EL SALVADOR: ASSEMBLY VOTES FOR ONE YEAR EXTENSION IN IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002953 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR MASS IZ ES SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: ASSEMBLY VOTES FOR ONE YEAR EXTENSION IN IRAQ REF: SAN SALVADOR 2394 Classified By: Polcouns C. Garcia. Reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (U) Late on December 14, El Salvador's Legislative Assembly passed a resolution extending the authorization for Salvadoran participation in the Multinational Forces-Iraq through December 31, 2007. The measure passed with 49 votes in favor (ARENA, National Conciliation (PCN),and Christian Democrats (PDC)) and 34 votes against (FMLN, Democratic Change (CD)). The Salvadoran forces are already preparing to send their 8th contingent of the Cuscatalan Batallion in February 2007. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: The continued presence of Salvadoran troops in Iraq is a major domestic political sacrifice for the Saca Administration, as polling published this week in leading daily La Prensa Grafica shows steady popular opposition (81 percent against, 12 percent in favor) to Salvadoran troops in Iraq. Nevertheless, Saca continues to take this political risk to maintain what he sees as a close personal relationship with President Bush and the U.S. Despite unwavering support from President Saca and his ARENA party, securing this vote required significant Embassy intervention with the PCN. PCN legislator (and retired colonel) Jose Antonio Almendariz, who has always supported the Iraq effort and has even visited the Salvadoran troops, decided early in the week to push for a six month extension vice a year and tried to convince others in the PCN to support his position. The Ambassador met with and succeeded in convincing the PCN president and party leaders to secure the 10 vital PCN votes, and Almendariz added his vote in the end as well. Barclay