CALLS FOR COSTA RICA TO BE ERASED FROM IRAQ

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 001087 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAN JASON MACK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL OPDC PARM CS SUBJECT: CALLS FOR COSTA RICA TO BE ERASED FROM IRAQ COALITION LIST ON WHITE HOUSE WEB PAGE REF: A. 04 SAN JOSE 2401 ¶B. 04 SAN JOSE 2435 ¶C. O4 SAN JOSE 2872 ¶D. SAN JOSE 656 Summary -------------- ¶1. The Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on May 16 calling for the GOCR to insist that the USG remove Costa Rica from the list of Coalition Members for Operation Iraqi Freedom that appears on the White House Web site. President Arias said he would ask his Foreign Minister to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the resolution. Post expects to receive a diplomatic note imminently. End summary. Background -------------- ¶2. On March 19, 2003, President Pacheco by executive decree provided moral support for U.S. efforts in Iraq. On that basis and with the GOCR's consent, Costa Rica was included in the March 27, 2003, list of Coalition Members for Operation Iraqi Freedom that appears on the White House Web site. The Costa Rican Supreme Court ruled on September 8, 2004, that the GOCR's joining the coalition was unconstitutional and that therefore Costa Rica must be removed from the list of Coalition members (ref A). ¶3. The day following the Supreme Court decision, the GOCR sent us a diplomatic note asking the USG "to exclude the Republic of Costa Rica from the list of 'allied' countries from the 'Coalition" or 'Alliance' that is on the White House Web page" (ref B). More than a month later, Costa Rica remained in the Web site under "Statement of Support from Coalition Members" (ref C). Current Issue -------------- ¶4. Due to data replication and the viral nature of news and information on the Internet, references to the original Coalition list remain peppered throughout the Web, including on the White House Web site. The referenced press release can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/2003 0327-10.html and www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/news/20030326 -7.html. While the Web site contains another list that does not include Costa Rica, the offending list is the one referenced by most Internet search engines. ¶5. The recent reemergence of this issue can be traced to an anti-CAFTA-DR film released in March 2006 (ref D). Titled "Costa Rica, Inc," the low-budget, yet expertly produced film devotes a short segment to Costa Rica's erstwhile support for the Iraq war, highlighting the country's continued inclusion on the White House Web site. The film received wide distribution and media attention and eventually motivated a recently-elected legislator, Alberto Salom, to send a letter to newly-installed Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno demanding that he revisit the issue of the Coalition list. ¶6. Meanwhile, on May 16, Salom's Citizens' Action Party (PAC),the main opposition party, proposed a resolution calling on the MFA to "request the Government of the United States of America to eliminate the name of Costa Rica from any list or Web page in which it is named as a member of the Coalition of allied countries in the invasion of Iraq" and to "permanently monitor the Internet to avoid in the future new violations (of the September 2004 Supreme Court decision)." The resolution was approved unanimously. GOCR reacts -------------- ¶7. President Arias, who has always been critical of U.S. involvement in Iraq and had long ago condemned the Pacheco government for its support of the U.S., said he would ask his Foreign Minister to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the Legislative Assembly's resolution. Foreign Minister Stagno said in a radio interview on May 17 that he would send a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy on the same day. As of COB, we have not received it. Comment -------------- ¶8. To post's knowledge, Costa Rica was never put on a list of supporters of Operation Iraqi Freedom at any time after the GOCR's September 2004 request that Costa Rica be removed from the White House Web site. We have explained to the GOCR that we cannot alter the March 27, 2003, list of coalition members, which is a historical document. Nor can we remove it from the Web. Nevertheless, we expect to receive a diplomatic note imminently. LANGDALE