US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA1932

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TEGUCIGALPA 001932 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CJCS FOR GENERAL MYERS 
STATE FOR PM, INL, WHA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2013 
TAGS: OVIP, MARR, MASS, MOPS, PREL, PGOV, SNAR, HO 
SUBJECT: CJCS GENERAL MYERS MEETS WITH HONDURAN PRESIDENT 
MADURO TO THANK HIM FOR GOH SUPPORT ON IRAQ AND ART. 98 
 
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 1868 
     B. TEGUCIGALPA 1904 
     C. TEGUCIGALPA 1622 
     D. TEGUCIGALPA 1497 
     E. TEGUCIGALPA 1173 (ALL NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Roger D. Pierce; 
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 13, CJCS General Myers met with 
Honduran President Ricardo Maduro and senior government 
officials to discuss issues of bilateral importance and to 
thank Honduras for its strong support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, including its troop contribution to that effort, and 
the signing and ratification of an ICC Article 98 Agreement. 
Among the particular issues discussed were Iraq, 
narcotrafficking, terrorism, regional disarmament and 
integration, the general crime situation in Honduras, and the 
modernization of the Honduran Armed Forces.  The visit was an 
important boost for both President Maduro and USG-GOH 
cooperation on political/military issues.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (U) CJCS General Myers, accompanied by Mr. Hanley, CPT 
Hunt, COL Ross, LCDR Cheever, and COL Gonzalez, and from the 
Embassy Charge, DATT, MILGP Commander, and PolMilOff 
(notetaker), met August 13 with Honduran President Ricardo 
Maduro, accompanied by Minister of Defense Federico Breve, 
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Anibal Quinonez, Minister 
of the Presidency Luis Cosenza, and Honduran CJCS General 
Barahona.  The meeting took place at the Casa Presidencial. 
 
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General Myers Expresses Gratitude for Honduran Support 
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3. (C) President Maduro started the meeting off by outlining 
Honduran actions over the past few months in support of USG 
foreign policy objectives, specifically mentioning the 
ratification of an ICC Article 98 Agreement with the U.S. and 
Honduran troop contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom 
(OIF).  Maduro expressed solidarity with the U.S. in the War 
on Terror, but noted that by overtly supporting the U.S., 
Honduras was at heightened risk of terrorist attacks.  Maduro 
also acknowledged that his explicit support of the U.S. in 
Iraq came at a political cost. 
 
4. (C) General Myers thanked Maduro for Honduras' support, 
not only on Iraq and the signing of an ICC Article 98 
Agreement with the U.S., but also on Honduras' overall 
support on the War on Terror and the fight against 
narcotrafficking.  General Myers let Maduro know that the USG 
has confidence in the preparedness of the Honduran troops en 
route to Iraq and that the U.S. greatly appreciates Honduras' 
efforts, stating that the support the Government of Honduras 
(GOH) has offered the USG has been noticed at the highest 
levels.  General Myers also told Maduro that the 
predominantly negative press coverage of Iraq was quite 
different from the facts on the ground.  He stated that the 
Honduran troops would be part of the international effort 
bringing new hope to the Iraqi people. 
 
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The Fight Against Narcotrafficking a Top Priority 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
5. (C) In a very candid manner, Maduro outlined for General 
Myers the myriad difficulties Honduras faces in effectively 
fighting the scourge of narcotrafficking, from the lack of 
necessary resources, to corruption, to a frail legal system, 
to insufficient coordination amongst the other Latin American 
countries.  Maduro acknowledged that his strong emphasis on 
crime fighting was the reason for his election and he 
reiterated that fighting crime, particularly 
narcotrafficking, remains his number one priority.  Maduro 
stated that if his administration was unable to stem the 
growing influence of drug-related crime in Honduras, his 
successor would inherit a terrible situation. 
 
6. (C) Regarding narcotrafficking, Maduro told General Myers 
that he was personally becoming more involved in the fight to 
reduce corruption and the amount of drugs that illegally 
transit Honduran territory.  While committed to reducing drug 
trafficking, Maduro questioned the utility of having a "no 
shoot-down policy" (ref E), saying that the current policy of 
escorting intruding aircraft to the border to be handed off 
to neighboring states was both costly and ineffective. 
Maduro pointed to the fact that Honduran airspace was 
violated on almost a daily basis because the narcotraffickers 
know that they could transit Honduran airspace without risk. 
Maduro went so far as to offer his assistance in lobbying the 
U.S. Congress to change the law that prohibits the USG from 
sharing tactical air-track information with countries that 
employ a shoot-down policy. 
 
7. (C)  Maduro also expressed fears over the growing 
influence of organized crime in Honduras, citing the recent 
arrest of two Congressmen on drug charges as just the "tip of 
the iceberg" (refs C and D).  Maduro alluded to the influence 
organized crime can have on elected officials, saying that 
one plane-load of cocaine could finance a presidential 
election in Honduras.  Maduro also pointed to a linkage 
between street gangs and narcotrafficking and claimed 
Honduras was already moving from a transit zone to a staging 
area for narcotraffickers. 
 
