ADDRESSING POLISH DISAPPOINTMENT OVER GAGOR'S NATO

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 002243

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017
TAGS: MARR NATO PREL PL
SUBJECT: ADDRESSING POLISH DISAPPOINTMENT OVER GAGOR'S NATO
CMC LOSS

REF: WARSAW 02213

Classified By: CDA Kenneth M. Hillas for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Although reactions vary in intensity,
Poland,s foreign and security affairs community is clearly
disappointed over the November 14 defeat of Polish Chief of
the General Staff Gen. Franciszek in his bid to become
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee (CMC). A significant
minority in Poland sees Gagor's loss as further evidence that
NATO partners are undervaluing Poland,s importance as an
ally. Given the key U.S. goals of continued Polish
participation in Afghanistan and Iraq and conclusion of
successful Missile Defense negotiations (ref A),it is
critical that we engage quickly with the newly named Polish
government to avoid any misconceptions of U.S. neglect. A
congratulatory phone call from SECDEF to incoming DefMin
Bogdan Klich along with an invitation for Klich to visit
Washington would effectively demonstrate our appreciation for
Polish partnership and cooperation. END SUMMARY

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Public Messages Polite, Personal Messages Blunt
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2. (C) Polish officials have been gracious in public. Gagor
himself denied that the CMC vote constituted any sort of
insult and urged that Poland redouble its active
participation in NATO. Polish Ambassador to NATO Boguslaw
Winid said, "we did our best" and can leave "with our heads
up." As might be expectd, outgoing DefMin Aleksander
Szczyglo, blamed the withdraw-from-Iraq policy of the
recently victorious Civic Platform (PO) for souring NATO on
Poland.


3. (C) In private, influential Polish personalities have
communicated their dismay over Gagor's defeat directly to
Emboffs. Former MFA Americas Director Henryk Szlajfer
complained at a November 14 Embassy reception that, "We've
been in NATO for 10 years (sic) and still no new member state
has held that post." On the other hand, the head of an
influential think tank and several journalists, after
quizzing Polcouns over U.S. support for Gagor, then laid the
blame squarely on the shoulders of the weak diplomacy of the
outgoing government and the damage it has done to Poland,s
image.

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Soul Searching in the Press Turns Ugly
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4. (C) The Polish press similarly expressed everything from
confusion to disappointment to calls for revision of Polish
foreign policy. Leading daily Gazeta Wyborcza blamed the
inept foreign policy of Poland's outgoing government for
Gagor's defeat. Several other sources reported or implied
that the U.S. had supported the Italian candidate, Admiral
Giampaolo Di Paola. Daily Rzeczpospolita suggested that
Italian-American ties and U.S. bases in Sicily trumped
majority support for Gagor. Even those who reported U.S.
support for Gagor still expressed dismay, reflecting a
lingering sense that decisions like this one cannot happen at
NATO without U.S. approval. One Warsaw radio broadcast said,
"We can no longer wait for U.S. appreciation." The leftist
daily Trybuna (circulation 20,000) ran a scathing commentary
that stated, "The defeat of General Gagor is the second
(after visas) flagrant example that what the Americans can
offer Poland are only platitudes about Kosciuszko, Pulaski,
Walesa and John Paul II...Perhaps it is a good opportunity to
redefine our principle goals in Poland's foreign policy."

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Impact on U.S.-Polish Cooperation
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5. (C) Poland's newly elected government is on the verge of
defining its foreign policy program. Although the new
government has stated its desire to withdraw its 900 troops
from Iraq before the end of 2008 (ref A),we could still
maximize their remaining participation via the NATO Training
Mission in Iraq (NTM-I). The outgoing Government had no
plans to scale down its 1,200 man commitment in Afghanistan,
but we cannot take Poland,s continued engagement for
granted. Negotiations to base 10 ground-based interceptors
in Poland as part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System are
ongoing, though the new government will require some time to
read in as the previous government did not keep opposition
parties informed on the state of negotiations.


6. (C) COMMENT: The disappointment over Gagor need not spill

over into the bilateral relationship, if properly managed.
Part of that should include early engagement of the new
Defense Minister Bogdan Klich. We strongly recommend that
SecDef place a congratulatory call soon after Klich,s
November 16 swearing in, to be followed up by an invitation
for an early visit by Klich to Washington. Such proactive
engagement would earn both positive press and good will with
the new government. It will also lay a good foundation for
the year ahead in which we will ask Poland to continue its
support for foreign deployments despite broad public
opposition. END COMMENT.
HILLAS