US embassy cable - 05MADRID1683

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO EUR/WE, NEA/ELA, NEA/IPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KPAO, LE, SY, SP, PRLE 
SUBJECT: SPAIN: DEMARCHE ON SUSTAINING PRESSURE ON SYRIA 
 
REF: STATE 78006 
 
Classified By: Classified by Embassy Madrid PolCounselor Kathy Fitzpatr 
ick for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1.(C) Spanish MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle East 
(DAS-equivalent) Alberto Moreno told PolCouns April 28, as 
part of his response to reftel demarche, that Spain likely 
would send election monitors as part of an EU group to 
observe the May 29-June 12 Parliamentary elections in 
Lebanon.  He noted the Spanish Foreign Ministry's April 27 
statement on Lebanon (text below), which expresses 
satisfaction for the withdrawal of Syrian troops and 
intelligence personnel, and which looks forward to formal 
confirmation of Syrian withdrawal by the UN's technical 
verification commission. 
 
2.(C) When pressed on USG's desire for the EU again to 
consider designating Hizbollah as a terrorist organization, 
Moreno restated his government's belief that an unarmed 
Hizbollah had to be incorporated into the political process 
in Lebanon, and that designating it as a terrorist 
organization would be counter-productive to that end.  He 
averred that, while Hizbollah had been involved in financing 
and other related activities, the group had not been directly 
implicated in any terrorist attack for the past 10 years. 
PolCouns reiterated USG's concern about Hizbollah's continued 
armed presence in Lebanon, noting that Hizbollah remained a 
terrorist organization whose designation by the EU would 
greatly assist the development of Lebanon's capability to 
ensure it's security. 
 
3.(C) Informal Embassy translation of Spanish MFA's April 27 
statement: 
 
"The Government of Spain accepts with satisfaction the 
withdrawal of all Syrian troops and intelligence services 
personnel from Lebanon, which must be formally confirmed by 
the United Nations Technical Verification Commission.  In 
this connection, the aforementioned commission will travel to 
the region in the coming days. 
 
The Government of Spain seeks to emphasize that the Syrian 
decision to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, as demanded by 
Resolution 1559 of the Security Council, represents a 
significant advance in the compliance with international 
legality by that country." 
 
end informal Embassy translation. 
 
4.(SBU) Moreno mentioned that MFA Director General for the 
Middle East (A/S equivalent) Alvaro Iranzo Gutierrez would be 
interested in visiting Washington in late Spring/early Summer 
to meet with appropriate NEA counterparts. 
MANZANARES