US embassy cable - 04MADRID3990

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Identifier:	04MADRID3990
Wikileaks:	View 04MADRID3990 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Madrid
Created:	2004-10-14 07:27:00
Classification:	CONFIDENTIAL
Tags:	PTER KTFN NP SP
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003990 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2014 
TAGS: PTER, KTFN, NP, SP 
SUBJECT: SPAIN:DEMARCHE TO EU ON FREEZING MAOIST ASSETS 
 
REF: A. STATE 213824 
 
     B. MADRID 2963 
 
Classified By: Economic Counselor Whitney Baird for reasons 1.2 (b) and 
 (d) 
 
1. (U) We delivered ref A points October 6 to Enrique Mora 
Benavente, MFA Head of EU Planning.  Mora Benavente assured 
us that Spain considers the Maoist rebels to be terrorists. 
He does not believe that other EU governments consider the 
Maoists freedom fighters.  Mora Benavente expects that Spain 
will support action against the Maoists at the next EU 
Clearinghouse meeting.  He promised to discuss the demarche 
points with his MFA colleagues covering terrorist issues. 
 
2.(C) Mora Benavente went on to criticize the EU 
Clearinghouse process.  In Mora Benavente's opinion, most 
delegates to the EU Clearinghouse meetings are professional 
diplomats and politicians rather than technical terrorism 
experts, and therefore only have knowledge of the most well 
known terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida or ETA.  When less 
well known terrorist groups are brought up for listing, EU 
Clearinghouse meetings become trading sessions, where another 
country will respond by attempting to get a completely 
unrelated group listed. 
ARGYROS