REQUEST FOR INDIAN MPAT PLANNERS AND LIAISON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000140

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: AS CA CE FR GM IR JA KS MARR MOPS MY PREL SN TH
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INDIAN MPAT PLANNERS AND LIAISON
OFFICERS TO CSF-536 AND PACOM HEADQUARTERS

Classified By: Ambassador David Mulford. Reasons 1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) This message responds to State action request: ref
060115Z Jan 05 SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR COUNTRY LIAISON OFFICERS
FOR TSUNAMI ASSISTANCE AND PACOM REQUEST.


2. (C) Based on directions in cable (ref para 1),and
communications between USPACOM J-5, OSD, and USDAO New Delhi,
Ambassador today delivered a formal letter of request to
India's Defense Secretary, India's Foreign Secretary, and
National Security Advisor as follows:


A. That India send two military officers to work within
CSF-536's Multi-National Planning and Augmentation Team
(MPAT) in Utapao, Thailand, and that these MPAT planners be
selected from a list of Indian officers who have been
participants in TEMPEST Express and other PACOM sponsored
MPAT exercises and conferences.


B. That India sends a Liaison officer to CSF-536 in Utapao.
This officer will be involved in coordinating information
about current Indian military operations in support of
regional relief efforts and receiving the same information
concerning US and other militaries regional relief operations.


C. That India sends a liaison officer to PACOM Headquarters
at Camp Smith, in Honolulu, Hawaii. This individual will be
involved in strategic level coordination of international
military relief operations for the affected region, and
interact with the Joint Operations Center cell at PACOM and
with other foreign liaison officers.


D. Letter specifies that this request takes effect
immediately and requests the MPAT planners and the LNO to
Utapao arrive no later than 10 Jan 2005. The LNO to PACOM
should arrive as soon as possible. Currently, transportation
to both locations would be on a self-funded/arranged basis.
Letter stated that PACOM is working on providing
administrative support, subsistence, and transportation for
international liaison officers to Camp Smith. Indian
personnel to Utapao should be administratively
self-sufficient, deploying with field gear and laptop
computer.


E. Ambassador's letter mentions US force lay down for Tsunami
relief operations, CSF-536 organizational structure and
subordinate elements, to include the Combined Support Groups
on the ground in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
Ambassador pointed out that US and Indian military attaches
and relief support personnel are already communicating and
effectively sharing information on the ground in Sri Lanka.


3. (C) Ambassador first mentioned this proposal today via
phonecon with National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, and
followed up with hard copy of letter delivered to Narayanan's
office. Narayanan said he would brief the Prime Minister.
Ambassador sent a copy of the request to India's Foreign
Secretary Saran. (Foreign Minister Natwar Singh is in

SIPDIS
Indonesia).


4. (C) Because of a medical appointment, Defense Minister
Mukherjee was unavailable. Instead, Ambassador and DATT met
with India's Defense Secretary A.V. Singh and handed him the
letter of request, in additional to background information on
the MPAT program, and MPAT Tempest Express 7 which India
co-hosted in July-Aug 2004. Also present were MEA Joint
Secretary (Canada and US) S. Jaishankar, and MOD Joint

SIPDIS
Secretary G. Mukhopadhaya (International Cooperation).

SIPDIS


5. (C) Singh politely accepted the Ambassador's letter and
told the Ambassador he would study the proposal, brief
Defense Minister Mukherjee, and would soon get back with the
Ambassador. Singh said that perhaps we all could meet again
to discuss it after they studied it. Singh then asked
several questions about the CSF-536 organization. Singh
asked how this set up interacts with the UN in the relief
efforts and how and if the UN was in the picture.
Mukhopadhaya asked what is the relationship between the
CSF-536 effort involving multinationals and the ASEAN Special
Summit convened to deal with relief efforts? Singh wondered
aloud whether or not the best level to deal with the
requirements for recovery-reconstruction efforts, would be at
the local level, and whether having planners so far removed
from the scene would be more effective. Singh also raised a
concern that we should take care that the local government of
affected states not feel that they are being dictated to by
planners removed from the sc
ene. Mukhopadhaya asked for a list of countries that are
participating in the CSF, LNOs, and MPAT planners. Singh
asked how long this effort was envisaged to last and what is
the time scale that the planners would be planning for.


6. (C) DATT reviewed the success of MPAT Tempest Express 7
and reiterated that the MPAT exercise effort had trained
military planners for exactly the kind of scenario that has
unfolded and that India has a ready trained cadre of
planners. DATT review the rationale for LNOs at CSF-536 and
PACOM Headquarters. Ambassador reiterated that with the
success of Indo-US military cooperation programs, we now have
a great opportunity to operationalize the
military-to-military relationship. Singh thanked the
Ambassador for having presented the letter and looked forward
to further discussion on the proposal. Ambassador and DATT
departed Singh's office approximately 30 minutes prior the
scheduled phone call to Singh from USD(P) on the same
subjects.
MULFORD