SPAIN RESIGNED TO END OF USG ROLE AT SEISMIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001117 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/MNSA DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE FOR US UNVIE DOD FOR AFTAC E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2019 TAGS: SP TPHY KTBT KSCI PREL SUBJECT: SPAIN RESIGNED TO END OF USG ROLE AT SEISMIC MONITORING STATION REF: SECSTATE 113884 Classified By: Acting DCM William H. Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENTARY: Per Reftel, Embassy Madrid on November 10 delivered a diplomatic note informing Spain's MFA of the USG's decision to terminate support for the seismic monitoring Station (hereafter, the "Station") at Sonseca, Spain and to conclude the gradual withdrawal of US personnel and US-owned equipment at the Station. The MFA reacted with muted disappointment. END SUMMARY AND COMMENTARY. ¶2. (C) POLOFF on November 12 met Fernando Prieto, sub-Director General of the MFA's Directorate General for non-EU Europe and North America, and Asis Barrera, the MFA's North America Desk Officer, to review key points of the diplomatic note. POLOFF conveyed the USG's appreciation to Spain for its decades-long collaboration at Sonseca and provided key historical documentation on the status of agreement, including the exchange of letters which have provided the basis for cooperation at the Station from 2001 until now. ¶3. (C) Prieto thanked POLOFF for the historic documentation and indicated he regretted the end of "an important symbol of bilateral cooperation." He asked if the Embassy was aware of any formal communications between our two governments on this issue since 2001. Specifically, he wanted to know if the USG had ever formally raised to the GOS the issue of the "cultural noise" from nearby industrial and commercial facilities that began to interfere with the Station's monitoring operations. POLOFF said he was unaware of any formal level communications such as a diplomatic note, but noted that there has indeed been contact at several other levels, including the presence of two USG contractors working side-by-side with Spanish colleagues at the Station throughout this period. ¶4. (C) On November 10, POLOFF discussed the Station closure with Carlos Torres, Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the MFA's DG for Strategic Affairs & Terrorism, who said the news was a "surprise." Upon hearing the contents of the diplomatic note, Torres, a technical expert, suggested that further USG conversations with the MFA on this issue be held with Prieto's sub-directorate rather than with his own, since the USG had made a "political" decision. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Torres and his office in July 2009 conducted some preliminary outreach to the Station to discuss plans for expanding the basis for cooperation. In response to this outreach, the Station reportedly provided to the MFA the contact information for appropriate officials within the US Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC),the US Executive Agent that operates and maintains the United States Atomic Energy Detection System for nuclear treaty monitoring. Torres briefly mentioned to POLOFF in late October that the MFA wanted to propose adding "infrasound" monitoring capability, which uses acoustic gauges to measure low frequency signals from explosions. In practice, this would have been used in conjunction with the Station to differentiate between underground and surface explosions. However, infrasound signals only travel regionally. Furthermore, the MFA never contacted AFTAC, never presented its proposal, and never discussed with Post in any detail its interest in this matter. The MFA's preliminary interest was overtaken by events on the USG side. Vaguely aware since early October of the MFA's general interest in expanding the Station's capability, Post took steps to manage the MFA's expectations until the diplomatic note conveyed the decision to terminate USG activities at Sonseca. END COMMENT. ¶6. (SBU) Post coordinated the diplomatic note and MFA outreach with Rusty Strum, an International Affairs Officer at AFTAC. Post understands that he has informed Spanish officials that AFTAC is flexible in the timing of the U.S. withdrawal and, in the event that the GOS and/or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization's Provisional Technical Secretariat (CTBTO/PTS) is interested in continuing operations at Sonseca, wants to coordinate the withdrawal with the GOS to ensure a smooth transition. Post appreciates Strum's assistance in this matter. CHACON