Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LISBON153
2007-01-17 18:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lisbon
Cable title:  

PORTUGUESE EURODEPUTY ALONE IN RENDITION

Tags:  PGOV PREL PO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0535
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHLI #0153/01 0171826
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171826Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5493
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 000153 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE EURODEPUTY ALONE IN RENDITION
INVESTIGATION


Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon
Reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

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Summary
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 000153

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE EURODEPUTY ALONE IN RENDITION
INVESTIGATION


Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon
Reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) At a January 11 lunch with Pol/Econ Counselor and
poloff, Socialist Party (PS) International Relations
Secretary Jose Lello and PS senior staffer Paulo Pisco

SIPDIS
discussed Ana Gomes' vocal campaign on rendition flights,
internal party dynamics, and the European Socialist movement
status. Lello expressed a passionate dislike of Gomes, but
said the PS has no intention of trying to oust her. Gomes is
isolated, both within her party and within the European
Parliament, according to Lello. The mainline PS politicians,
including Prime Minister Socrates, are strongly pro-American,
Lello asserted, and the party has been successful in
controlling the influence of party leftists who are dubious
of too close a relationship with the United States. Finally,
Lello offered his impressions of Segolene Royal, who attended
the European Socialist Conference in the northern city of
Porto in December. After saying he had met "the next
President of France," he went on to add "if she keeps her
mouth shut." End summary.

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Gomes and the Rendition Quest
--------------


2. (C) Ana Gomes, the Portuguese Socialist Eurodeputy who has
been vocal in investigating an alleged cover up of CIA
flights and other supposed US misdeeds in Portugal does not
represent the PS, according to Lello. He stressed that,
although the PS does not support Gomes' campaign, it would be
counterproductive to expel her from the party ranks. Lello
has criticized Gomes repeatedly in the local media but
believes that more drastic action would only make her a
martyr. He commented that the former career diplomat had
managed to hold high-ranking party positions, particularly
the Ambassadorship in Indonesia, thanks in large part to her
gender. (Comment: This statement contradicts other
knowledgeable interlocutors, who said Gomes was highly
regarded as Ambassador. End comment.)


3. (C) Lello remarked that despite public statements to the
contrary, Gomes "hates the United States." While she is

going to great lengths to find evidence of rendition flights
through Portugal, she has been unable to locate any evidence
to support her accusations. At the same time, her claims
have captured the local media's attention and succeeded in
raising Portugal's profile on this issue in the European
Parliament. Many PS members had underestimated how dangerous
Gomes could be, according to Lello. He noted that his own
relationship with her was well-established and cordial but
said she was isolated within the party. Lello believes that
Gomes will continue to garner media attention, as the press
loves confrontation and the whiff of scandal, but her
accusations, in the absence of evidence that any illegalities
had occurred, will have little traction with the Portuguese
public.

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Keeping the Socialists Together
--------------


4. (C) Lello, who is strongly pro-American, made several
derisive comments about the leftist members of his party. He
dismissed them as "Alegre-ists," a reference to PS elder
statesman and current parliamentarian Manuel Alegre, who ran
for president in 2006 against the party's candidate Mario
Soares. Lello said most members of the PS believe a strong
relationship with the United States ought to be a cornerstone
of Portuguese foreign policy, but the leftist wing of the
party did not share that view. Socrates had been able to
co-opt a number of those individuals by giving them key
positions in his government, and in the parliament, including
Alberto Martins, leader of the PS caucus in the National
Assembly who was sitting at the next table during our lunch.
Better to have them inside the tent than outside, Lello
commented.

--------------
Segolene Royal
--------------


5. (C) The European Socialist Party (PES) convention took
place in Porto, Portugal in early December last year and
showcased French presidential candidate Segolene Royal as one
of the European Socialist's new generation. Royal's public
comments focused on a range of labor advocacy and social
programs but also touched on Europe's role in international

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conflicts. Lello remarked that she had clearly been the star
of the convention and joked that she would be elected if she
made up for her lack of foreign policy experience by "keeping
her mouth shut."

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Gomes Stands Alone for Now
--------------


6. (C) Comment: Despite daily media coverage on Gomes, we
share Lello's view that the public is discounting her public
campaign. The PS is working to limit her impact by
distancing itself from Gomes and her allegations. However,
if Gomes were to find evidence of a GOP cover-up involving
rendition flights through Portuguese airspace, the public
would quickly start paying more attention to her. The GOP in
general, and most notably FM Amado, is staking its
credibility on being able to move past this unscathed. End
comment.
Hoffman