US embassy cable - 04MADRID2369

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM, EUR/WE AND EUR/RPM 
OSD FOR DASD HOEHN 
EUCOM FOR ODC-SPAIN AND RADM GOODWIN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2014 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PGOV, SP, Defense and Political 
SUBJECT: BLOOMFIELD DELEGATION UPDATES SPANISH ON GLOBAL 
DEFENSE POSTURE REVIEW PLANS 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission J. Robert Manzanares, 
reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Assistant Secretary of State for 
Political-Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield and Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy Andrew Hoehn 
briefed GOS officials June 15 on the latest USG thinking on 
the global defense posture review (GDPR) and its possible 
impact on Spain.  Bloomfield and Hoehn said the USG was not 
likely to consolidate NAVEUR and the Sixth Fleet at Rota 
Naval Air Station.  Due to cost and efficiency 
considerations, the U.S. was considering alternatives to 
Spain for the consolidation.  Hoehn added that at this time 
the USG was not contemplating significant reductions in 
personnel at either Rota or Moron Air Base as a result of 
GDPR.  The Spanish appreciated the briefing and emphasized 
the base relationship was very important to Spain.  The GOS 
sought more detailed information on GDPR and Bloomfield said 
a member of the U.S. delegation could return to brief further 
once the delegation had apprised other affected countries of 
the latest U.S. plans.  End summary. 
 
2.  (C) The Bloomfield delegation met at the Foreign Ministry 
in a single meeting with the Foreign Ministry's political 
director, Rafael Dezcallar, the Defense Ministry's director 
general for policy, Gen. Felix Sanz, and the Presidency's 
Maria Jesus Alonso (no. 2 to NSA Casajuana).  Bloomfield 
briefed the Spanish on general GDPR concepts and explained 
that the foundation for the global review was the political 
dimension.  He added he was following up on Under Secretary 
of Defense for Policy Doug Feith's visit to Spain in December 
2003.  Recalling that Feith had suggested the U.S. might 
consolidate NAVEUR and the Sixth Fleet at Rota, Hoehn said 
the U.S. appreciated Spain's positive response to the idea 
but said cost and efficiency reasons were now causing the 
U.S. to examine alternatives to Rota for NAVEUR and the Sixth 
Fleet.  Hoehn declined to specify where NAVEUR and the Sixth 
Fleet might lodge, until the relevant government could be 
briefed.  (Later in the discussion, General Sanz noted press 
reports that the Sixth Fleet and NAVEUR would move to 
Naples.) 
 
3.  (C) Hoehn emphasized Rota and Moron remain important, 
enduring and sustainable elements of the U.S.-Spain relations 
and NATO.  He said that while local or regional commanders 
had the authority to make changes to maximize efficiency, 
Hoehn assured the Spanish the U.S. has no current plans to 
make significant changes to its presence at either base as a 
result of the posture review.  Hoehn said also the U.S. was 
still considering various locations at which to consolidate 
Special Operations Forces; we would provide the Spanish 
additional details on that score when they were available. 
 
4.  (C) Dezcallar replied that Spain understood the cost and 
efficiency realities and would likely make the same decision 
were it in the U.S.'s shoes.  He agreed the political 
dimension should be the foundation for GDPR discussions with 
allies and assured the delegation the U.S. "has a strong 
foundation in Spain," and that Spain wished to strengthen the 
relationship and take it as far as "our common interests take 
us."  Spain wants to continue cooperating with the U.S. at 
the highest levels, said Dezcallar. 
 
5.  (C) Sanz said the "51-year (military) relationship" 
between Spain and the U.S. has been very fruitful for both 
countries, and that the countries' relationship at the bases 
was very important for Spain.  Sanz requested more details 
both on the parts of GDPR that affect Spain and the elements 
that affect other countries.  Spain is of course concerned 
about the review's impact on Rota and Moron, and in 
particular the effect on "social issues" and Spanish jobs. 
 
6.  (C) Bloomfield explained that U.S. representatives were 
visiting a number of countries to discuss GDPR ramifications 
and preferred not to get into details before meeting with 
other governments.  After the USG had held those discussions, 
however, the U.S. would be happy to send a member of the 
Bloomfield delegation -- probably a EUCOM rep -- back to 
Spain to go into greater detail on GDPR's impact on Spain. 
However, the U.S. was interested in the GOS's views on our 
proposals now, or as soon as possible. 
 
7.  (C) Comment:  The atmosphere at this meeting was very 
positive, with the Spanish emphasizing the importance of 
positive relations with the U.S. and saying they appreciated 
being consulted on the posture review.  Conspicuously absent 
from the GOS reaction to the briefing was the military's 
oft-repeated position that the base relationship is too 
lopsided in the U.S.'s favor.  Instead, Spanish officials 
expressed concern about the possible negative impact GDPR 
could have on Spanish jobs and infrastructure projects at the 
bases.  As is inevitable of late here in Madrid, where any 
and every issue related to foreign policy reaches the press, 
Spain, well-versed media reported on the visit, though there 
were no media present at the meeting and no press event 
afterward.  Press on the visit has been interesting:  One 
newspaper, Spain,s conservative ABC, gave an accurate 
account of the discussion, including the idea that Sixth 
Fleet and NAVEUR might not go to Rota.  Spain,s leftist, 
pro-Socialist El Pais reported just the opposite -- increases 
in the offing for Rota.  When queried by the press about the 
Bloomfield delegation's visit to Madrid, First Vice President 
de la Vega said the GOS "does not have any knowledge of any 
extraordinary request" from the U.S. relating to Rota or 
Moron. 
 
 
ARGYROS