SPAIN/HSPD-6: THEY SIGNED!

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002895 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL SP SUBJECT: SPAIN/HSPD-6: THEY SIGNED! MADRID 00002895 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary. In a November 15 meeting with A/S for Consular Affairs Maura Harty, Spanish Secretary of State for Security Antonio Camacho agreed to deepen information exchanges with the USG by exchanging terrorist lookout information as contemplated in Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 6. A/S Harty and Camacho signed an aide memoire (see para 7) committing the two governments to develop operational procedures for the sharing of terrorist screening information. USG and Spanish working groups will be designated to work out the technical and legal details and implement the mutually agreed information sharing procedures. End Summary. ¶2. A/S Harty met with Secretary of State for Security (Deputy Interior Minister equivalent) Camacho and members of his team, including Camacho's senior terrorism adviser Eugenio Pereiro. A/S Harty was accompanied by the DCM, CA/P/IP Chief Alcy Frelick, Consul General Dan Keller, CA Special Assistant Julie Rutorbories, and poloff. Harty recalled Camacho's July visit to Washington and their discussion of HSPD-6 and the USG desire for increased information sharing with key foreign partners. She noted that Camacho had seemed well disposed towards Spain's participation in such an information exchange during that visit, a relationship the USG would welcome in light of Spain's great experience in combatting terrorism. Harty said the USG wanted to proceed with an information exchange with Spain and proposed that she and Camacho sign an aide memoire committing the two governments to develop the mechanisms to permit such an exchange. Harty emphasized that such a mechanism would not be intended as a substitute for the existing informal information exchanges between Spanish authorities and USG agencies at the Embassy and in the U.S. She said that the USG would then seek to replicate this "Madrid model" with other foreign partners. ¶3. Camacho said that there was ample evidence of good will and a desire for closer collaboration between the U.S. and Spain in counter terrorist efforts. He quickly reviewed the draft aide memoire developed by the U.S. team and agreed to sign the document. A/S Harty and Camacho each signed two English and Spanish language copies of the aide memoire and kept one set. The next step will be the appointment of working groups on the Spanish side and on the U.S. side to develop the technical mechanisms for the sharing of terrorist lookout information and to ensure that the protocols established to carry out such an exchange comply with the legal/privacy requirements of each of the parties. ¶4. Camacho noted that the USG-drafted note suggested Spain's National Antiterrorist Coordination Center (CNCA) as a possible Spanish counterpart to the U.S. Terrorist Screening Center; he said this could function well since his senior adviser Eugenio Pereiro would be named as the new Director of the CNCA in the coming days. (NOTE: Pereiro's appointment was officially announced late on November 15. END NOTE). ¶5. Following the meeting with Camacho, CA/P/IP Chief Frelick met with an interagency Spanish team from the CNCA to brief them on the meeting with Camacho, describe the work of the Terrorist Screening Center, and establish initial contacts with the organization most likely to coordinate Spain's participation in HSPD-6 information exchange. The CNCA team noted that it was a new organization and was undergoing a leadership transition, but was receptive to the U.S. briefing. Both sides agreed that the next step would be to name the members of the working groups that will develop the procedures for exchanging terrorist screening information. //COMMENT// ¶6. We are very pleased with the progress on HSPD-6 and greatly appreciate A/S Harty's role in obtaining Spain's agreement to move ahead. This agreement serves as another indicator of our strong security relationship with Spain, at both the political level and the working level. Eugenio Pereiro's designation as the director of the CNCA is fortunate in that he is an excellent interlocutor who we expect will work very well with the USG working group. Until now, the CNCA has served primarily as an analytical organization rather than as an operational unit, so it may take some time to adjust to this additional mission. We will continue to coordinate with CA as we organize the working groups and pursue implementation of this exchange. MADRID 00002895 002.2 OF 002 //TEXT OF AIDE MEMOIRE// ¶7. BEGIN TEXT: Representatives of the Government of the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain (the Participants) have been engaged in ongoing efforts to prevent and address international terrorism, including cooperation in identifying known and suspected terrorists. In the course of discussions between the Participants, an understanding has been reached that they should supplement those existing efforts by sharing, on a regular basis, real-time terrorism screening information. To accomplish this, the Participants are developing operational procedures for the sharing of terrorist screening information by the United States Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) and Centro Nacional de Coordinacion Antiterrorista (CNCA). Among other things, the operational procedures should address the scope and method of exchange, arrangements for encounters, and measures to safeguard the information. These procedures are intended to complement existing channels of communications between the Participants and are not intended to supersede or otherwise affect existing and future exchanges of information and cooperation on international terrorism between agencies of the Participants. The sharing of terrorist screening information between the Participants for screening purposes is expected to commence upon mutual acceptance of the operational procedures. Date: 15 November, 2006 (signed) Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary, Department of State Antonio Camacho Vizcaino, Secretario de Estado de Seguridad, Ministerio de Interior ¶8. A/S Harty cleared on this message. AGUIRRE