VZCZCXYZ0032
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #1087/01 1372315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 172315Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5105

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 001087 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAN JASON MACK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OPDC PARM CS
SUBJECT: CALLS FOR COSTA RICA TO BE ERASED FROM IRAQ 
COALITION LIST ON WHITE HOUSE WEB PAGE 
 
REF: A. 04 SAN JOSE 2401 
 
     ¶B. 04 SAN JOSE 2435 
     ¶C. O4 SAN JOSE 2872 
     ¶D. SAN JOSE 656 
 
Summary 
-------- 
¶1.  The Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution 
on May 16 calling for the GOCR to insist that the USG remove 
Costa Rica from the list of Coalition Members for Operation 
Iraqi Freedom that appears on the White House Web site. 
President Arias said he would ask his Foreign Minister to 
take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the 
resolution.  Post expects to receive a diplomatic note 
imminently.  End summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
¶2.  On March 19, 2003, President Pacheco by executive decree 
provided moral support for U.S. efforts in Iraq.  On that 
basis and with the GOCR's consent, Costa Rica was included in 
the March 27, 2003, list of Coalition Members for Operation 
Iraqi Freedom that appears on the White House Web site.  The 
Costa Rican Supreme Court ruled on September 8, 2004, that 
the GOCR's joining the coalition was unconstitutional and 
that therefore Costa Rica must be removed from the list of 
Coalition members (ref A). 
 
¶3.  The day following the Supreme Court decision, the GOCR 
sent us a diplomatic note asking the USG "to exclude the 
Republic of Costa Rica from the list of 'allied' countries 
from the 'Coalition" or 'Alliance' that is on the White House 
Web page" (ref B).  More than a month later, Costa Rica 
remained in the Web site under "Statement of Support from 
Coalition Members" (ref C). 
 
Current Issue 
------------- 
¶4.  Due to data replication and the viral nature of news and 
information on the Internet, references to the original 
Coalition list remain peppered throughout the Web, including 
on the White House Web site.  The referenced press release 
can be found at 
www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/2003 0327-10.html and 
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/news/20030326 -7.html.  While 
the Web site contains another list that does not include 
Costa Rica, the offending list is the one referenced by most 
Internet search engines. 
 
¶5. The recent reemergence of this issue can be traced to an 
anti-CAFTA-DR film released in March 2006 (ref D).  Titled 
"Costa Rica, Inc," the low-budget, yet expertly produced film 
devotes a short segment to Costa Rica's erstwhile support for 
the Iraq war, highlighting the country's continued inclusion 
on the White House Web site.  The film received wide 
distribution and media attention and eventually motivated a 
recently-elected legislator, Alberto Salom, to send a letter 
to newly-installed Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno demanding 
that he revisit the issue of the Coalition list. 
 
¶6.  Meanwhile, on May 16, Salom's Citizens' Action Party 
(PAC), the main opposition party, proposed a resolution 
calling on the MFA to "request the Government of the United 
States of America to eliminate the name of Costa Rica from 
any list or Web page in which it is named as a member of the 
Coalition of allied countries in the invasion of Iraq" and to 
"permanently monitor the Internet to avoid in the future new 
violations (of the September 2004 Supreme Court decision)." 
The resolution was approved unanimously. 
 
GOCR reacts 
----------- 
 
¶7.  President Arias, who has always been critical of U.S. 
involvement in Iraq and had long ago condemned the Pacheco 
government for its support of the U.S., said he would ask his 
Foreign Minister to take the necessary steps to ensure 
compliance with the Legislative Assembly's resolution. 
Foreign Minister Stagno said in a radio interview on May 17 
that he would send a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy on 
the same day.  As of COB, we have not received it. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶8.  To post's knowledge, Costa Rica was never put on a list 
of supporters of Operation Iraqi Freedom at any time after 
the GOCR's September 2004 request that Costa Rica be removed 
from the White House Web site.  We have explained to the GOCR 
that we cannot alter the March 27, 2003, list of coalition 
members, which is a historical document.  Nor can we remove 
it from the Web.  Nevertheless, we expect to receive a 
diplomatic note imminently. 
LANGDALE