Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Message Text CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 BONN 00233 01 OF 03 051654Z ACTION L-03 INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 IO-13 ISO-00 CIAE-00 PM-04 INR-07 ACDA-07 NSAE-00 PA-01 SS-15 PRS-01 SP-02 USIA-06 TRSE-00 SAJ-01 DODE-00 H-01 NSC-05 DHA-02 DPW-01 OES-06 NRC-05 ERDA-05 098 W ------------------051906Z 081006 65 P R 051644Z JAN 77 FM AMEMBASSY BONN TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4433 INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY PARIS USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BONN 00233 E O 11652 GDS TAGS ICRC PARM PFOR NATO GW SUBJECT FRG POSITION ON DRAFT PROTOCOL ON INTERNATIONAL LAW IN ARMED CONFLICT REF STATE 308066 STATE 000066 BONN 00056 BEGIN SUMMARY A FONOFF OFFICIAL HAS DESCRIBED FRG CONCERNS ABOUT THE DRAFT PROTOCOL ON INTERNATIONAL LAW IN ARMED CONFLICT AS CENTERING ON A POSSIBLE WEAKENING OF NATO DEFENSE STRATEGY AS WELL AS A STRONG DESIRE OF THE GERMANS TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE WAR CRIMES CHARGES THE EMBASSY DOES NOT BELIEVE THE FRG WISHES TO BLOCK ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROTOCOL BUT RECOMMENDS THAT THE US CONSIDER WHETHER A MORE FORTHCOMING APPROACH TO THE GERMANS MIGHT NOT BE WARRANTED IN VIEW OF BONN'S HISTORICALLY AND LEGALLY BASED CONCERNS END SUMMARY CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 BONN 00233 01 OF 03 051654Z 1 DR VON MARSCHALL FRG FONOFF LEGAL SECTION BEGAN MEETING WITH EMBOFFS ON JANUARY 4 BY REVIEWING PROBLEM OF INTERPRETATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF DRAFT PROTOCOL CONCERNING NUCLEAR AND CONVENTIONAL WARFARE HE SAID THESE VIEWS WERE MADE KNOWN IN OCTOBER AIDE-MEMOIRE FROM FRG EMBASSY TO DEPARTMENT AND HAD BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED AT WASHINGTON AND MOST Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 RECENTLY AT INNER CORE MEETING IN BONN IN EARLY DECEMBER 1976 2 PRESSED FOR THE REASONS BEHIND WHAT APPEARED TO OTHER INNER CORE STATES TO BE EXCESSIVE FRG CONCERNS VON MARSCHALL REFERRED TO THE NUREMBERG TRIALS THE FRG WISH TO AVOID IN THE FUTURE BEING CHARGED WITH VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL RULES OF WARFARE AND CONSEQUENT UNWILLINGNESS TO DO LESS THAN CONFORM 100 PER CENT WITH ESTABLISHED RULES WHILE ON A PERSONAL BASIS ALLOWING THAT THE FMOD WAS TAKING AN EXCESSIVELY CONCERNED VIEW IN FONOFF'S OPINION VON MARSCHALL STATED THAT THE FMOD BELIEVED THAT THE ANGLO-SAXONS US UK CANADA WERE TAKING THE MATTER TOO LIGHTLY HE SAID HE BELIEVED THIS WAS PARTLY BASED ON THEIR ASSUMPTION THAT CONFORMITY WITH THE RULES WOULD IN THE EVENT OF WAR BE JUDGED BY VICTORS ANYWAY AND THE PROBLEM WAS THUS NOT SO IMPORTANT 3 THE FRG VON MARSCHALL SAID HAD A PARTICULAR PROBLEM STEMMING FROM THE WISH NOT LIKE NAZI GERMANY TO FORCE ITS SOLDIERS TO VIOLATE ESTABLISHED RULES OF WARFARE AS WELL AS FROM POST-WWII WAR CRIMINAL TRIALS FRG SOLDIERS COULD INITIALLY IN MILITARY AND ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS QUESTION THE LEGALITY OF NATOAGREED STRATEGY AND TACTICS AND THEIR CONFORMITY WITH INTERNATIONALLY ESTABLISHED RULES INCLUDING THE PROTOCOL SHOULD IT COME INTO FORCE AND SHOULD THE FRG BECOME A PARTY TO IT SUCH ACTION COULD RESULT IN CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 BONN 00233 01 OF 03 051654Z A FINAL JUDGMENT THAT WOULD DECISIVELY AFFECT FRG ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO PLAY AN EFFECTIVE ROLE IN NATO DEFENSE PLANNING EVEN A LOWER COURT JUDGMENT COULD CREATE GREAT UNCERTAINTY AND A SUBSTANTIVE POLITICAL MILITARY PROBLEM VON MARSCHALL EMPHASIZED THAT THE FONOFF FULLY SHARED THE FMOD VIEW THAT THE FRG HAD AN UNIQUE PROBLEM BY REASON OF THIS OPPORTUNITY OPEN TO FRG SOLDIERS VON MARSCHALL SAID THAT THERE WERE OF COURSE CLASSICIAL DIFFERENCES IN THE APPROACH OF THE FONOFF AND THE FMOD DIPLOMATS VS SOLDIERS TO THE PROTOCOL ITSELF AND THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF ITS NEGOTIATION 4 VON MARSCHALL RETURNED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE THEME THAT NATO DEFENSE STRATEGY MIGHT BE WEAKENED BY CERTAIN INTERPRETATIONS OF THE PROTOCOL AS THE PRINCIPAL FRONT-LINE STATE IN CENTRAL EUROPE THE GERMANS WANT TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY AS A NON-NUCLEAR WEAPON STATE Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 HOWEVER THEY FELT THAT SOME MIGHT INTERPRET THE PROTOCOL AS PROHIBITING CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPON CONFIDENTIAL NNN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 BONN 00233 02 OF 03 051658Z ACTION L-03 INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 IO-13 ISO-00 CIAE-00 PM-04 INR-07 ACDA-07 NSAE-00 PA-01 SS-15 PRS-01 SP-02 USIA-06 TRSE-00 SAJ-01 DODE-00 H-01 NSC-05 DHA-02 DPW-01 OES-06 NRC-05 ERDA-05 098 W ------------------051907Z 081046 65 P R 051644Z JAN 77 FM AMEMBASSY BONN TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4434 INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY PARIS USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 BONN 00233 SYSTEMS OR THEIR EFFECTIVE EMPLOYMENT THE GERMAN DEFENSIVE PROBLEM IS MADE MORE INTRACTABLE BY THE FACT THAT SO MANY VILLAGES AND CITIES ARE PACKED INTO A RELATIVELY LIMITED GEOGRAPHIC AREA MAKING IT DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFEND AGAINST AN AGGRESSOR'S INVASION WITHOUT INVOLVING AREAS WHERE CIVILIANS ARE CONCENTRATED 5 THE FONOFF DIFFERED WITH THE FMOD ON THE NEED AND ADVISABILITY OF USING A WORST CASE ANALYSIS AS THE BASIS FOR FRG VIEWS AND AGREED WITH OTHER INNER CORE STATES THAT FMOD WAS OVERDOING IT VON MARSCHALL SAID THAT HARD FMOD RELIANCE ON THE WORST CASE ANALYSIS WAS IN PART PERHAPS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FMOD VIEW THAT INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING WAS BEING SHOWN TO ITS CONCERN BY OTHER NATO STATES ON THE OTHER HAND THE FONOFF AGREED WITH THE FMOD THAT RELIANCE ON A CONFIDENTIAL Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 BONN 00233 02 OF 03 051658Z BEST CASE ANALYSIS USED BY THE ANGLO-SAXONS WAS ALSO NOT ADVISABLE EMPHASIZING ONCE MORE THAT THE VIEWS HE WAS EXPRESSING WERE PERSONAL AND NOT GOVERNMENTAL AND SHOULD BE HELD IN CONFIDENCE VON MARSCHALL SAID HE HAD THE STRONG IMPRESSION THAT THE FMOD WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE IMPRESSION MADE BY FRG VIEWS VOICED SO FAR ON OTHER NATO STATES AND THE TARNISHING EFFECT OF THOSE VIEWS ON THE FRG'S IMAGE AS A HUMANITARIAN STATE 6 VON MARSCHALL SAID THE FONOFF WOULD BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH FMOD TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM AND TO COPE WITH THE NON-INCLUSION OF THE RULE OF PROPORTIONALITY IN THE PROTOCOL BY MEANS OF A DECLARATION A DRAFT OF WHICH DATED DECEMBER 2 1976 WAS DISCUSSED WITH OTHER INNER CORE STATES IN BONN MEETINGS THE FONOFF HOPED TO BRING THE FMOD AROUND MORE NEARLY TO VIEWS OF OTHER INNER CORE STATES EXCLUDING FRANCE BUT THE FONOFF'S BEST HOPE WAS FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN WHAT APPEARED ACCEPTABLE TO INNER CORE STATES USING ONLY A BEST CASE ANALYSIS 7 VON MARSCHALL ASKED EMBOFFS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY FMOD BASED ON THE FMOD STUDY DISCUSSED AT THE BONN MEETING WERE NOT REPEAT NOT THE VIEWS OF FRG 8 SUMMING UP THE ATTITUDE OF THE FRG TO CONCLUSION OF THE PROTOCOL AND EXPRESSING GRATITUDE FOR THE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN THE FRG POSITION AND ITS BACKGROUND VON MARSCHALL SAID THAT WHILE THE FRG WOULD WELCOME IT IF CONCLUSION OF THE PROTOCOL WERE POSTPONED FOR FIVE YEARS THIS DID NOT SEEM A REALISTIC HOPE SUCH POSTPONEMENT WOULD PUT THE VIETNAM WAR INTO BETTER PERSPECTIVE MOREOVER MORE AND MORE ELEMENTS FORMERLY CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 BONN 00233 02 OF 03 051658Z FAVORING TROUBLESOME FORMULATIONS HAD BECOME