Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 12212 / 251,287

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/06 1992/12
1993/10
1996/11
1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/11 2002/12
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AORC ASEC AF AEMR ABUD AMGT AR AS APECO AFIN AMED AM AJ AU AE ABLD AG AY ASIG APER AMBASSADOR ASEAN AA AL ASUP AX AID AUC ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG ADANA AFFAIRS AND AN ADCO ARM ATRN AECL AADP ACOA APEC AGRICULTURE ACS ADPM ASCH AMEX ACAO ANET AODE ARF ACBAQ APCS AMG AQ AMCHAMS AORG AGAO ADM AFSI AFSN AINF AIT ASEX AORL AGR AO AROC ACABQ ATFN AFGHANISTAN AFU AER ALOW AC AZ AVERY AGMT
BO BD BR BEXP BA BRUSSELS BL BM BH BTIO BIDEN BT BC BU BY BX BG BK BF BBSR BMGT BTIU BE BWC BB BP BN BILAT
CASC CVIS CA CO CI CMGT CODEL CFED CH CW CU CONDOLEEZZA CR CSW CPAS CS CJUS CY CDG CE CG CBW COUNTER CN CKGR COUNTERTERRORISM CWC CJAN CIA CD CLINTON CT CARSON CONS CB CM CLMT CROS CNARC CIDA CBSA CIC CEUDA CHR CITT CAC CACM CVR CDC CAPC COPUOS CBC CBE COM CARICOM CDB CAN COE COUNTRY CLEARANCE CACS CF CV CL CIS CTM CICTE
DEA DR DA DOMESTIC DHS DAO DCM DEPT DTRA DPRK DEFENSE DE DJ DISENGAGEMENT DOD DEAX DOE DK DS
ECON EPET EINV EC EUN EAIR EAID EU ETRD ECIN ENRG EFIN EAGR ELAB EINT EIND ENERG ELTN ETTC EG ECPS EFIS EWWT EK ES EN EPA ER EI EZ ET EINVECONSENVCSJA ECONOMICS EXTERNAL ELN ELECTIONS EMIN EINN EFINECONCS ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ENIV ECUN ENGR ENNP EUR EAP EEPET ETRDEINVTINTCS ENVI EFTA ETRO ESENV ECINECONCS ENVR ECONOMY ECONOMIC EUMEM EAIDS ETRA ETRN EUREM EFIM EIAR EXIM ERD EAIG ETRC EXBS EURN ERNG EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL ECA ENGY ECONCS EINVETC ECONEFIN ESA ETC ETRDECONWTOCS EUNCH
FI FJ FR FTA FREEDOM FTAA FARC FAO FMLN FBI FOR FOREIGN FINANCE FO FISO FDA FAC FOI FM FAS FINR
GOV GAERC GT GG GM GV GH GOI GA GTIP GR GZ GE GCC GY GANGS GL GLOBAL GERARD GF GAZA GTMO
HK HR HO HA HUMAN HU HILLARY HSTC HUMOR HEBRON HI HURI HYMPSK
IRS IR IMO IS IZ ID IWC IN ICAO IV IC IT IZPREL IRAQI IO IAEA ITPHUM ITPGOV ITALIAN IPR INRB ITALY ICRC INTERPOL IQ ICTY INTELSAT IEFIN IA INR IRC IACI ITRA IL ICJ INTERNAL ISRAELI INMARSAT ITU ILC IBRD IMF ILO IDP ITF IBET IGAD IEA IAHRC ICTR IDA INDO IIP INRA INRO IRAJ IF
JA JP JO JOSEPH JOHNNIE JM JUS JAMES
