ISAF: TURKEY AND FRANCE WORKING OUT SHARED COMMAND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004095

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2015
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL TU AF FR NATO
SUBJECT: ISAF: TURKEY AND FRANCE WORKING OUT SHARED COMMAND
OF MNB-CENTER

REF: A. ANKARA 3413

B. KOENIG-BETTS EMAIL 6/29/05

Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett
s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) On July 13, PolMilOff called on TGS J3 NATO Branch
Chief COL Halit Yilmaz to discuss Turkey's plans to
contribute to security in Afghanistan after its ISAF VII
command ends next month (see ref a). Yilmaz confirmed that
the Turkish and French militaries are working on a formula
for how to share command of the planned Multinational
Brigade-Center (MNB-C),currently anticipated to commence
with Phase III of ISAF in 2006 (ref b). (NOTE: PolMilOff
explained that Washington was still considering whether we
prefer that MNB-C commence with Phase III or Phase IV; Yilmaz
responded that he understood. END NOTE.) Yilmaz said the
French had yet to take a final political decision on offering
to command (or co-command) MNB-C; he understood Paris would
do so July 20.


2. (C) Yilmaz did not provide great detail on the nature of
the planning thus far. It was likely, he said, that the
country command would rotate every six months or perhaps
annually. He believed neither the French nor the Turks would
draw down significantly when not in command. Afghanistan is
far away, he said, and it would be too costly to draw down
and ramp up frequently.
MCELDOWNEY