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El caso Couso

Cable sobre los trabajos de los ministros españoles "para desafiar las órdenes de detención"

Los titulares de Justicia y Exteriores, Juan Fernando López Aguilar y Miguel Ángel Moratinos, se comunican con el embajador estadounidense para hablar del 'caso Couso'

ID:43323
Date:2005-10-21 15:56:00
Origin:05MADRID3694
Source:Embassy Madrid
Classification:CONFIDENTIAL
Dunno:
Destination:This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003694

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2015
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SP, American - Spanish Relations
SUBJECT: SPANISH MINISTERS WORKING TO CHALLENGE ARREST
WARRANTS

Classified By: DCM Robert Manzanares for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).

1. (C) SUMMARY. Soon after a Spanish judge announced arrest
warrants on October 19 for three US soldiers associated with
the 2003 death of a Spanish cameraman in Iraq, both the
Justice Minister and the Foreign Minister reached out to
Ambassador Aguirre to let him know that the GOS is doing
everything in its power to challenge the Judge's decision.
The chief Spanish prosecutor announced that he has contested
the warrants, questioning the judge's jurisdiction over the
case and citing procedural faults. FM Moratinos told the
Ambassador that VP Fernandez de la Vega is also engaged and
that the government supports challenging the warrants on
procedural grounds, and then moving to appeal to higher
courts if necessary. END SUMMARY.

2. (SBU) On October 19, Spanish Judge Santiago Pedraz of the
National Court ordered the arrest and extradition of three US
soldiers associated with the death of Spanish cameraman Jose
Couso. Couso died in April 2003 when US forces shelled a
Baghdad hotel. A subsequent CENTCOM investigation of the
incident found that the US forces had acted properly and in
accordance with their Rules of Engagement. CENTCOM made a
comprehensive summary of its investigation available to the
executive branch of the GOS in August 2003. USDOJ and DOD
are still discussing possible responses to the judge's two
MLAT requests. Judge Pedraz said that the US has not replied
to his two MLAT requests for assistance with his
investigation of the journalist's death. He said that he had
to issue the international warrants because he has no other
way to ensure the testimony of the accused soldiers. He
cited the "nonexistent judicial cooperation" of US
authorities as a reason for his action.

3. (C) Justice Minister Lopez Aguilar called the Ambassador
on October 19 to tell him that the GOS will make every effort
to challenge the judge's decision on technical grounds. FM
Moratinos told the Ambassador in a separate call that Vice
President Fernandez de la Vega is involved in the case.
Moratinos said that if the judge fixes the technical flaws
the Government would move to appeal. In public, both
ministers expressed "respect" for the decision of the
independent judge. Justice Minister Aguilar pointed out that
the order is not yet final because it can be appealed. He
also said that the US and Spain cooperate closely on judicial
issues related to terrorism and international crime issues.

4. (SBU) On October 20, Attorney General Candido
Conde-Pumpido publicly announced that the prosecutors who
practice before the National Court have challenged the
warrant for lack of jurisdiction in the death of a Spanish
citizen during a foreign war and the lack of a pre-existing
indictment against the soldiers. Normally in Spain requests
for extradition are only based on pre-existing arrest
warrants

5. (C) COMMENT. Top ministers moved quickly to let us know
that the Government is working to resolve this situation.
The Government must act carefully as it tries to influence
Spain's fiercely independent judiciary. In order to avoid
aggravating the situation, GOS leaders must publicly show
their respect for the independent workings of the courts
(just as we've asked them to respect the independence of our
courts in cases like Posada Carriles.) We continue to
reiterate that this matter has been fully investigated, the
government has been fully informed, and that the soldiers'
actions were justified.
AGUIRRE
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