ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS - NEXT STEPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 002245 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL KIRF KISL KMPI SP SUBJECT: ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS - NEXT STEPS REF: REINEMEYER-SHESTACK E-MAIL 12/4/06 Classified By: Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Alex D. Wolff , 1.4(b)(d) 1.(C) Spanish Deputy Permanent Representative Palacio Espana met with Ambassador Wolff December 7 to discuss the report presented November 13 in Istanbul by the High-Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The next steps for the Alliance at the UN include a meeting in New York December 18 involving the Prime Ministers of Spain and Turkey. 2.(C) Ambassador Wolff expressed the USG's serious reservations about the High-Level Group's report, pointing to flaws in its conceptual underpinnings and objectional conclusions. Ambassador Wolff noted that the report masks the nature and implications of the attitudes by extremist elements within the Islamic world, and adopts an apologist Western attitude of self-accusation and political correctness. Amb. Palacio Espana attempted to distance the GOS from the Alliance by pointing out that the report reflected the views of individual experts, not of the GOS. Ambassador Wolff suggested that the GOS needed to clarify its position vis-a-vis the report to avoid being associated with it, in view of PM Zapateros' co-sponsorship of the Alliance. WOLFF