SLOVENIA: INCREASED CONTRIBUTIONS EXPECTED FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000092 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NCE AND EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR SI NATO SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: INCREASED CONTRIBUTIONS EXPECTED FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN REF: A. LJUBLJANA IIR 6 952 0009 05 ¶B. LJUBLJANA 0061 ¶C. 04 LJUBLJANA 1134 ¶D. LJUBLJANA IIR 6 952 0008 05 ¶E. LJUBLJANA 0011 Classified By: Chief of Mission Thomas B. Robertson for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Building on COM's recent conversations with PM Janez Jansa and DefMin Karl Erjavec, the snapshot below provides new information about Slovenian contributions for Iraq and Afghanistan and summarizes what we have reported piecemeal in recent weeks. Slovenia may offer five or more military trainers for NTM-I at the 10 February NATO Defense Ministerial, in addition to a monetary contribution of EUR 100,000 announced on 09 February for the NATO Trust Fund for Iraq. Slovenia has announced publicly its EUR 5.2 million contribution through NATO of weapons and equipment for Iraqi Security Forces. Finally, a GoS decision on increased ISAF contributions is expected soon, possibly designating 2 SAF officers to join a German-led PRT this year and contributing to an Italian-led PRT next year. We are encouraged by the GoS shift to a more forward leaning posture on Iraq and will continue to press for Slovenian boots on the ground in Iraq. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) TROOPS AND MONEY FOR NTM-I: Slovenia plans to increase its contribution to the NATO-led Training Mission for Iraq (NTM-I) by sending an undisclosed number of military instructors to a third country to train Iraqi Security Forces, according to a source on the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) General Staff. DefMin Erjavec told COM on 07 February that there would be five such trainers, and he emphasized that this was different from the five police trainers the Ministry of Interior now has in Jordan. Following the 09 February meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, FoMin Dimitrij Rupel told the press that Slovenia would provide "a few instructors" for the Mission, in addition to contributing EUR 100,000 to a NATO Trust Fund for financing the NTM-I. A General Staff officer told DATT that the GoS had authorized DefMin Erjavec to offer NATO an increased number of military trainers over the five that had been discussed previously (ref A) and that Erjavec mentioned to COM. Erjavec is expected to make the offer during the 10 February meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Nice. ¶3. (C) WEAPONS FOR IRAQI SECURITY FORCES: FoMin Rupel also made public the GoS decision to offer the Iraqi Security Forces military gear and weapons worth roughly EUR 5 million that has been reported previously (ref B, C). MFA Security Policy Department's Stanislav Vidovic pegged the figure more precisely at EUR 5.2 million. The donation will consist of 17,000 AK-47 rifles, 320 M76 sniper rifles, 128 82mm mortars, and ammunition for each weapon type (ref D). ¶4. (C) POSSIBLE TROOPS FOR ISAF PRTs: FoMin Rupel told the press on 09 February that the GoS is also considering an increased contribution to ISAF, although he did not offer specifics. DefMin Erjavec told COM on 07 February that Slovenia planned to send two SAF soldiers to a German-led PRT later this year and that the GoS would contribute to an Italian-led PRT "next year." Zorica Bukinac Cimpersek of MFA's Security Policy Department told Pol-Miloff on 10 February that a proposal for an increased ISAF contribution had been put forward for Cabinet approval; however, she was uncertain whether the proposal would be considered in the GoS Session on 10 February or 17 February. As reported ref E, MoD Director for Defense Policy Uros Krek expected two SAF officers to join a German-led PRT by early April, while he said MoD was busy drafting legislation to allow civilian participation in PRTs, potentially by Summer 2005. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: PM Jansa and the GoS appear solidly committed to shifting policy to a more forward leaning posture on Iraq and increased involvement in Afghanistan. As the GoS finalizes its plans to make increased contributions for both Iraq and Afghanistan, it is talking about these decisions to the press in an unprecedentedly positive way. After Rupel's 09 February announcement, we will hope for a more specific public statement from Erjavec in Nice outlining Slovenia's contributions for Iraq. While we are encouraged by the news of increases over the anticipated contributions that we have reported previously, we will continue to press aggressively for the elusive jewel in the crown of Slovenian contributions: boots on the ground in Iraq. END COMMENT ROBERTSON NNNN 2005LJUBLJ00092 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL v1.6.2