US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB664

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, HR, IZ 
SUBJECT:  TFIZ01: TOP OFFICIALS COMMENT ON WAR IN IRAQ 
 
 
PM RACAN: GOC COMMENTS FOLLOW AGREED LINE ... 
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1.  IN AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED ON MARCH 22 IN THE MASS 
    MARKET DAILY "JUTARNJI LIST," PRIME MINISTER IVICA RACAN 
REITERATED HIS GOVERNMENT'S POSITION "REGRETTING" THE LACK 
OF UNSC UNITY OVER THE DECISION TO USE FORCE TO COMPEL IRAQ 
TO DISARM.  HE SAID THAT ALL OF THE GOVERNMENT'S STATEMENTS 
FOLLOWED THE AGREED POLICY LINE, BUT HE CLAIMED THAT 
PRESIDENT MESIC DID NOT CONSULT WITH THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE 
DELIVERING HIS SPEECH TO THE CROATIAN PEOPLE ON MARCH 20. 
(IN THAT ADDRESS, MESIC SAID USG MILITARY ACTION "LACKED 
LEGITIMACY" WITHOUT UNSC APPROVAL.) 
 
2. RACAN SAID CROATIA COULD NOT "SELECTIVELY IGNORE" 
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, AND ASKED RHETORICALLY WHAT 
WOULD HAVE HAPPENED "HAD WE IGNORED, FOR INSTANCE, SECURITY 
COUNCIL DECISIONS ON ICTY AND STOPPED COOPERATION."  RACAN 
POINTED OUT THAT CROATIA HAD GRANTED OVERFLIGHT APPROVAL TO 
U.S. CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT CARRYING MILITARY PERSONNEL AND 
EQUIPMENT.  IN ADDITION, THE U.S. COULD USE CROATIAN 
AIRPORTS FOR FUELING, WHICH WAS "MORE THAN OFFERED BY SOME 
OF THE COUNTRIES THAT WERE FORMALLY ALLIED WITH THE U.S.," 
THE PM SAID. 
 
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MESIC AND TOMCIC SAY STATE LEADERSHIP UNITED ON WAR IN IRAQ 
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3. PRESIDENT STJEPAN MESIC RESPONDED TO RACAN'S MARCH 22 
INTERVIEW BY DENYING THE EXISTENCE OF ANY MISUNDERSTANDING 
BETWEEN HIM AND THE GOVERNMENT ON THE IRAQI CRISIS.   HE SAID 
THAT THE FOREIGN POLICY LEADERSHIP AGREED ON A SINGLE 
STANCE; HIS SPEECH SIMPLY CAME AT THE SAME POSITION FROM A 
DIFFERENT ANGLE. 

4. PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ZLATKO TOMCIC (WHO IS ALSO PRESIDENT 
OF THE HSS, THE SECOND LARGEST COALITION PARTY) TOLD THE 
PRESS THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN VIEW ON IRAQ AMONG THE 
PRESIDENT, THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE SPEAKER.  TOMCIC 
EXPRESSED THE BELIEF THAT A UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION 
ENDANGERED THE FUNCTIONING OF A WHOLE SERIES OF WORLD 
INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE UN, NATO AND THE EU.  "IF THE 
ACTION ENDS SOON, WE WILL ALL COME OUT OF THIS LESS 
DAMAGED; IF IT TAKES LONG, CONSEQUENCES FOR THE WORLD'S 
LEGAL SYSTEM WILL BE HARSH," TOMCIC SAID. 
 
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DEPUTY PM GORAN GRANIC CHALLENGES U.S. CRITICISM 
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5.  THE LOCAL PRESS QUOTED ON MARCH 23 DEPUTY PM GORAN 
GRANIC AS SAYING THAT "IT IS TRAGIC TO SEE HOW MUCH 
AMBASSADOR ROSSIN GOT LOST IN TIME AND SPACE," EXPLAINING 
HE MEANT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF "ALL THOSE IN THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WHO ALLOWED THEMSELVES MUCH GREATER 
RIGHTS THAN ARE USUAL IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, BOTH WITH 
REGARD TO THIS AND THE FORMER GOVERNMENT."  GRANIC ADDED 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING ANY FORM 
OF POSSIBLE U.S. "PUNISHMENT," AS THE TITLE OF AMBASSADOR'S 
INTERVIEW HAD SUGGESTED. 
 
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COMMENT 
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    6.  THE AMBASSADOR MET MARCH 24 WITH PM RACAN TO CALM THE 
RHETORIC IN THE LOCAL MEDIA REGARDING THE GOC'S POSITION ON 
THE IRAQ CRISIS.  THE ACCOUNT OF THIS MEETING IS BEING 
PROVIDED SEPTEL. 
 
ROSSIN 
 
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