Cablegate: Zagreb Weekly Activity Report - November 28, 2007

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - NOVEMBER 28, 2007

REF: A. ZAGREB 1036
B. ZAGREB 1028

1. (SBU) COALITION NEGOTIATIONS GET UNDERWAY IN EARNEST:
After the tight result in Croatia's Nov. 25 elections (REF
A), the two major parties -- the ruling HDZ and the
opposition SDP -- have begun a series of contacts with the
handful of available smaller parties in an effort to attract
the eleven or so additional votes needed for either to form a
governing coalition of 77 members. HDZ leader Ivo Sanader
and SDP leader Zoran Milanovic also met separately with
President Mesic on November 27 to discuss coalition
possibilities. The State Election Commission has decided it
does not need to await the Dec. 9 re-run of voting in three
or four small districts where ballots will have to be
repeated to produce official preliminary results, since the
results in those districts cannot change any of the election
outcomes. It provided President Mesic with those results on
Nov. 28, confirming the seat totals previously reported.
Mesic is now expected to begin consultations with the smaller
parties on November 29 or 30. It remains uncertain how soon
it will be clear whether the HDZ or the SDP will succeed in
forming a government. All eyes continue to be on the 8 seats
held by the Peasants' Party/Social Liberal Party group. More
details on coalition negotiations will be reported septel.
(RHoltzapple)

2. (U) DONATION OF POLICE EQUIPMENT FOR FUGITIVE TRACKING AND
INFORMANT MANAGEMENT:
On November 23, Ambassador Bradtke participated in a
FBI-funded donation of computer equipment to Croatian police.
The equipment was provided with $30,000 in funds from FBI's
SECI regional program and will be allocated to the Police's
Criminal Directorate for its future Fugitive Task Force and
its Informant Management Program, building on ongoing Post
support. Through US Marshals training (REF B) and ICITAP
advising, Croatian police formed a temporary "ad hoc"
fugitive tracking unit earlier this year to find a notorious
narcotics dealer who escaped custody. Police employed their
Marshals training and located him within five weeks. That
success, along with Post advocacy, prompted the police to
begin work on forming a permanent Fugitive Task Force. US
Marshals will continue to mentor the unit well into 2008.
Post has also been cooperating with the UK Embassy to help
police establish an informant management program. Until
recently, there was no formal training for handling
informants, no formal records for gathered information, nor
any policies or procedures on the subject. ICITAP conducted
informant management training in 2006 and assisted in
developing written protocols for handlers. This assistance
was complemented by UK-provided equipment and training, and
last week's donation of the FBI-funded computers.
Cooperation with the UK will continue early next year, when
over 100 informant handlers will be fully trained and
equipped. (KSelinger)

3. (U) "GLOBESEC EXPRESS" BRINGS NATO ENLARGEMENT MESSAGE TO
ZAGREB:
As part of the GLOBESEC Express project of the Slovak
Atlantic Commission, young leaders from 11 countries in
central and southern Europe arrived in Zagreb November 27 on
a specially-outfitted train from Bratislava and were welcomed
by members of the Croatian Atlantic Council and its youth
association. After holding a video teleconference with NATO
SGY De Hoop Scheffer during their journey, the youth leaders
drafted a communiquQ expressing support for integration of
all countries of Southeast Europe into NATO and the EU and
calling on the region's leaders to look to the future and
cooperate in this effort. Participants then gathered with
local political science students and Croatian Atlantic
Council members for presentation of the communiquQ and
messages of encouragement from the Croatian MFA, NATO IS, and
the US and Slovak Embassies. The GLOBSEC project was
supported by NATO, the Slovak MFA, and the US and EC missions
in Bratislava. (TSelinger)

4. (U) SEMINAR ON PORT AUTHORITIES FOSTERS CIV-MIL
COOPERATION:
Bilateral Affairs Office-Croatia along with the Croatian Navy
hosted the seminar "Emergency Operations with Port
Authorities" at the Naval Base Lora in Split. This seminar
included participants from the Croatian Navy and Air Force,
Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Sea, Tourism, Traffic and
Development and the National Protection and Rescue
Directorate. The US Coast Guard presented information
regarding Search and Rescue from the international and NATO
perspective. Discussions included flight operations,

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international agreements, as well as use of radar and other
communications procedures. The seminar was a great example
of the military working with civilian agencies. Coordination
with governmental and non-governmental organizations in
planning and training for disaster response is very important
to maintaining civilian-military cooperation in Croatia.
(GScofield)
BRADTKE

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