Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09PONTADELGADA5
2009-01-30 11:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Ponta Delgada
Cable title:  

US MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE AZORES, PORTUGAL

Tags:  PREL PGOV MARR ECON SOCI CASC PO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9048
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPD #0005/01 0301122
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 301122Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0142
INFO RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0153
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPD/AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA 0162
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 PONTA DELGADA 000005 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON SOCI CASC PO
SUBJECT: US MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE AZORES, PORTUGAL

PONTA DELG 00000005 001.2 OF 007


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 PONTA DELGADA 000005

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON SOCI CASC PO
SUBJECT: US MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE AZORES, PORTUGAL

PONTA DELG 00000005 001.2 OF 007



1. (SBU) SUMMARY. For over 60 years the United States and
Portugal have maintained a high level of military cooperation in
the Azores. This close cooperation is reflected in the daily
leadership and performance of the 65th Air Base Wing at Lajes
Field. We continue to look for new opportunities to ensure that
this facility remains in optimal condition and that it serves
the interests of the United States. This cable provides a
comprehensive summary of the U.S. military presence in the
Azores, Portugal. It gives general information on the U.S.
military as well as current issues and projects. The leadership
of the U.S. military at Lajes, the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon and
the U.S. Consulate work hand in hand to ensure that this is a
Mission team. Those who want more detailed information about
any of the items mentioned in the cable can contact the
Principal Officer in the Azores, Jean Manes at ManesJE@state.gov
or the U.S. Base Commander at Lajes, Colonel Margaret Poore at
Peggy.Poore.1@lajes.af.mil.

HISTORY


2. (U) The Azores is comprised of nine islands in the middle of
the Atlantic, 950 miles from Lisbon, Portugal and 1,200 miles
from the U.S. coastline. The U.S. has maintained a military
presence for over 60 years in the Azores. The U.S. Consulate,
established in 1795, is the oldest continuously operating U.S.
Consulate in the world. The official title of the U.S. military
presence is the 65th Air Base Wing at Lajes Field, Azores,
Portugal. The U.S. military is considered a "temporary"
resident at the Portuguese Air Base 4 on the island of Terceira.
This is not a U.S. base and as a result the rules that govern
this entire relationship differ slightly from other U.S.
military facilities.


3. (U) Throughout its history, the Lajes Air Base has played a
critical role in a number of operations -- most notably
providing the United States with the strategic position to
counter German U-Boats in World War II, which had a major
positive impact on the Allied war effort. In recent years, the

U.S. presence played a direct role in the Berlin Airlift and was
the site of the meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush,
British Prime Minister Blair, Spanish Prime Minister Aznar and
Portuguese Prime Minister Barroso at the outset of the Iraq War.

GENERAL FEATURES OF LAJES


4. (SBU) Lajes Field is the largest runway in Europe at 10,800
feet long and 300 feet wide. It can support any commercial or
military aircraft in the U.S. or NATO fleet and is commonly
known as the airstrip in the middle of the Atlantic. Lajes also
serves as the second largest fuel storage facility for the
United States Air Force, after Guam.


5. (SBU) The primary mission of Lajes is to support moving
personnel, aircraft and supplies "to and from the fight." There
were 14,900 aircraft that landed at Lajes in FY08. This
includes both military and commercial flights from all nations.
The U.S. and Portuguese run a joint 24-hour tower, which is
important to the base's mission as an emergency landing site.
The base also serves as an alternate landing site for the Space
Shuttle and participates in regular training to support this
mission. In addition, Lajes provides communications support to
the National Command Authority, as well as senior USG civilian
and military officials while transiting the Atlantic Ocean.
Lajes provides this communications coverage, both backup and
primary, extending from the Central US to Eastern Europe.

