US embassy cable - 95ZAGREB5177

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 005177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: War Crimes 
SUBJECT:  SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT 
          U.S. ASSISTANCE 
 
 
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PAGE 02        ZAGREB  05177  01 OF 02  181254Z 
l.SUMMARY:  ON DECEMBER 14 AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH PAID A 
COURTESY CALL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES VLATKO PAVLETIC.  DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON 
THE BALKANS PEACE AGREEMENT AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF 
IMPLEMENTATION.  PAVLETIC SAID THAT THE AGREEMENT OFFERS 
THE BASIS FOR ALL THREE ETHNIC GROUPS TO RESOLVE THEIR 
DIFFERENCES.  BECAUSE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN NO PEACE 
WITHOUT THE U.S. INITIATIVE, PAVLETIC STRESSED THAT IT IS 
VITAL FOR CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION. 
THE AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED 
BUSINESS, INCLUDING CREATING A CIVIL SOCIETY, THE RETURN 
OF A MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY, AND A RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM 
OF THOSE WHO HAVE DISAPPEARED.  THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED 
THAT PEACE WILL NOT BE REAL AND HEALING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL 
A FINAL ACCOUNTING IS DONE AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR 
CRIMES -- ON ALL SIDES -- HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.0N DECEMBER 14 AMBASSADOR GALBRAITH PAID A COURTESY 
CALL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
VLATKO PAVLETIC (CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION -- HDZ). 
PAVLETIC FOCUSED HIS COMMENTS ON THE SIGNING OF THE 
BALKANS PEACE AGREEMENT IN PARIS AND NOTED THAT, AS 
DIFFICULT AS THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS WAS, IMPLEMENTATION 
WILL BE HARDER.  HE SAID THAT THE CRUEL WAR OF THE LAST 
FIVE YEARS HAS BROUGHT A PEACE THAT THAT IS ALMOST AS 
CRUEL TO ITS VICTIMS.  HE LAMENTED THAT WHILE THE VIOLENCE 
HAS ENDED, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE PERSIST.  A DIFFICULT 
JOB LIES AHEAD TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR CROATS, SERBS, 
AND MUSLIMS TO LIVE TOGETHER AGAIN.  HE NOTED, HOWEVER, 
THAT FINDING A FORMULA TO BUILD TRUST WILL BE MORE 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  05177  01 OF 02  181254Z 
DIFFICULT THAN FINDING THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO REBUILD 
VUKOVAR. 
 
3.PAVLETIC ADDED THAT THE PEACE AGREEMENT OFFERS THE 
BASIS FOR ALL THREE ETHNIC GROUPS TO RESOLVE THEIR 
DIFFERENCES.  HOWEVER, THE ENTIRE FORMULA COULD PROVE 
UNWORKABLE IF ONE PARTY VIOLATES IT.  HE SAID THIS WAS A 
SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO LEADERS IN SECTOR EAST WHO HAVE 
PUBLICLY INTERPRETED THE AGREEMENT DIFFERENTLY THAN THE 
GOC (NOTE: LEADERS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA HAVE SAID THAT 
CROATIAN DISPLACED PERSONS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO RETURN 
WHEN SERBS BEGIN TO COME BACK TO FORMER SECTORS NORTH AND 
SOUTH).  PAVLETIC WARNED THAT IF SUCH ATTITUDES PERSIST, 
THE GOVERNMENT AND HDZ WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN 
CONTINUED PUBLIC OR PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT FOR THE 
AGREEMENT.  (PAVLETIC ALSO UNDERLINED THAT THE OPPOSITION 
PARTIES' WERE SEEKING AN IDEAL SOLUTION AND SAID THAT ONLY 
THE HDZ, WITH A REALISTIC VIEW OF THE PROBLEM AT HAND, 
CARRIED THE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AGREEMENT.)  EVEN WITHOUT 
THE UNHELPFUL STANCE OF SOME EASTERN SLAVONIAN LEADERS, 
IMPLEMENTATION WILL NOT BE EASY OR SWIFT.  THERE COULD 
HAVE BEEN NO PEACE WITHOUT THE U.S. INITIATIVE AND BECAUSE 
OF ITS INFLUENCE, PAVLETIC STRESSED, IT IS VITAL FOR 
CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION.  PAVLETIC 
SAID IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO REINTRODUCE LAW AND ORDER, 
SINCE FORMER INSTITUTIONS HAVE VANISHED WITH THE MASS 
MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND LOSS OF PROPERTY. 
 
4.THE AMBASSADOR AGREED THAT THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED 
BUSINESS, INCLUDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT, 
CREATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY, THE RETURN OF MULTI-ETHNIC 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  05177  01 OF 02  181254Z 
SOCIETY, AND A RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF THOSE WHO HAVE 
DISAPPEARED.  HE STRESSED THAT PEACE WILL NOT BE REAL AND 
HEALING CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL A FINAL ACCOUNTING IS DONE AND 
THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIMES -- ON ALL SIDES -- HAVE 
BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.  THE AMBASSADOR THANKE 
D PAVLETIC 
FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT AND SAID THAT 
WHILE IT DID NOT GIVE CROATIA EVERYTHING IT WANTED, 
CROATIA MET MORE OF ITS GOALS THAN THE OTHER PARTIES IN 
THE CONFLICT.  THE AGREEMENT GUARANTEES CROATIA'S 
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY WITHIN ITS INTERNATIONALLY 
RECOGNIZED BORDERS AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BOSANSKA 
POSAVINA, ALMOST ALL BOSNIAN CROATS LIVE IN THE 
FEDERATION.  HE NOTED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE AN 
AGREEMENT THAT FULLY SATISFIES ONE SIDE, THAT PEACE 
REQUIRES COMPROMISES. EVEN THOUGH THE CROATS OF BOSANSKA 
POSAVINA ARE NOT IN THE FEDERATION, THEY STILL HAVE THE 
RIGHT TO RETURN, RECOVER PROPERTY, AND VOTE.  BY VOTING 
THEY COULD CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE SERB ENTITY. 
 
5.  SARAJEVO MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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PAGE 01        ZAGREB  05177  02 OF 02  181254Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  SMEC-00  OASY-00  SRPP-00  FBIE-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-01     ADS-00 
      M-00     NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-02    PM-00 
      PRS-01   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00    SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00 
      USIE-00  PMB-00   PRMC-01  DRL-09   G-00       /020W 
                  ------------------09E08D  181254Z /38 
R 181235Z DEC 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8373 
INFO USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECPOLAD// 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
DIA WASHDC 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//POLAD// 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 005177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV HR 
SUBJECT:  SABOR PRESIDENT PAVLETIC SAYS NO PEACE WITHOUT 
          U.S. ASSISTANCE 
 
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PAGE 02        ZAGREB  05177  02 OF 02  181254Z 
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