GOVERNMENTS AND WERE BEGINNING TO HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF LANGUAGE SUPPORTING NON-ESTABLISHMENT INTERESTS A PAUSE FOR THOUGHT MIGHT PERMIT THESE HISTORICAL CHANGES TO RESULT IN A BETTER ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GENUINE HUMANITARIAN PURPOSE OF PROTOCOL Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 9 VON MARSCHALL CLEARLY SUGGESTED THAT FOR HISTORICAL REASONS THE FRG COULD NOT AFFORD TO OBSTRUCT CONCLUSION OF PROTOCOL AND STATED THIS WAS NOT THE PURPOSE OF FRG EFFORTS ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ADMITTEDLY PERSONS INVOLVED IN THIS MATTER ON THE GERMAN SIDE WHO WOULD PREFER NOT MERELY A DELAY IN CONCLUSION BUT RATHER NON-CONCLUSION OF THE PROTOCOL IT WAS CLEAR HOWEVER FROM HIS DISCUSSION THAT THOSE DID NOT REPRESENT THE MAIN OBSTACLE HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT WITH BETTER UNDERSTANDING FOR AND PATIENCE WITH FRG CONCERNS AN ACCEPTABLE AND WORKABLE SOLUTION COULD BE ACHIEVED AND HE HOPED THAT THE US AND OTHER INNER CORE STATES SHARED THAT CONFIDENCE 10 COMMENT THE GERMAN HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE HAS CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO FRG THINKING ON THE RELATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW TO THE CONDUCT OF WAR ONLY GERMANS WERE TRIED AS WAR CRIMINALS AT NUREMBERG THE FEAR IS STILL PRESENT DOCUMENTED BY THE HISTORICAL RECORD THAT GERMANS COULD AGAIN AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE BE CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES THE NUREMBERG EXPERIENCE IS ONE WHICH THE GERMANS DO NOT WANT REPEATED EVEN AT THE RISK OF CONFIDENTIAL NNN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 01 BONN 00233 03 OF 03 051659Z ACTION L-03 INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 IO-13 ISO-00 CIAE-00 PM-04 INR-07 ACDA-07 NSAE-00 PA-01 SS-15 PRS-01 SP-02 USIA-06 TRSE-00 SAJ-01 DODE-00 H-01 NSC-05 DHA-02 DPW-01 OES-06 NRC-05 ERDA-05 098 W ------------------051907Z 081063 65 P R 051644Z JAN 77 FM AMEMBASSY BONN TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4435 INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY PARIS USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 BONN 00233 NOW APPEARING LEGALISTIC AND PERFECTIONISTIC IN EXPRESSING CONCERN AT WHAT MAY APPEAR TO BE SOME OF THE MORE REMOTE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LANGUAGE OF THE PROTOCOL THE USG SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THAT BECAUSE GERMAN COURTS DURING THE HITLER PERIOD BECAME MERELY AN ARM OF THE EXECUTIVE FRG COURTS NOW GENERALLY GIVE LESS WEIGHT TO THE VIEWS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ACTIONS PENDING BEFORE THEM EVEN WHEN THE INTERPRETATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY IS INVOLVED THAN DO COURTS IN THE UNITED STATES MOREOVER AT LEAST SOME FRG OFFICIALS MAY HARBOR MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS OF A JUDGE OR EVEN A COURT THAT MIGHT BE CALLED ON TO RULE ON INTERPRETATION OF THE PROTOCOL ADEQUATELY TO TAKE THE NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS OF THE FRG INTO ACCOUNT THERE IS A GENUINE CONCERN CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 BONN 00233 03 OF 03 051659Z AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY VON MARSCHALL THAT A GERMAN COURT WITH PACIFISTIC OR HUMANISTIC ORIENTATION COULD RULE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT IN SUCH AN ACTION AND THAT SUBSTANTIAL UNCERTAINTY AND POLITICAL MILITARY CONSEQUENCES COULD RESULT EVEN IF THAT RULING WERE LATER OVERTURNED THERE ARE ALSO STRONG FEELINGS AND DIFFERING OPINIONS IN THE FRG ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT OF POLITICAL RADICALS IN PUBLIC SERVICE THAT SERVICE INCLUDES SERVICE AS JUDGES OF FRG COURTS WHETHER THEY ARE JUSTIFIED OR NOT MISGIVINGS AS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH MAY AFFECT THE DEGREE TO WHICH SOME