KDEM KSCA KIRC KPAO KMDR KCRM KWMN KFRD KTFN KHLS KJUS KN KCIP KNNP KSTC KIPR KOMC KTDB KOLY KIDE KSTH KISL KS KMPI KZ KG KRVC KICC KTIA KTIP KVPR KV KU KIRF KR KACT KPKO KGHG KCOR KE KSUM KPAL KSEP KGIC KFLO KAWC KUNR KNPP KNEI KBIO KPRP KWBG KMCA KTEX KGIT KNSD KCFE KLIG KFLU KBCT KOMS KBTS KCRS KGCC KDRG KWMM KAWK KHIV KRAD KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KPAI KCRCM KHSA KTLA KO KFSC KVIR KX KFTFN KHDP KPLS KSAF KMFO KRCM KSPR KCSY KSAC KPWR KTRD KID KWNM KMRS KICA KRIM KSEO KPOA KCHG KREC KOM KRGY KCMR KSCI KFIN KVRP KPAONZ KCGC KNAR KMOC KCOM KESS KAID KNUC KWAC KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KPIN KPRV KBTR KERG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNUP KTER KDDG KPAK KREL KNNPMNUC KRFD KHUM KDEV KCFC KWWMN KTBT KWMNCS KJUST
LE LY LU LTTE LI LO LH LG LAB LA LABOR LOG LT
MARR MOPS MNUC MX MARAD MASS MCAP MIL MO MU MEPI MR MDC MPOS MEETINGS MD MTCRE MK MUCN MY MASC MRCRE ML MA MEPP MAR MAPP MP MT MAS MTS MLS MI MERCOSUR MV MEDIA MILI MG MW MIK MTCR MEPN MC MZ MOPPS MAPS MCC MASSMNUC MQADHAFI MTRE
NZ NI NPT NZUS NU NL NATO NO NAFTA NDP NIPP NP NS NATIONAL NPG NGO NG NK NSSP NRR NSG NSC NPA NORAD NT NW NEW NH NSF NV NR NE NSFO NC NA NAR NASA
OTRA OIIP OPRC OVIP OPDC OPIC OREP OEXC OAS OSCE ODIP OSAC OFDP OIE OECD OPCW OVP OPAD OFDA OIC OSCI OMIG OBSP ON OCS OCII OHUM OES OTR OFFICIALS
PREL PTER PGOV PINR PHUM PREF PE PHSA PINS PARM PROP PK POL PSOE PAK PBTS PAO PM PF PNAT POLITICS PARMS PBIO PSI POLINT POLITICAL PARTIES PL PA PO PGOVLO PORG PGOVE PLN PINF PRELP PAS PPA PRGOV PUNE PG PALESTINIAN POLICY PROG PDEM PREFA PDOV PCI PRAM PTBS PSA POSTS PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PGIV PHUMPGOV PCUL PSEPC PREO PAHO PMIL PNG PP PS PHUH PEPR PINT PU PECON POGOV PINL PKFK PY PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PMAR PHUMPREL PHUS PRL PGOC PNR PGGV PROV PTERE PGOF PHUMBA PEL POV
QA
RS RICE RUPREL RU RIGHTS RO RW RSP RP REACTION REPORT RCMP RSO RF RFE RM RIGHTSPOLMIL ROBERT REGION
SENV SMIG SNAR SOCI SY SCUL SW SP SZ SA SENVKGHG SU SF SAN SR SO SHUM SYR SAARC SL SI SNARCS SWE SN SARS SPCE SNARIZ SCRS SC SIPDIS SEN SNARN SPCVIS SYRIA SEVN SSA STEINBERG SG SIPRS SH SOFA SANC SK ST
TPHY TBIO TRSY TRGY TSPL TN TSPA TU TW TC TX TI TS TT TO TH TIP TP TERRORISM TURKEY TD TZ TFIN TNGD TINT THPY TBID TF TL TV TAGS TK TR
UZ UN UK UP USTR UNGA UNSC USEU US UNMIK USUN UNESCO UNHRC UY UNO UG UNDC UAE UNAUS UNDESCO UNHCR UNEP UNCHC UNFICYP UNCHR USNC UNIDROIT UNCSD UNDP UNC UNODC USOAS UNPUOS UNCND USPS UNICEF UV UNCHS UNVIE UE USAID
VE VN VZ VT VTPREL VM VI VAT VC
WTO WHO WS WTRO WITH WTRQ WBG WI WHA WMD WMO WIPO WHTI WFP WB WWARD WA WEU WZ
XF XK XM XV XR XG XT XA XH XL XS XW XY XE XD XZ XX XTAG XQ XB XU XI XC
YM YI YMCS YE
ZR ZP ZI ZANU ZU ZO ZB ZL ZK ZF ZEALAND ZN ZA ZOELLICK ZJ

