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### Viewing cable 04MADRID4063, DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER REGRETS UNHELPFUL MOD

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
04MADRID4063 | 2004-10-19 15:41 | 2010-12-07 12:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Madrid

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 004063

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2014
    TAGS: PREL PGOV SP
    SUBJECT: DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER REGRETS UNHELPFUL MOD
    COMMENTS, SEEKS TO PUT RELATIONS BACK ON TRACK

    REF: EMBASSY MADRID E-MAIL TO EUR/WE OF OCTOBER 14

    Classified By: Political Counselor Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick for reasons
    1.4 (b) and (d)

    DFM Leon Agrees that Bono's Comments Were Unhelpful

    ¶1. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Bernardino Leon told DCM
    Manzanares Oct. 14 that he agreed that DefMin Bono's comments
    last week about US-Spain relations and the US role in the
    Spanish National Day Parade were extremely unhelpful. Leon
    promised there would be no further comments from President
    Zapatero that could be construed as anti-American, but that
    Bono was hard to control (note: Bono is a skilled politician
    who loves publicity and is known for his long-winded public
    comments). Leon said, however, that the Ambassador's
    non-attendance at the King's National Day reception --
    however taken out of context by the press -- had struck a
    difficult chord in the government.

    DCM Confirms Ambassador Had No Intention of Snubbing the King

    ¶2. (C) Manzanares responded that the Ambassador had no
    intention to snub the King or the Spanish people, and had in
    fact spoken with the King who was understanding of the
    Ambassador's difficulty in attending the reception as well as
    the Ambassador's prior decision, known to the GOS, not to
    attend the National Day parade. Manzanares told Leon that
    comments from senior government officials that put the issue
    in the most negative light possible were very unhelpful, and
    reached Washington just as fast as they reached the press in
    Madrid. Manzanares said the perception both in Madrid and
    Washington is that the current government exhibits very
    strong anti-Americanism, though we do not think that it is
    the intent of the government to portray itself in this way.

    ¶3. (C) Leon said that there exists in Spain not so much
    anti-Americanism per se, but a broad anti-Bush administration
    sentiment, focused not on personalities but on policy.
    Manzanares asked Leon how the Zapatero government planned to
    put itself right with either a new Bush administration or a
    Kerry administration, noting that democracies need to come to
    terms with one another no matter which government was in
    power.

    U.S. Policies Post-Election

    ¶4. (C) Manzanares noted that even if another party wins the
    U.S. election, most of our foreign policy challenges - Iraq,
    Iran, counter-terrorism, etc. will remain the same, so that
    the Spanish government needs to come to terms with this and
    find ways to put the relationship back on track. Leon said
    that the U.S. should look at Spain's actions more than recent
    words. For example, Leon said that Spain sent over 1000
    troops to Afghanistan -- a large deployment for Spain -- as a
    sign of goodwill toward the U.S. Manzanares replied that we
    very much appreciated Spain's participation in Afghanistan,
    but there need to be more signals. Leon promised there would
    be other such signs. Manzanares noted that the U.S. was not
    concerned about Spain's desire to move toward what Spain saw
    as the "heart of Europe." The U.S. believes Europeans can
    remain close to the U.S. as well as their European
    counterparts.

    Leon Offers to Publicly Stress U.S.-Spain Cooperation

    ¶5. (C) What we object to, Manzanares continued, is being
    the "political football" Spain uses as it seeks to reinforce
    its European policy. "Anti-Americanism is not a foreign
    policy, " Manzanares said. Leon agreed, and asked if it
    would be helpful if he would draft a public statement (or
    op/ed) highlighting the importance of U.S.-Spanish
    cooperation. Manzanares said that would be very helpful and
    would welcome the idea of such a piece by the Spanish
    government.

    U.S. Has Been Patient

    ¶6. (C) Reviewing relations since the March 14 elections,
    Manzanares underscored that the US had been very patient and
    mature these last few months. The U.S. has refrained from
    responding to aggressive anti-US rhetoric as we looked for
    the new government to settle in, become more experienced and
    as we ourselves focused on our longer-term interests in
    Spain. Continued anti-U.S. rhetoric from high GOS levels,
    however, was forcing us to reconsider this restraint and
    respond more aggressively. Leon said he understood and hoped
    that this would not be necessary. Returning to the theme of
    Zapatero's comments, such as those in Tunis several weeks
    ago, Manzanares asked Leon why Zapatero had not taken the
    opportunity to retract his statements after Secretary Powell
    had spoken to FM Moratinos. Leon said that Zapatero had not
    intended the remarks the way they were taken and pointed to
    comments Zapatero had made in Bilbao the following day as
    being pro-American. Manzanares pointed out that we had not
    seen these comments in Bilbao and they were not highlighted
    in the press here.

    Other issues:

    ¶6. (C) Cuba: Leon said the GOS did not want a wholesale
    change in the EU policy toward Cuba, but rather to modify it
    somewhat to allow EU Ambassadors and diplomats access to
    Castro and other Cuban officials in order to press home the
    need for reform. Leon underscored there were no personal
    relations with Castro among members of the Socialist
    government in the way that existed during the previous
    Socialist government under Felipe Gonzalez. Leon said if the
    other Europeans did not agree with Spain on the Cuba issue,
    Spain would not adopt a unilateral policy.

    ¶7. (C) Western Sahara: Leon noted the excellent meeting he
    had had with A/S Burns several weeks ago in which they
    discussed Western Sahara. He said that Spanish and U.S.
    positions were relatively the same, and pointed to the French
    position -- embodied by Chirac himself -- as being the
    problem in finding a way forward. Leon characterized
    Chirac's position in support of Rabat as "stronger than that
    of the King of Morocco." He pledged to continue to work with
    the USG on the issue.
    ARGYROS

`