CURRENT STAFFING


6. (SBU) Despite reductions over the years, the United States
military remains one of the largest employers in the Azores and
it is the single largest employer on the island of Terceira.
U.S. military and civilian: 789
U.S. family members: 1,032
Portuguese Local National Personnel: 780


7. (SBU) These numbers have steadily decreased from a recent
high in 1990 of 1,900 U.S. personnel and 1,345 Portuguese
personnel and a low in 1998 of 610 Portuguese. The local
population on the island of Terceira is 68,000 and 250,000 for
all nine islands, thus staffing changes at the airbase are an
important issue to the local population and government and any
proposed reduction is a source of friction in the U.S. --
Portugal relationship. U.S. forces at the base make every
effort to minimize the impact by offering other jobs on base or
buyouts when feasible. However, it is clear that the reduced
numbers are permanent absent new missions for this facility.

LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT

PONTA DELG 00000005 002.2 OF 007




8. (U) While the overall personnel numbers have decreased over
the years, the U.S. leadership at Lajes recognizes the important
economic impact that the U.S. presence has on the local economy.
As a result, they continue to maximize the use of local
contractors and materials for daily operations as well as
special construction projects.


9. (SBU) The FY 2008 total economic impact of the U.S. presence
at Lajes was 93 million dollars, including 31.9 million dollars
in local Portuguese civilian salaries. The average Portuguese
worker makes 42,000 dollars annually compared to the average
local salary of 7,200 dollars. The base has no retention
problems and work at the base is highly desirable.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SCHOOL AT LAJES


10. (SBU) There is a Department of Defense K-12 School at Lajes
and it is well known for its academic excellence. Though the
population is small, it is a critical part of maintaining the
status of Lajes as a family eligible post. The decrease in U.S.
personnel over the years has had a direct impact on school
enrollment. For example, in 1999, school enrollment was 620.
Current enrollment is 366. This represents a 41% decline in the
last decade. There is concern that any further U.S. personnel
reductions could reduce the numbers to below the minimum
required to have a school. If that occurred and the school
closed, Lajes would lose its family eligible status. This would
have a severe impact on the local Portuguese employment at the
base.

CONSULAR SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE BASE


11. (U) Consular services to the U.S. personnel at Lajes remain
a top priority for the U.S. Consulate. The U.S. Consulate in
the Azores is located on the island of Sao Miguel. Terceira is
about a 30 minute small plane ride from Sao Miguel. The
Consulate has daily contact with the base, and an officer from
the Consulate travels there at least once a month for both
military and consular issues. Working in conjunction with a
military passport agent at Lajes, the Consulate provides the
full range of consular services for base personnel, including
all the processing of passports, reports of birth, and immigrant
visas. In fact, about 50% of the Consulate's passport work is
related to the base. The Consulate also guides service members
through the complicated process for marrying a foreigner and the
subsequent naturalization. Aside from the 1,800 U.S. citizens
at Lajes Air Base, there are an additional 3,800 registered U.S.
citizens in the Azores. The vast majority of American citizens
outside of the military population are dual nationals
(Portuguese and U.S.).

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAYOR OF PRAIA


12. (SBU) Lajes field is located in the town of Praia. The U.S.
consulate maintains regular contact with the local mayor,
Roberto Monteiro. We have a high level of cooperation, but
there are always issues that arise with a large U.S. presence
and it is critical to have this open line of communication with
the local leaders. In addition, the U.S. Consulate also leads
efforts to encourage involvement of military personnel in the
local community. For example, this year the U.S. military
co-sponsored with the Mayor of Praia and the Consulate the first
joint U.S/Portuguese 5K walk for the cure of breast cancer.
This event brought the military and local community together and
received very positive publicity.


13. (SBU) A number of Portuguese in Terceira have commented that
they do not have the same connection with the Americans on the
base as in the past. Our assessment is that this is due to the
overall decrease in the U.S. presence over the years, but also
it is a signal that we need to increase our public outreach to
ensure a positive relationship and prevent misunderstandings.
This effort is complicated by the constant false media reporting
of one local paper on the island that regularly paints the U.S.
presence in a negative light. This will be discussed in more
detail below.

