SPAIN UNDETERRED BY FAHIM'S REMOVAL FROM VICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002964 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV AF SP SUBJECT: SPAIN UNDETERRED BY FAHIM'S REMOVAL FROM VICE PRESIDENTIAL TICKET REF: STATE 162903 Classified By: KATHLEEN M. FITZPATRICK, POLITICAL COUNSELOR. REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D) (C) We met with Carlos Morales, Deputy Director General for Continental Asia (and former Deputy DG for Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Philippines Affairs) August 2 to hear whether Spain's engagement in Afghanistan would be affected by President Karzai's decision to remove Fahim Khan from the vice presidential ticket (reftel). Morales told us that Spain had sent a delegation of defense officials to meet with the former defense minister after President Karzai decided to drop him from the election ticket. Morales said that he had not seen a read-out on the delegation's meeting, but he did not expect that President Karzai's decision would deter Spain from fulfilling its commitment to sending troops and, and possibly, civilian volunteers to assist in Afghanistan's presidential elections in September. Morales stated that Spain shares our desire to promote stability and democratic reform in Afghanistan in the support of the Afghani people. MANZANARES