Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MADRID1251
2007-06-22 15:58:00
SECRET
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:  

SPAIN: DEFENSE POLDIR ON AFGHANISTAN, MANAS,

Tags:  PREL MARR MOPS AF LE 
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VZCZCXRO3450
PP RUEHLA
DE RUEHMD #1251/01 1731558
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 221558Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2858
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0108
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1479
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 2849
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001251 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

THIS CABLE IS MADRID 1202 BEING RETRANSMITTED TO ADD INFO
ADDRESSEES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS AF LE
SUBJECT: SPAIN: DEFENSE POLDIR ON AFGHANISTAN, MANAS,
LEBANON, NATO MINISTERIAL

REF: A. STATE 80727

B. IIR 6 889 0205 07

Classified By: Charge Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 b & d.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001251

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

THIS CABLE IS MADRID 1202 BEING RETRANSMITTED TO ADD INFO
ADDRESSEES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS AF LE
SUBJECT: SPAIN: DEFENSE POLDIR ON AFGHANISTAN, MANAS,
LEBANON, NATO MINISTERIAL

REF: A. STATE 80727

B. IIR 6 889 0205 07

Classified By: Charge Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 b & d.


1. (S) SUMMARY: MOD Secretary General for Defense Policy
Luis Cuesta told Charge on June 18 that last week's NATO
Defense Ministerial was "lively" and brought progress on the
NATO Response Force (NRF),missile defense, and Afghanistan.
Cuesta said that Spanish military training teams (OMLTs)
should be in Afghanistan in July, assuming Parliamentary
approval on June 26, where they will train two battalions of
Afghan National Army troops, plus a new company in Badghis
province. Cuesta emphasized the need for close coordination
between NATO's ISAF mission and the OEF Coalition, and judged
that the Taliban is significantly weaker than it was a year
ago. Charge raised the need to work with Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) members to keep them
supportive of NATO's efforts in Afghanistan and to ensure
continued use of Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan (ref A).
Cuesta said that Spain relies on the base, noting good
cooperation between the US and Spanish troops there, and said
that he would talk with MFA about how Spain could work with
SCO members on the issue. Cuesta said that he had talked
with his Israeli counterpart several times on June 17, always
urging Israel restraint in the face of the recent rocket
attack fired from Lebanon. Cuesta said that the rockets were
likely fired by al-Queda-associated Palestinians in hopes of
provoking a strong reaction from Israel. END SUMMARY.

-- NATO DEFENSE MINISTERIAL --


2. (C) In response to Charge's request for a readout of the
recent NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Cuesta said that
the meetings were lively and that Spain was satisfied with
the Ministerial's results. He said that everyone noticed the
difference between the Russians' calm comments on missile
defense behind closed doors - where the Russians acknowledged
that Iran is a threat and talked about cooperating with the
US - and its shrill public pronouncements. Cuesta said that

Spain appreciated Secretary Gates' proposal to focus on
reducing the number of troops assigned to NATO commands from
13,000 to 11,500 rather than making changes to the structure
of the commands. (COMMENT: This means that Spain doesn't
have to worry, for the moment, about losing the NATO Land
Component Command base outside of Madrid. END COMMENT.) He
said that discussions on the NRF were difficult, but that the
Ministers had found a way forward on common funding for
short-notice NRF missions and the ability to deploy NRF
troops as an operational reserve in extremis, with national
approval. Cuesta said that Spain continues to be concerned
about the legal foundation of the C-17 consortium and is
waiting to see the NATO SYG's proposal that is intended to
ensure that allies outside the consortium could bear no
financial or legal responsibility.

-- AFGHANISTAN --


3. (C) Spain circulated during the NATO Ministerial a draft
"success strategy" for the NATO-ISAF mission, as Cuesta and
DASD Fata discussed in May. Cuesta said that the strategy
non-paper includes the following elements:
(1) increasing Afghan ownership for all aspects of the
mission,
(2) better coordination between security and
reconstruction/development efforts,
(3) synergy of international organizations including the
naming of a UN Special Envoy,
(4) increased attention to regional relations,
(5) increased provincial outreach, and
(6) better political control over the ISAF mission by the
NAC.
Cuesta expressed the view that Spain's paper was well
received and even mentioned positively by Secretary Gates and
defense ministers from several other key countries.