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 07BERLIN802, SCENESETTER FOR ANGELA MERKEL IN WASHINGTON: GOALS

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #07BERLIN802.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
07BERLIN802 | 2007-04-20 07:07 | 2010-11-28 18:06 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Berlin

`

    VZCZCXRO1520
    RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
    DE RUEHRL #0802/01 1100748
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    R 200748Z APR 07
    FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7989
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
    RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000802

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2022
    TAGS: PREL PGOV ECUN EU GM
    SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR ANGELA MERKEL IN WASHINGTON: GOALS
    FOR EUROPE, GOALS AT HOME

    REF: BERLIN 747

    Classified By: DCM John Koenig.  Reason: 1.4(b) and (d)

    ¶1. (C) Summary.  Angela Merkel arrives in Washington in an
    enviable position of political strength, both at home and in
    the EU.  However, she is conscious that her strength derives
    largely from the weakness of her counterparts and other
    factors beyond her control.  Achieving her goals for the EU -
    in the trans-Atlantic context these are focused on climate
    change and the Transatlantic Economic Initiative - will
    reinforce her position at home and in the EU, and serve as a
    springboard to success on the larger G-8 stage.  A success
    for Merkel is also a success for the U.S.  Even after the
    German EU Presidency, we will want the Atlanticist Merkel to
    remain a dominant force within the EU.  In Berlin, a
    successful summit will strengthen her and other
    trans-Atlanticists against those who favor a policy of vocal,
    public antagonism.  End Summary.

    Leading in the EU; Muddling Through at Home
    -------------------------------------------

    ¶2. (C) Angela Merkel's role as Germany's and Europe's leader
    is undisputed.  No other leader of a large member state is
    politically fit enough to offer himself up as a leader.  Her
    leadership of the G-8 and Germany's intrinsic weight and
    economic recovery are further boosts.  At home, Merkel is not
    only riding high in opinion polls (70 percent popularity
    rating) and enjoying the benefits of leadership at a time of
    long-sought economic growth, but has also wrong-footed her
    coalition partner Social Democrats with reformist domestic
    social policies.  However, in both cases her apparent
    strength is not entirely of her own making, but derives in
    large part from her office, the weakness of her counterparts,
    or from other factors beyond her control.  She took the helm
    of the EU at a time when progress on the European project had
    largely come to a halt, when European institutions were
    unsure of how or in which direction to move, and (as noted)
    no alternative leaders were present. In Berlin, her coalition
    partner and rival, the Social Democrats (SPD), are dealing
    with weak leadership, a vacuum of ideas, and a challenge from
    the left.

    ¶3. (C) Merkel has responded to these similar circumstances
    with quite different tactics.  In the EU, she has asserted
    German and her personal leadership over the Council
    Secretariat, especially with respect to her goal of

    SIPDIS
    developing a road map for furthering the EU constitution.
    She has sidelined Brussels by putting her own representatives
    on the road to discuss the constitution in other capitals and
    has weighed in personally as needed to find compromises that
    keep the constitutional project moving forward.  Likewise,
    she has vigorously pursued the Transatlantic Economic
    Initiative within the EU to remove regulatory barriers, and
    has pushed for agreement on the new EU climate change and
    energy initiatives.  She has not succeeded in all her
    undertakings -- prospects for a new EU Partnership and
    Cooperation Agreement with Russia remain distant, for
    example.  Still, the view that we hear from Brussels is of
    vigorous and effective leadership.  In Berlin, Merkel is
    known for her reticence to engage in aggressive politics,
    preferring to stay in the background until the "correlation
    of forces" is clear and then engaging to nudge the debate in
    her preferred direction.  Though the SPD is weak, Merkel has
    been reluctant to push it hard.  Her strategy appears to be
    aimed at building and consolidating her own and her party's
    dominance with a view toward a clear victory in 2009
    elections, rather than attempting to score victories now that
    could alienate significant voter groups.

