HONDURAS GIVEN USG JANUARY 27 REMARKS ON IRAQ;

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000350 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR NP, IO, PM, NEA/NGA AND WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC MOPS IZ HO IAEA UNSC SUBJECT: HONDURAS GIVEN USG JANUARY 27 REMARKS ON IRAQ; CARDINAL CRITICIZES POSSIBLE WAR WITH IRAQ BUT MOD SAYS GOH WILLING TO SEND TROOPS REF: STATE 23992 ¶1. PolOff delivered reftel text of Ambassador Negroponte's January 27 to the UNSC and the Secretary's January 27 press statement January 29 to MFA DG for Foreign Policy AMB Mario Fortin. The MFA has not had a substantive reply but Fortin told PolOff that the GOH appreciated the information. ¶2. Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, in his homily during a February 3 mass in honor of the 256th anniversary of the Virgin of Suyapa, criticized movement toward what he termed a "third world war," which was quickly interpreted in the press as a statement against a possible war with Iraq. ¶3. On the same day, Minister of Defense Federico Breve Travieso told reporters that Honduras is prepared to send troops to help in any war in Iraq. Breve also highlighted the fact that the U.S. and Honduran armed forces had trained together previously. Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Guillermo Perez-Cadalso Arias was more equivocal in his statements to the press the same day, saying that Honduras would support whatever decision was taken by the UNSC. Eventually, President Maduro also issued a statement indicating Honduras would act consistent with UNSC resolutions. Palmer