SLOVAKIA FIRM ON IRAQ MANDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000357

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2015
TAGS: PREL MARR LO IZ
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA FIRM ON IRAQ MANDATE

REF: (A) STATE 72115 (B) WARSAW 2000 (C) STATE 75184

(D) BRATISLAVA 135

Classified By: CDA SCOTT N. THAYER FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Prominent Slovak defense policy players have
recently raised publicly whether the GOS should reopen the
parliamentary debate on the Slovak troops in Iraq. State
Secretary at the MOD Martin Fedor stressed publicly the

SIPDIS
importance of a renewed UN Security Council mandate, while
opposition MP and Chair of the Security and Defense Committee
Robert Kalinak has asked when Slovak soldiers will return
home. Nevertheless, all sides have stressed the importance
of keeping Slovak soldiers in Iraq for now and emphasized no
unilateral decisions on drawdowns will be made. END SUMMARY.

Government Policy: Stay the Course in Iraq
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2. (U) State Secretary at the MOD Martin Fedor said publicly
April 13 that, &Our presence in Iraq is determined by three
starting points -- the resolution of the UN Security Council
(1546) calling on member states to engage themselves, the
invitation from the Iraqi Government, and the mandate from
the National Council of the Slovak Republic (parliament).
These conditions apply not only to the Defense Ministry, but
also to the entire Slovak political representation.8 Fedor
continued that, &it is important to us how the international
community and the Iraqi Government approach the new
situation, as well as the standpoint of the allies.
According to our assessment, the work carried out by Slovak
engineers is still justified.8 Slovak Ambassador to the
U.S. Rastislav Kacer made similar comments at the Secretary's
April 12 Iraq Forum (ref A).


3. (C) Fedor's foreign policy advisor Mario Nicolini told
poloff April 22 that Fedor's comments were an outgrowth of
similar comments from Poland (ref B) and did not represent a
dramatic shift in Slovak policy. He reaffirmed several times
the GOS is "not wavering in its support" for its mandate in
Iraq. He said Fedor's comments were not the most diplomatic
in that the State Secretary did not intend to express any
lack of resolve to keep Slovak troops in Iraq. He said Fedor
painted himself into a corner with the journalists. Nicolini
reiterated the Slovaks will not make any unilateral decisions
on withdrawal or drawdowns, but they want to see the UNSC
renew the Iraq mandate in June. Fedor's comments do not
suggest the MOD is requesting an official invitation from the
Iraqi government to remain in Iraq; the MFA's assessment that
the Iraqi government wants the Slovak troops to remain is
sufficient.


4. (C) Director of the MFA's Security Policy department
Lubomir Cano told Charge May 3 that Slovakia closely monitors
allies' moves in Iraq. Slovak security and defense planners
want to make sure Slovak deminers in Iraq are properly
defended, and the elected government of Iraq and the UN
continue to authorize military involvement in Iraq. Cano
said the GOS will watch the actions of its allies and will
not be the last country to leave.


5. (C) Speaker of Parliament Pavol Hrusovsky (KDH) told U/S
Nicholas Burns that Slovak troops would stay in Iraq and
inquired about the type of troops needed (ref C). Nicolini
also expressed to poloff a growing interest in supplying
troops other than deminers. He said the MOD is evaluating
the type of troops it can supply to play a more significant
role in the GWOT within the Slovak Armed Forces' limited
financial capacity.

Opposition: When will the Slovak Troops Come Home?
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6. (C) Responding to Fedor,s comments in the media, Chairman
of Parliament,s Security and Defense Committee and
opposition MP Robert Kalinak (Smer) said, "Parliament should
again deal with this. The election has already taken place
in Iraq and the situation should stabilize. At issue is not
the withdrawal or remaining of our troops, but the setting of
rules for their operation in Iraq and the duration of their
mission.8 Kalinak reiterated this position in his meeting
with U/S Burns, adding the pending logistical support gap
resulting from the Polish drawdown may jeopardize the safety
of Slovak troops. However, Kalinak noted that political
support remains for the Iraq deployment, citing parliament's
February 10 decision to contribute to the NATO Training
Mission - Iraq (ref D). Kalinak told Charge May 5 (septel)
that Hrusovsky's visit to Washington (ref C) has been
especially valuable in shoring up political support for the
deployment among all parliamentary groups who accompanied him
(including Kalinak himself).

COMMENT
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7. (C) There is no serious momentum within parliament to
change Slovakia's unlimited mandate in Iraq, and it is highly
unlikely the MOD will spearhead such an effort. Absent a
failure to secure an extension of UNSCR 1546, we consider the
GOS' commitment to Iraq as firm through the 2006
parliamentary elections. Current opposition candidates are
likely to criticize the coalition government's contribution
to the war in pre-election campaigns but stop short of
advocating withdrawal. Smer Chairman Robert Fico is likely
to lead the pack in criticizing the Dzurinda government.
Only the marginalized Communist party (KSS) -- consistently
polling under the five percent threshold to get into
parliament -- advocates withdrawal.
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED
THAYER


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