IIR 6 815 0002 05/DUTCH AND UK SUPPORT FOR

id: 22339 date: 11/2/2004 15:44 refid: 04OTTAWA2931 origin: Embassy Ottawa classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN destination: header: This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002931 SIPDIS CONFIDENTIAL NOFORN SIPDIS SERIAL: (U) IIR 6 815 0002 05. COUNTRY: (U) CANADA (CA); NETHERLANDS (NL); UNITED KINGDOM (UK). IPSP: (U) IFC1512; IFC1517; IFC2610. TAGS: DOD NATO SUBJECT: IIR 6 815 0002 05/DUTCH AND UK SUPPORT FOR CANADIAN CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF ASSUMING CHAIRMANSHIP OF NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE (U) WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT IS CLASSIFIED C O N F I D E N T I A L/NOFORN. -------------- -------------- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE -------------- -------------- DOI: (U) 20041028. REQS: (U) DHCD127058; DHCD172046; DHCD172008; D-IAC-2610-047-01. SOURCE: A. (C) //6 815 0337//DUTCH DEFENSE OFFICIAL WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL DUTIES. PREVIOUS REPORTING HAS BEEN RELIABLE. ¶B. (C) //6 815 0180//UNITED KINGDOM DEFENSE OFFICIAL WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL DUTIES. PREVIOUS REPORTING HAS BEEN RELIABLE. SUMMARY: (C) CANADA,S CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, GENERAL RAY ((HENAULT)) HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE. DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO CANADA HAS STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE NOMINATION. UK HIGH COMMISSIONER TO CANADA MAY BE LESS SUPPORTIVE. TEXT: 1. (C) CANADA,S CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF (CDS/CHOD), GENERAL RAY ((HENAULT)),HAS BEEN NOMINATED AS ONE OF TWO CANDIDATES FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE MILITARY COMMITTEE (CMC) AT NATO, REPLACING CURRENT CHAIRMAN, GENERAL HARARLD ((KUJAT)). HE HAS BEEN QUIETLY BUT CONTINUOUSLY LOBBYING FOR THE POSITION SINCE THE END OF CY2003. ¶2. (C) ACCORDING TO SOURCE A, DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO CANADA J.G.S.T.M. ((VAN HELLENBERG HUBAR)) IS SENDING A CABLE TO THE HAGUE STRONGLY SUPPORTING THE NOMINATION OF GENERAL HENAULT AS CMC. AMBASSADOR VAN HELLENBERG HUBAR IS ALSO REPORTEDLY CALLING NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JAAP ((DE HOOP SCHEFFER)) TO COMMUNICATE HIS SUPPORT FOR HENAULT DIRECTLY TO SECGEN. VAN HELLENBERG HUBAR SUPPORTS HENAULT BECAUSE HE BELIEVES SELECTING HENAULT WOULD BE THE BEST MOVE TO PROMOTE TRANSATLANTICISM AND TO ENSURE THAT INTERESTS &EXTERNAL TO THE EU8 REMAIN IN FOCUS. ¶3. (C) ACCORDING TO SOURCE B, THE UNITED KINGDOM HIGH COMMISSIONER TO CANADA IS LIKELY TO BE INFLUENCED TO SHOW LESS THAN VIGOROUS SUPPPORT FOR HENAULT. HENAULT IS SEEN BY MANY UK OBSERVERS AS PERHAPS TOO POLITICALLY SENSITIVE AND AS NOT BEING VOCAL ENOUGH IN CALLING FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR CANADIAN FORCES. WHILE POLITICAL SKILLS ARE CERTAINLY REQUIRED FOR THE CMC POSITION, SOURCE B BELIEVES HENAULT LACKS &THE BACKBONE8 FOR TOUGH ENGAGEMENT ON ISSUES FACING THE ALLIANCE SUCH AS TRAINING AND EQUIPPING THE NEW IRAQI ARMY. IN THE LAST MEETING BETWEEN HENAULT AND UK CHOD GENERAL SIR MICHAEL ((WALKER)),WALKER WAS REPORTEDLY VERY DIRECT IN A NO-NONSENSE REQUEST FOR CANADIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ONGOING NATO, UN, AND COALITION MISSIONS. HENAULT WAS APPARENTLY FLUSTERED IN THAT MEETING AND RESPONDED THAT HE COULD ONLY WORK WITH RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA. COMMENTS: 1. (C) FIELD COMMENTS. SOME CANADIAN SOURCES HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT CANADA WOULD WITHDRAW HENAULT,S NOMINATION IF HE IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. RO BELIEVES THIS IS UNLIKELY AND A HOLLOW MEANS OF ATTEMPTING TO FORCE SUPPORT SINCE THERE IS SECRET BALLOTING INVOLVED. ¶2. (C/NF) FIELD COMMENTS. WHILE CANADA MAY NOT BE LEADING IN NATO CONTRIBUTIONS, RO BELIEVES THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR THE U.S. TO SUPPORT HENAULT,S CANDIDACY FOR THE POST OF CMC. HENAULT IS VERY PRO-U.S., AND IS VERY POLITICALLY SAVVY. HE IS ALSO SOLIDLY BEHIND EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM NATO,S MILITARY FORCES INTO AN EFFECTIVE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. AS CMC, HENAULT COULD BE RELIED UPON TO ADVANCE U.S. MILTARY AND POLITICAL AGENDAS WITHIN NATO. ¶3. (U) SOURCES REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER EXPLOITATION. ¶4. (C) THIS REPORTING SUPPORTS PARAGRAPHS 1E, 3C, AND 3E OF THE DAO OTTAWA OPERATING DIRECTIVE. ¶5. (U) DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS IIR TO DHO-1 AT STU III (703) 907-0541, OR GRAY 981-7892. COLL: (U) AB; AH; MM. INSTR: (U) US NO. PREP: (U) 6-03048. ACQ: (U) CANADA, OTTAWA (20041028). DISSEM: (U) FIELD: AMEMB OTTAWA. WARNING: (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED C O N F I D E N T I A L/NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS. SIPDIS DRV FROM: DO HUMINT SCG SEP 2003 DECL ON: X1 =======================CABLE ENDS============================