VZCZCXRO6143
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHMD #0517/01 1491627
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 291627Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0699
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0708
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0176
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 4010
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHNA/DEA HQS WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
RHEFHTA/TSA HQ WASHINGTON DC
RUEHMD/USDAO MADRID SP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MADRID 000517 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/WE, WHA/MEX 
FOR INR DAS CATHERINE W. BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2019 
TAGS: PINS PINR PREL PTER KCRM KJUS KHLS KSPR SNAR
SP, MX 
SUBJECT: SPAIN'S MULTI-PRONGED EFFORTS TO COMBAT TERRORISM, 
ORGANIZED CRIME 
 
REF: SECSTATE 22549 
 
MADRID 00000517  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
Classified By: A/DCM William Duncan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT:  A who's who of senior GOS 
officials on May 21-22 outlined Madrid's multi-faceted 
approach to combating security challenges - particularly 
terrorism and organized crime - during a private seminar 
organized by the Mexican Embassy and the Ibero-American 
General Secretariat.  The Mexican DCM on May 20 told Post 
officials that, as a courtesy gesture to a valued partner of 
both the GOS and GOM, the USG was the only third-country 
invited to the event.  Although GOS-GOM bilateral security 
cooperation was the focus of most presentations, the GOS 
officials' comments collectively create a comprehensive 
framework for how the Zapatero government addresses these 
concerns.  Many of the GOS presentations, grouped 
thematically below, emphasized the themes of the 
transnational nature of the threat, the importance of a 
multilateral response, and the value of confidence-building 
measures in working with other nations.  Post believes the 
GOS speakers at times presented a rosy view of Madrid's 
security policy and that, in practice, the GOS could improve 
its inter-service cooperation and its collaboration with the 
USG.  This cable provides information requested in REFTEL, 
which identifies Spain as a priority country for reporting on 
counterdrug issues.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
//NATIONAL SECURITY// 
 
¶2. (SBU) Bernardino Leon, the Secretary General of the Office 
of the President (whose duties are roughly equivalent to a 
combination of the White House Chief of Staff and the US 
National Security Adviser), emphasized that the GOS views 
multilateralism as the best way to confront these security 
challenges and presented the GOS as a staunch proponent of 
UN-approved multilateral efforts.  He stated that these 
security challenges require a global response. 
 
//HOMELAND SECURITY// 
 
¶3. (SBU) Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba described 
liberty and security as two sides of the same coin and added 
that respect for the rule of law is what separates democratic 
nation-states from narcotraffickers and terrorists.  He 
suggested that criminal and terrorists -- whom he suggested 
are quicker to adapt to change and opportunities than 
governments are -- have a strategy for their efforts, so 
governments must develop their own, global strategies. 
Rubalcaba summarized the GOS's own strategy as based on the 4 
P's:  prevention, pursuit, protection and preparation.  He 
further asserted that cooperation between nations was 
"fundamental" and that winning the confidence of partner 
nations is "essential" to successful collaboration. 
 
¶4. (C) Antonio Camacho, Rubalcaba's deputy, addressed the 
GOS's answer to terrorism and organized crime, which he 
described as "two of the biggest threats to Spanish society." 
 He highlighted that the GOS's approach has been to work 
within the rule of law and stated it would be a mistake to 
sacrifice some liberties to gain more security, which he said 
would be tantamount to conceding a "first victory" to 
adversaries.  Citing Spain's 40-year campaign against the 
domestic terrorist group Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), 
Camacho said that the GOS has developed an integrated 
counter-terrorism (CT) strategy that is both respectful of 
the democratic system and effective against terrorists and 
those that support them politically, logistically, and 
financially.  He claimed that there was better cooperation 
than ever between the Spanish National Police (SNP) and the 
paramilitary Guardia Civil (GC).  (COMMENT: Post believes 
that removing stovepipes between the SNP, GC and National 
Intelligence Center (CNI) remains an ongoing challenge for 
the GOS.  END COMMENT.)  Camacho described the radical 
Islamic threat that emerged after 9/11 as a global threat - 
 
