS GRAVES 
IN POCULICA. 
 
GALBRAITH 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00513  03 OF 03  041825Z 
 
 
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