DISCUSSIONS REGARDING SENDING SPANISH CIVIL GUARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000371

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

KABUL PLEASE PASS TO CSTC-A FOR BG GEORGE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2018
TAGS: PREL SP
SUBJECT: DISCUSSIONS REGARDING SENDING SPANISH CIVIL GUARD
OFFICERS TO AFGHANISTAN

REF: MADRID 202

Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION HUGO LLORENS, REASONS 1.4 (B) an
d (D)


1. (C) In Post's continued efforts to encourage the Spanish
to do more in Afghanistan, Deputy Chief of Mission Llorens
met on March 26 with Secretary of State for Security Antonio
Camacho (Deputy Interior Minister equivalent) to discuss
SECDEF's January 24 letter to MOD Alonso requesting Spain
send Civil Guards to Afghanistan to assist in training Afghan
police. The Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) is one of Spain's
two national police forces and would be uniquely suited to
carry out the mission envisioned by the SECDEF. Per REFTEL,
our Spanish counterparts told us last month that they were
reluctant to make any decisions on this issue in advance of
Spain's March 9 national election. We are now re-engaging in
the wake of President Zapatero's reelection.


2. (C) The DCM reminded Camacho that the U.S. sent an
additional contingent of more than 3,000 Marines to
Afghanistan to fill the critical battalion shortfall in
Regional Command-South (RC-S) and assist with Afghan National
Security Forces training and mentoring, but that these
additional forces were only slated to be on the ground for
seven months. The DCM said the U.S. is asking our Allies to
use our examples of sacrifice to show renewed commitment to
NATO and fulfill its pledges to Afghanistan, and inquired
about the possibility of deploying Civil Guard officers to
Afghanistan this year. The DCM stressed that the Civil Guard
would not be sent for the purposes of combat and encouraged
the Spanish to make a gesture of additional support at the
upcoming NATO Summit in Bucharest.


3. (C) Camacho said he would take a close look at the Civil
Guard's current force posture both deployed abroad and within
Spain (where they carry out their primary duty of maintaining
domestic security and battling the terrorist group ETA),and
would let us know whether Spain was in a position to deploy
additional forces. We asked that the Interior Ministry (who
wields overall command of the Civil Guard) coordinate closely
with MOD and let us know what is possible. Camacho asked if
the U.S. had requested a specific number of forces to be
sent, and the DCM asked that Spain provide what it can.

//COMMENT//


4. (C) We all believe that Spain can and should do more. We
will continue to urge that Spain send additional Civil Guard
(or Spanish National Police) officers, even if only a
relatively small force to conduct police advisory and
training missions within Badghis Province.
AGUIRRE