Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SOFIA377
2007-03-21 13:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:
BULGARIA: MISSILE DEFENSE PD STRATEGY
how-toVZCZCXRO1426 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSF #0377 0801325 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211325Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3435 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000377
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PRA - MAZEVEDO, EUR/PPD - TCORN,
VCI/MDSP - STEVEN ROSENKRANTZ, AND NSC - MAHAYWARD.
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR KPAO PL EZ RU BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: MISSILE DEFENSE PD STRATEGY
REF: A. STATE 30480
B. STATE 26910
Classified By: DCM Alexander Karagiannis, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000377
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PRA - MAZEVEDO, EUR/PPD - TCORN,
VCI/MDSP - STEVEN ROSENKRANTZ, AND NSC - MAHAYWARD.
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR KPAO PL EZ RU BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: MISSILE DEFENSE PD STRATEGY
REF: A. STATE 30480
B. STATE 26910
Classified By: DCM Alexander Karagiannis, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) Per Ref A request, Post has designated DCM Alexander
Karagiannis as the POC for public diplomacy and outreach
efforts on missile defense.
2. (U) During the Sofia visit of Admiral Harry Ulrich,
CINCUSNAVEUR, the Admiral briefed the Sofia and Varna press
corps in appearances on February 22, 2007. Local media
concerns centered on the implications of the proposed MD
system for Bulgaria, including the possibility of locating
system elements on Bulgarian territory. The Admiral's
comments made clear that such stationing would be a political
decision, but that the "U.S. intention is to provide such
protection to all its friends and allies, as much as
possible."
3. (U) The DCM spoke about missile defense at a March 13,
2007 town hall meeting in Kotel, a town located near Novo
Selo, the site of a Bulgarian-American joint training
facility. Using Ref B talking points, the DCM underscored
that the joint facilities will make both Bulgaria and America
more secure.
Comment:
--------------
4. (C) Bulgarian politicians and public do not currently view
missile defense as a significant concern. The issue
periodically spikes in the media, but it is a fringe topic,
usually generated by press stories abroad and sustained
(briefly) by herd-mentality reporting. Its half-life is
generally short, though the xenophobic, anti-U.S. (and
probably Moscow oriented) Ataka party tries to beat this drum.
5. (C) We believe that raising the MD profile through an
intensive PD campaign could spur unhelpful press speculation,
which will in turn feed the worst of pro-Russia interests
here. "U.S.-Russian tensions" would become the story
undermining progress on joint basing facilities, and reviving
now-dormant public concerns that the U.S.-Bulgarian security
relationship will squeeze Bulgaria between U.S. and Russian
interests. We propose a targeted, primarily demand-driven MD
outreach strategy aimed at puncturing unfounded concerns,
while emphasizing the importance of our MD plans to European
and trans-Atlantic security.
BEYRLE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PRA - MAZEVEDO, EUR/PPD - TCORN,
VCI/MDSP - STEVEN ROSENKRANTZ, AND NSC - MAHAYWARD.
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR KPAO PL EZ RU BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: MISSILE DEFENSE PD STRATEGY
REF: A. STATE 30480
B. STATE 26910
Classified By: DCM Alexander Karagiannis, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) Per Ref A request, Post has designated DCM Alexander
Karagiannis as the POC for public diplomacy and outreach
efforts on missile defense.
2. (U) During the Sofia visit of Admiral Harry Ulrich,
CINCUSNAVEUR, the Admiral briefed the Sofia and Varna press
corps in appearances on February 22, 2007. Local media
concerns centered on the implications of the proposed MD
system for Bulgaria, including the possibility of locating
system elements on Bulgarian territory. The Admiral's
comments made clear that such stationing would be a political
decision, but that the "U.S. intention is to provide such
protection to all its friends and allies, as much as
possible."
3. (U) The DCM spoke about missile defense at a March 13,
2007 town hall meeting in Kotel, a town located near Novo
Selo, the site of a Bulgarian-American joint training
facility. Using Ref B talking points, the DCM underscored
that the joint facilities will make both Bulgaria and America
more secure.
Comment:
--------------
4. (C) Bulgarian politicians and public do not currently view
missile defense as a significant concern. The issue
periodically spikes in the media, but it is a fringe topic,
usually generated by press stories abroad and sustained
(briefly) by herd-mentality reporting. Its half-life is
generally short, though the xenophobic, anti-U.S. (and
probably Moscow oriented) Ataka party tries to beat this drum.
5. (C) We believe that raising the MD profile through an
intensive PD campaign could spur unhelpful press speculation,
which will in turn feed the worst of pro-Russia interests
here. "U.S.-Russian tensions" would become the story
undermining progress on joint basing facilities, and reviving
now-dormant public concerns that the U.S.-Bulgarian security
relationship will squeeze Bulgaria between U.S. and Russian
interests. We propose a targeted, primarily demand-driven MD
outreach strategy aimed at puncturing unfounded concerns,
while emphasizing the importance of our MD plans to European
and trans-Atlantic security.
BEYRLE