US embassy cable - 04FRANKFURT9143

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 009143 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, PGOV, GM 
SUBJECT: RHEINLAND-PFALZ MINISTER-PRESIDENT BECK ASKS FOR 
USG HELP ON BASES AND PLEDGES CONTINUED SUPPORT 
 
REF: A) FRANKFURT 5846 B) FRANKFURT 1495 C) BERLIN 
     1867 (NOTAL) D) BERLIN 3547 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: DCM John A. Cloud; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  In an October 7 meeting with the Ambassador, 
Rheinland-Pfalz (R-P) Minister-President Kurt Beck 
(SPD/Social Democrats) reiterated the state's support for 
U.S. troops based there and asked that the USG back efforts 
to minimize damage from the Global Defense Posture Review, 
particularly in the case of Baumholder (ref A). 
Rheinland-Pfalz will continue to support security at US 
installations.  The Ambassador committed to encourage German 
defense authorities to use Baumholder and other facilities 
which may be vacated by the U.S. military.  END SUMMARY. 
 
GLOBAL DEFENSE POSTURE REVIEW/BAUMHOLDER 
---------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador called on Rheinland-Pfalz 
Minister-President (M-P) Kurt Beck, in a meeting centered 
primarily on U.S. basing issues stemming from the USG's 
Global Defense Posture Review (GDPR).  Minister-President 
Beck voiced strong support for the continued stationing of 
U.S. servicemembers and their families in Rheinland-Pfalz and 
expressed concern over indications that some installations 
will close as a result of GDPR.  He remarked that 
Rheinland-Pfalz has absorbed the closure of 500 U.S. military 
properties in the past eight years, but closing U.S. Army 
facilities in Baumholder would deal a tremendous blow to that 
community ( where soldiers and dependents outnumber local 
inhabitants) and its surrounding area.  Rheinland-Pfalz 
representatives have floated a proposal (ref A) in Washington 
and Berlin to retain Baumholder as a multi-national training 
center for humanitarian intervention and civil insurgency 
issues.  Rheinland-Pfalz has also presented concrete 
proposals to upgrade housing at U.S. military facilities 
(through privately financed build-to-lease arrangements) and 
to expand activities at Ramstein.  Minister-President Beck 
called for more intense consultations on these proposals and 
related issues. 
 
3.  (C) The Ambassador assured Minister-President Beck that 
we will coordinate closely with German authorities and 
remarked that he had just met with DOS and DOD 
representatives in the context of U.S.-German consultations 
on GDPR.  He assured Minister-President Beck that the 
Ramstein-Kaiserslautern-Landstuehl complex will remain a 
major U.S. basing site and that some activities will continue 
to expand under the Rhein-Main transition agreement (closure 
of the U.S. airbase in Frankfurt).  Spangdahlem AB will 
remain and serve as a back-up for Ramstein AB.  Both Army 
divisions based in Germany (First Armored Division and First 
Infantry Division) will relocate to the U.S. no earlier than 
2006 ( a move which may last until the end of the decade). 
The USG greatly appreciates Rheinland-Pfalz's welcoming 
support for these troops and their families -- who love 
living in Germany -- and hopes that this support will 
continue under a reconfigured presence.  Minister-President 
Beck pledged that Rheinland-Pfalz will continue this support, 
particularly on security for U.S. installations. 
 
4.  (C) On Baumholder, the Ambassador pointed out that he had 
just spoken with the mayor of the town of Baumholder and will 
meet the following week with DefMin Struck and Bundeswehr 
General Schneiderhan, encouraging them to give full 
consideration to Rheinland-Pfalz's proposal on Baumholder. 
SecDef Rumsfeld committed to DefMin Struck that the USG will 
seek to coordinate its transition with German defense 
transformation so that some facilities vacated by U.S. forces 
could be used by a restructured German military.  On a 
personal note, the Ambassador reflected that Indiana's two 
major U.S. installations were both closed during his time as 
Senator, but a coordinated approach by federal, state, and 
local authorities eased the transition and left some Indiana 
communities better off than before the base closures. 
Minister-President Beck thanked the Ambassador for his 
support and understanding and expressed hope that the sides 
can reach a solution that works militarily, fiscally, and for 
local communities. 
 
GERMAN SUPPORT IN IRAQ 
---------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Having just attended a high-profile ceremony 
commemorating the return from Iraq of the First Armored 
Division, the Ambassador highlighted the heroic service of 
U.S. troops in Iraq.  President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder 
are agreed that we should focus on the future stability of 
Iraq and not on past disagreements.  The USG understands that 
Germany is constrained in the military support it can give, 
but we hope Germany will soon do more on peacekeeping, 
reconstruction, training, and/or humanitarian assistance, 
perhaps in the context of NATO engagement.  Failure in Iraq 
would have terrible consequences for the region and for the 
international community. 
 
6.  (C) Minister-President Beck expressed empathy for U.S. 
soldiers in Iraq and their families in Rheinland-Pfalz and 
said he feels there is room for Germany to do more in Iraq, 
provided the U.N. is engaged.  Germany policy towards Iraq is 
likely to be shaped at the European level, unlike during the 
run-up to war when European states were divided on the 
question of intervention.  Minister-President Beck said he 
advocates German engagement in his role as national 
vice-chairman of the SPD, however, there is no scope 
politically for German military involvement (i.e. 
peacekeeping) in this case. 
 
ECONOMIC REFORM AND POLITICS 
---------------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) Minister-President Beck opined that Germany and its 
ruling parties appear to have turned the corner on economic 
reform after a terrible showing of European and local 
elections in June.  Voters appear now to accept the necessity 
of economic reform and understand both the tremendous burden 
of reunification (annual transfers of 80 billion euros) and 
the challenge of international competition.  Barring 
unforeseen circumstances, Germany's export boom should 
stimulate domestic demand in the context of the Schroeder 
government's economic strategy combining tax stimulus, 
restructuring of social insurance contributions, incentives 
to take jobs instead of unemployment benefits, and funds for 
innovative companies.  The Rheinland-Pfalz economy is doing 
better than Germany as a whole -- higher growth and lower 
unemployment -- in large part because the state government 
invests in infrastructure projects that help businesses such 
as Frankfurt-Hahn airport ( a former U.S. military base). 
 
8.  (C) Asked about his own political situation, 
Minister-President Beck remarked with satisfaction that polls 
now put the Rheinland-Pfalz SPD neck-and-neck with the CDU 
(Christian Democrats), who are caught up in an acrimonious 
fight over who will be the conservative flagbearer in 2006 
state elections ("bitter enemies could reach agreement more 
amicably than political friends in this case").  With a 
stable SPD-FDP (Free Democrat) coalition since 1991 -- and 
strong personal approval ratings, he added -- Beck is 
optimistic about 2006 state elections. 
BODDE