VZCZCXRO4506
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAG #0063/01 3041716
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 311716Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL HAMBURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0184
INFO RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0001
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0011
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0204

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAMBURG 000063 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/31/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON KUNR GM AF EU RS TU
SUBJECT: THE SPD APPROVES OEF MANDATE, SIGNALS CONTINUED 
TRANSATLANTIC COOPERATION 
 
REF: BERLIN 1977 
 
HAMBURG 00000063  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Karen Johnson, Consul General, U.S. Consulate 
General Hamburg, U.S. Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Overall, foreign policy played a minor role 
at the Social Democratic Party's (SPD) October 26-28 national 
convention in Hamburg (reftel).  It was, however, the main focus 
of a pre-convention event October 25 sponsored by the Friedrich 
Ebert Foundation (FES) and geared mainly toward the diplomatic 
community.  SPD Party Chairman Kurt Beck and Foreign Minister 
Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed foreign policy issues and used 
the FES event as an occasion to stress the SPD's credo of 
dialogue and disarmament over military action (a clear reference 
to Iran).  They stressed the need to include Russia as a 
strategic partner, and the need to base German military 
deployments on UNSC mandates.  They also highlighted the 
importance of the transatlantic relationship and the U.S. as a 
key partner.  At the SPD convention itself, the debate on the 
issue of renewing the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) mandate 
was surprisingly short and delegates approved the proposal with 
an overwhelming majority.  In his address at the convention, 
Steinmeier also announced that Germany will hold an 
international conference on Afghanistan next year.  End Summary. 
 
IRAN, RUSSIA, AND MISSILE DEFENSE 
 
¶2. (C) Steinmeier's and Beck's FES speeches lauded the SPD as 
the "peace and disarmament" party, with a preference for 
dialogue and diplomacy over military action.  Both, however, 
supported German and European readiness to assist in the world 
where needed, including with military deployments, but stressed 
the need for a clear UN mandate to support such actions. 
Steinmeier, whose speech was more structured than Beck's -- 
which tended to ramble -- listed six major areas of focus for 
German foreign policy: 1) addressing regional conflicts, 
including in Afghanistan and the Middle East, through dialogue, 
support of moderates, and civilian approaches; 2) increasing 
Europe's voice in the world, with an emphasis on multilateralism 
and working through the UN; 3) maintaining the transatlantic 
relationship as key; 4) addressing energy security and climate 
change; 5) promoting disarmament policy, stressing the 
preference for diplomatic means over military, including with 
regard to Iran; and 6) improving transnational cultural respect 
and communication. 
 
¶3. (C) Steinmeier and Beck asserted that the German and EU 
approach to foreign policy combines economic progress and social 
justice and focuses on resolving tensions through diplomacy. 
Both threw innuendos into their speeches regarding the U.S. 
stance toward Iran, with Steinmeier warning against "daily 
saber-rattling" and Beck criticizing those who consider military 
responses appropriate.  While Iran and missile defense were 
seldom addressed during the convention, at the FES event Beck 
and Steinmeier stressed Germany's obligation to prevent Iran 
from obtaining nuclear weapons through diplomatic means together 
with the U.S., Russia, and China.  Steinmeier reiterated this 
pledge in his speech at the convention, and the party's Hamburg 
Program clearly states that the SPD will continue to strive for 
progress on disarmament and non-proliferation.  Steinmeier also 
reminded the SPD delegates that Russia and Turkey remain 
strategic partners for Germany within Europe and that Germany 
cannot allow Russia to turn away from Europe towards Asia. 
Steinmeier criticized Chancellor Merkel for not taking a 
stronger stand with the Russian government on human rights. 
(Comment:  a slightly odd criticism, given Merkel's 
forthrightness on human rights in Russia -- especially in 
comparison to Gerhard Schroeder, Steinmeier's former boss.  End 
Comment.)  He remarked that if the stationing of a U.S. missile 
defense system in Europe led to misunderstandings with Russia, 
then it would not improve Europe's security. 
 
STRENGTHENING THE EU AND UN 
 
¶4. (SBU) At the party convention, Steinmeier also criticized the 
SPD's coalition partner and rival Christian Democratic Union 
(CDU) for pulling back from Germany's commitment to promote 
Turkey's EU membership.  He called for Turkey to remain calm 
regarding Iraq.  Several speakers throughout the weekend praised 
the achievements surrounding the EU reform treaty.  Steinmeier 
also called for a strengthened UN.  Beck reiterated that Germany 
is ready to take on more responsibility in the UN through a 
permanent seat in the UN Security Council.  Eventually, this 
seat should go to the EU, he stated.  This principle is also 
laid out in the Hamburg Program. 
 
