SPAIN: RESPONSE TO JAYSH AL-MAHDI VIOLENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001186

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STATE FOR EUR/WE, PM/RSAT AND PM/PMAT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS SP MAR
SUBJECT: SPAIN: RESPONSE TO JAYSH AL-MAHDI VIOLENCE

REF: STATE 74537

Classified By: Charge d'Affairs J. Robert Manzanares,
reasons 1.4 (A) and (D).

(C) We delivered reftel points April 7 to Javier Carbajosa,
Senior Advisor to the Foreign Ministry's Ramon Gil-Casares,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (GOS's deputy

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secretary equivalent, Gil-Casares was out of the office for

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the Holy Week holiday as is much of the Foreign Ministry).
Carbajosa said the Aznar government's position on the Iraq
violence is identical to our own, but unfortunately the
current administration has its hands somewhat tied given its
caretaker role while the Zapatero government transitions in.
Carbajosa stated it would be difficult for the Aznar
government to make strong public statements on the matter,
particularly since it is well known the Aznar and Zapatero
teams do not see eye-to-eye on Iraq. Nonetheless, Carbajosa
said the Foreign Ministry would do what it could within these
limits.

MANZANARES