GOS ACKNOWLEDGES US CONCERN ABOUT IRAQ WAR COMMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000546 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV SP SUBJECT: GOS ACKNOWLEDGES US CONCERN ABOUT IRAQ WAR COMMENTS REF: MADRID 520 Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reaons 1.4 (b) & (d). ¶1. (C) The combination of the anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the fervor of the Spanish campaign season led to a brief flurry of anti-US rhetoric from public figures associated with the government. As reported in reftel, magistrate Baltasar Garzon wrote an op-ed on March 20 that proposed an investigation into "criminal responsibility" for the war. Socialist Party (PSOE) secretary Jose Blanco hopped on the bandwagon in a TV SIPDIS interview that evening. The Ambassador immediately contacted National Security Adviser Casajuana to express concern. Casajuana promised to take the message to President Zapatero. ¶2. (C) Casajuana called the Ambassador late on the night of March 21 to follow up after speaking to Zapatero. He said that Zapatero understands the USG's concerns and will try to bring moderation to PSOE political operatives. Zapatero said that he appreciated the USG's efforts to stay out of the political arena and will work to enable the US to continue staying out. In short, the message was that Zapatero "will not add wood to the fire." ¶3. (C) DCM reiterated the USG's concerns on March 23 with MFA DG for North America Jose Pons and asked that the GOS work to keep the US out of the political crossfire. He told Pons that the USG understands that the political climate in Spain is highly polarized at the moment, but cautioned that continued statements on this issue by senior Spanish figures would be viewed negatively by the USG. Pons said that the only official GOS statement on the issue had come from Foreign Minister Moratinos, who said on March 20 that only history will judge Iraq, thus emphasizing that the GOS would stay far away from legal judgments on the war. Pons emphasized that Blanco was speaking for the PSOE, not the government, and that Garzon, an independent magistrate, speaks only for himself. Pons said that he expects the issue to die down now that the anniversary has passed. Aguirre