EL SALVADOR: DAS COULTER VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 001070 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PM/RSAT E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017 TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PREL PGOV PTER ES SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: DAS COULTER VISIT Classified By: Ambassador Charles L. Glazer for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Political Military Bureau's Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Coulter visited El Salvador May 7-8 to hold bilateral discussions with the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs. He also made a speech to the Salvadoran Armed Forces' equivalent to the War College, had dinner with legislators from the Defense Commission, and held consultations with the Country Team. The Salvadorans again made a pitch for U.S. assistance in financing the modernization of their aging air and maritime assets and for help in getting the Department to reassess the exclusion of certain El Salvadoran Armed Forces' (ESAF) officers from IMET training, due to their names having appeared in the UN Truth Commission Report. They also pressed for an agreement on future U.S. medical assistance for Salvadoran soldiers who are wounded in Iraq, and for help in attracting contracts to El Salvador for the production of uniforms, boots, and other equipment for the new Iraqi Army or for members of the Coalition. The role of El Salvador in potential UN Peacekeeping Operations was discussed as well as the role of the ESAF in public security. DAS Coulter thanked the Salvadorans for their outstanding support as members of the Coalition and applauded them for their excellent strategic thinking on unconventional threats. He said El Salvador is one of our closest partners, not only in the region, but worldwide. Coulter also encouraged Salvadoran legislators to deepen their relationships with members of the U.S. Congress. END SUMMARY. MOD Makes Its Pitch -------------- ¶2. (C) On May 8, DAS Coulter met with MOD Romero and CHOD Molina to discuss political-military and military-to-military relations. The Salvadorans made a lengthy Powerpoint presentation, discussing their view of strategic threats and giving an overview of what they believe their role as the ESAF currently is, and will be in the future. DAS Coulter applauded them for their excellent strategic thinking and commented that the U.S. closely shares many of their beliefs about the challenges of the 21st Century, particularly the focus on transnational threats. He told them he was truly impressed with the mission scope of the ESAF. DAO San Salvador has obtained a copy of the slide show, and Post will transmit to PM/RSAT via Classified E-mail. ¶3. (C) The MOD and CHOD outlined areas where additional USG assistance would be especially useful, particularly the nation's aging air and maritime assets, which would benefit from additional FMF funding or some other type of assistance. In addition to such assets' vital role in humanitarian relief efforts after natural disasters, the refurbishment and expansion of the existing rotary-wing fleet would be especially useful in beefing up drug interdiction efforts along El Salvador's Pacific coastline. The MOD stressed that while direct intervention in the country's local public security problem was not part of the ESAF's mission scope, protecting its borders and assisting in drug interdiction in territorial waters are important mandates. Both the MOD and CHOD also mentioned that the GOES is very keen to receive help in obtaining contracts to manufacture goods for the new Iraqi Army or for other members of the Coalition. The MOD reported that the ESAF has local military industry capable of manufacturing uniforms, boots, and other equipment, and would benefit greatly from added business in exporting these goods to Iraq. Finally, both the MOD and CHOD pressed for the USG to reconsider the exclusion of certain officers from USG-funded training due to the appearance of their names in the UN Truth Commission Report on El Salvador's armed conflict. Without being explicit, they seemed to be referring to the recent exclusion of LTC Del Cid (the MOD's personal secretary) from training, due to Leahey Amendment vetting considerations. ¶4. (C) The CHOD's final point was that, with 5 KIAs and 53 WIAs to date, the Salvadorans are feeling the strains of caring for the long-term needs of wounded soldiers and their families. They did not cite any specific cases or needs at the moment, and thanked the USG for its generosity in caring for several of the worst-injured Salvadorans. Nevertheless, they did raise the potential need for more help in the future as the deployment of the Cuscatlan Battalion continues. Other staff from the MODs office also gave an overview of the Cuscatlan Battalion's progress, mentioned the 51 projects they have worked on that range from reconnecting electric supplies to building health clinics. They reported that the Battalion continues to work in training Iraqi troops, protecting a key supply line, as well as in helping with local provincial governance capacity-building. Strategic Issues -------------- ¶5. (C) As the Salvadorans continue to shape the future role of their Armed Forces, there is an increasing potential that their highly-professional, well-trained troops could participate more extensively in Global Peacekeeping Operations. The MOD reported that the ESAF already has PKO officers stationed in the Western Sahara (5),Liberia (3), Sudan (5),and the Ivory Coast (3). They are also active participants in the Conference of Central American Armed Forces (CFAC) and recently began receiving GPOI funding after finally signing a 505 Agreement. ¶6. (C) In his call on the MFA, DAS Coulter also discussed the issue of Peacekeeping with Ambassador Guillermo Melendez, Chief of Foreign Policy, who said that the GOES is very interested in future peacekeeping roles and reported that the UN recently certified its troops as competent to participate as UN peacekeepers. Melendez added that the GOES views its presence in Iraq akin to much of what it may do in the future as a member of a peacekeeping force, and noted that the ESAF presence in Iraq is under UNSC mandate and humanitarian in nature. He also said El Salvador keeps a close eye on peacekeeping as a member of the Peace Building Commission. DAS Coulter thanked the MFA staff as well with their assistance in the recent conclusion of the 505, GSOMIA, and SOFA agreements. ¶7. (C) On strategic issues, the MOD also presented DAS Coulter with a copy of their "white book" published last year, which they hope will help give the public a very clear idea of their role. The MOD stressed again that the Armed Forces plays only a very minor role in internal public security (providing perimeter security for the Civilian National Police on sweeps of certain remote and/or especially dangerous areas),because of constitutional issues and human rights concerns stemming from the Civil War era. He emphasized that the ESAF nevertheless have a robust role in Salvadoran society, since in the absence of a national guard, they serve a primary role in areas such as natural disaster relief. ¶8. (C) DAS Coulter also had a working dinner with Salvadoran congressmen, many of whom had already traveled to Iraq to visit the Cuscatlan Battalion and who shared their personal experiences and views. DAS Coulter thanked them for their support of the GOES role in the coalition and encouraged these representatives to build relationships with members of the U.S. Congress as well. ¶9. (C) COMMENT: The visit reemphasized what an excellent partner the GOES has been for the USG on so many levels. Though the ESAF continues to press a small "wish list" of items with which they hope to garner greater USG attention, the GOES once again underscored that its close ties to the U.S. are due primarily to similar world views. END COMMENT. Glazer