GUATEMALA NOT LIKELY TO ASSIST ON IRAQ RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 000648 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2013 TAGS: PREL IZ GT UNSC SUBJECT: GUATEMALA NOT LIKELY TO ASSIST ON IRAQ RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 63629 ¶B. GUATEMALA 370 Classified By: Rob Copley for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Although the GOG has informally indicated support for Iraq's unconditional need to comply with UNSCR 1441, it has remained non-committal on US/UK/Spanish resolution on Iraq. Were we to press Guatemala we believe it might play an unhelpful role. We therefore did not urge GOG participation in the Security Council session mentioned in Ref A. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Hamilton discussed Secretary Powell's UNSC presentation of the case against Iraq with then-Acting President Reyes on February 6 (Ref B). In that meeting Reyes chose not comment substantively on the GOG's position on Iraq. The DCM twice raised the issue of Iraqi non-compliance with Foreign Minister Edgar Gutierrez after the February 7 and 14 presentations by Secretary Powell to the U.N. Security Council. On both occasions Gutierrez expressed appreciation for translated transcripts of the Secretary's presentations but studiously avoided any comment as to GOG policy towards Iraq. HAMILTON