1995 COOPERATION AND DEFENSE AGREEMENT (ACD)


14. (SBU) The 1995 ACD is the most recent agreement signed
between the United States and Portugal that governs the presence
of U.S. personnel, as well as the labor and technical procedures
for daily operations. The agreement receives a lot of public
attention in the Azores, particularly related to a couple of
areas: first, prior to the 1995 agreement, the United States
paid 40 million dollars annually to the Portuguese in rent for
our use of the air base. This requirement was removed in the

PONTA DELG 00000005 003.2 OF 007


1995 agreement in exchange for broader cooperation in science,
technology, agriculture, and other areas. Second, the two sides
view the ACD differently. The Portuguese consider the agreement
a treaty and it has been ratified by their Parliament. The
United States considers it an Executive Agreement (as are 60+
other similar agreements the U.S. has in place for a military
presence in other countries) rather than a formal
Senate-approved treaty. Under the U.S. legal system, the U.S.
Secretary of State has the authority to sign Executive
Agreements and this particular one was signed by then Secretary
of State Warren Christopher. The Portuguese insist that the
United States has not "ratified" the agreement and thus is not
held to 100% adherence to the agreement. The U.S. does adhere
to the agreement in all matters. We have consulted various
times with the State Department Legal Advisor (L/T) on this
issue and it is clear that under U.S. law this agreement is
appropriately defined as an "Executive Agreement" and the United
States must and does fully comply. In fact, L/T has advised
that under International Law there is no differentiation between
an Executive Agreement and a Treaty, thus the 1995 Cooperation
and Defense Agreement is considered a treaty. It is unclear why
this continues to be an issue. The United States has explained
the U.S. legal system to the Portuguese numerous times at all
levels, but the issue persists when the Portuguese allege that
the United States is not in compliance with the agreement,
particularly as it relates to labor issues.

THE U.S./PORTUGAL BILATERAL COMMISSION


15. (SBU) The 1995 Cooperation and Defense Agreement establishes
biannual meetings called the "Bilateral Commission" to rotate
between Lisbon and Washington to discuss the range of issues
related to Lajes base and broader bilateral cooperation. The
meetings are roughly at the Political Director/Assistant
Secretary level. Much effort has been made in recent years to
expand the focus of these meetings from the detailed military
and cooperation issues to include Portugal's role in Africa, the
Western Hemisphere and other areas of mutual interest.
Previously, the meetings were very scripted and served at best
as a reporting of what had been done the previous year. We have
been somewhat successful in broadening the scope of these
meetings to include the negotiation of current issues.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE AZORES


16. (SBU) In 2006, the Bilateral Commission set up a
subcommittee to focus specifically on programs to benefit the
Azores. This reflects a constant debate between the Portuguese
government and the Regional Government of the Azores (RGA).
(Note: the Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal, with
considerable policy latitude in many areas.) The RGA contends
that the sole reason for the ACD is the U.S. military presence
in the Azores and that the Azores should be the primary
beneficiary of this relationship. Lisbon contends that the RGA
already benefits substantially due to the direct employment of
local employees and the economic impact, estimated at 93.0
million dollars for fiscal year 2008. This committee is also
scheduled to meet twice a year alternating between Lisbon and
the Azores to review potential joint projects in science,
agriculture, education, tourism and technology. These specific
programs are funded under the Azores Cooperation Incentives
Program (ACIP) by the United States Department of Defense,
through the United States European Command and the Office of
Defense Cooperation at U.S. Embassy Lisbon. The program
currently manages about $200,000 in non-defense related
development programs.

CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST IN THE AZORES


17. (SBU) In large part because of the many Azorean immigrants
who have settled in the U.S. over the years, there is
significant U.S. Congressional interest in the Azores. There
are three members of the U.S. Congress who come from Azorean
heritage: Jim Costa (D-CA); Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) and Devin
Nunes (R-CA),all from neighboring districts in the San Joaquin
Valley. Several other members represent districts with a large
proportion of Portuguese immigrants (mostly from the Azores),
particularly in New England and New Jersey. The most active is
Rep. Barney Frank who is probably one of the most knowledgeable
persons regarding the history of the U.S. military presence in
the Azores. In fact, he is directly responsible for securing
funds for a number of projects including a major housing project
following an earthquake in Terceira in 1980. This military
housing on the base is affectionately known as "Barney's Housing
Complex." In addition to the Congressional level, there are
many state and local representatives in California,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey who have Portuguese
heritage. There is a direct and constant exchange of

PONTA DELG 00000005 004.2 OF 007


information. These individuals have both official and family
sources and any prospective change in the U.S. presence in the
Azores is closely monitored.

RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS


18. (SBU) In FY2008, two important projects were completed that
enhance the mission at Lajes. The first was the installation of
a new fire and rescue station at the edge of the runway. This
facility estimated at 10.3 million dollars allows for a quick
and comprehensive response to any emergency on the ground. The
second major improvement was the installation of a new hydrant
refueling system. This project estimated at 16 million dollars
has doubled the refueling capabilities from 2400 GPM to 4800 GPM
and is critical to getting assets to and from the fight.

CURRENT PROJECTS


19. (U) There are a number of current projects that are of
interest to the United States and that receive media attention.
Below is a summary of each project and the current status.


20. (SBU) HOUSING COMPLETION: From 2001-2008, a new housing
complex was constructed for U.S. families living on base. The
"Nascer do Sol" complex consists of 156 units and serves as a
significant factor in the high morale at the base. The
estimated cost was 37.4 million dollars. Additional housing is
also undergoing a renovation to meet required military standards
by 2009. 246 existing townhouses and rooms are included at a
cost of 43.8 million dollars.


21. (SBU) RUNWAY: The runway at Lajes remains the single most
important asset and it is critical to maintain this in optimal
condition. The airport is a joint-use facility for both the
United States and Portuguese military as well as commercial
aircraft. In 2008, nearly 15,000 flights landed on this
runway. The runway has not been resurfaced since 1978. A 2003
Airfield Pavement Evaluation noted multiple slippage cracks and
additional reports have recommended the resurfacing. The normal
lifespan of a runway is 20 years, which means the runway should
have been repaved in 1998. From 2004-2006, the U.S. Air Force
made a number of emergency repairs to ensure continued operation.


22. (SBU) The total estimated cost of the runway repair is 5.7
million dollars. Since this is a joint U.S./Portuguese
facility, the 1995 agreement mandates cost sharing. In
addition, the Portuguese receive landing fees that are designed
to fund runway repair and other airport maintenance. At the
November 2008 Bilateral Commission meeting in Washington, this
issue was discussed and in December USAFE presented the
Portuguese with a formal proposal for cost sharing of the runway
repair. The cost sharing is based on the number of total
flights, but utilizing formulas based on the impact of different
types of aircraft. The U.S. is well aware that a fuel tanker
does not have the same impact as a propeller 25-seat plane. The
actual usage of the runway is as follows: Portuguese: 68%;
U.S.: 22%; and Third Nation: 10%. Utilizing the impact
formulas, USAFE had determined that fair cost sharing is:
Portuguese: 17%; U.S.: 72% and Third Nation: 11%. Since
Portugal collects landing fees from third nation aircraft, the
proposal assumes Portugal will pay 28% of the cost, including
the third nation share. We are still awaiting a Portuguese
response to this proposal. USAFE has this-year money available,
so if we reach an agreement with the Portuguese, the project
would begin immediately.


23. (U) BREAKWATER REPAIR: The U.S. is responsible for operating
and maintaining the dock and breakwater facility at the local
port of Praia near the airbase as part of the 1995 ACD
agreement. This is the sole fuel off-loading system for Lajes
Field. In 2001, a storm damaged the breakwater and the critical
fuel manifold for off-loading fuel from ships. In 2002, the
U.S. funded emergency repairs, and in 2003 the U.S. funded a
complete repair 50 million dollars. The re-construction of this
facility will be finished in the next few months.