MADRID 00000517  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
to which no country is immune, although not all face the same 
level of threat - that requires a global answer.  He asserted 
that radical Islamic terrorism is adaptive, which requires 
States to constantly update the tools at their disposal to 
combat that threat.  The GOS has done this by strengthening 
its penal system, improving international cooperation with 
the US, EU, and North Africa in particular, building up its 
intelligence units, and increasing its number of CT units in 
the security forces.  The GOS also has created the National 
Center for Counter-Terrorism Coordination (CNCA) and is 
reaching out to the Muslim community in Spain.  Camacho 
asserted that organized crime networks understand 
globalization, which has enabled them to increase their 
playing field and do business wherever they can.  He said the 
GOS's response is to attack these networks at all levels, 
especially money laundering, which he described as "an 
essential phase" of organized crime.  He said that wherever a 
State fails to act, organized crime will move in.  He 
concluded by asserting that States will not defeat terrorists 
and organized crime networks just by having a bigger army or 
larger security services, but victory is obtainable by being 
more intelligence, professional and innovative. 
 
//STRATEGIC// 
 
¶5. (C) Oscar Jaime Jimenez, Executive Adviser on Homeland 
Security Studies within Camacho's office, stressed that the 
response to terrorism should be a holistic one conducted by 
all governmental departments and agencies, rather than by the 
police alone.  He stated that this is a "fundamental" point 
and that, furthermore, it is important to modernize 
structures, such as guarantees for the rule of law and 
democracy.  Jaime Jimenez admitted that the SNP "probably was 
not prepared" for the Madrid train bombings in 2004 (known as 
11-M), but argued that the force had been modernized since 
then and cited the absence of further radical Islamist 
attacks in Spain as proof of the "efficiency" of these 
reforms.  He further claimed that a successful CT strategy 
includes a communications component to discuss with the 
public the nature of the threat and the capacities of the 
State to protect them.  (COMMENT: LEGAT and POLOFF both 
thought it odd that Jaime Jimenez publicly touted a 
communications campaign as part of a successful CT program 
since the Zapatero Administration is not known for being 
forward-leaning in explaining to the Spanish public the 
extent of the threat that Spain faces from radical Islamists. 
 END COMMENT.)  Jaime Jimenez stated that the GOS bases its 
strategy to combat terrorism and organized crime on two key 
assumptions:  1) that there will always be individuals 
disposed to defend radical ideas and therefore terrorism will 
be around for many years to come: and 2) the majority of the 
public perceives organized crime as distinct from terrorism, 
which he claimed was "dangerous."  He added that the 
occasional "settling of accounts" by organized crime figures 
is viewed as isolated and remote from the daily concerns of 
most members of the public, for whom organized crime does not 
create as much "social alarm" as terrorism does. 
 
//INTELLIGENCE// 
 
¶6. (SBU) CNI Director Alberto Saiz spoke on international 
organized crime and its effect on societies, an issue which 
he claimed transcends borders and can penetrate police, state 
and institutional structures.  He linked organized crime to 
money laundering and said that these groups fund clubs, 
foundations, sectors of the economy, tourism and - in extreme 
cases - political parties.  He stated that the only way to 
combat organized crime is by the coordinated use of force to 
secure a nation's borders.  He described organized crime as a 
"big threat" to Spain. 
 
¶7. (C) Fernando Moreno, an SNP Commissioner who serves as 
Chief of Strategic Intelligence in Spain's Organized Crime 
Intelligence Center (CICO), made the case for a 
"transnational" - not just bilateral - response to 
 
MADRID 00000517  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
narcotraffickers, money launderers, and trafficking in 
persons.  He argued for developing a regional Ibero-American 
program for greater collaboration.  This effort would help 
address the GOS's current assessment that traffickers and 
launderers are "too fluid" in their operations, which 
prevents Madrid from having a clear idea of what is happening 
before these networks arrive in Spain.  Moreno acknowledged 
that it is difficult to find reliable statistics on the 
activities of these groups and argued for sharing information 
in a joint database, which would allow all States concerned 
to have access to relevant information on these organized 
crime networks.  He suggested, technically speaking, "it does 
not seem too difficult" to create such a database.  COMMENT: 
After 2.5 years in his current post, Moreno told POL Section 
officials on May 26 that in mid-June he will become the SNP's 
first-ever legal attache in New Delhi.  His successor has not 
been named.  END COMMENT. 
 
