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### Viewing cable 04PANAMA2921, SECDEF RUMSFELD'S TWO-DAY PANAMA TOUR A SUCCESS

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
04PANAMA2921 | 2004-12-03 19:21 | 2011-05-31 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Panama

`

    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 03 PANAMA 002921

    SIPDIS

    DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN
    SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2014
    TAGS: PGOV PREL PM CM POL CHIEF
    SUBJECT: SECDEF RUMSFELD'S TWO-DAY PANAMA TOUR A SUCCESS
    DESPITE REMILITARIZATION FRACAS

    REF: PANAMA 2829

    Classified By: AMBASSADOR LINDA E. WATT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

    SUMMARY
    -------
    ¶1.  (C) In a two-day visit to Panama November 13-14,
    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with Panamanian
    President Torrijos and top cabinet officials, visited and
    overflew the Panama Canal, laid a wreath at the American
    Battle Monument Commission's Corozal Cemetary, and held a
    news conference.  President Torrijos strongly signaled that
    he would welcome closer ties with the United States.  He told
    Sec. Rumsfeld that the Panama government (GOP) is preparing a
    formal security strategy and hopes to establish a maritime
    intelligence database to share with the U.S. and other
    interested nations.  As his public and private statements
    reflected, Sec. Rumsfeld was impressed by the GOP's operation
    of the Canal, by what he called Panama's "serious
    professional approach" to Canal security, and by Panama's
    high level of cooperation with the United States on
    counter-terrorism and law enforcement.  He also praised
    Panama's emerging national security agenda and its
    "comprehensive thinking" on external threats and how to
    address them.  Sec. Rumsfeld underscored Panama's potential
    value as a U.S. partner on security and intelligence-sharing
    due to its unique mix of Canal, port, border and maritime
    issues, and its central hemispheric location.

    ¶2.  (C) Sec. Rumsfeld and Torrijos agreed that international
    cooperation is the key for success against terrorism and
    threats from international crime.  Aside from one
    journalist's question during a November 13 news conference,
    neither side discussed World War II-era chemical weapons on
    San Jose Island (SJI) or unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the
    reverted areas of the former Canal Zone.  Also, neither side
    brought up the activities of Colombian guerrillas in Panama's
    Darien border province.  Torrijos several times dodged
    Rumsfeld's probing strategic questions on the Peoples
    Republic of China (PRC), each time turning to the PRC's
    commercial importance as a Canal user and port operator.

    ¶3.  (C) After Sec. Rumsfeld's departure several local
    newspapers attacked the GOP for its alleged plans to
    "re-militarize" Panama.  (See Reftel.)  Among issues strictly
    internal to Panama, reporters derided an alleged "Plan
    Rumsfeld," a spurious purported U.S. drive to militarize the
    region.  Despite negative publicity in the wake of Sec.
    Rumsfeld's departure (spurred in part by recent GOP missteps
    that revived local fears of a "remilitarization" of Panama -
    see Reftel), GOP officials and Panama's influential business
    sectors judged the visit a clear success.  End Summary.

    11/13 Meeting with President Torrijos and Cabinet
    --------------------------------------------- ----

    ¶4.  (SBU) A list follows of Panamanian and U.S. officials
    attending the November 13 meeting:

    GOP officials
    -------------

    President Martin Torrijos
    First Vice President Samuel Lewis,
    Minister of Government and Justice Hector Aleman,
    Minister of the Presidency Ubaldino Real,
    Minister of Economy and Finance Ricaurte Vasquez,
    Ambassador to the U.S. Federico Humbert,
    Canal Administrator Alberto Aleman
    National Security Advisor Javier Martinez Acha.

    USG officials
    -------------

    Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
    Ambassador Linda Watt
    Vice Admiral Jim Stavridis
    Defense A/S Peter Rodman
    Defense DAS Roger Pardo Mauer
    Defense Dept. Spokesman Larry DiRita
    Embassy notetaker

    ¶6.  (C) During the November 13 meeting at Panama's
    Presidential Palace, President Martin Torrijos told Secretary
    of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that he wants closer relations
    with the United States.  Panama will establish a centralized
    intelligence and security database, based on information
    about ship movements in the Canal, ship and air passengers,
    and trade, to share with the USG and other interested
    parties, he continued.  Panama would seek U.S.
    guidance/assistance.

