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C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000687 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017 
TAGS: PREL MARR OTRA CL
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY SHANNON MEETS WITH CHILEAN 
MINISTER OF DEFENSE 
 
REF: A. STATE 46501 
     ¶B. SANTIAGO 00639 
     ¶C. SANTIAGO 00546 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Craig Kelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: WHA Assistant Secretary Shannon and Chilean 
Minister of Defense Jose Goni exchanged views on regional 
issues and the U.S.-Chile bilateral military relationship 
during their April 24 meeting.  Goni told A/S Shannon he 
valued the close relationship between the U.S. and Chilean 
militaries.  Regionally, military to military cooperation was 
improving, with the Chile - Argentina joint peacekeeping 
force on track, as well as confidence-building measures with 
Peru and Ecuador.  Chile is watching closely Venezuela's 
military initiatives in the region, particularly in Bolivia, 
but these "are not a matter of concern at this point."  Goni 
stressed the GOC's commitment to Haiti and predicted the 
Chilean Senate would likely extend Chile's participation in 
MINUSTAH for another year when it comes up for a vote in May. 
 The Senate recently approved the GOC request to extend the 
27-person commitment to EUFOR (Bosnia).  The GOC will soon 
introduce a bill to Congress to regularize future Chilean 
contributions to peace-keeping operations.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) A/S Shannon called on Defense Minister Jose Goni 
April 24 during his April 24-26 visit to Chile.  A/S Shannon 
was accompanied by Ambassador, DATT, and Poloffs.  MOD Goni 
was accompanied by Under-Secretary for War Gonzalo Garcia, 
Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff General Marcos Lopez, Air 
Force Aide de Camp Col. Aldo Carboni, and MOD civilian 
advisor Maria Inez Ruz. 
 
A CLOSE AND GROWING RELATIONSHIP 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) A/S Shannon characterized the U.S.-Chile bilateral 
relationship as very good.  Pol-mil talks in Washington in 
March had been a valuable exercise; Under Secretary Burns had 
been impressed with the level of Chilean representation and 
Chile's strategic vision (reftel A).  The U.S. is looking for 
ways to deepen and broaden the relationship at a time when 
our countries are converging on a range of strategic and 
security concerns.  Goni agreed the overall relationship, not 
only commercially but also politically and militarily, was 
very good.  The U.S. and Chile have a shared vision about 
regional security concerns and need to reinforce institutions 
in Haiti, although "for you (the U.S.) the security situation 
is very complex."  Bilateral military relations are being 
reinforced and the interaction remains key for Chile's 
internal military restructuring.  He noted this cooperation 
had increased Chilean capacity for cooperation with other 
regional militaries.  SOUTHCOM Commander Stavridis' May 
visit, the Defense Consultative Commission meeting scheduled 
in Washington for June, and other possible senior-level 
visits illustrate the importance of the relationship. 
 
NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Goni said relations with Argentina were on track and 
improving.  Building on past confidence-building measures 
like sharing comparative data on defense spending, Chile and 
Argentina were well advanced in standing up a joint 
peacekeeping battalion.  The experience in Haiti and other 
peacekeeping operations (PKOs) had helped this effort.  Peru 
is pushing hard to enter into a similar arrangement with 
Chile, as is Ecuador.  However, the Argentina experience had 
demonstrated that such arrangements had to be constructed one 
step at a time.  Given the state of mil-mil cooperation with 
Peru, and Chile's limited resources, it would be some time 
before Chile could consider other regional PKO alliances. 
A/S Shannon noted that Chile's capabilities and 
professionalism were widely recognized, as shown by the 
desire of others in the region to join forces with Chile.  He 
added that given Chile's capabilities and successful PKO 
record, he would not be surprised to see UNSYG Ban Ki-moon 
knocking on Chile's door soon to ask for more participation 
in global PKO efforts.  He urged Chile to consider such 
requests positively. 
 
 
¶5.  (C) Goni said Chile was also improving relations with 
Peru, trying to transplant the same models of military 
transparency and professional exchanges that had worked with 
Argentina.  Other examples were ceremonies by both countries' 
militaries to recognize the other side's heroes of the 1897 
War of the Pacific, and participation in each other's 
military and national celebrations.  The two countries' 
militaries are leading efforts to break down deep-seated 
prejudices through symbolic exchanges. 
 
¶6.  (C) Although Chile is watching Venezuelan support to 
Bolivia's military closely, it is not yet a "cause for 
concern."  Goni said it would take some time to see the 
results of the political restructuring in Bolivia, but that 
Chile hoped to be able to improve the bilateral relationship. 
 
REGIONAL PLAYERS 
---------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Goni brushed over Chile's relationship with Brazil, 
saying he was sure A/S Shannon had gotten a read on regional 
actors in his earlier meeting with FM Foxley (septel). 
Noting he had recently left his posting as Ambassador to 
Mexico, Goni said Mexico under Fox had greatly diminished its 
presence as a regional actor.  This was unfortunate, but 
would likely be reversed under Calderon.  Now that the 
question of Mexico's domestic direction had been resolved, 
Calderon would be paying greater attention to regional 
issues.  Chile is willing to assist Mexico in its efforts at 
regional reinsertion, and believes Mexico could play a 
greater and productive role. 
 
¶8.  (C) Goni asked A/S Shannon for his views on the region. 
A/S Shannon characterized the situation as "effervescent." 
Venezuela's decision to switch its focus south, withdrawing 
from CAN and joining MERCOSUR, coupled with its vast 
resources and more aggressive philosophy, are generating 
friction and policy conflicts in the region.  Political 
developments in Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador present 
challenges to democratic governance.  U.S. policy is to 
promote a positive agenda, offer space for regional dialogue 
and cooperation, and look for opportunities to secure 
important advances in economic and social developments.  With 
Chile, the U.S. is looking to developing links between Latin 
America and Asia as an engine for growth and political 
stability.  Goni noted that there was a clear effort by 
Chavez and "his cronies" to influence other countries. 
Reiterating it was "not a cause for concern," Goni said that 
Chile was watching closely Venezuela's military relations 
with Brazil, particularly military sales.  Military to 
military relations seem to be a major thrust in the evolution 
of Venezuela foreign policy. 
 
HAITI 
----- 
 
¶9.  (C)  Goni said discussions about extending Chile's 
commitment in Haiti were going well.  The GOC already had 
requested Senate approval for an extension beyond May 2007 
(reftel B).  Some senators are taking hard-line positions, 
critical of costs and the apparently open-ended commitment 
there.  However, a Senate delegation visit to Haiti in March 
had a positive impact on the debate, as did the GOC 
initiative to begin discussions two months before the 
decision deadline (as opposed to last year, when the GOC 
requested an extension the week before authorization 
expired).  Goni predicted the Senate would authorize a 
one-year extension of Chile's Haiti mission in May, noting 
the Senate had recently extended the mandate of Chile's 
detachment in Bosnia.  The GOC would introducing legislation 
to Congress in the next two weeks to regulate future Chilean 
PKO deployments (reftel C). 
 
¶10.  (C) The international community has a responsibility to 
establish a credible and professional police force in Haiti, 
Goni declared.  The key challenge facing all institutions and 
development efforts in Haiti is crime and public security. 
Chile is currently training 15 Haitian National Police 
officers at its police academy in a "tailor-made" course. 
 
The officers are performing very well.  These HNP officers 
would be reincorporated as trainers on return to Haiti, 
helping change the institutional culture. 
 
¶11.  (U) Assistant Secretary Shannon cleared this cable. 
KELLY