SPANISH CONSIDER SUPPORT FOR NATO TRAINING MISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000216

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, NEA/I, EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2019
TAGS: MARR MOPS NATO PREL IZ SP
SUBJECT: SPANISH CONSIDER SUPPORT FOR NATO TRAINING MISSION
- IRAQ

REF: A. (A) STATE 16188

B. (B) MADRID 170

C. (C) MADRID 169

D. (D) 2008 MADRID 988

Classified By: Acting DCM William Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) After the February 24 meeting between Secretary
Clinton and Foreign Minister Moratinos, reftel (a) demarche
was conveyed to MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle
East Alberto Ucelay. In response to our offer of assistance
as Spain considered contributing Guardia Civil trainers to
NTM-I, Ucelay reiterated Moratinos' previous remark that the
issue would have to be considered by President Zapatero.


2. (C) Ucelay has advised that while Spain may be able to
send Guardia Civil to Iraq, there is a political cost for the
Zapatero government. It will still be difficult to "sell"
the public on the idea of putting either Spanish police or
civil servants in Iraq. The PSOE-led socialist government
must take care not to undermine its justification for its
2004 withdrawal based on an argument that the UN authorities
were not legal grounds for invading Iraq. At the same time,
Spain acknowledges that with increased Iraqi sovereignty and
independence, now is the time for some type of renewed
Spanish presence -- as evidenced by Deputy FM Lossada's
November 27, 2008 trip to Baghdad. Lossada's Iraq visit
launched Spain's intensified presence and "the start of a new
era as the Iraqi Government takes on its full
responsibilities and with a clear view to the withdrawal of
foreign troops from Iraq," according to a MFA press release.
The MFA also stressed that, as Lossada made clear during the
May 2008 International Compact Conference in Stockholm, Spain
will continue to support the reconstruction process in Iraq.


3. (U) Spain makes great effort to emphasize that apart
from the 2004 troop withdrawal, it has maintained active
support for Iraq and kept an Embassy open in Baghdad, despite
difficult security issues, from 2004-2008. Spain fulfilled
its financial commitments and also cancelled a substantial
portion of Iraqi debt. The Spanish AID-equivalent, AECID,
funded rule-of-law and human rights promotion activities
within the EUJUST LEX European mission. AECID also provided
aid for Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries.


4. (C) As the issue was first broached with the Spanish on
September 11, 2008 by visiting Ambassador Satterfield to
Deputy FM Lossada, the MFA had several months to ponder the
request. During follow-up meetings with FM Moratinos and
Presidency SecGen Leon on February 11 and 12 (see reftels),
both officials indicated that, while the request was under
consideration, Zapatero would make a final determination.

CHACON