//LAW ENFORCEMENT// 
 
¶8. (SBU) Miguel Valverde, chief of the SNP's intelligence 
wing, highlighted that Spain already had "ample" experience 
in CT issues - fighting ETA - before 11-M.  He outlined three 
key aspects to the SNP's CT efforts:  (1) having good 
intelligence; (2) having the best possible internal 
coordination among Spain's various security services; (3) and 
having good international cooperation.  He also stated that 
there is a "close" relationship between organized crime and 
terrorism. 
 
//PROSECUTORIAL// 
 
¶9. (SBU) Candido Conde Pumpido, Spain's Attorney General 
(AG), spoke on the subject of whether the global economic 
crisis will impact security.  He suggested there is "no 
better investment" for nations than investments in an 
effective security and judicial system, which he claimed 
creates economic growth.  He argued there is a centrifugal 
force in the application of the rule of law that sends a 
clarifying message to the public about the morality of the 
State's actions.  The AG highlighted that the GOS believes it 
must guarantee freedoms and provide support for victims of 
organized crime.  He added that transparency and impartiality 
in the rule of law win the confidence of the people, which is 
"key" to the success of this endeavor.  The AG, who stated 
that Spain and France have 11 joint investigative teams, also 
remarked that the GOS had learned a lot about the importance 
of the rule as a result of its many years combating ETA.  On 
the subject of illegal narcotics and narcotraffickers, he 
stated that the international system cannot demand that the 
South reduce the supply while te orth does not stop 
supplying arms, which he claimed has turned some groups into 
"authentic armies." 
 
¶10. (SBU) Javier Zaragoza, Chief Prosecutor at the National 
Court, addressed best practices of the Spanish judicial 
system.  He highlighted the increasing globalization of the 
judicial system, citing the UN Conventions against Drugs, 
Terrorism, Organized Crime and Corruption, which he described 
collectively as the basis for the increasing judicialization 
of the international efforts against international crime.  He 
stated that the protection of fundamental rights is the one 
of the bases of international law and that the establishment 
of a global system was "absolutely fundamental" to attacking 
the "impunity" which some violate these laws. 
 
//JUDICIAL// 
 
¶11. (C) Baltasar Garzon, an Investigating Judge on Spain's 
National Court, made his case for "universal jurisdiction" in 
cases involving narcotrafficking, terrorism, and organized 
crime, which he asserted do not respect national borders and 
need to be thought of as "universal" issues.  He said this 
called for a change of mindset for some, adding that if this 
point is not understood, then governments are on the "wrong 
 
MADRID 00000517  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
path" on this issue.  Garzon said that one of the challenges 
that governments face is to harmonize their laws on these 
issues, which will pave the way for universal laws for these 
global problems.  (COMMENT:  Garzon was not speaking for the 
GOS on this issue, as GOS officials regularly stress the 
independence of the judiciary in Spain.  END COMMENT.)  The 
judge also stated that bilateral cooperation develops over 
time and comes from building confidence and establishing 
trust. 
 
//LEGISLATIVE// 
 
¶12. (SBU) Alvaro Cuesta Martinez, chair of the Judicial 
Committee in the lower house of Spain's parliament, said that 
beefing up resources - personnel, budgets, and material - in 
the fight against organized crime has been a legislative 
priority.  He stated that nowadays there is a greater level 
of coordination - sharing data and intelligence - between the 
SNP and the GC.  (COMMENT: See Comment in Paragraph 5.  END 
COMMENT.)  He noted that, since 11-M, penalties for 
trafficking in explosives have increased and the GOS also has 
redoubled its efforts to combat money laundering.  He said 
that one of the agenda items for Spain's upcoming EU 
Presidency in early 2010 will be to work toward harmonizing 
criminal law within the EU. 
 
//THE MEXICAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE GOS-GOM RELATIONSHIP// 
 
¶13. (SBU) Gustavo Mohar, Secretary General for the Center for 
Investigation and National Security, delivered the GOM's most 
interesting remarks.  He said institutional trust between the 
two governments yields "intense collaboration," especially in 
terms of analysis and technical cooperation.  He added that 
the agenda in the bilateral security relationship includes 
combating radical Islamic terrorism, and reporting on Cuba, 
Venezuela, and Central America.  He also spoke at length on 
issues related to Mexico's internal security issues. 
CHACON