US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB1364

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001364 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR (BENTON) 
    DEFENSE FOR OSD/DASD-EURASIA (RICARDEL) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2008 
TAGS: MARR, PARM, PREL, MOPS, HR, IQ 
SUBJECT: CROATIAN CABINET COMMITS TO DEPLOY TROOPS IN IRAQ, 
SEEKS FURTHER INFORMATION 
 
REF: ZAGREB 1266 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF A.F.GODFREY FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C) ON JUNE 12, THE CROATIAN CABINET PASSED A 
"DETERMINATION" TO DEPLOY AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF MILITARY 
PERSONNEL TO IRAQ TO PARTICIPATE IN MULTINATIONAL 
PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS.  THIS "DETERMINATION" (FULL TEXT BELOW) 
CONSTITUTES THE SOLID POLITICAL COMMITMENT WE TOLD THE 
CROATIANS WE NEEDED BEFORE THE USG WOULD AUTHORIZE 
PRELIMINARY MILITARY-TO-MILITARY DISCUSSIONS ON DETAILS OF A 
POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT (REF).  AT THESE PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS, 
THE GOC WOULD LEARN SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT DEPLOYMENT AND 
COSTS AND U.S. PLANNERS WOULD SEEK TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE 
CROATIAN OFFER WOULD ADD VALUE TO THE COALITION.  UPON 
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THESE MILITARY-TO-MILITARY TALKS, 
THE GOC MUST PASS A MORE FORMAL "DECISION" WHICH MUST BE 
APPROVED BY THE CROATIAN PARLIAMENT, BEFORE CONCRETE 
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DEPLOYMENT COULD BE INITIATED. 
 
2.  (U)  BEGIN TEXT OF JUNE 12 GOC "DETERMINATION" (NOTE 
INTERNAL NUMBERING): 
 
-    1.  BASED ON THE INTEREST AND READINESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
    OF CROATIA TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND ASSIST THE POSTWAR 
STABILIZATION OF IRAQ, WHICH IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH UN 
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1483 (2003), THE REPUBLIC OF 
CROATIA AFFIRMS ITS READINESS TO CONTRIBUTE MEMBERS OF ITS 
ARMED FORCES TO THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION FORCES IN PEACE 
AND ORDER KEEPING OPERATIONS, AIMED AT CREATING CONDITIONS 
FOR NORMALIZATION OF THE SITUATION, THE DEMOCRATIC 
DEVELOPMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ. 
 
-    2.  WITH A VIEW TO IMPLEMENTING POINT 1 OF THIS 
DETERMINATION, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS INSTRUCTED 
TO DEFINE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, THE 
COMPOSITION, PROFILE AND NUMBER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT 
WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION FORCES IN 
IRAQ. 
 
END TEXT. 
ROSSIN 
 
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