DONATION TO IRAQI AND AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 000344 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR STATE-PM, NEA, SA, EUR FOR OSD POLICY ISA AND ISP FOR JOINT STAFF J-5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2016 TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PINS PREL AF IZ CS SUBJECT: DONATION TO IRAQI AND AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES: COSTA RICA REF: A. STATE 22896 ¶B. 04 SAN JOSE 2401 ¶C. 04 SAN JOSE 2435 Classified By: Ambassador Mark Langdale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) Post does not believe it would be productive to solicit any contributions from the GOCR. Costa Rica, which abolished its own armed forces in 1948, maintains strict neutrality and non-belligerence with respect to all military conflicts that affect other states. This is not simply the policy of the current government, but a matter of constitutional law expressed in a 2004 Supreme Court decision that forced the GOCR to formally withdraw its political support for the U.S.-led coalition on Iraq (refs B and C). As a matter of policy and of Costa Rican constitution law, the GOCR will not make contributions to the Iraqi or Afghan Security Forces. LANGDALE