US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB621

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2008 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, HR, UNSC 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: DEMARCHES ON UNGA AND CHR SESSIONS: GOC REPLY IS 
"CAUTIOUS" 
 
REF: A. STATE 70678 
 
     B. STATE 70649 
     C. ZAGREB 615 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY NICHOLAS HILL, POL/ECON COUNSELOR, 
FOR REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.   (C) DCM DELIVERED MARCH 18 REFTEL DEMARCHES TO MARIO 
    NOBILO, ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS. 
DCM EXPLAINED THE U.S. DECISION NOT TO SEEK ANOTHER UNSC 
RESOLUTION AND URGED THAT THE GOC NOT SUPPORT HOLDING AN UNGA 
EMERGENCY SESSION ON IRAQ NOR USE THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN 
RIGHTS FOR DISCUSSING THE CURRENT SITUATION CONCERNING IRAQ. 
NOBILO SAID HE UNDERSTOOD OUR POSITION, AND SAID THE GOC 
WOULD BE "CAUTIOUS" ABOUT USING THESE VENUES, ALTHOUGH HE 
AGREED THAT THE UNCHR WOULD NOT BE AN APPROPRIATE FORUM. 
CROATIA DID NOT WANT TO SEE FURTHER HARM TO THE UN. 
 
2.   (C) IN DISCUSSING REFTELS, NOBILO STATED THE GOC'S 
DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE U.S. HAD DECIDED TO WORK "OUTSIDE" 
THE SECURITY COUNCIL CONTEXT.  HE SAID HE HOPED A WAR WOULD 
BE SHORT AND THAT LOSS OF LIFE WOULD BE MINIMIZED.  HE SAID 
THE GOC WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT A CONFLICT WOULD CONTRIBUTE 
TO A SPREAD OF TERRORISM.  THE ASSISTANT MINISTER ADDED THAT 
HE HOPED CROATIA WOULD BE A "PARTNER" IN POST CONFLICT 
INSTITUTION BUILDING. 
 
3.   (C) THE DCM UNDERSCORED DISAPPOINTMENT WITH PRESS 
REPORTS EARLIER ON MARCH 18 INDICATING THAT, IN ANNOUNCING 
THAT HIS MARCH 18-19 TRIP TO LONDON HAD BEEN CANCELLED, PRIME 
MINISTER RACAN HAD SAID TO THE PRESS THAT CROATIA AND THE UK 
OBVIOUSLY WERE "NOT ON THE SAME SIDE" (REF C).  FURTHERMORE, 
THE PM HOPED THE U.S. WOULD "UNDERSTAND" THE GOC'S POSITION. 
THE DCM SAID THAT, IN FACT, THE U.S. DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE 
GOC POSITION; WE WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT CROATIA HAD 
FAILED TO JOIN THE COALITION TO DISARM IRAQ.  MOREOVER, WE 
HOPED THAT PM RACAN DID NOT MEAN TO SUGGEST THAT CROATIA AND 
THE UK WERE NOT ON THE SAME SIDE VIS-A-VIS THE IRAQ REGIME. 
 
    4.   (C) NOBILO RESPONDED THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN TRANSCRIPTS OF 
EXACTLY WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER SAID.  THE KEY PROBLEM FOR 
RACAN WAS THAT ALL THE FOCUS OF A LONDON VISIT WOULD HAVE 
BEEN ON IRAQ, AND CLEARLY CROATIA HAD A DIFFERENT VIEW. 
INDEED, IF RACAN HAD TRAVELLED TO LONDON, NOBILO FEARED, THE 
"ENTIRE DISCUSSION" WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER IRAQ.  (WE LEARNED 
SEPARATELY FROM UK SOURCES THAT THE IRAQ SITUATION MEANT THE 
BRITISH COULD NOT GUARANTEE RACAN A MEETING WITH PM BLAIR.) 
ROSSIN 
 
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