    Washington: What's In It for Merkel
    -----------------------------------

    ¶4. (C) We sum up Merkel's goal for the U.S.-EU Summit as
    being to achieve substantive progress in the U.S.-EU
    relationship for its own sake and to build a lasting
    foundation for her leadership in the EU and in Germany.  The
    substantive agenda is clear and we need not explore it in
    detail here.  It is focused on our political cooperation in
    key areas - climate change and energy security as well as the
    Transatlantic Economic Initiative.  We recognize that in
    these and other areas, European goals are not exactly aligned
    with our own.  Nonetheless, success in these areas, the
    former a key concern of European publics and the latter
    important to sustaining European growth, after a long period
    in which trans-Atlantic relations were dominated by negative
    headlines and exchanges focused on other regions, would prove
    Merkel's particular competence at succeeding in Europe's key
    external relationship.  After success in Washington, Merkel

    BERLIN 00000802  002 OF 002

    can count on maintaining her position in Europe against any
    incoming French President and UK Prime Minister-in-waiting
    Brown.  Success in Washington will also strengthen her hand
    in the follow-on summits with Russia, Canada, and Japan and
    sets the stage for success in G-8 summit deliberations on
    climate change.

    ¶5. (C) At home, a Summit success may enable Merkel to end the
    SPD's ability to use loud, public "principled" criticism of
    the U.S. as a winning tactic.  Gerhard Schroeder won the 2002
    election with his public attacks on U.S. Iraq policy, but if
    Merkel brings home meaningful agreements -- especially on
    issues with domestic resonance such as climate change and
    trans-Atlantic economic cooperation -- she will have shown
    the German public that her policy of constructive engagement
    with the U.S. brings real benefits on issues of concern to
    it.  Foreign policy, especially trans-Atlantic relations, is
    one of the few areas where the SPD still enjoys greater
    public support than does the CDU/CSU.  Success in Washington
    may undercut the SPD on that theme, as the CDU/CSU has
    already undercut it on many domestic social themes.

    A Note on Style
    ---------------

    ¶6. (C) Merkel is pushing for a Summit that is more than a
    predictable set-piece, quickly forgotten.  She looks for real
    decisions to be made during the Summit discussions.  This
    does more than just ensure that she has something important
    to do.  It emphasizes her personal commitment to restoring
    European-American relations and her belief in face-to-face
    engagement.  We recognize the difficulty of organizing
    discussions in this format, but believe we too stand to gain
    by such an approach.

    What's In This for Washington
    -----------------------------

    ¶7. (C) Post has previously reported on Merkel's risk-averse
    approach to foreign policy.  We do not expect her to change
    her leadership style because of success in Washington.  The
    real benefits for the U.S. lie in how success will affect the
    public understanding of how Germany can best build a
    relationship with Washington and its view of the U.S., the
    changing of which is a frequent theme in conversations with
    German leaders and thinkers.  A successful Summit will also
    reinforce our message that the U.S. and EU are natural
    partners, closely bound by common interests.  As a cautious
    conservative in a difficult coalition, Merkel will not run
    great risks for the U.S.  But, if she can show the public
    that cooperation with the U.S. works, the effect will be to
    cut the risk she runs by cooperating with the U.S.  It is a
    more complex path to a closer and more effective relationship
    than we would perhaps like, but our observation of Merkel and
    our conversations with her advisors lead us to see it as the
    best path available.
    TIMKEN JR

`