SPAIN ON SECURITY SECTOR SUPPORT FOR THE

UNCLAS MADRID 002518 SIPDIS INFO AMEMBASSY AMMAN AMEMBASSY ANKARA AMEMBASSY ATHENS AMEMBASSY BERLIN AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS AMEMBASSY CAIRO AMEMBASSY CANBERRA AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY ROME AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMCONSUL JERUSALEM USEU BRUSSELS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE AND NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWBG KPAL MASS PREL SP SUBJECT: SPAIN ON SECURITY SECTOR SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY REF: SECSTATE 121751 Poloff delivered reftel points on June 30 to MFA Office Director for the Middle East Alberto Moreno. Moreno expressed appreciation for the USG message and said Spain concurred with the need for the international community to fulfill the security requirements of the Palestinian Authority. To this end, he said, Spain has worked closely with U.S. Security Coordinator Ward through a Spanish Civil Guard officer assigned as a liaison to Ward. Moreno said Spain was among the top three donors of security equipment, particularly in the form of vehicles for use by the Palestinian Authority. He said Spain had encountered problems with the Israeli government with respect to body armor, which Spain wanted to provide to Palestian Authority security forces, but which the Israeli government feared could be transferred to terrorists. Moreno said, however, that Spain is generally satisfied with its level of participation and believes the Ward Mission to be among the most necessary and important initiatives currently being undertaken to support peace in the region. AGUIRRE