VZCZCXRO4139
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0546 0821713
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231713Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2152
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 2562

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000546 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SP
SUBJECT: GOS ACKNOWLEDGES US CONCERN ABOUT IRAQ WAR COMMENTS 

REF: MADRID 520 

Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reaons 1.4 (b) & (d). 

¶1. (C) The combination of the anniversary of the start of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom with the fervor of the Spanish 
campaign season led to a brief flurry of anti-US rhetoric 
from public figures associated with the government. As 
reported in reftel, magistrate Baltasar Garzon wrote an op-ed 
on March 20 that proposed an investigation into "criminal 
responsibility" for the war. Socialist Party (PSOE) 
secretary Jose Blanco hopped on the bandwagon in a TV 

SIPDIS 
interview that evening. The Ambassador immediately contacted 
National Security Adviser Casajuana to express concern. 
Casajuana promised to take the message to President Zapatero. 


¶2. (C) Casajuana called the Ambassador late on the night of 
March 21 to follow up after speaking to Zapatero. He said 
that Zapatero understands the USG's concerns and will try to 
bring moderation to PSOE political operatives. Zapatero said 
that he appreciated the USG's efforts to stay out of the 
political arena and will work to enable the US to continue 
staying out. In short, the message was that Zapatero "will 
not add wood to the fire." 

¶3. (C) DCM reiterated the USG's concerns on March 23 with MFA 
DG for North America Jose Pons and asked that the GOS work to 
keep the US out of the political crossfire. He told Pons 
that the USG understands that the political climate in Spain 
is highly polarized at the moment, but cautioned that 
continued statements on this issue by senior Spanish figures 
would be viewed negatively by the USG. Pons said that the 
only official GOS statement on the issue had come from 
Foreign Minister Moratinos, who said on March 20 that only 
history will judge Iraq, thus emphasizing that the GOS would 
stay far away from legal judgments on the war. Pons 
emphasized that Blanco was speaking for the PSOE, not the 
government, and that Garzon, an independent magistrate, 
speaks only for himself. Pons said that he expects the issue 
to die down now that the anniversary has passed. 
Aguirre