ARGENTINA CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY 4TH FLEET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUENOS AIRES 000571 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018 TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PGOV AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY 4TH FLEET ANNOUNCEMENT Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ANTHONY WAYNE FOR REASONS 1.4(B)AND(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ARGENTINE MFA DIRECTOR FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NUCLEAR AFFAIRS, AMBASSADOR ELSA KELLY, CALLED DCM APRIL 29 TO ASK FOR DETAILS REGARDING NAVAL OPERATION'S APRIL 24 PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE U.S. FOURTH FLEET. AT A MEETING WITH POST MILGP COMMANDER AND POLMILOFF LATER THAT DAY, KELLY NOTED THE MFA'S DISPLEASURE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT FROM THE PRESS RATHER THAN VIA A BRIEFING DURING THE JUST-CONCLUDED BILATERAL WORKING GROUP MEETING IN WASHINGTON. KELLY STRESSED THE SENSITIVITY OF THE ARGENTINE PUBLIC AND SECTORS OF THE GOA TO U.S. MILITARY-RELATED ISSUES, AND THE ARGENTINE PRESS'S TENDENCY TO SENSATIONALIZE. MILGP COMMANDER NOTED THAT THE ARGENTINE NAVY HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE PENDING RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FLEET ALMOST A FULL MONTH BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED. KELLY SAID SHE WOULD CONSULT WITH SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS TACCETTI AND FOREIGN MINISTER TAINA ABOUT ANY POSSIBLE MEASURES FOR MITIGATING ADDITIONAL FALLOUT. U/S ESPECHE-GIL ALSO RAISED THIS ISSUE WITH AMBASSADOR ON APRIL 29, ARGUING THE U.S. SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO FULLY BRIEF AND PREPARE SUCH ANNOUNCEMENTS GIVEN PREDILECTIONS TO SUSPECT THE WORST IN MANY LATIN AMERICAN CIRCLES. HE SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO FULLER EXPLANATION OF U.S. RATIONALE. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATION'S APRIL 24 PRESS RELEASE BROKE HERE IN THE PRESS ON APRIL 28, WITH PROMINENT DAILY LA NACION RUNNING A THREE-QUARTER PAGE STORY FROM WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT HUGO ALCONADA MON. THE REPORTING IS STRAIGHT FORWARD AND BALANCED, BUT SHARES THE PAGE WITH REPORTS OF CUBA'S AND VENEZUELA'S NEGATIVE SPIN, A STORY ON THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S DEFENSE OF TOUGH INTERROGATION METHODS, AND A STORY OF THE PENDING PASSAGE THROUGH ARGENTINE WATERS OF THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON. IN OTHER REPORTING, THE ISSUE IS LINKED TO U.S.-VENEZUELAN RELATIONS, DEVELOPMENTS IN COLOMBIA, U.S. TROOPS IN PARAGUAY, AND EVEN A CLAIM SOURCED TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE ARGENTINE PROVINCE OF CHACO THAT U.S. TROOPS ARE IN CHACO WORKING ON DISASTER RESPONSE. (NOTE: THERE IS ONE CIVILIAN DEFENSE CONTRACTOR FROM EL SALVADOR WORKING WITH PROVINCIAL CIVIL DEFENSE AUTHORITIES ON STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. END NOTE.) ¶3. (C) THE ARTICLE PROMPTED AMBASSADOR KELLY TO CALL THE DCM APRIL 29. KELLY STRESSED THE CONCERN OF MFA PROFESSIONALS LIKE HERSELF AND NEW VICE MINISTER VICTORIO TACCETTI, WHO CONSTITUTE A GROUP THAT WISHES TO PROMOTE CLOSER RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES. KELLY SAID IT WAS "DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND" HOW THE USG HAD NOT GIVEN THE GOA ADVANCE WARNING OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE JUST-CONCLUDED DOD-MOD BILATERAL WORKING GROUP MEETING IN WASHINGTON. AT A TIME WHEN BOTH GOVERNMENTS ARE WORKING TO REBUILD CONFIDENCE, SHE ARGUED, SUCH SURPRISES WERE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND REFLECTED INSENSITIVITY TO HOW SUCH ISSUES WILL PLAY LOCALLY. DCM ADVISED KELLY THAT RADM STEVENSON, COMMANDER OF NAVAL FORCES SOUTH, HAD BRIEFED ARGENTINE NAVY CONTACTS ABOUT THE FLEET'S PENDING RE-ESTABLISHMENT DURING HIS VISIT TO ARGENTINA MARCH 31, ALBEIT NOT ABOUT THE ACTUAL DATE WHEN IT WOULD OCCUR. ¶4. (C) IN THE FOLLOW-UP MEETING AT THE MFA APRIL 29, AMBASSADOR KELLY, JOINED BY NORTH AMERICAS DEPUTY DIRECTOR MARIA FERNANDA CANAS, REITERATED HER CONCERNS, AND ASKED IF ANY OTHER REGIONAL COUNTRIES (BRAZIL AND CHILE IN PARTICULAR) HAD BEEN BRIEFED. MILGP COMMANDER STATED THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE OTHER GOVERNMENTS HAD BEEN FORMALLY NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. ¶5. (C) KELLY SAID HER MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THIS EVENT NOT SET BACK BOTH GOVERNMENTS' EFFORTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS. SHE NOTED THAT THE ARGENTINE PUBLIC WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE ARGENTINE PRESS'S SENSATIONALISM, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT MANY IN THE GOA ARE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TO MILITARY ISSUES IN GENERAL. SHE STATED THAT SHE WOULD CONSULT WITH SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS TACCETTI AND FOREIGN MINISTER TAINA TO SEE IF THEY THOUGHT ANY MEASURES WERE REQUIRED TO MITIGATE ANY FURTHER PUBLIC SPECULATION/MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE NATURE OF THE FOURTH FLEET ANNOUNCEMENT. ¶6. (C) LATER ON APRIL 29, MFA U/S VICENTE ESPECHE-GIL REPEATED A NUMBER OF KELLY'S REMARKS TO THE AMBASSADOR. HE WARNED, THAT IN ARGENTINA AND ELSEWHERE IN LATIN AMERICA, THERE ARE MANY QUITE READY TO GIVE THE MOST NEGATIVE SPIN POSSIBLE TO U.S. MILITARY MOVES IN THE REGION AND THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAD SET OFF SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS IN ARGENTINA. HE SAID THAT HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE FULLER EXPLANATION OF THE U.S. RATIONALE IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THE DECISION INSIDE THE GOA, AND URGED THAT THE U.S. TAKE MORE CARE TO PREPARE THE GROUND FOR SUCH ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE HAND. BUENOS AIR 00000571 002 OF 002 ¶7. (C) COMMENT: NOTIFICATION PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED POST TO PREPARE THE GOA, SPECIFICALLY THE MFA, WHICH HOUSES MANY SENIOR OFFICIALS LIKE KELLY WHO WISH TO HELP US TO STRENGTHEN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. THESE FRIENDS ARE FEELING A BIT BLIND-SIDED BY US THIS WEEK. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON AND ADMIRAL STAVRIDIS'S VISIT NEXT WEEK, WE WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEND SOME FENCES AND PUT OUR FRIENDS' CONCERNS TO REST. WAYNE