CANADA AGREES TO PROVIDE SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES

S E C R E T OTTAWA 001728 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR PM/RSAT, PM/PMAT AND EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2015 TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL CA AF SUBJECT: CANADA AGREES TO PROVIDE SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES TO OEF REF: A) 2004 OTTAWA 03460 B) 2004 STATE 270926 Classified By: Pol M/C Brian Flora. Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Polmiloff met with Foreign Affairs Director for Defense Relations Barbara Martin on June 7, 2005, at the latter's request. Martin wanted to convey officially the Canadian Government's positive response to USG's December 2004 request for Canadian Special Operations Forces for Operation Enduring Freedom (ref b). She stated that the GOC will deploy "no more than 150" SOF for 12 months, beginning June 2005. ¶2. (S/NF) Though the Prime Minister only signed off on the request on June 1, 2005, Martin affirmed her understanding that mil-mil coordination (with CENTCOM) is well underway. She noted that the decision to provide SOF was made "unilaterally" by the Prime Minister. Though the PM has the authority to take such a decision, Martin said, given the unpredictable domestic political climate there would be no announcement, not even to the Liberal Caucus; it would be helpful, she added, if confidentiality of the decision could be maintained in government-to-government channels. ¶3. (U) Minimize considered. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa DICKSON