SPAIN/NATO: GENERAL SANZ ON HIS CANDIDACY

S E C R E T MADRID 001702

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

DEPT FOR EUR A/S FRIED AND PM ACTING A/S MULL
OSD FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY ENGLAND
OSD/P FOR DASD FATA
JOINT STAFF FOR GENERAL PACE
EUCOM FOR SACEUR AND POLAD AMB. YATES
USNATO FOR AMBASSADOR NULAND
ROME FOR AMBASSADOR SPOGLI
WARSAW FOR AMBASSADOR ASHE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2017
TAGS: MARR PREL NATO SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/NATO: GENERAL SANZ ON HIS CANDIDACY


Classified By: Ambassador Eduardo A. Aguirre for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: Spanish Chief of Defense General Felix
Sanz Roldan told me August 30 that he feels positive about
his chances as a candidate for Chairman of the NATO Military
Committee. King Juan Carlos and President Zapatero both
offered Sanz their personal support, and Sanz said that he
hoped he could count on U.S. support. Defense Minister
Alonso also called me August 30 to express Spain's commitment
to the nomination and ask for U.S. support for Sanz. I
expressed to both Sanz and Alonso my commitment to strongly
advocate from Madrid on behalf of Sanz until such time as a
decision is made on USG support for a candidate. After that,
Embassy actions would be dictated by instructions from
Washington. I also received a favorable evaluation of Sanz
from former SACEUR General Jones on August 30. END SUMMARY.

//ALONSO CALL TO AMB//


2. (S/NF) Defense Minister Alonso called me August 30 to
confirm what he first told me July 25 that Spain had
nominated Spanish Chief of Defense Felix Sanz Roldan to be
the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. Alonso said
that the GOS is very committed to the nomination, believes
Sanz is by far the most qualified of the three candidates,
and hopes that the U.S. will support his candidacy after
weighing the virtues of the individual candidates. I replied
that the U.S. would seriously consider all of the candidacies
and that I would advocate strongly for Sanz until such time
as a decision is made in Washington.

//SANZ THRILLED//


3. (S/NF) Also August 30, I received General Sanz for a
previously arranged lunch at my residence. Sanz was upbeat
as he expressed confidence in his candidacy and asked for
U.S. support. Sanz said that he had reached out to the
Italian and Polish candidates to offer best wishes and his
hope that the campaign would be amicable. Both generals were
friendly and welcoming, though he characterized the Polish
candidate as somewhat more guarded.


4. (S/NF) President Zapatero called Sanz on August 30 to
confirm his strong support for Sanz' candidacy and to
reiterate the government's confidence in him for the
position. King Juan Carlos also called to congratulate Sanz
and offered to do whatever necessary to support the candidacy.

//EMBASSY WILL HELP AS ABLE//


5. (S/NF) I told Sanz that I was impressed by his military
credentials, his even-keeled personality and his measured
politics. I expressed my belief that Sanz would be a superb
candidate and said I would do everything in my power to
inform the decision makers in Washington of his
qualifications and qualities. However, I told Sanz that I
was sure the U.S. Ambassadors in Italy and Poland would
advocate on behalf of their host nations' candidates as well,
and I underscored that this was not the same thing as USG
support. Once the decision was taken on which candidate the
U.S. would support, my actions would be governed by
instructions from Washington. Sanz said he understood, and
he thanked me for whatever efforts could be made.

//GENERAL JONES//


6. (S/NF) Former SACEUR General Jones called me August 30 on
an unrelated matter; however, we discussed the topic of the
NATO nomination. Jones told me that he was very familiar
with all three candidates and that in his opinion General
Sanz was the best qualified for the job. He further said
that he might take the opportunity of an unrelated meeting
with Secretary Rice to mention his evaluation of Sanz.

//PRESS COVERAGE AND INQUIRY//

7. (U) Spanish daily EL PAIS announced the nomination on
August 30 and cautioned that Sanz' candidacy could hinge on
U.S. opinion of the Spanish military's withdrawal from Iraq.
On August 31, EL PAIS led with the headline that the U.S.
viewed General Sanz' nomination favorably, citing Spanish
military sources. However, the article cited the same
sources as saying that a favorable estimation of Sanz as a
candidate was not the same thing as a decision that a Spanish
general should head the Committee.


8. (S/NF) I spoke to Ambassador Ronald Spogli (Rome) on
August 31 to convey the above subject, and I have a call in
to Ambassador Victor Ashe (Warsaw).


9. (S/NF) On August 31, acting PolCouns received a call from
Italian DCM Giorgio Marrapodi, who noted the press coverage
and asked whether the U.S. and Spain had made some sort of
prior arrangement in favor of Sanz' candidacy. Poloff
replied that of course there had been no prior arrangement
and emphasized that press coverage made clear that the U.S.
had not made any sort of commitment to General Sanz, other
than to not frown on his candidacy explicitly because of his
nationality.

//COMMENT//


10. (S/NF) I have had many occasions to interact
professionally and socially with General Sanz. I find him to
be an excellent man and supremely qualified for the job.

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AGUIRRE