US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA350

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000350 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR NP, IO, PM, NEA/NGA AND WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, MNUC, MOPS, IZ, HO, IAEA, UNSC 
SUBJECT: HONDURAS GIVEN USG JANUARY 27 REMARKS ON IRAQ; 
CARDINAL CRITICIZES POSSIBLE WAR WITH IRAQ BUT MOD SAYS GOH 
WILLING TO SEND TROOPS 
 
REF: STATE 23992 
 
1. PolOff delivered reftel text of Ambassador Negroponte's 
January 27 to the UNSC and the Secretary's January 27 press 
statement January 29 to MFA DG for Foreign Policy AMB Mario 
Fortin.  The MFA has not had a substantive reply but Fortin 
told PolOff that the GOH appreciated the information. 
 
2. Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, in his homily 
during a February 3 mass in honor of the 256th anniversary of 
the Virgin of Suyapa, criticized movement toward what he 
termed a "third world war," which was quickly interpreted in 
the press as a statement against a possible war with Iraq. 
 
3. On the same day, Minister of Defense Federico Breve 
Travieso told reporters that Honduras is prepared to send 
troops to help in any war in Iraq.  Breve also highlighted 
the fact that the U.S. and Honduran armed forces had trained 
together previously.  Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Guillermo Perez-Cadalso Arias was more equivocal in his 
statements to the press the same day, saying that Honduras 
would support whatever decision was taken by the UNSC. 
Eventually, President Maduro also issued a statement 
indicating Honduras would act consistent with UNSC 
resolutions. 
Palmer