Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04MADRID2006
2004-06-01 07:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:  

SPAIN: ZAPATERO'S CHIEF OF STAFF ON AFGHANISTAN

Tags:  PREL PGOV SP NATO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002006 

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY OF MADRID 1870 -- ONLY CORRECTION IS ADDING
"(C)" DESIGNATION TO PARA 4.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV SP NATO
SUBJECT: SPAIN: ZAPATERO'S CHIEF OF STAFF ON AFGHANISTAN
(CORRECTED COPY)


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission J. Robert Manzanares,
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002006

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY OF MADRID 1870 -- ONLY CORRECTION IS ADDING
"(C)" DESIGNATION TO PARA 4.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV SP NATO
SUBJECT: SPAIN: ZAPATERO'S CHIEF OF STAFF ON AFGHANISTAN
(CORRECTED COPY)


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission J. Robert Manzanares,
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: DCM Manzanares met May 18 with Jose Enrique
Serrano, President Zapatero's chief of staff. Serrano said
the Zapatero government planned to maintain the same
excellent relations other Spanish governments have had with
the U.S. since the administration of Socialist president
Felipe Gonzalez. Serrano said the GOS likely would make a
decision on increased participation in Afghanistan and
assistance to Haiti in the next week or so, but would not
announce it until after the June 13 European parliamentary
elections (several days later, Zapatero,s foreign policy
advisor, who works for Serrano, said even a decision on
Afghanistan would not be made until after June 13, see
septel). With respect to Afghanistan, he said that in light
of the June 13 European parliamentary elections, the
government had to be careful on timing to avoid making it
appear to the public that Spain was simply trading troops in
Iraq for an increased presence in Afghanistan. The Zapatero
government was looking at an increase of about 200 or so
troops in Afghanistan. Serrano was aware of our desire for
more. On Haiti, GOS is considering the options of providing
police or troops, but again would have to prime public
opinion because the Spanish people have little grasp of the
situation in Haiti. End summary.


2. (C) Serrano, an important contact of the Embassy's
before assuming his current position, said the Zapatero
government has every intention of maintaining excellent
relations with the U.S. Like many of our new Zapatero
government interlocutors, Serrano pointed to the very good
relations the last Socialist president, Felipe Gonzalez, had
with the U.S. and said Zapatero would aim for relations as
good or better than those that Gonzalez maintained. Serrano
in fact had held the same post during the Gonzalez
administration. He recalled that despite difficult moments
such as the Spanish referendum on NATO membership and
negotiations to terminate the U.S. presence at Torrejon Air
Base near Madrid, ties with the USG remained good during this
period, and under Felipe Gonzalez, Spain had joined the
coalition in the first Iraq war in 1991 to evict Iraq from
Kuwait.


3. (C) Serrano said the GOS would not be able to announce an
increase in its presence in Afghanistan before the June 13
European Parliament elections, although the president might
actually make the decision earlier, perhaps in the next week.
DCM emphasized the importance of announcing a decision
before the NATO Summit in Istanbul. Serrano understood but
said that given the importance to the Zapatero government of
winning the June 13 elections handily, it would be difficult
to announce a decision much before the Summit. He emphasized
Spain's Iraq contingent will have completely returned to
Spain by May 27, and the government simply could not risk
making it look to the public like troops were returning from
Iraq only to turn around and head for Afghanistan.


4. (C) DCM said that the USG, after having expressed its
disappointment with the Iraq troop withdrawal decision, wants
to move forward with the GOS and wanted to find concrete,
visible areas of cooperation. A robust increase in
Afghanistan would be an important signal, the DCM stressed.


5. (C) Comment: Serrano echoed what we have heard from
other GOS officials: the Zapatero government wants to
maintain tight relations with the U.S. He understood the
U.S. is expecting to see actions to back up the government's
words and gave us positive signals on Afghanistan. We expect
Spain to increase modestly its contingent in Afghanistan,
although the GOS will not likely announce its increase until
after the June 13 elections.
ARGYROS