NATO-AFGHANISTAN: CIVILIAN COMPONENTS OF PRTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001497

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2015
TAGS: MARR AF CA NATO
SUBJECT: NATO-AFGHANISTAN: CIVILIAN COMPONENTS OF PRTS

REF: SECSTATE 82968

Classified By: POL M/C Brian Flora. Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Post delivered ref demarche to Foreign Affairs Canada
on May 5; however, it is only recently that we have been able
to reach officers in the North American and Euro-Atlantic
Security and Defence Relations Division (IDR). Our key
contacts have been unavailable due to a convergence of
travel, training and the PMO's directive to stand up a robust
"Darfur policy."


2. (C) Acting IDR Director Isabelle Poupart told polmiloff on
May 17 that the GOC blueprint for its upcoming PRT is very
much in line with the government's "3-D" approach to foreign
policy; the approach integrates "diplomacy, defence and
development" into execution of policy objectives. Thus,
Poupart asserted, Canada already operates from the premise
that close coordination among the military and civilian
components of a PRT is a "must" for success. She said that
the Kandahar PRT would reflect this highly collaborative
approach.


3. (C) Poupart acknowledged, however, that "not everyone" had
the same philosophy, and the GOC would be willing to look at
the concept of regular reporting (to NATO) on aspects of the
civilian components of PRTs. But the government would need
greater detail regarding a) the type of information to be
provided and b) the mechanism to achieve information sharing.
Poupart didn't quite understand, for example, why the NATO
Steering Committee couldn't serve as central repository of
information rather than an "individual", as floated in our
demarche. Polmiloff agreed to try and obtain additional
background to facilitate Canadian government deliberations.

Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa

DICKSON