US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB679

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000679 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, HR, IZ, UNCHR-1 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: UNCHR/CROATIA:  CROATIA WILL OPPOSE 
SPECIAL SITTING; UN ROLE IN POST WAR IRAQ 
 
REF: STATE 76558 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: LAWRENCE G ROSSIN,AMBASSADOR FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  THE GOC WILL VOTE AGAINST THE PROPOSAL FOR A 
SPECIAL SITTING ON THE IRAQ CONFLICT, "AS IT IS CURRENTLY 
FRAMED AND GIVEN THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE COMMISSION."  HOWEVER, 
    DEPUTY FM SIMONOVIC TOLD AMBASSADOR IN CONVEYING THIS 
POSITION THAT THE SITUATION AT THE UNCHR IS "FLUID" AND THE 
GOC MIGHT RECONSIDER IF THE PROPOSAL EVOLVED POSITIVELY AND 
PARTICULARLY IF THE EU SWUNG IN BEHIND IT.  THIS DECISION WAS 
TAKEN AT THE HIGHEST GOC LEVEL.  OBVIOUSLY, USMISSION GENEVA 
WILL NEED TO WATCH THE CROATIANS CAREFULLY; THEY UNDOUBTEDLY 
WILL ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH ANY EU POSITION THAT EMERGES. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) AMBASSADOR DELIVERED REF A DEMARCHE TO DEPUTY FM 
SIMONOVIC EARLY MARCH 25.  IN ADDITION TO PREVIOUS POINTS, 
AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED HIS VIEW THAT A GOC SHIFT FROM "ABSTAIN" 
TO "NO" WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE MUTUAL DESIRE OF PM 
RACAN AND THE AMBASSADOR TO CIRCUMSCRIBE OUR DIFFERENCES OVER 
IRAQ AND FIND COMMON GROUND, PER THEIR MARCH 24 MEETING. 
GIVEN OUR COMMON INTEREST IN REBUILDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF 
THE UN SYSTEM AND FOCUSING THE WORK OF THE UNCHR ON REAL 
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, THIS SEEMED AN APPROPRIATE AREA FOR GOC 
SUPPORT.  IT WAS NO ACCIDENT THAT COUNTRIES LIKE CUBA, LIBYA 
AND ZIMBABWE WERE PUSHING THIS; APART FROM BECOMING AN 
ANTI-AMERICAN CIRCUS, IT WOULD EAT UP TIME OTHERWISE 
AVAILABLE TO EXAMINE THEIR ABUSES. 
 
3. (C) SIMONOVIC SAID HE HAD SPOKEN TO PM RACAN BEFORE THE 
MEETING AND WOULD SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN AFTERWARD.  PERSONALLY, 
HE SEEMED TO FIND MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS APPEALING, BUT HE 
SAID HE COULD ONLY PROVIDE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER AFTER 
CONSULTING HIS SUPERIORS. 
 
4. (C) SIMONOVIC APPEARED GENERALLY AWARE OF THE CONTENT OF 
THE AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSSION WITH PM RACAN MARCH 24.  HE 
    AFFIRMED A GOC DESIRE TO END PUBLIC CONTROVERSY ABOUT OUR 
DIVERGENT POLITICAL POSITIONS ON IRAQ AND TO FOCUS ON 
CROATIA'S SUPPORT FOR THE GWOT AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE 
IN POST-CONFLICT ACTIVITY IN IRAQ AS WELL AS ON THE FUTURE 
ROLE OF THE UN IN IRAQ AND IN MAINTAINING A STABLE WORLD 
ORDER.  UN INVOLVEMENT IN POST-WAR IRAQ WOULD CONSTITUTE "THE 
FIRST PHASE FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE UN."  HE ASKED IF THE USG 
HAD DEVELOPED A POLICY OR FRAMEWORK FOR THE ROLE OF THE UN 
VIS-A-VIS IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION. 
 
5. (C) THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THE PRESIDENT'S AND SECRETARY'S 
PUBLIC STATEMENTS OF DESIRE THAT THE UNITED NATIONS PLAY A 
LEADING ROLE IN POST-CONFLICT IRAQ.  IN THAT REGARD, THE 
AMBASSADOR NOTED WITH DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THOSE COUNTRIES 
THAT HAD OPPOSED THE UNSCR IN THE UNSC SEEMED NOW TO BE 
BLOCKING AMENDMENT OF THE OIL-FOR-PEACE ARRANGEMENT TO 
BENEFIT THE IRAQI PEOPLE, AND CRITICIZING THE IDEA OF A NEW 
UNSCR FOR POST-CONFLICT ACTIVITY.  THEIR APPARENT FOCUS WAS 
PERPETUATING THE PREVIOUS UNSC DEBATE, NOW ENDED.  SUCH 
DWELLING ON THE PAST WOULD NOT ENHANCE THE REVITALIZATION OF 
THE UN SYSTEM THAT WE AND THE GOC SEEK.  SIMONOVIC, CROATIA'S 
FORMER UN PERMREP, NODDED IN AGREEMENT.  HE SAID HE HAD 
WRITTEN AN OP-ED (TO BE PUBLISHED IN A ZAGREB PAPER MARCH 26) 
CALLING FOR UN REFORM AND GREATER WEIGHT IN THE UN FOR THE 
MORE CAPABLE MEMBER STATES SUCH AS THE UNITED STATES. 
 
6. (C) COMMENT: WHILE SIMONOVIC SAID A LOT POSITIVE, THE FACT 
THAT IT TOOK HIM ALL DAY TO GET US AN ANSWER TO OUR UNCHR 
DEMARCHE, AND THAT THE ANSWER WAS SO CAREFULLY HEDGED, 
INDICATES THAT CROATIA WILL NOT BE PROMINENT IN WORKING FOR 
THE SORT OF UN REFORM HE ADVOCATED. 
    ROSSIN 
 
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