C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 009143

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV GM
SUBJECT: RHEINLAND-PFALZ MINISTER-PRESIDENT BECK ASKS FOR
USG HELP ON BASES AND PLEDGES CONTINUED SUPPORT

REF: A) FRANKFURT 5846 B) FRANKFURT 1495 C) BERLIN
1867 (NOTAL) D) BERLIN 3547 (NOTAL)

Classified By: DCM John A. Cloud; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. In an October 7 meeting with the Ambassador,
Rheinland-Pfalz (R-P) Minister-President Kurt Beck
(SPD/Social Democrats) reiterated the state's support for
U.S. troops based there and asked that the USG back efforts
to minimize damage from the Global Defense Posture Review,
particularly in the case of Baumholder (ref A).
Rheinland-Pfalz will continue to support security at US
installations. The Ambassador committed to encourage German
defense authorities to use Baumholder and other facilities
which may be vacated by the U.S. military. END SUMMARY.

GLOBAL DEFENSE POSTURE REVIEW/BAUMHOLDER
--------------


2. (C) The Ambassador called on Rheinland-Pfalz
Minister-President (M-P) Kurt Beck, in a meeting centered
primarily on U.S. basing issues stemming from the USG's
Global Defense Posture Review (GDPR). Minister-President
Beck voiced strong support for the continued stationing of
U.S. servicemembers and their families in Rheinland-Pfalz and
expressed concern over indications that some installations
will close as a result of GDPR. He remarked that
Rheinland-Pfalz has absorbed the closure of 500 U.S. military
properties in the past eight years, but closing U.S. Army
facilities in Baumholder would deal a tremendous blow to that
community ( where soldiers and dependents outnumber local
inhabitants) and its surrounding area. Rheinland-Pfalz
representatives have floated a proposal (ref A) in Washington
and Berlin to retain Baumholder as a multi-national training
center for humanitarian intervention and civil insurgency
issues. Rheinland-Pfalz has also presented concrete
proposals to upgrade housing at U.S. military facilities
(through privately financed build-to-lease arrangements) and
to expand activities at Ramstein. Minister-President Beck
called for more intense consultations on these proposals and
related issues.

3. (C) The Ambassador assured Minister-President Beck that
we will coordinate closely with German authorities and
remarked that he had just met with DOS and DOD
representatives in the context of U.S.-German consultations
on GDPR. He assured Minister-President Beck that the
Ramstein-Kaiserslautern-Landstuehl complex will remain a
major U.S. basing site and that some activities will continue
to expand under the Rhein-Main transition agreement (closure
of the U.S. airbase in Frankfurt). Spangdahlem AB will
remain and serve as a back-up for Ramstein AB. Both Army
divisions based in Germany (First Armored Division and First
Infantry Division) will relocate to the U.S. no earlier than
2006 ( a move which may last until the end of the decade).
The USG greatly appreciates Rheinland-Pfalz's welcoming
support for these troops and their families -- who love
living in Germany -- and hopes that this support will
continue under a reconfigured presence. Minister-President
Beck pledged that Rheinland-Pfalz will continue this support,
particularly on security for U.S. installations.


4. (C) On Baumholder, the Ambassador pointed out that he had
just spoken with the mayor of the town of Baumholder and will
meet the following week with DefMin Struck and Bundeswehr
General Schneiderhan, encouraging them to give full
consideration to Rheinland-Pfalz's proposal on Baumholder.
SecDef Rumsfeld committed to DefMin Struck that the USG will
seek to coordinate its transition with German defense
transformation so that some facilities vacated by U.S. forces
could be used by a restructured German military. On a
personal note, the Ambassador reflected that Indiana's two
major U.S. installations were both closed during his time as
Senator, but a coordinated approach by federal, state, and
local authorities eased the transition and left some Indiana
communities better off than before the base closures.
Minister-President Beck thanked the Ambassador for his
support and understanding and expressed hope that the sides
can reach a solution that works militarily, fiscally, and for
local communities.

GERMAN SUPPORT IN IRAQ
--------------


5. (C) Having just attended a high-profile ceremony
commemorating the return from Iraq of the First Armored
Division, the Ambassador highlighted the heroic service of
U.S. troops in Iraq. President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder
are agreed that we should focus on the future stability of
Iraq and not on past disagreements. The USG understands that
Germany is constrained in the military support it can give,
but we hope Germany will soon do more on peacekeeping,
reconstruction, training, and/or humanitarian assistance,
perhaps in the context of NATO engagement. Failure in Iraq
would have terrible consequences for the region and for the
international community.


6. (C) Minister-President Beck expressed empathy for U.S.
soldiers in Iraq and their families in Rheinland-Pfalz and
said he feels there is room for Germany to do more in Iraq,
provided the U.N. is engaged. Germany policy towards Iraq is
likely to be shaped at the European level, unlike during the
run-up to war when European states were divided on the
question of intervention. Minister-President Beck said he
advocates German engagement in his role as national
vice-chairman of the SPD, however, there is no scope
politically for German military involvement (i.e.
peacekeeping) in this case.

ECONOMIC REFORM AND POLITICS
--------------


7. (SBU) Minister-President Beck opined that Germany and its
ruling parties appear to have turned the corner on economic
reform after a terrible showing of European and local
elections in June. Voters appear now to accept the necessity
of economic reform and understand both the tremendous burden
of reunification (annual transfers of 80 billion euros) and
the challenge of international competition. Barring
unforeseen circumstances, Germany's export boom should
stimulate domestic demand in the context of the Schroeder
government's economic strategy combining tax stimulus,
restructuring of social insurance contributions, incentives
to take jobs instead of unemployment benefits, and funds for
innovative companies. The Rheinland-Pfalz economy is doing
better than Germany as a whole -- higher growth and lower
unemployment -- in large part because the state government
invests in infrastructure projects that help businesses such
as Frankfurt-Hahn airport ( a former U.S. military base).


8. (C) Asked about his own political situation,
Minister-President Beck remarked with satisfaction that polls
now put the Rheinland-Pfalz SPD neck-and-neck with the CDU
(Christian Democrats), who are caught up in an acrimonious
fight over who will be the conservative flagbearer in 2006
state elections ("bitter enemies could reach agreement more
amicably than political friends in this case"). With a
stable SPD-FDP (Free Democrat) coalition since 1991 -- and
strong personal approval ratings, he added -- Beck is
optimistic about 2006 state elections.
BODDE