EL SALVADOR: LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY APPROVES IRAQ DEPLOYMENT EXTENSION

id: 37625
date: 7/29/2005 15:23
refid: 05SANSALVADOR2144
origin: Embassy San Salvador
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 03SANSALVADOR1885
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 002144
 
SIPDIS
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2015
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MARR, IZ, ES
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR:  LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY APPROVES IRAQ
DEPLOYMENT EXTENSION
 
REF: A. 2003 SAN SALVADOR 1885
 
     B. 2004 SAN SALVADOR 2049
     C. SAN SALVADOR 283
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Mark Silverman, Reason 1.4 (d)
 
1. (SBU)  El Salvador's Legislative Assembly voted late July
28 to extend troop deployment to Iraq for an additional year.
 The vote provides the legal basis for the planned August 11
departure of the fifth contingent of 380 troops, and would
cover a sixth contingent, should President Saca decide to
keep Salvadoran troops in Iraq through Summer 2007.
Forty-five ARENA, PCN, and PDC deputies voted to approve the
one-year deployment, while 27 FMLN and 12 deputies from a
recently-formed center coalition voted against the measure.
 
2. (SBU)  Legislative Assembly authorization first passed in
July 2003(Ref A), was renewed in July 2004, and now has been
renewed for an additional year.  As with the July 2004
extension renewal (Ref B), the Assembly President took
legislative measures to limit debate on the vote in order to
avoid costly criticism from the FMLN and other opponents in
the lead-up to the 2006 legislative and municipal elections.
The unpopularity of the deployment among certain parts of the
population was a significant concern of the Government, as
previous polls have shown that up to 60% of the population
opposes the deployment (Ref C).
 
3. (SBU)  El Salvador initially deployed troops in August
2003 and since then four contingents have served with
distinction.  Between August 2003 and September 2004
Salvadoran soldiers served in Najaf under Polish command in
the Multinational Division (MND).  The Salvadorans suffered
major blows during the April 2004 Najaf uprisings when 15
soldiers were wounded, and one killed.  In September 2004,
for operational reasons, the Salvadoran contingent was moved
to Al Hillah (still under the command and control of the
Polish MND).  In addition to Special Forces, Marine and
Commando elements, the third and fourth contingents have been
task-organized with conventional forces such as civil
affairs, doctors, engineers, and military poilce.  On
November 12, 2004, Secretary Rumsfeld visited El Salvador and
awarded six Bronze Stars to the Salvadoran security detail
charged with protecting the Najaf CPA and credited with
saving the CPA's life and the lives of his party during an
ambush in March 2004.  El Salvador suffered a second fatality
on June 27, 2005, this time due to a traffic accident.
 
4. (C)  COMMENT:  Although the deployment was anticipated to
take place without difficulty, Saca's seeking and receiving
Legislative Assembly approval reduces the administration's
vulnerability.  However, for the original July 2003
authorization and the July 2004 extension, Saca enjoyed some
center-party support, which has now disappeared.  Maintaining
troops in Iraq comes with political cost to President Saca
and his ARENA party, should additional casualties occur in
the lead-up to the 2006 legislative and municipal elections,
public support for the deployment would deteriorate further,
and Saca and the Arena party's popularity would be marginally
affected.  This said, President Saca enjoys high ratings in
most other respects and has decided that supporting the Iraq
coalition is important enough to bear the risks.
Barclay

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