24. (SBU) HANGAR DEMOLITION: The sole hangar at Lajes was built
in 1956 at the edge of the flight line and was condemned in 1997
for safety reasons, including massive asbestos. The harsh
saltwater climate corroded the facility's metal structure and
high winds have caused wall and roof panels to fly off. This,
along with an infestation of pigeons causes a serious foreign
object hazard on the flight line. The Portuguese military has
complained for many years about this eye-sore, and repeatedly
requested that USAFE fund a project to demolish the hangar. At
the end of FY 2008, USAFE finally secured funding for demolition
of the hangar. The previous Portuguese base commander had
verbally agreed to the project and timeline. Based on this

PONTA DELG 00000005 005.2 OF 007


agreement, the U.S. awarded the contract and was ready to begin
demolition. However, due to a change in the Portuguese
commander, the new commander (Major General Mora de Oliveira)
insisted the project be sent to the technical committee under
the bilateral commission for formal, written approval. This,
apparently, was due to his involvement at a previous Portuguese
facility, which had environmental hazards, and it was not
demolished appropriately resulting in a multi-year lawsuit. At
the November 2008 Bilateral Commission meeting the U.S. provided
the project proposal to the technical committee and requested
urgent approval. The technical committee is scheduled to meet
in February to review the proposal. Approval must be obtained
by February 2009 to ensure that the money is not lost.


25. (SBU) While the money has been allocated for the demolition
of the hangar, there is still a need for a new hangar which is
unfunded. At present, there is no hangar at Lajes that is
suitable for repair of U.S. aircraft. Consequently repairs must
be done outdoors. The weather in the Azores is characterized by
high winds and frequent rains which are not conducive to outdoor
repairs. The U.S. leadership at Lajes will continue to request
funding for this project and the scope of the project will
depend on possible new missions, including the air training
initiative.


26. (SBU) CINDER PITS FUEL FARM DEMOLITION: Until 1994, fuel was
stored at a tank farm facility in the hills a few miles outside
the airbase property and then piped onto the base for aircraft
refueling. These facilities formerly held 33.2 million gallons
of fuel in five above-ground and six below-ground storage tanks.
The area was abandoned in 1994. This area represents a
significant hazard as local children frequently venture into the
area to play. There are over 8.9 miles of abandoned fuel piping
associated with this fuel farm that lie under private property.
Money has been allocated to remove the above ground tanks.
Funding is still needed for the complete removal of the
underground infrastructure. This issue continues to receive
broad negative media and public attention alleging contamination.

CURRENT ISSUES


27. (U) In addition to the current projects underway, there are
a number of current issues. Below is a brief summary and status
of each.


28. (SBU) AIR TRAINING INITIATIVE: This is a U.S. initiative
that would establish Lajes Field as a central air training
facility for the U.S. and NATO and provide 80,000 miles of
combat airspace training just north of Lajes Field. This
airspace equates to an approximate 92% increase in tactical
maneuvering capability controlled by Lajes Field. Open ocean
away from shipping or air traffic lanes makes for an optimal
training environment for the next generation of fighter
aircraft.


29. (SBU) The strategic location of Lajes combined with the
second largest fuel storage capacity in the Air Force uniquely
positions Lajes as a combat training and staging location for
U.S. and Allied aircraft along the trans-Atlantic corridor. It
is hoped this will encourage use by other allies or direct NATO
training missions. Also, the location is no less convenient for
U.S. forces on the east coast than the USAF current training
facility in Nevada. This initiative was first developed by a
previous U.S. commander at Lajes who was concerned about the
diminishing U.S. presence and was searching for new missions to
maintain the vitality of the base. During the pinnacle of
Lajes' usage, all transport aircraft needed to refuel on
transatlantic flights. Today's C-5's and C-17's do not,
although C-130's and fighter aircraft still need the facility.


