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La OTAN y los países bálticos

Cable en el que Varsovia pide una mayor presencia militar de EEUU

El Gobierno polaco insiste en calificar a Rusia como amenaza

ID:205846
Date:2009-05-07 05:17:00
Origin:09WARSAW467
Source:Embassy Warsaw
Classification:CONFIDENTIAL
Dunno:09WARSAW375
Destination:VZCZCXRO8229
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHWR #0467/01 1270517
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 070517Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8260
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000467

SIPDIS

EUR, PM, H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2019
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MARR, OREP, RS, PL
SUBJECT: POLAND - CODEL LEVIN DISCUSSES MISSILE DEFENSE,
PATRIOTS

REF: WARSAW 375

Classified By: Ambassador Ashe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (C) SUMMARY: In meetings with CODEL Levin, the Polish
Prime Minister's chief of staff, the President's deputy
national security advisor, and the speaker of the Polish
parliament expressed unanimous support for a large U.S.
military footprint in Poland to bolster Article 5 guarantees.
PM chief of staff Slawomir Nowak told CODEL that, regardless
of the U.S. decision on Missile Defense, Poland expects the
U.S. to "honor its commitments" to bring a Patriot battery to
Poland. All three Polish officials requested that the U.S.
keep Poland updated on the status of dialogue with Russia,
suggesting that Russia, not Iran, poses the greater threat to
Poland. CODEL's meeting with FM Sikorski is reported septel.
END SUMMARY.

2. (C) Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL),
and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), visited Warsaw April 15-16
to discuss Missile Defense and Polish interest in a U.S.
Patriot battery rotation with Polish officials, including
Prime Minister Tusk's chief of staff Slawomir Nowak, Deputy
Chief of President Kaczynski's National Security Bureau
Witold Waszczykowski, and Parliamentary Speaker Bronislaw
Komorowski (Civic Platform, PO). The Senators' meetings with
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Deputy Defense
Minister Stanislaw Komorowski are reported septel.

U.S. "ROCK SOLID" ON ARTICLE FIVE

3. (C) Senator Levin began all three meetings by conveying
the President's message that the U.S. commitment to the NATO
Article 5 guarantee is "rock solid." While U.S. support for
Poland may differ in form under the Obama administration,
U.S. support for Poland will be strong. When asked whether
Warsaw felt assured that NATO would honor its Article 5
commitments to Poland, Waszczykowski said "we still have our
doubts," adding that some European members -- particularly
France -- prefer talk to action, he wryly added "that's why
we bought F-16s and not French Mirages, and why we went
through with the Missile Defense deal."

PATRIOTS AND AMERICAN BOOTS

4. (C) Senator Levin warned all three interlocutors that if
the Czechs reject the proposed MD radar site, the Polish
component of MD would be put in jeopardy under current U.S.
legislation. Nowak expressed confidence that the Czechs
would ratify the agreement with the U.S., suggesting they are
simply waiting for a U.S. decision on MD. Speaker Komorowski
acknowledged the provisions of U.S. law, but stated Poland
does not want to be responsible for Czech problems. Senator
Collins acknowledged the political cost to Poland of
supporting MD, and asked for Komorowski,s views on how to
maintain support for the United States if it pursues a
different course.

5. (C) Asked whether Poland would be reassured by the
presence of Patriot batteries in lieu of MD, Nowak told CODEL
Levin that, regardless of MD's fate, the GOP expects the USG
to "honor its commitments" on Patriots. Poland intends to
build a comprehensive air-defense system and has identified
Patriots as "the most important element" of its defense
modernization efforts. Nowak said Poland "will not suffer"
if the U.S. withdraws from MD, but repeatedly asserted that
the GOP is "counting on Patriots." (NB: At one point, Nowak
even intervened when his interpreter mistakenly said the
Poles "would like Patriots." "No, we are counting on them,"
Nowak emphasized in English.)

