US embassy cable - 95ZAGREB4591

UNCLAS ZAGREB 004591 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
USIA FOR EEN (DOCAL) AND R (MCINTOSH) 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE AND PA 
USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, HR, SR, War Crimes 
SUBJECT:  COVERAGE OF EASTERN SLAVONIA BASIC AGREEMENT 
IN CROATIAN MEDIA -- REFLECTING THE AMERICAN VIEW 
 
1.  BECAUSE OF SOME SKEPTICISM WITHIN THE CROATIAN MEDIA 
AND PUBLIC OVER THE BASIC AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA, 
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WE INVITED FOUR COLUMNISTS FROM CROATIA'S MAIN 
NEWSPAPERS FOR A SESSION WITH AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH IN 
THE HOPES OF GETTING OUR VIEWS OUT.  THE FIRST FRUITS OF 
THIS DISCUSSION APPEARED TODAY (NOVEMBER 16) IN ONE OF 
THOSE PAPERS, VECERNJI LIST, UNDER THE HEADLINE 
"SKELETON WITHOUT THE FLESH: AMERICA'S VIEW OF THE 
AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA." 
 
2.  FOLLOWING ARE SIGNIFICANT EXCERPTS FROM THAT COLUMN, 
BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS WRITER MARINA SERIC: 
 
(BEGIN TEXT) 
 
THE BASICS OF THE AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA CAN BE 
UNDERSTOOD TO BE A SKELETON TO WHICH THE "FLESH" STILL NEEDS 
TO BE ATTACHED.  IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYTHING TO GO 
SMOOTHLY, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY (LIVING) THERE TO STAY 
AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE EXPELLED TO RETURN, AND FOR (EASTERN 
SLAVONIA) TO BE A MULTI-ETHNIC COMMUNITY AGAIN.  THE 
TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY WILL BE A NEUTRAL FORCE THAT WILL BE 
RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTACHING THE FLESH TO THE SKELETON AND FOR 
EVERYTHING GOING SMOOTHLY.  THIS COULD SUMMARIZE THE 
THOUGHTS ON THE BASIC AGREEMENT ABOUT EASTERN SLAVONIA FROM 
THE MOUTH OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR PETER GALBRAITH. . . . 
 
"THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THE WAR BEGAN.  THEREFORE, IT IS 
LOGICAL THAT ITS END BEGIN THERE.  THAT REGION NEEDS TO 
REMAIN A MULTI-ETHNIC COMMUNITY.  THIS AGREEMENT IS A BASIS 
FOR THE INITIATIVES OF BOTH SIDES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR 
ITS REALIZATION.  THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD EXISTS BECAUSE IT 
IS NECESSARY FOR THE PRESENT LOCAL POPULATION TO PREPARE 
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ITSELF FOR NORMAL LIFE WITHIN CROATIA," EXPLAINS GALBRAITH. 
 
THE U.S. HAS APPROACHED THIS PROBLEM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF 
ITS OWN MULTI-ETHNICITY. THEREFORE ONE OF THE BASIC IDEAS IS 
THAT AN AREA THAT USED TO BE MULTI-ETHNIC IN THE PAST REMAIN 
MULTI-ETHNIC IN THE FUTURE.  "THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILITY 
HERE FOR THOSE WHO ARE THERE TO REMAIN, AT THE SAME TIME FOR 
THOSE WHO WERE EXPELLED TO RETURN, AND FOR THE 
REESTABLISHMENT OF CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THESE PEOPLES.  THAT 
WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE FOR BOSNIA," CLAIMS GALBRAITH, 
WHO IS CONVINCED THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY THAT THE 
AGREEMENT WILL FALL APART AND (WHO) BELIEVES THAT IT IS IN 
THE INTERESTS OF ALL THAT THE TRANSITION PERIOD "PASS 
SMOOTHLY, WITHOUT A MASSIVE EXODUS OF THE SERB POPULATION 
AND WITHOUT INCITING NEW EMOTIONS FOR WAR." 
 
HE ALSO CONSIDERS THIS AGREEMENT TO BE A SIGN OF THE 
MATURITY OF THE SERB NEGOTIATING TEAM, WHICH, UNLIKE THE 
KNIN LEADERSHIP, UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WERE IN A DIFFICULT 
SITUATION.  (SERB DELEGATION HEAD) MILAN MILANOVIC WAS 
DESCRIBED AS AN INFLUENTIAL MAN WHO OPERATED IN THE 
BACKGROUND.  "THERE WEREN'T ANY ARGUMENTS WITHIN THE SERB 
DELEGATION, AS THERE WERE IN KNIN, WHOSE LEADERSHIP SHOWED 
ITSELF TO BE TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE.  THESE (PEOPLE) HAVE 
LEARNED SOMETHING AND ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY.  GREAT CREDIT 
MUST GO TO (CROATIAN DELEGATION CHIEF HRVOJE) SARINIC AND 
HIS TEAM.  IT WAS A MATTER OF INTELLIGENT AND ELEGANT 
COMPROMISES," CONCLUDED THE AMBASSADOR. 
 
ASKED WHETHER THIS AGREEMENT AND THE ONE BETWEEN PRESIDENTS 
TUDJMAN AND IZETBEGOVIC IN DAYTON WERE ONLY MASKS FOR THE 
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(LACK OF) SUCCESS OF NEGOTIATIONS ON BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA, 
GALBRAITH SAID THAT IT IS ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE, THAT THESE 
SUCCESSES ARE SIGNS OF RESOLVE TO FIND A SOLUTION, AND THAT 
"THE QUESTION OF BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA CANNOT BE SOLVED BEFORE 
THE QUESTION OF CROATIA IS SOLVED." 
THE LIFTING OF THE OTHER "WALL" -- SANCTIONS ON SERBIA -- 
BEHIND WHICH LIES THE POSSIBILITY OF SERBIA'S ACCEPTANCE 
INTO EUROPEAN AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, WILL BE 
TIED TO RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE PROBLEM OF 
KOSOVO, AND TO COOPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES 
TRIBUNAL IN THE HAGUE.  IT MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN THAT 
SIMILAR CONDITIONS APPLY ALSO FOR CROATIA. 
 
(END TEXT) 
 
DAVIDSON 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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