SPAIN ON VIOLATIONS OF UNSCR 1701 ARMS EMBARGO

S E C R E T MADRID 000578 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2017 TAGS: PARM PREL PTER UNSC LB SP SUBJECT: SPAIN ON VIOLATIONS OF UNSCR 1701 ARMS EMBARGO REF: A. STATE 36202 ¶B. TD 314/22718-07 Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S) Poloff delivered REF A points to MFA Middle East Desk Officer Sergio Carranza on 3/23, sharing the points that were marked as releaseable to the Government of Spain. Carranza inquired as to the reliability of the information, noting that Spain was highly sensitive to information of this nature given the presence of Spanish forces in southern Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission. Poloff explained that the sources were of variable quality, but that the USG was convinced that the broad range of available information indicated that embargo violations were taking place. Poloff said that this background information would also be shared with the Spanish Mission to the UN and that it would be helpful for Spain to participate in a working group to address this specific issue. Carranza thanked poloff for the information and said he would share it with the appropriate Spanish authorities within the MFA and MOD, and that he would follow up with the Spanish Mission to the UN to discuss the issue of participation in a working group to address UNSCR 1701 embargo violations. ¶2. (S) Separately, Carranza discussed Spain's concerns regarding terrorist threats against Spain on the part of al-Qa'ida (REF B),saying that Spanish troops in Lebanon were believed to be among the targets under consideration by al-Qa'ida or affiliated organizations. He said that the principal concerns related to potential Spanish targets in Algeria and Morocco such as diplomatic posts and cultural institutions, but that the Spanish troops in Lebanon presented another obvious target for attack by extremist groups intent on harming Spanish interests. Aguirre