6. (C) Waszczykowski was less adamant about Patriots, stating
that Poland and the U.S. had a binding political agreement on
security matters, which he hoped the United States would
respect. He added that Poland "wants U.S. boots on the
ground" -- not necessarily as a tripwire, but as a deterrent.
Nowak similarly stressed Poland's strong interest in
"deepening" military cooperation, ideally to include a large
U.S. footprint in Poland. He mused that one Patriot battery
and ten MD interceptors do not constitute the "impressive
presence" that Poland is hoping for.

7. (C) Speaker Komorowski and Nowak both pointed out that, by
agreeing to host the MD site, Poland had paid a "high price"
-- especially in its relations with other EU members and with
Russia. Komorowski expressed concern that Poland had again
become a Russian target after a dozen years of improving
relations -- senior Russian officials have threatened to
target Poland with nuclear missiles, are stirring up

WARSAW 00000467 002 OF 002


anti-Polish sentiment among Russians, and are acting against
Poland's interests in Ukraine.

8. (C) Komorowski argued that the U.S. needs to fulfill its
symbolic agreement to show involvement in defense of Polish
territory. If the new administration is changing U.S.
political priorities, it also needs to engage in dialogue
with Poland, not just Russia. Most important for Poland is
U.S. involvement in Polish security, through physical
presence of American forces in Poland, NATO facilities in
Poland, fulfilling the commitment to provide Patriot
missiles, and greater U.S.-Polish cooperation.

DIALOGUE WITH RUSSIA

9. (C) Komorowski, Nowak, and Waszczykowski stressed the
importance of keeping Poland updated on the status of
U.S.-Russia talks. Nowak stressed the GOP's strong interest
in a positive outcome, but reminded the CODEL that U.S.
negotiators had promised the USG would overcome Russian
objections to MD. "The MD site is an American base. The
burden of achieving Russian agreement is on the U.S. side,"
he said. Even so, Nowak said, Poland had agreed to accept
confidence-building measures with the Russians and was also
working to convince Moscow that MD is not a threat to
Russia's nuclear arsenal. Regardless, Russia will find it
difficult to accept any "tangible manifestation" of a NATO
presence in Poland or the Czech Republic.

10. (C) Nowak said Poland had not discussed Patriots with the
Russians. Russia should not have a say in Poland's defense
modernization planning. Noting that Poland's armed forces
are "defensive in nature," Nowak reiterated that Poland's
primary goal is to increase interoperability with allies.

11. (C) Presidential Advisor Waszczykowski reacted more
emotionally. While Washington is entitled to talk to Russia,
to work toward a solution to the Iranian threat, and to make
its own decision about the MD initiative, the U.S. should
take care not to undermine Poland's security. He then
wondered aloud, "How long will it take you to realize that
nothing will change with Iran and Russia?" Waszczykowski
asserted that Moscow is trying to regain its sphere of
influence and stressed the critical importance of an
increased U.S. or NATO presence for Poland's security. He
added that Russia continues to deny its historical
wrong-doings against Poland, imposes economic sanctions
against Poland at will, and frequently disrupts the flow of
oil and gas.

THREAT FROM IRAN?

12. (C) In all three meetings, Senator Nelson expressed doubt
that Iran would abandon its nuclear weapons or missile
programs, but noted that the Iranian threat to Europe could
be met for the foreseeable future with the AEGIS and THAAD
systems. Waszczykowski, who served as Poland's Ambassador to
Tehran (1999-2002), agreed that Iran poses an increasing
threat to the United States and Europe. He said that the
Iranian regime has no incentive to warm relations with
Washington because the regime has built its own legitimacy on
the cornerstone of anti-Americanism.

13. (C) Nowak and Komorowski told the CODEL that Poland does
not perceive a direct threat from Iran. Nowak stated that,
as an active and loyal ally, Poland had agreed to host the MD
site because of the threat Iran poses to the U.S. and others
in NATO. He noted that Poland's desire to be a strong ally
was also the basis for its activity in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nowak said Poland perceives a greater threat from non-state
actors, but conceded that Iran's support for terrorist
organizations was troubling. He added that Poland's decision
to host MD had moved it "closer to the top of Iran's list,"
and, as a result, made Patriots more important to Poland's
security.

14. (U) CODEL Levin has cleared this message.

ASHE
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