4. (C) Charge noted that he had spoken at a conference on
Afghanistan last week and said that the US is cautiously
optimistic about the situation there. He said that
Afghanistan has taken a huge step forward and that the
challenge for NATO and its partners is to sustain and
increase its effort. Charge acknowledged Spain's success at
integrating its political, development, and military efforts,

MADRID 00001251 002 OF 002


and said that the US has noted the close coordination between
Cuesta and MFA political director Rafael Dezcallar, including
their trip together to Kabul and Herat. Cuesta said that the
GOS is committed for the long-term in Afghanistan. He said
that the Taliban is appreciably weaker this year, unable to
attack head-on or maintain its advances as it did last
summer. Cuesta emphasized the need to closely coordinate
political with military efforts and ISAF with OEF efforts,
saying that it is important not to make tactical gains at the
price of political progress.


5. (C) When SACEUR visited Madrid last week, he seemed keen
for the Embassy to clarify Spain's plans for providing
military training in Afghanistan. Cuesta told Charge that
Spain would send two OMLTs (about 50 military personnel) to
work with about 1200 Afghan National Army (ANA) troops (two
battalions) beginning in July. A few Spanish troops are
already in the field, preparing for the task. As previously
reported (ref B),the ANA battalions - one logistical support
battalion and one base services battalion - are in Regional
Command-West. Cuesta said that the training would last about
18 months or until the ANA battalions were certified, and
that Spain was willing to consider providing training in the
future, if necessary. He said that Defense Minister Alonso
would seek Parliamentary approval on June 26 to raise Spain's
690-person limit on troops in Afghanistan in order to
accommodate these additional 50 troops. If Parliament
approves, as expected, the Spanish OMLTs would deploy in
July.


6. (C) In addition to the two OMLTs, Spain is also working
with Afghanistan's Defense Ministry to set up an ANA company
in Badghis province. Cuesta said that while the province
really needs at least two battalions, a company would be a
good start in an area where there is not a national security
presence. He said that Spain would use the ANA's standard
training program for this company, would build a base for the
ANA troops, and would provide all needed equipment. He
emphasized, however, that Afghan MOD would recruit and pay
the troops, thus ensuring that the Badghis company would not
be orphaned when Spain is no longer around to support it.

-- SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION / MANAS AIR BASE --


7. (S) Charge explained US concerns about the upcoming SCO
summit and asked that Spain approach SCO members to lobby for
a positive summit outcome that would support NATO-ISAF
efforts in Afghanistan. Cuesta said that Spain's air
transportation unit in Manas receives excellent support from
the US troops. He said that Spain values the base, and
promised to talk with his counterpart at the Foreign Ministry
about how Spain could effectively approach SCO countries.

-- LEBANON --


8. (C) Cuesta said that on June 17 he had spoken with his
Israeli counterpart several times after three Katyusha
rockets were launched from Lebanon into Israel. He said that
Lebanese and Spanish troops had investigated the attack and
assessed that Palestinians, probably linked to Al Queda
rather than Hizballah, had launched the rockets in an effort
to destabilize the situation. Cuesta said that while
Israel's right of self-defense is undeniable, he had asked
Israel not to act in a way that could endanger UNIFIL's
troops or mission. He worried that while Israel had shown
restraint so far, it would respond aggressively to a similar
future attack. Cuesta said that Spain will continue to try
to convince Israel to let the Lebanese army and UNIFIL
respond to provocations along the border. Charge responded
that we would pass his message back to Washington, but noted
that the attacks put Israel in a difficult situation in which
it has to weigh its interest in not escalating the situation
against legitimately defending its territory and citizens.
AGUIRRE