US embassy cable - 03SINGAPORE1099

C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 001099 
 
CINCPAC FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2008 
TAGS: PREL;MASS, MOPS, SN 
SUBJECT: "TELL THEM TO BE MORE CAREFUL:" IRAQ ANNOUNCEMENT 
RUFFLES SINGAPORE'S FEATHERS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. FRANK LAVIN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C) MFA PERMSEC (2) BILAHARI KAUSIKAN, PLAINLY IRRITATED, 
CALLED DCM AT OOB ON MARCH 20 TO EXPRESS THE MFA'S CONCERN AT 
MISCHARACTERIZATION OF SINGAPORE'S POSITION DURING THE STATE 
DEPARTMENT'S MARCH 19 PRESS BRIEFING.  SINGAPORE DID NOT 
APPRECIATE, HE SAID, PRESS REPORTS IMPLYING THAT IT HAD 
CHANGED ITS STANCE ON MEMBERSHIP IN THE IRAQ COALITION. 
THESE RESULTED FROM THE SPOKESMAN'S STATEMENT THAT "THERE IS 
SINGAPORE, THERE IS PORTUGAL, ALL OF WHOM SAID IN THE LAST 24 
HOURS IT IS OKAY TO NAME THEM," RESULTING IN AN AFP REPORT 
THAT THE THREE NEWLY LISTED COUNTRIES HAD "PREFERRED TO KEEP 
THEIR SUPPORT ANONYMOUS." 
 
2.  (C) THAT WASN'T THE CASE, KAUSIKAN REMONSTRATED. 
SINGAPORE HAD ALWAYS MADE CLEAR ITS SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORT TO 
DISARM SADDAM, AND HAD NEVER SAID TO THE U.S. THAT IT DID NOT 
WANT TO BE MENTIONED.  (APPARENTLY, SINGAPORE HAD BEEN 
CONCERNED NOT TO BE LISTED UNDER THE TITLE "COALITION OF THE 
WILLING," BUT WAS HAPPY WITH THE NOMENCLATURE THAT WAS 
FINALLY ADOPED.)  THE SNAFU WAS EMBARRASSING TO A GOVERNMENT 
WHICH HAD GONE OUT OF ITS WAY TO BE STEADFAST IN ITS POLICY 
ON IRAQ; HE BELIEVED IT RESULTED FROM LACK OF COORDINATION 
WITHIN THE USG.  HE INSISTED THAT HIS DEMARCHE BE REPORTED TO 
WASHINGTON.  (DCM OF COURSE AGREED TO DO SO, BUT HAS EDITED 
OUT THE INFLAMMATORY LANGUAGE.) 
 
3.  (C) AFTER CONSULTING THE BRIEFING TRANSCRIPT, THE DCM 
NOTED THAT A LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO LIE WITH 
AFP'S EMBROIDERY OF THE SPOKESMAN'S WORDS.  HE ASSURED THE 
PERMSEC THAT ANY MISREPRESENTATION OF SINGAPORE'S POSITION 
WAS TOTALLY INADVERTENT.  KAUSIKAN, MOLLIFIED, EMPHASIZED 
THAT HE WAS NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING NEW OR DIFFERENT TO BE 
ENUNCIATED BY THE USG ON THIS ISSUE AT THIS TIME.  "JUST TELL 
THEM TO BE MORE CAREFUL." 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  WE SUSPECT THAT THE MFA RECEIVED SOME HEAT 
FROM THE GOS' SENIOR LEADERSHIP OVER THE PRESS COVERAGE, AND 
KAUSIKAN WAS FEELING THAT HEAT.  THE QUESTION OF WHETHER 
SINGAPORE HAS BEEN "FORTHRIGHT" IN ITS SUPPORT FOR WAR IN 
IRAQ IS A POLITICALLY-CHARGED ONE DOMESTICALLY, AS GOS 
CRITICS HAVE LAMBASTED IT FOR "HIDING" ITS SUBSERVIENCE TO 
THE U.S. BEHIND A WALL OF OBFUSCATION UNTIL LAST FRIDAY. 
 
 
LAVIN