VZCZCXRO3898
PP RUEHLA
DE RUEHLA #0012/01 0361535
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051535Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL BARCELONA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1086
INFO RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 1047
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 1258

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BARCELONA 000012 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE (PSPRATLEN/ESAMSON) AND CA/OCS/EUR FOR PBPLATUKIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV SP
SUBJECT: USS MT. WHITNEY:  CITY AUTHORITIES, POLICE RUN FOR COVER 
FOLLOWING INCIDENT WITH CREWMEN 
 
REF: BARCELONA 0009, MADRID 0113 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  CG met with a city council member and 
Director of the Guardia Urbana to express USG disappointment 
with police actions January 22 towards crewmen aboard the USS 
Mt. Whitney.  CG told Barcelona authorities that quick 
communication either directly with the Commanding Officer of the 
ship or the Consul General might have kept the situation from 
spiraling out of control and causing subsequent reactions in 
Barcelona, Madrid, Naples, and Washington, DC.  City officials 
acknowledged that miscommunication during the police action, as 
well as, lack of communication afterwards, was likely the root 
of the problem.  They insisted that U.S. military vessels are 
welcome in Barcelona, and undertook to contact Sixth Fleet 
officials in Naples as well as liaison officers at the base in 
Rota to clarify the situation.  End Summary. 
 
LACK OF COMMUNICATION 
 
¶2. (SBU) Following the January 22 incident between undercover 
Guardia Urbana agents and crewmen from the visiting USS Mt. 
Whitney (ref a), and in the face of an almost complete lack of 
communication from city authorities, CG sent a letter to Guardia 
Urbana director F. Xavier Vilaro i Camps, and copies to the 
Mayor's office and the office of the regional President Jose 
Montilla denouncing the incident.  CG later spoke directly with 
an aide to the Mayor and the Diplomatic Advisor to President 
Montilla.  In addition, we have been in contact with the Court 
and a representative of the office of Civil and Human Rights. 
Embassy Madrid ODC Chief, the President of the U.S. Section of 
the Joint Permanent Committee that manages our bilateral 
Agreement on Defense Cooperation, raised the incident with his 
Spanish flag-officer counterpart January 23.  Embassy Madrid 
sent a note verbal January 28 to the MFA denouncing the incident 
and seeking an explanation.  The Charge d'Affaires raised the 
incident January 29 in a meeting with the MOD Secretary General 
for Policy (ref b). 
 
¶3. (SBU) After all of this, the only response we received from 
city authorities was a note from Vilaro, which stated that the 
matter was under internal investigation and that he was sorry 
for any "inconvenience" the incident may have caused.  The CG 
requested and received a meeting with the appropriate 
authorities. 
 
RUNNING FOR COVER 
 
¶4. (SBU) CG met with city council woman Assumpta Escarp i Gibert 
February 4 to follow up our previous communications.  Guardia 
Urbana director Vilaro and his deputy also attended.  CG told 
city officials that he appreciated the generally excellent 
relationship and cooperation with the police in Barcelona, and 
that this was particularly important as the protection of 
American citizens is our highest priority.  He noted that to 
date we had not had a problem like this, and further reminded 
the officials that in his almost three years here he had 
received numerous appeals for more ship visits.  CG expressed 
USG disappointment regarding this incident. As a result:  A) 
The Sixth Fleet was now reluctant to return to Barcelona; B) the 
incident had received attention at the highest levels in the 
Department; C) the USG sent a diplomatic note to the GOS; and D) 
witness testimony that only African-American males were targeted 
left a clear impression that race played a part in the event. 
CG told the officials that the situation required an explanation 
and clarification. The USG also wanted assurances that U.S. 
military vessels would continue to be welcome to the city. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Escarp assured CG that U.S. military vessels were, 
indeed, welcome in Barcelona.  She insisted that this was an 
isolated matter and noted that this is the first time in years 
that she has heard of something like this happening.  She 
acknowledged CG's letter and made it clear her office had been 
contacted by other Spanish authorities.  Escarp and Vilaro 
agreed that miscommunication, both during the operation and 
after, was the likely cause of the problem.  CG noted that the 
plainclothes agents failed to identify themselves as police. 
 
NEXT STEPS 
 
¶6. (SBU)  CG suggested a number of steps city officials might 
take to move past and learn from this incident.  First, city 
officials need to offer an explanation to the USG and make clear 
what they are investigating.  Second, police officials should be 
directly in contact with NCIS liaison officers at Rota.  Third, 
that Guardia Urbana have a direct line of communication with CG 
Barcelona consular personnel.  Escarp and Vilaro agreed, and 
also offered to give both Rota and Sixth Fleet officials 
information on the different types of police identification to 
enhance our security briefings. 
 
 
BARCELONA 00000012  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment:  Police and city officials were clearly shaken 
upon hearing both how far accounts of this incident had spread 
and a full outline of the consequences.  We believe they are 
sincere in wanting to work out better lines of communication 
internally and with the USG, and we plan to hold them to that. 
The next steps we suggested should go a long way towards 
strengthening a frayed relationship.  We are going to insist on 
a copy of the investigation report and continue following 
on-going judicial procedures stemming from the formal complaints 
lodged by the crewmen.  End Comment. 
ROBINSON