INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Spain/Hspd-6: They Signed!

Published: Thu 16 Nov 2006 04:01 PM
VZCZCXRO1197
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #2895/01 3201601
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161601Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1319
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0845
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0565
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 2701
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2237
RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNA/DEA HQS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002895
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN/HSPD-6: THEY SIGNED!
MADRID 00002895 001.2 OF 002
1. Summary. In a November 15 meeting with A/S for Consular
Affairs Maura Harty, Spanish Secretary of State for Security
Antonio Camacho agreed to deepen information exchanges with
the USG by exchanging terrorist lookout information as
contemplated in Homeland Security Presidential Directive
(HSPD) 6. A/S Harty and Camacho signed an aide memoire (see
para 7) committing the two governments to develop operational
procedures for the sharing of terrorist screening
information. USG and Spanish working groups will be
designated to work out the technical and legal details and
implement the mutually agreed information sharing procedures.
End Summary.
2. A/S Harty met with Secretary of State for Security (Deputy
Interior Minister equivalent) Camacho and members of his
team, including Camacho's senior terrorism adviser Eugenio
Pereiro. A/S Harty was accompanied by the DCM, CA/P/IP Chief
Alcy Frelick, Consul General Dan Keller, CA Special Assistant
Julie Rutorbories, and poloff. Harty recalled Camacho's July
visit to Washington and their discussion of HSPD-6 and the
USG desire for increased information sharing with key foreign
partners. She noted that Camacho had seemed well disposed
towards Spain's participation in such an information exchange
during that visit, a relationship the USG would welcome in
light of Spain's great experience in combatting terrorism.
Harty said the USG wanted to proceed with an information
exchange with Spain and proposed that she and Camacho sign an
aide memoire committing the two governments to develop the
mechanisms to permit such an exchange. Harty emphasized that
such a mechanism would not be intended as a substitute for
the existing informal information exchanges between Spanish
authorities and USG agencies at the Embassy and in the U.S.
She said that the USG would then seek to replicate this
"Madrid model" with other foreign partners.
3. Camacho said that there was ample evidence of good will
and a desire for closer collaboration between the U.S. and
Spain in counter terrorist efforts. He quickly reviewed the
draft aide memoire developed by the U.S. team and agreed to
sign the document. A/S Harty and Camacho each signed two
English and Spanish language copies of the aide memoire and
kept one set. The next step will be the appointment of
working groups on the Spanish side and on the U.S. side to
develop the technical mechanisms for the sharing of terrorist
lookout information and to ensure that the protocols
established to carry out such an exchange comply with the
legal/privacy requirements of each of the parties.
4. Camacho noted that the USG-drafted note suggested Spain's
National Antiterrorist Coordination Center (CNCA) as a
possible Spanish counterpart to the U.S. Terrorist Screening
Center; he said this could function well since his senior
adviser Eugenio Pereiro would be named as the new Director of
the CNCA in the coming days. (NOTE: Pereiro's appointment
was officially announced late on November 15. END NOTE).
5. Following the meeting with Camacho, CA/P/IP Chief Frelick
met with an interagency Spanish team from the CNCA to brief
them on the meeting with Camacho, describe the work of the
Terrorist Screening Center, and establish initial contacts
with the organization most likely to coordinate Spain's
participation in HSPD-6 information exchange. The CNCA team
noted that it was a new organization and was undergoing a
leadership transition, but was receptive to the U.S.
briefing. Both sides agreed that the next step would be to
name the members of the working groups that will develop the
procedures for exchanging terrorist screening information.
//COMMENT//
6. We are very pleased with the progress on HSPD-6 and
greatly appreciate A/S Harty's role in obtaining Spain's
agreement to move ahead. This agreement serves as another
indicator of our strong security relationship with Spain, at
both the political level and the working level. Eugenio
Pereiro's designation as the director of the CNCA is
fortunate in that he is an excellent interlocutor who we
expect will work very well with the USG working group. Until
now, the CNCA has served primarily as an analytical
organization rather than as an operational unit, so it may
take some time to adjust to this additional mission. We will
continue to coordinate with CA as we organize the working
groups and pursue implementation of this exchange.
MADRID 00002895 002.2 OF 002
//TEXT OF AIDE MEMOIRE//
7. BEGIN TEXT:
Representatives of the Government of the United States of
America and the Kingdom of Spain (the Participants) have been
engaged in ongoing efforts to prevent and address
international terrorism, including cooperation in identifying
known and suspected terrorists. In the course of discussions
between the Participants, an understanding has been reached
that they should supplement those existing efforts by
sharing, on a regular basis, real-time terrorism screening
information.
To accomplish this, the Participants are developing
operational procedures for the sharing of terrorist screening
information by the United States Terrorist Screening Center
(TSC) and Centro Nacional de Coordinacion Antiterrorista
(CNCA). Among other things, the operational procedures
should address the scope and method of exchange, arrangements
for encounters, and measures to safeguard the information.
These procedures are intended to complement existing channels
of communications between the Participants and are not
intended to supersede or otherwise affect existing and future
exchanges of information and cooperation on international
terrorism between agencies of the Participants. The sharing
of terrorist screening information between the Participants
for screening purposes is expected to commence upon mutual
acceptance of the operational procedures.
Date: 15 November, 2006
(signed)
Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary, Department of State
Antonio Camacho Vizcaino, Secretario de Estado de Seguridad,
Ministerio de Interior
8. A/S Harty cleared on this message.
AGUIRRE
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media