QUARTERS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE PREPARED TO TRUST THE COURTS WITH PRODUCING A REASONABLE INTERPRETATION OF THE PROTOCOL THAT WOULD TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE RULE OF PROPORTIONALITY UNLESS THAT RULE IS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR EITHER IN THE PROTOCOL ITSELF OR BY AN APPROPRIATE FRG RESERVATION OR DECLARATION THE DILEMMA IS A PARTICULARLY CRUEL ONE FOR THE GERMANS SINCE THEY KNOW THAT AGGRESSION FROM THE EAST IN CENTRAL EUROPE MUST BE MET AND STOPPED IN THE FRG THE QUESTION WHICH THIS NEED RAISES IS WHETHER THE GERMANS CAN EFFECTIVELY PLAN WITH NATO TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND WHETHER THEY CAN IN FACT DEFEND THEMSELVES WITHOUT FEAR THAT THEIR DEFENSIVE ACTIONS Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 MIGHT LATER BE HELD AGAINST THEM AS INDIVIDUAL MILITARY MEN AND AS A NATION IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT SOME IN THE DEFENSE MINISTRY WOULD PREFER THAT THE PROTOCOL NEVER BE ACCEPTED ON THE OTHER HAND THE FRG HAS BUILT A HUMANITARIAN FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND MUST BE CONCERNED ABOUT CONTINUING TO PROJECT A CORRESPONDING IMAGE AS A RESULT WE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 BONN 00233 03 OF 03 051659Z BELIEVE THAT THE FRG WILL EVENTUALLY OPT FOR THE PROTOCOL FOR DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL REASONS TO HELP SPEED THE PROCESS ALONG THE EMBASSY RECOMMENDS THAT THE COMPETENT US AGENCIES CONSIDER WHETHER A MORE FORTHCOMI OR AT LEAST A MORE UNDERSTANDING US ATTITUDE TO BONN IS NOT WARRANTED WE ARE UNABLE TO MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE WE ARE INSUFFICIENTLY FAMILIAR WITH THE DETAILS OF THE DISCUSSION BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL GERMAN ATTITUDE WOULD NOT PRECLUDE REACHING AGREEMENT PROVIDED SOME OF THEIR GENUINE CONCERNS CAN BE MET STOESSEL CONFIDENTIAL NNN Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning X Capture Date 01-Jan-1994 12 00 00 am Channel Indicators n a Current Classification UNCLASSIFIED Concepts AGREEMENT DRAFT INTERNATIONAL LAW FOREIGN POLICY POSITION LAW OF WAR Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Sent Date 05-Jan-1977 12 00 00 am Decaption Date 01-Jan-1960 12 00 00 am Decaption Note Disposition Action RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date Disposition Case Number n a Disposition Comment 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date 22 May 2009 Disposition Event Disposition History n a Disposition Reason Disposition Remarks Document Number 1977BONN00233 Document Source CORE Document Unique ID 00 Drafter n a Enclosure n a Executive Order GS Errors N A Expiration Film Number D770004-0845 Format TEL From BONN Handling Restrictions n a Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1977 newtext t19770180 aaaacrqf tel Line Count 360 Litigation Code IDs Litigation Codes Litigation History Locator TEXT ON-LINE ON MICROFILM Message ID c1f75cdd-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Office ACTION L Original Classification CONFIDENTIAL Original Handling Restrictions n a Original Previous Classification n a Original Previous Handling Restrictions n a Page Count 7 Previous Channel Indicators n a Previous Classification CONFIDENTIAL Previous Handling Restrictions n a Reference 77 STATE 308066 77 STATE 66 77 BONN 56 Retention 0 Review Action RELEASED APPROVED Review Content Flags Review Date 25-Oct-2004 12 00 00 am Review Event Review Exemptions n a Review Media Identifier Review Release Date n a Review Release Event n a Review Transfer Date Review Withdrawn Fields n a SAS ID 3663301 Secure OPEN Status NATIVE Subject FRG POSITION ON DRAFT PROTOCOL ON INTER- NATIONAL LAW IN ARMED CONFLICT TAGS PARM PFOR GE ICRC NATO To STATE Type TE vdkvgwkey odbc SAS SAS dbo SAS_Docs c1f75cdd-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Review Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009