30. (SBU) In December 2006, the U.S. first began to discuss this
issue with the Portuguese. In 2007, a number of senior level
meetings were held between the U.S. and Portugal. The U.S.
continued to press this issue with no apparent interest from the
Portuguese Government. However, in July 2008, the President of
the Regional Government of the Azores (RGA) publicly endorsed
the idea following a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador and urged
Lisbon to move on this issue. The RGA clearly understands the
ongoing reduction of Portuguese jobs at Lajes and the need to
find new missions in order to keep Lajes relevant and thereby to
maintain current employment. In September 2008, technical
teams from the U.S. Air Force and the Portuguese Air Force met
in Lisbon to discuss the specifics. At the November 2008
Bilateral Commission meeting the issue was once again raised.
The Air Space Initiative is currently under review by the
Portuguese government. Should the Portuguese approve this
initiative, Lajes Field has the current infrastructure to
support immediate implementation.

PONTA DELG 00000005 006.2 OF 007




31. (SBU) U.S. AFRICA COMMAND: Portuguese media continues to
speculate on alleged proposals for basing U.S. Africa Command
installations or capabilities at Lajes Field. The U.S. Embassy
and Consulate remain consistent in our response that the U.S.
Africa Command is currently based in Germany and no decisions
are pending regarding changing this location. We continue to
engage the Portuguese Military and Government on finding new
missions for Lajes Field, and to focus in the near term on
implementing the Air Training initiative.


32. (SBU) LABOR RELATIONS: Overall, labor relations between the
U.S. and local Portuguese workers are positive; however the wage
survey and the subsequent Portuguese salary increases continue
to be a point of contention. The Portuguese contend that the
U.S. is not in compliance with the 1995 agreement because when
the recommended wage survey increase exceeds the U.S. government
increase, the Department of Defense does not have the
legislative authority to grant this higher amount. The article
in the agreement clearly states that all salary increases must
conform to U.S. manuals, which limits the amount to the actual
U.S. increase. This has become such a volatile issue over the
years for a number of reasons that include the sheer complexity
of the wage survey process which makes it almost impossible to
understand. While the U.S. leadership -- both diplomatic and
military -- rotates every few years, our Portuguese counterparts
who deal with this issue have been around for decades.


33. (SBU) In 2008 this issue came to a head and the senior DoD
official on the Bilateral Commission -- the Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy agreed to
undertake a full review. After hundreds of hours of research
and legal review, the Department of Defense ruled that the U.S.
is in full compliance with the agreement and that the
interpretation that the Department of Defense is not authorized
to pay a higher amount is correct. Deputy Under Secretary
Bradshaw gave a thorough briefing on this issue at the May 2008
Bilateral Commission meeting at which time the U.S. and the
Portuguese agreed to disagree. To date, the Portuguese have
never provided a legal article to counter the U.S. ruling. At
this meeting, the representative for the Regional Government of
the Azores, Dr. Andre Bradford offered a potential solution to
remove the annual requirement of the wage survey in exchange for
back payment for years 2006/2007. The DoD could not agree
immediately to this proposal because it required additional
authorization language and appropriation of funds. In 2008,
Congressman Barney Frank authored legislation to implement this
solution. The U.S. Congress passed the legislation in the U.S.
Congress authorizing the funds for the back payment, but it did
not include the implementing language. This will need to be
done in March 2009. However, at the November bilat, the
Portuguese National government decided they did not support the
proposal by the RGA. Now, the issue is on hold pending
re-consideration by the Portuguese Government. The U.S. has
advised that we have made every attempt to resolve this issue
and there will be no further offers.


34. (SBU) SOIL AND WATER CONTAMINATION: Over the years there
have been various allegations by the local media of
contamination of the soil and water in Terceira due to the U.S.
presence. This is the second largest fuel facility for the U.S.
Air Force and there have been a couple of incidents involving
spills and leaks over the years. However, since 1995 the U.S.
has been aggressively dealing with the issue and has implemented
strict environmental standards. The U.S. regularly tests the
water and the soil for potential problems. The local water
company and the Portuguese Air Force also conduct regularly
testing and their findings concur with the U.S. that there is no
contamination of the public drinking water.