OEF MANDATE SECURED FOR 2008 BUT CHALLENGES STILL AHEAD 
 
HAMBURG 00000063  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Steinmeier's convention speech introducing the debate 
on "Foreign-, Security-, and Development Policy" focused on the 
need for Germany to remain engaged in Afghanistan.  The points 
he made were constructive and many were similar to arguments 
that USG representatives had made previously to SPD party 
members.  He focused on the achievements made in Afghanistan 
since 2001 and the humanitarian challenges allies still face. 
He specifically stated that the number of German soldiers 
participating in ISAF was increasing, while the size of OEF was 
decreasing.  He pointed out that most OEF soldiers are involved 
in training.  Steinmeier announced that Germany plans to hold an 
international Afghanistan conference in 2008 in order to better 
coordinate reconstruction efforts.  At the FES seminar on 
October 25 Steinmeier remarked that it had always been Germany's 
position that restoring security to Afghanistan requires both 
military and civilian means.  He stated that Germany intends to 
further increase its efforts in the civilian realm and that he 
had promoted this view earlier that day in the Bundestag budget 
committee.  After the convention debates, ConGen Hamburg 
Pol/Econ Officer and Embassy Berlin Pol Specialist discussed 
with Steinmeier the smooth passage of the OEF proposal and 
expressed appreciation for his strong words of support for the 
transatlantic relationship.  Steinmeier referred to his 
September 19 Berlin speech outlining his ideas for renewing the 
relationship. 
 
¶6. (SBU) At the convention, leading SPD Bundestag members 
including party board member and former "Young Socialist" 
chairman Niels Annen, Afghanistan Task Force leader Detlef 
Dzembritzki, and foreign policy spokesman Gert Weisskirchen 
spoke strongly in favor of continuing OEF participation.  Annen 
also expressed some reservations about the operation, voicing a 
desire to see an explicit UN mandate for OEF, better 
communication among the allies, as well as more transparency. 
Weisskirchen spoke on the need for ISAF and OEF to prevent 
further development of the drug trade in Afghanistan, 
particularly as a financial means for the Taliban.  He also 
called for a "code of conduct" for OEF in order to minimize 
collateral damage.  The strongest voice against OEF was future 
"Young Socialist" leader Francisca Drohsel, with whom Mission 
Germany will be following up to discuss Afghanistan in greater 
detail. 
 
¶7. (SBU) SPD Bundestag members and party insiders assured ConGen 
Hamburg Pol/Econ Officer and Embassy Berlin Pol Specialist that 
with the convention approval, the OEF mandate should easily pass 
in the Bundestag in November.  Although Steinmeier and Beck 
clearly stated that the SPD would require UN mandates for future 
military engagement, our contacts explained that the lack of a 
UN mandate should not significantly affect OEF passage in 2008. 
These SPD members said they view OEF and KFOR as an exception to 
this requirement.  In discussions following the Afghanistan 
debate, Weisskirchen and Bundestag member Ursula Mogg remarked 
that OEF could still be a contentious issue in the fall of 2008 
because at that time SPD Bundestag members will be in the 
process of securing spots on the SPD electoral lists for the 
2009 elections.  Both Mogg and Weisskirchen said that if the 
situation in Afghanistan improves or a UN mandate is passed, 
then OEF approval will not be an issue next year.  However, if 
the situation worsens and kidnappings and killings continue, 
then SPD candidates may begin to come out against further OEF 
participation. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶8. (C) The power struggle between Beck and Vice Chancellor and 
Labor Minister Franz Muentefering on unemployment benefits in 
the weeks leading up to the convention pushed OEF and other 
potentially controversial foreign policy issues to the 
background in Hamburg.  Delegates were more concerned about 
domestic policy issues and did not focus on the details of OEF 
mandate renewal.  Both in the convention speeches and the 
Hamburg Program, the SPD laid out specific foreign policy goals, 
but left room for maneuvering and finding workable solutions 
with allies.  Despite some provocative remarks by Steinmeier and 
Beck on the margins for a largely diplomatic audience, the SPD 
convention did not signal any major shifts on foreign policy or 
transatlantic cooperation. End Comment. 
 
¶9. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Berlin. 
JOHNSON