VZCZCXRO2599
PP RUEHLA
DE RUEHMD #0536 0811451
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221451Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2143
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 3932
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0872
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 1143
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1266
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 6014
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2558
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0330

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000536 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/WE FOR GARY CLEMENTS AND ANGELA CERVETTI 
NEA/MAG FOR ROBERT EWING AND JAMES FLOWERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017 
TAGS: PREL PBTS UNSC SP WI
SUBJECT: SPAIN FAVORS UN UMBRELLA FOR WESTERN SAHARA 
NEGOTIATIONS 
 
REF: A. STATE 35098 
 
     ¶B. NEA/MAG E-MAIL - 03/21/07 
     ¶C. MADRID 529 
 
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C)  Poloff delivered ref. A demarche to MFA Deputy 
Director General for North Africa Manuel Gomez-Acebo on March 
21, asking Spain to intervene with the Polisario Front (PF) 
and encourage them to agree to direct negotiations with 
Morocco under U.S. auspices at a neutral location.  Poloff 
emphasized that the plan was a Moroccan effort and that the 
U.S. strongly encouraged the PF to accept this opportunity. 
Gomez-Acebo said he viewed this as a very interesting and 
positive development, adding that his only doubt was the lack 
of mention of the United Nations.  He said Spain would like 
to see the negotiations take place under a UN umbrella to 
provide international legitimacy/pressure and preserve UNSC 
principles of reference for a final solution. 
 
¶2. (C)  Gomez-Acebo asked about the timing of the 
negotiations - whether this was intended as a first step 
prior to Morocco's publication of the plan and the April 
expiration of the Minurso mandate.  On U.S. support for the 
Moroccan plan in the event of PF inaction, he said he assumed 
this would be a public show of support in the UN.  He also 
wished to clarify that the U.S. had not extended an 
invitation to Algeria. 
 
¶3. (C)  With respect to a likely response from the Polisario, 
Gomez-Acebo said that Spain's latest information indicated 
that the PF does not want to use the Moroccan autonomy plan 
as the "only basis for discussion," but that it would not 
discard out of hand the Moroccan plan.  He said he would 
discuss the matter with Alvaro Iranzo, DG for the 
Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa (currently in Cyprus) 
and Rafael Dezcallar, DG for Foreign Policy, and might also 
contact NEA DAS Gordon Gray (ref. B). 
 
¶4. (C)  Lastly, Gomez-Acebo repeated his statement (ref. C) 
that Spain is expecting to host UNSE Van Walsum in the near 
future (without specifying date) and was seeking to confirm a 
visit from the Polisario Front. 
 
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Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/ 
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Aguirre