Asked by reporters how he was going to act in his capacity as the head of state if the Ivo Sanader government fulfilled Bush's wish for Croatia's military engagement in Iraq, President Mesic said on Saturday "This is yet to be seen".
Reports, who covered Mesic's visit to Split on the occasion of Croatian Navy Day, insisted on a more precise answer, to which Mesic responded that they "will learn everything on time. I do not shun answers, and I only emphasise that no decision has yet been made. It could not be made as we have not discussed the matter".
Mesic went on to say that the public was well acquainted with his position on the Croatian army's participation in military missions worldwide, and that he supported only UN-led operations involving multinational forces.
Asked to comment on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's statement that the war in Iraq was illegal, Mesic said that it was a fact that military action in that country was not approved by the UN.
"Military operations in Iraq, carried out by the United States and its allies, have certainly helped to topple the dictatorial regime and establish peace in that part of the world which must be democratised. It is not up to me to judge how the operation has been conducted and whether it was launched prematurely," Mesic said.
Asked whether he agreed with Annan that the operation in Iraq was illegal, Mesic answered that he "could only say that it was not under the auspices of the United Nations".