La gran filtración
Cable sobre una reunión con los militares
La embajada cuenta el encuentro con los jefes de las tres armadas brasileñas: ejército, marina y aire.
| ID: | 187536 |
| Date: | 2009-01-16 10:53:00 |
| Origin: | 09BRASILIA73 |
| Source: | Embassy Brasilia |
| Classification: | CONFIDENTIAL |
| Dunno: | 08BRASILIA1589 09BRASILIA34 09BRASILIA35 09BRASILIA41 09SAOPAULO27 |
| Destination: | VZCZCXRO8741 RR RUEHRG DE RUEHBR #0073/01 0161053 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 161053Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3353 INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 8969 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7152 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3398 RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL |
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000073 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2019 TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, ETTC, BR SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN SERVICE CHIEFS PRAISE DEFENSE COOPERATION, COMPLAIN ABOUT STATE DEPARTMENT REF: A. BRASILIA 34 B. BRASILIA 35 C. BRASILIA 41 D. 08 BRASILIA 1589 E. SAO PAULO 27 Classified By: AMBASSADOR CLIFFORD SOBEL. REASON: 1.5 (D) 1. (C) SUMMARY. On January 14, Ambassador Sobel hosted the Chiefs of the three Brazilian Services, Gen. Enzo Peri, ADM Julio Soares de Moura Neto and Brig. Juniti Saito for a discussion of the U.S.-Brazil defense relationship and possibilities for future cooperation. Each of the Chiefs said cooperation with their counterpart U.S. service was excellent and gave his priorities for upcoming cooperation. Ambassador Sobel highlighted opportunities for defense industrial cooperation citing Boeing's efforts to find partners for the FX2 program as a model. The three stressed the need for better transparency of U.S. export licensing, with Saito saying that the perception in Brazil that slow licensing times reflect a State Department policy aimed at restricting Brazil's access to military technology was creating "problems at the political level," a veiled reference to high level resistance to the purchase of Boeing Super Hornet fighters. The Chiefs all cited the new Defense Strategy as an important step forward as it gave the issue of national security greater prominence in the national political scene. They were less positive on whether there would be resources available to carry out the ambitious strategy but felt the document would allow for a stronger case for resources to be directed to defense. Regarding future cooperation, Moura Neto underlined the importance of in country construction of major projects, e.g. ships. END SUMMARY. 2. (C) At a January 14 lunch, Ambassador Sobel invited the service Chiefs to discuss U.S.-Brazil security cooperation, in particular, their views on areas for enhancing the relationship. All three began by saying that they enjoyed close and productive relationships with their counterpart U.S. services. Admiral Moura Neto cited personnel exchanges as a success for the navy and hoped to expand such exchanges, if approved, to include the U.S. Coast Guard (the Brazilian navy performs the coast guard mission) as well. Brigadeiro Saito stated that while the overall relationship was strong with the U.S. as Brazil's most important supplier, there was room for improvement in the processing of export licenses by the State Department. General Enzo mentioned exchanges of army engineers as a fruitful area for cooperation. FUTURE EQUIPMENT - TO BE MADE IN BRAZIL --------------------------------------- 3. (C) All three chiefs underlined the growing emphasis the Brazilian government is placing on developing Brazilian industry. Moura Neto said the Navy's highest priority was coastal patrol craft, to be followed by a new generation of frigates ("escort ships"), but the government would only authorize acquisition of such ships if they were to be built in Brazil. (NOTE: He did not mention the politically popular submarine program as a priority. End note.) The other Chiefs had similar views. Enzo noted that Brazil was seeking to be able to perform maintenance of Black Hawk helicopters in country, rather than in the U.S. Saito and Moura Neto agreed that future aircraft procurement for the navy and air force would depend on building aircraft in country. Ambassador Sobel cited AVIBRAS, whom he met with recently (ref e), as a company intent on exploiting the potential for greater cooperation between U.S. and Brazilian defense industries. CHALLENGES - IT'S ALL THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S FAULT --------------------------------------------- ----- 4. (C) The service chiefs each weighed in on what they perceive as the major problem with the U.S.-Brazil security relationship -- State Department export licensing. Each service has examples of cases in which delays in the licensing process have caused difficulties for the Brazilians. Examples include gyroscopes for the air force, Black Hawk parts for the army and a radar antenna. (Note: While these problems have most typically been due to exporter error, the common denominator has been State Department licensing. End note.) Saito said that he believes our BRASILIA 00000073 002 OF 002 system is "run by bureaucrats," adding that State policies are based on an unwarranted view that Brazil cannot be trusted to protect sensitive technologies. Enzo emphatically stated that he believes State's actions to limit exports reflect the lack of a "policy of state" in favor of advancing the defense partnership with Brazil . Ambassador Sobel pointed out that data indicate no worse a rate of denial and RWA for Brazil than most other major importers of ITAR controlled items and noted that the recently convened Technology Security Dialogue can help remove misunderstandings. With a clear view toward the FX2 decision, Saito warned that the perceived State Department opposition to technology transfer to Brazil was creating "problems at a political level." DEFENSE STRATEGY - POSITIVE FOR THE MILITARY --------------------------------------------- 5. (C) Responding to a question of how the ambitious plans for military modernization would be resourced, Moura Neto stated that while this was an economic (as opposed to military) question, the advantage of the strategy document (see ref a for discussion) was that it made the question of defense resources a national one. By recognizing Brazil's "strategic vulnerabilities," the strategy had put the question of defense in the forefront of the national debate. Enzo added that this would be a much more positive development for the military as it put them "inside" of national development instead of on the sidelines where they have been since the end of military rule. While the strategy document contains many demands on limited resources, including equipment, support to inefficient industries and training for national service, the military views it as positive because it signifies a greater understanding of the importance of the military. COMMENT ------- 6. (C) The warning from Saito, whom post considers a key ally in our FX2 bid, is the clearest indication yet that the obstacles to the F18 sale cited in refs c and d are real and that we still have considerable ground to cover in countering the perception that the USG, and the State Department in particular, cannot be counted on to approve the necessary technology transfer. The service chiefs got the point that the offer of the F18 signified an unprecedented willingness to approve technology for Brazil that would pay dividends in both military and defense industry cooperation in the future, but the political problem cited by Saito remains acute. SOBEL |
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