8. (C) Maduro noted the need for greater information sharing 
and cooperation between the other Central American states 
(CENTAMS) and the USG to effectively fight narcotrafficking. 
He told General Myers that his other CENTAM counterparts 
share this concern and that movement is afoot to increase the 
region's ability to better integrate their crime fighting 
abilities.  However, Maduro also noted the lack of resources 
Honduras faces, specifically mentioning the need for a radar 
and new helicopters to help in the fight against 
narcotrafficking. 
 
9. (C) General Myers thanked Maduro and the GOH for its 
dedication to fighting narcotrafficking and told Maduro his 
efforts to foster greater regional integration were the right 
approach.  General Myers further stated that the 
trans-national threats posed by terrorists and 
narcotraffickers leave countries little choice but to work 
closer together.  General Myers told Maduro that the USG also 
needed to re-evaluate its policies toward the area to help 
the CENTAMS better combat these threats. 
 
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Violent Crime a Serious Concern 
------------------------------- 
 
10. (C) Maduro confessed the issue of street crime, including 
violent crime, remains a a serious concern despite his best 
efforts to combat it.  While kidnappings and bank robberies 
have dropped off since Maduro's deployment of the military to 
assuage police patrols, murder rates have been climbing as 
well as general gang-related crime.  Maduro estimated that 
over 30,000 Hondurans are gang members with some 20 percent 
being committed to that type of life-style.  Maduro expressed 
hope that newly passed legislation which makes it a crime to 
be a gang member would reduce their roles, but he 
acknowledged that this law alone would not be a panacea to 
Honduras' crime problems (ref B). 
 
11. (C) Maduro noted that the judicial system needed to 
function better and that the police needed to step-up patrols 
in poorer neighborhoods.  He admitted that the general public 
perception was that the government was not in control of the 
crime situation, particularly in dealing with gang violence. 
General Myers indicated he had received a similar message 
about gangs and violence while visiting El Salvador. 
 
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Maduro Stresses the need for Greater Regional Integration 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
12. (C) Maduro returned to the need for greater regional 
integration as one of the keys to strengthening the region's 
ability to combat terrorism, organized crime, and 
narcotrafficking.  He then mentioned the progress his 
administration has made on border disputes with both El 
Salvador and Nicaragua as proof of Honduras' desire to reduce 
tensions within the region.  General Myers applauded these 
efforts and again stressed that working together with other 
countries was key to success in the war against terror and 
drugs. 
 
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Regional Disarmament Necessary, but Remains a Prickly Issue 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
13. (C) Maduro acknowledged the need for regional disarmament 
and claimed Honduras stood ready to move forward but that the 
process was complicated and moving slower than he had 
originally hoped.  He mentioned to General Myers that 
Honduras had "got the ball rolling," by initiating a meeting 
with President Flores but that not much progress has happened 
since then.  Maduro reminded General Myers that in terms of 
manpower Honduras already had the smallest military in the 
region. 
 
14. (C) Maduro also raised the issue of Honduras' fleet of 
F-5's and the possible linkage to reductions in Nicaragua's 
stockpile of Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). 
Maduro indicated he understood why the USG was interested in 
reducing the number of MANPADS in Nicaragua but he noted that 
Honduras was ready to discuss the F-5's only in the context 
of regional disarmament.  General Myers told Maduro he 
understood the situation and that it was not USG policy to 
pressure Honduras to give up it's fleet of F-5's in exchange 
for a reduction of MANPADS in Nicaragua. 
 
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Modernization of the Honduran Armed Forces 
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15. (C)  Maduro touched slightly on the on-going 
modernization of the Honduran Armed Forces (HOAF).  Maduro 
pointed to the fact that the Honduran Military was now a well 
respected institution with a high degree of esprit de corps. 
He noted that the armed forces would continue to expand its 
professionalization and that the HOAF stood ready to embrace 
new non-traditional missions such as providing disaster 
relief, combating narcotrafficking, and helping the police 
reduce street crime. 
 
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Boost for Maduro and for USG-GOH Cooperation 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
16. (C) Comment:  General Myers' visit was an important boost 
for President Maduro at a time when he has been buffeted by a 
number of political problems (ref A).  The meeting with 
Maduro reinforced the Ambassador's statements of appreciation 
for Maduro's decision to both support Operation Iraqi Freedom 
with Honduran troops and to sign and ratify an ICC Article 98 
Agreement with the U.S.  The meeting also underlined USG 
statements of encouragement and support for Maduro in the 
fight against narcotrafficking.  Maduro, in fact, made clear 
during the subsequent joint press conference that the USG was 
a firm supporter of Honduras and the GOH's fight against 
narcotrafficking.  Post expects President Maduro to make many 
of the same points he raised in his meeting with General 
Myers in his planned August 20 meeting with Secretary of 
Defense Rumsfeld.  End Comment. 
Pierce