SPAIN/AFGHANISTAN: SPAIN STILL CONSIDERING ISAF

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 004585 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR SP NATO SUBJECT: SPAIN/AFGHANISTAN: SPAIN STILL CONSIDERING ISAF STAGE II EXPANSION REF: A. STATE 251753 ¶B. MADRID 4492 Classified By: Political Counselor Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Prior to receipt of ref a demarche request, Charge, Polcouns and other embassy officers used previously scheduled meetings and conversatons the week of November 23 and 26 to press the Chief of Defense, Deputy Defense Minister, MOD DG for International Relations and MFA Political Director for Spanish participation in a Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan. All of our interlocutors said that the issue remains a sensitive one for the Socialist government but that the question remained "open" and that no decision had been made. We have heard from MOD sources that contingency planning for a PRT is underway if the Zapatero government should decide to approve Spanish participate. We will continue to press the Spanish government to participate in a PRT (Spain almost certainly will not lead one),as opportunities arise. MANZANARES