    ¶7.  (C) Sec. Rumsfeld liked the maritime intelligence
    database idea and promised to discuss it in Washington.
    Expressing his affection for Panama, Sec. Rumsfeld explained
    that he first saw Panama in 1955 as a naval aviator and
    returned in the 1960s as a congressman.  Sec. Rumsfeld
    emphasized Panama's "uniqueness" in terms of what it has to
    offer the United States on regional and maritime security and
    intelligence sharing.

    ¶8.  (C) Sec. Rumsfeld said that prospects for enhanced
    regional cooperation are extremely good, especially in light
    of the CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) and the
    almost-completed bilateral FTA.  Sec. Rumsfeld believed the
    agreements would benefit Panama and the region.

    ¶9.  (C) Turning to Panama's wider role in maritime security,
    President Torrijos said some 6,000 Panamanian-flagged vessels
    employ roughly 300,000 seamen (mainly Filipino and Chinese).
    Panama gradually would like to increase the number of
    Panamanian seafarers, which he said also might also help
    improve security.  About 12% of U.S. seaborne trade passes
    through the Canal, Torrijos said.

    ¶10.  (C) Sec. Rumsfeld singled out for praise the September
    2004 Panamax exercises (which involved units from nine
    countries) as a positive example of regional cooperation that
    should continue.  Expanding on the scope that he saw for
    regional cooperation, Sec. Rumsfeld said that each country
    must decide on the proper role and mission for its security
    forces.  No single country can deal with all issues.  He
    touted Colombian and Brazilian air interdiction of
    weapons/drug planes.  The Canal is important to Panama and is
    important to the entire world, Rumsfeld said.  Panama Canal
    Administrator Alemn made an excellent impression when he
    described the checklist for inspecting ships transiting the
    Canal.  According to information that Aleman distributed,
    almost 120,000 American citizens annually arrive in Panama by
    air and nearly 270,000 arrive by sea.

    ¶11.  (C) Torrijos said the GOP would concentrate on security
    and modernizing its public forces, and on trade, economic
    growth, poverty, rule of law and anti-corruption.  He pointed
    out that Panama at present is hampered by a large fiscal
    deficit.  Rumsfeld applauded Torrijos's efforts, especially
    anti-corruption initiatives, which would create a climate
    favorable for investment.

    ¶12.  (C) Sec. Rumsfeld underscored that the USG wants to
    strengthen the Inter-American system.  To Rumsfeld's question
    about Venezuela, Torrijos said Panama wants good relations
    with every country in the Hemisphere, adding that only Cuba
    has no relations with Panama (Note: Cuba and Panama
    reestablished consular relations on November 19, 2004, but
    has not renewed full diplomatic relations.  End note.)
    Torrijos added he had spoken to Colombian President Uribe
    several times about law enforcement and anti-narcotics
    issues, and also about gas and electrical links, and recently
    signed an agreement to study a gas pipeline.  Torrijos
    outlined plans for Canal enlargement and the need to hold a
    referendum to gain public approval for the idea.

    ¶13.  (C) Sec. Rumsfeld got bland responses to his repeated
    questions of how Torrijos viewed the Peoples Republic of
    China (PRC) and its role and influence in the region.
    Declining to speculate, Torrijos would say only that the
    PRC's usage of the Panama Canal and its commercial presence
    in Panama and the region are growing quickly.  Torrijos
    pointed out that the PRC is about to become second biggest
    user of the Canal and that the China trade is increasingly
    important for Canal and world trade.  As for the PRC's role
    in the region: "All I see is more merchandise," Torrijos said.

    ¶14.  (C) Both sides avoided controversial subjects, such as
    the security situation in Panama's Darien border region, and
    the issues of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the reverted areas
    of the former Canal Zone and chemical weapons on San Jose
    Island (SJI).  (Comment: Both Rumsfeld and Torrijos staked
    out distinct positions when asked about UXO or SJI in public.
     When asked about UXO and SJI at a news conference
    immediately following his meeting with Torrijos, Sec.
    Rumsfeld said "the case is closed."  Torrijos later denied a
    reporter's suggestion that the case was closed.  The issues
    are unlikely to remain irritants in bilateral relations.  End
    Comment.)

    WATT

`