SCENESETTER FOR DASD FATA VISIT TO MADRID

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002159

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

FROM THE AMBASSADOR FOR DASD DAN FATA;
STATE FOR EUR DAS VOLKER AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016
TAGS: PREL SP
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DASD FATA VISIT TO MADRID

Classified By: Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) Embassy Madrid, implementing Secretary Rice's
US-Spain strategy, has worked with considerable focus over
the past year to put the Spain-US relationship back onto a
productive footing. As an important player not only in NATO
but also in Latin America, the Middle East, and increasingly
around the globe, Spain is a serious partner in implementing
our global agenda. Although the Zapatero government does not
march in lockstep with US policy, it increasingly supports
USG priorities in such places as Lebanon, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and Congo. Spain continues to allow robust use of
its Rota and Moron military bases by our assets moving around
the Med and in and out of the Middle East. It contributes to
the NATO Training Mission-Iraq. It has delivered results in
Nicaragua and Bolivia. Spain and the US cooperate closely on
counterterrorism. With patience and clarity, we can often
get what we want from Spain. We have found that it is worth
the effort.


2. (C/NF) The US and Spanish militaries have a strong 50-year
old relationship based on shared use of the Spanish bases and
training/exchange programs. The US military worked with the
Spanish military in the 1950s and 1960s when European
countries wouldn't, and the Spaniards haven't forgotten.
From General Sanz and Admiral Torrente on down, key Spanish
officers have spent time in US and have come back as fans.
They are instinctively pro-US on politics, tactics, and
equipment. That said, these same officers are proud
Spaniards and react badly when they feel that Spain is being
taken for granted or being treated as less than the solid
middleweight democracy that it has become.


3. (C/NF) Washington leaders have engaged heavily with
Spanish leaders over the past year in pursuit of still
greater cooperation on global issues. Secretary Rice
recently hosted a lunch in Washington for Foreign Minister
Moratinos. She came away with a pledge to fund
reconstruction projects in Iraq and a reinforced sense of
Spain's commitment to Afghanistan. She intends to visit
Madrid in the fall. Assistant Secretaries Dan Fried and Tom
Shannon used meetings here with their counterparts to close
the gap between Spain and the US on issues like Cuba and
Venezuela. DAS Scott Carpenter has been in Madrid several
times to discuss our Broader Middle East/North Africa
strategy and Spain is contributing $1 million to the
Foundation for the Future. EUR DAS Kurt Volker discussed
NATO Summit and preparations for Spain's chairmanship of the
OSCE during his recent visit. Assistant Secretary Jendayi
Frazer will soon have a similar meeting to set common
priorities for Africa. These high-level meetings have shown
results.


4. (C/NF) After five months in the job, Defense Minister
Alonso continues to be an advocate for a positive bilateral
relationship. I have met privately with him a number of
times and find him to be a reliable and substantive
interlocutor. Although Alonso is a judge by profession and
does not have a background in defense or military issues, he
has proved to be an able leader at MOD, just as he was as the
Interior Minister. During his time at Interior, we enjoyed
excellent cooperation from that ministry on counterterrorism
and legal issues. Alonso was pleased to be able to begin a
dialogue with Secretary Rumsfeld at the NATO Ministerial and
he looks forward to continuing that dialogue in Washington in
October. We should plan now to take full advantage of his
trip to show him the best that the US military has to offer
(as his top military leaders have already seen) and to
educate him on issues of interest to us and him such as
China. Minister Alonso is close to President Zapatero, among
the few in the inner circle, and our efforts will not be
wasted.


5. (C/NF) The issues that you discuss and the tone of your
discussions during your visit to Madrid will set the stage
for Alonso's meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld. Spain has
stepped up on Lebanon, and MOD will be glad to talk about its
troop contributions and efforts to lead a multi-national
brigade. Spain feels a direct national security interest in
Mediterranean and Middle East security issues, and in this
case is acting on it. On Afghanistan, the GOS has remained
rock solid even though the Spanish public doesn't have much
interest in the mission. We should show our appreciation not
only for the reconstruction efforts of the Spanish PRT, but
for their willingness to host a US foreign service officer at
the PRT and for the support that the Spanish quick reaction
force has provided to the nearby US-led PRT. The GOS is proud
of the humanitarian work that it is doing in western

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Afghanistan, and we are encouraging increased Spanish
contributions to the Ring Road project.


6. (C/NF) The GOS has signaled that it is ready to slowly
re-engage on Iraq. It has pledged $22 million, in
partnership with the USG, to finish construction of the Basra
Children's Hospital and offered to fund education projects as
well. It trained several groups of Iraqi security forces in
demining techniques under NTM-I. When DAS Kurt Volker was
here, ADM Torrente told him that Spain is willing to consider
other specific training and aid requests (e.g., training of
staff officers on military-MOD relations) as Iraq is able
articulate them. In NATO, as in other areas, we have seen an
improvement in tone since Alonso's arrival at MOD. Spain
lobbied Kyrgyzstan on our behalf regarding Manas air base and
supported our candidate for NATO SCR in Afghanistan. While
he is explicitly interested in European answers to security
and defense issues, Alonso is still learning NATO issues and
is willing to consider our positions.


7. (C/NF) Two clouds have darkened the otherwise bright
defense relationship during the past year. One is Venezuela.
It is a mistake for Spain to support Hugo Chavez with a
major defense sale. We have made repeatedly made that clear
to the highest levels of the GOS. While the airplane part of
the deal has crumbled under the pressure of our refusal to
license technology, the ships are beginning to be built. The
strongest advocate for the sale was ex-Minister Bono, and he
is now long gone. Minister Alonso is no great fan of the
sale, but neither is he going to pull the plug on a major
ship-building contract that is providing hundreds of jobs.


8. (S/NF) The second issue is NCIS/OSI. It is a serious
problem for both sides. We need effective access for our
investigators to guarantee protection for our forces. The
GOS needs to be involved and aware of what happens in its
sovereign territory. The GOS took a hard line on this issue
under the Aznar government, and its position has only
toughened as the Zapatero government has had to publicly
confront the CIA flights. This is an issue on which the GOS
has been more clear, if perhaps not more patient, than the
USG. The people with whom you are meeting have been
personally and continually involved with this issue for
several years, while our negotiators, at times negotiating
positions that DOD eventually reversed, have come and gone.
I encourage you to listen as the MOD policy makers articulate
their position. Our goal is to resolve the NCIS/OSI issue
without jeopardizing our ability to use the Spanish naval
base at Rota and the air base at Moron, which have been key
transportation and support sites for both OEF and OIF.
Senior US military officials have repeatedly made clear to me
the importance of these bases for both Middle East and Africa
counter-terrorism and related operations. For this reason, I
have sought to ensure that we handle the NCIS issue in a way
that preserves these equities without prejudicing our Naval
investigative and intelligence concerns.


9. (S/NF) One other cloud is looming on the horizon: the
possible cold-basing of Moron. I have been briefed on
USAFE's plan, which I understand has now also been briefed to
General Jones. General Jones and I talked about this issue
before his briefing. I told him that we will support whatever
decision makes sense militarily but that turning Moron into a
turnkey operation would not be the path that I would wish for
as I seek to make Spain a stronger partner in the global
agenda. If DOD decides to go forward with the plans, we will
need to plan a careful rollout strategy that deftly engages
the GOS. Though this has nothing to do with NCIS/OSI, the
two issues could easily become mixed together, creating a
situation that is potentially damaging to the overall
bilateral relationship.
AGUIRRE