US embassy cable - 05MADRID490

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 000490 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, SP 
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON TRAINING FOR IRAQI POLICE, IRAN, MIDEAST 
PEACE PROCESS 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Kathy Fitzpatrick; reason 1.4 (B) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  MFA Office Director for the Near East 
Alberto Moreno confirmed that Spain is willing to train Iraqi 
police and judicial officials in Spain, but said the GOS 
would not undertake such training in Iraq, Jordan, or 
anywhere else in the region.  Moreno said the Iraq elections 
were a very positive event, but that much hard work remained, 
particularly in satisfying Kurdish aspirations for 
self-government and territorial control.  On Iran's nuclear 
ambitions, Moreno noted USG support for the EU diplomatic 
effort to halt Tehran's nuclear development program, but 
asked whether the USG was also preparing for possible 
military action.  Poloff responded that while the USG did not 
discount any actions that might prove necessary, we are 
squarely focused on a diplomatic solution to the problem. 
Moreno said that Israel had recently demarched Spain to 
request support for listing Hizballah as a terrorist 
organization.  Moreno said that Spain would not support 
listing Hizballah unless there were clear evidence linking 
the organization to recent terrorist activity because such a 
designation would cut off EU contact with Hizballah's growing 
political organization in Lebanon.  Moreno made a strong push 
for greater USG involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
talks, saying that only the direct intercession of the USG 
could force the two parties to negotiate in good faith.  End 
Summary. 
 
//GOS PREPARED TO TRAIN IRAQI POLICE, BUT ONLY IN SPAIN// 
 
2. (C) Poloffs met with Moreno and desk officers for the Near 
East Eva Martinez and Teresa Lisaranzu on 2/4 to discuss 
Middle East issues, including Spain's plans for engaging 
Iraq's newly-elected leadership.  Martinez and Moreno lauded 
the success of the elections, though Moreno added that the 
results of the vote would quickly lead to new complications 
for the international community.  In particular, he thought 
Kurdish aspirations for increased recognition of their power 
in the north would present an early test for the Iraqi 
authorities, especially if Kurdish groups commence their own 
version of "ethnic cleansing" in an effort to establish 
control over oil resources. 
 
3. (C) On the issue of GOS relations with Baghdad, Moreno 
emphasized Spain's readiness to contribute substantial 
resources to bolster Iraqi civil society.  Spain has yet to 
allocate $140 million of the $300 million pledged during the 
Madrid Iraq Donors Conference in October 2003 and the MFA is 
now considering how best to spend these funds.  Moreno 
confirmed reports that Spain is prepared to train Iraqi 
judicial and police officials in Spain.  Asked whether Spain 
would consider training of Iraqis in Iraq or elsewhere in the 
region, Moreno said that there is no political support for 
providing such assistance anywhere other than in Spain. 
Martinez said the GOS had read closely the report of an EU 
team that recently visited Iraq which indicated that the 
Iraqis had rejected the possibility of a training program in 
Jordan for their security forces, preferring training in 
Europe or in a Persian Gulf state if necessary. 
 
//USG INTENTIONS ON IRAN// 
 
4. (C) Moreno asked whether there was any truth to press 
reports that the USG was laying the groundwork for a military 
campaign against Iran.  He said he was aware of USG support 
for EU discussions with Iran, but wondered about the 
possibility that the USG may simultaneously be preparing a 
military solution to the issue.  Poloff responded that the 
USG was focused on a diplomatic solution to the problem, but 
was unwilling to discount any of the available options.  The 
USG supports the EU and hopes their approach will prove 
successful, since we have the shared goal of preventing the 
Iranian government from developing nuclear weapons.  However, 
we cannot be sure the EU will ultimately succeed and have no 
choice but to keep our options open.  If Iranian hardliners 
are worried that the USG might act to prevent their 
acquisition of nuclear weapons, then they should work with 
the EU to achieve a more productive outcome. 
 
//GOS AGAINST HIZBALLAH DESIGNATION// 
 
5. (C) Moreno said that Israel had recently demarched Spain 
to support the listing of Hizballah as a terrorist 
organization.  He asked whether the USG intended to make a 
similar request.  Poloff said there were no pending 
instructions to do so, but that Hizballah is a terrorist 
organization which the USG believes should be identified as 
such by EU countries.  Moreno said that Spain would not 
support Hizballah's listing unless presented with clear 
evidence of its recent involvement in terrorist activities, 
something Israel had not done in its demarche.  He explained 
that listing Hizballah as a terrorist organization would 
imply cutting off European contact with one of the most 
important political actors in Lebanon.  Poloff argued that 
there was little difference between Hizballah and Batasuna 
(the political front for Basque terrorist group ETA) which 
the USG had listed as a terrorist organization at Spain's 
request.  The fact that both groups are active political 
organizations should not allow them to paper over their 
terrorist activities.  Moreno was not convinced, saying that 
the EU could not afford to ignore Hizballah's growing 
political strength and had to engage the group. 
 
//A PITCH FOR USG LEADERSHIP OF MEPP// 
 
6. (C) Turning to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Moreno 
said that he was very heartened by Secretary Rice's visit to 
the region since, in his view, only a direct and active USG 
role in the peace process would convince the two parties of 
the need to remain engaged.   Moreno described the current 
situation as "one fragile arrangement balanced on top of 
another" and expressed certainty that the current positive 
mood will be short-lived.  "Once conditions begin to unravel, 
only the USG can force the two sides to remain at the table 
and forge ahead."  He said Spain believes the Palestinians 
had learned from Arafat's failure to conclude a deal with 
Israel during the Clinton Presidency and that they would not 
miss another opportunity if it arose.  Poloff pointed to the 
Secretary's visit as clear evidence of our determination to 
 
SIPDIS 
take advantage of the moment and to use our influence to 
promote a resolution to the conflict. 
MANZANARES