ROMANIAN REACTION TO COMBAT DEATH OF SOLDIER IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 000704

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE - WSILKWORTH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS MARR SOCI IZ RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIAN REACTION TO COMBAT DEATH OF SOLDIER IN
IRAQ - SORROW AND REGRET, BUT STAYING THE COURSE


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Taplin
for Reasons 1.4 (a),(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. The Romanian government has pledged to
maintain its troop presence in Iraq in the wake of its
first-ever ombat death there. President Traian Basescu
described the fallen soldier as among the pantheon of
Romanian heroes, a sentiment widely shared by other political
leaders and ordinary citizens. The Ambassador publicly
expressed sorrow at Hancu's death and gratitude for Romania's
role in the globl war on terror, attending with the Defense
and Amy Attaches the ceremony marking the return of the
soldier's remains to Romania. Although some commentators
have criticized Romania's role in Iraq, few mainstream voices
in the media are calling for a withdrawal of Romanian troops.
End Summary.

Solidarity in Time of Loss...Staunch Iraq Commitment
-------------- --------------

2. (SBU) Reacting to the death of Rmanian corporal Bogdan
Hancu, killed April 27 along with three Italian soldiers when
a roadside bomb ripped through their convoy in southern Iraq,
Romanian President Traian Basescu declared that Hancu was
"among the ranks of Romania's heroes who put their lives at
risk day after day, taking action where terrorism represents
a daily reality." Basescu also offered condolences to
Hancu's family. A brief, but eloquent, statement on the
Presidency's website iterates the President's comments,
noting that the President is in solidarity with Hancu's
family in "the irreparable loss which it has suffered."
(Note: As several Romanian media sources stated April 28,
President Basescu has repeatedly reaffirmed his unwavering
commitment to maintaining Romania's troop presence in Iraq.
End Note.)


3. (SBU) In his statement on behalf of the GOR condemning
the attack and expressing condolences, Prime Minister Calin
Popescu-Tariceanu underscored that Romanian troops will not
withdraw from Iraq. The Defense Ministry's condolences
statement expressed "appreciation for the devotion with which
Romanian warriors carry out their missions and we stand
beside them." The MOD posthumously promoted Hancu to
lieutenant junior grade and decorated him.


4. (C) Senate Defense Committee President and center-left
Social Democratic Party (PSD) foreign policy strategist
George Cristian Maior publicly stressed that Romania should
not evaluate its Iraq troop presence "emotionally" and in the
wake of sorrow at Hancu's death. He observed that Romania's
decision to commit troops to Iraq (initially made when Maior
was MOD State Secretary) was based on a calculation of
Romania's strategic interests at the time. In his statement,
Maior described the Romania-US strategic partnership as "very
important." At the same time, he expressed support for
parliamentary discussion about Romania's presence in Iraq
and, while not calling for a withdrawal of troops, stated
that Romania should develop a calendar focusing on eventual
withdrawal from Iraq. The PSD also issued a statement of
condolences to Hancu's family.


5. (SBU) The Ambassador's public statement of sorrow at
Hancu's death and praise for Romania as a "brave and
trustworthy ally...in the war on terror" received wide media
coverage, as did condolence statements by the Italian and
British Ambassadors. The Ambassador accompanied by the
Defense Attache and the Army Attache, along with Basescu,
Defense Minister Atanasiu, the Italian Charge and the British
Deputy Head of Mission, participated in a short ceremony
April 27 at Bucharest's airport marking the arrival of
Corporal Hancu's remains in Romania. The Embassy is
preparing condolence letters for Hancu's family.

"Fruit Picker" or Hero?
--------------

6. (C) Media reported that Hancu's mother and father were
reserve military officers, and some sources quoted Hancu's
mother as calling for the withdrawal of Romanian troops from
Iraq "because our children die senselessly there." She told
journalists she had encouraged her son not to volunteer for
Iraq service.


7. (C) Romanian Press Club President Cristian Tudor Popescu,
who has in the past expressed anti-U.S. views, penned a
bitter April 28 editorial in national daily "Gandul" in which
he mocked Basescu's characterization of Hancu as a hero.
According to Popescu's editorial, titled "The Romanian Army

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Strawberry Pickers," Romanian soldiers who serve in Iraq or
Afghanistan are, like Romanian migrant agricultural workers
in Western Europe, motivated by money rather than patriotism
or heroism. Asserting that Romanian soldiers bribe their
superiors to gain lucrative billets in Afghanistan or Iraq,
Popescu opined that if overseas military service is heroism
"then all Romanians who left the country to go and pick
strawberries...are Romanian heroes." It is worth noting that
although Popescu is arguably the best-known journalist in
Romania, many reader reactions on the daily's website
criticized Popescu's column as inappropriate and insensitive.



8. (C) Comment. Although Hancu's death marked the first
Romanian combat fatality in Iraq, Romania has suffered three
fatalities in Afghanistan since 2003 and a Romanian soldier
committed suicide in Iraq earlier this year. None of these
events apparently shook Romania's resolve in the global war
on terror. Journalist Popescu's angry (and inapt) comparison
to Hancu as a "strawberry picker" does not represent a
mainstream point of view, either by the general public or
political leaders. Romania's military remains among the
nation's most respected institutions and organized opposition
to Romania's commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan is minuscule.
For most Romanian leaders, including Senate Defense
Committee President Maior, Romania's strategic relationship
with the U.S. is and should remain a central pillar of
Romanian foreign policy. Basescu's description of Hancu as
"among the ranks of Romania's heroes" probably comes closest
to capturing how the majority of Romanian citizens perceive
Hancu's death. End Comment.


9. (U) AmEmbassy Bucharest's reporting telegrams are
available on the Bucharest SIPRNet website:
www.state.sgov.gov/eur/Bucharest

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