35. (SBU) In May 2008, this issue exploded when the Portuguese
National television station in the Azores (RTP) led their Friday
evening broadcast stating, "The U.S. has contaminated the public
drinking water in Terceira." The report set off a firestorm of
criticism. The report was based on false information and
one-sided, but it forced the Portuguese Minister of Environment,
the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, the
Portuguese Air Force and the U.S. Consulate to announce the
drinking water is safe in order to stop the public panic. Even
though the report was based on information that all authorities
now recognize as false, the RGA was under significant pressure
to authorize an independent study. In January 2009, the contract
should be signed with the National Laboratory in Portugal (LNEC)
to conduct a full review of the soil and water in Terceira.
These findings should be done in twelve months. The U.S. has
agreed to cooperate and provide all documentation that we have
as well as allow military engineers at Lajes to meet with LNEC
officials. The U.S. will need to monitor this and be prepared

PONTA DELG 00000005 007.2 OF 007


to respond should there be any findings that indicate U.S.
responsibility.


36. (SBU) MEDIA ARTICLES IN THE LOCAL PORTUGUESE STATION
RTP/RDP: One of the most disappointing developments this past
year has been the decline of journalistic standards by the
Portuguese National television and radio station (RTP/RDP)
located in the Azores. RTP/RDP is the single most important
media outlet in the Azores and an overwhelming percentage of the
population receives their news from this source. Prior to
February 2007, RTP (television) and RDP (radio) were two
separate entities. Around April 2008, RTP/RDP began using radio
and television reports from an individual who works at the
Diario Insular, a local newspaper on the island of Terceira.
This individual has dedicated his life the last 10 years to
inventing negative stories about the U.S. presence. As a
result, negative false comments that previously were limited to
a low circulation newspaper on one island suddenly were used
throughout the Azores for radio and TV.


37. (SBU) The U.S. Consulate repeatedly attempted to address
this issue with the Director of RTP/RDP Azores. This issue came
to a head when they falsely reported the water contamination
which led to public panic. The Director of RTP/RDP has refused
to implement any oversight or fact-checking of the journalists
involved. There is much speculation regarding the various
financial and political motives behind this. The situation has
significantly damaged the reputation of the United States in the
Azores and is of growing concern.


38. (SBU) In October 2008, the Deputy Chief of Mission at
Embassy Lisbon, the Consul to the Azores, and the PAO at Embassy
Lisbon met with the Chief of Information for RTP/RDP based in
Lisbon. We presented a thorough review of the situation and the
RTP official appeared shocked by the situation. He agreed to
check into this. Following this meeting, there were a few weeks
of objective reporting and then it gradually returned to the
daily attacks against the United States. In one December
example, RTP led their nightly broadcast with a report that
accused the U.S. of trying to swindle the Portuguese into paying
for the repair of the runway. Once again, the facts were wrong
-- the most glaring errors were they said the project cost was
20 million and it is actually 5.7 million and they stated the
U.S. wanted the Portuguese to pay almost the whole amount, which
is exactly the opposite. As in previous cases, neither the U.S.
nor Portuguese officials were contacted to comment for the
report. The Consulate has requested the Embassy to arrange a
follow-up meeting with RTP/RDP in Lisbon to discuss the next
steps.


39. (SBU) FOREIGN SERVICE EXAM: In an effort to increase the
State Department/ Department of Defense cooperation, the U.S.
Consulate requested that Lajes be included as an authorized
testing site for the Foreign Service Exam. The base already has
an established testing center where hundreds of exams for
different universities and on-line programs are authorized. In
contrast, the Consulate's facility does not currently meet the
technical or space requirements to administer the exam. There
has been significant interest by military personnel at Lajes to
join the Foreign Service after their military career and they
have many skills and abilities which would serve the Foreign
Service well. The U.S. Consulate began the process to certify
Lajes prior to the February 2009 exam, but unfortunately our
request was denied. We are currently seeking a reconsideration
of this decision and will be following up in appropriate
channels.
REBERT