Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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05OTTAWA2422 | 2005-08-10 20:29:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Ottawa |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 102029Z Aug 05 |
UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002422 |
1. (SBU) Following confirmation from the Italian Embassy that Italy's demarche on assistance to COESPU had been delivered, on August 4 polmiloff provided reftel points and web site information to Foreign Affairs (FAC) International Security Bureau (IDD) Director General Paul Chapin. An information copy was shared with Assistant Deputy Minister (A/DM) Jim Wright's Executive Assistant. 2. (SBU) Polmiloff discussed Canada's response to our demarche with Acting Desk Officer Tony Anderson in the Regional Security and Peacekeeping Division (IDR) (part of IDD Bureau) on August 9. (NOTE: A contract employee with IDR, Anderson has been working the G-8 file for nearly a year and is considered to be FAC's staff-level expert on G-8 security actions. END NOTE.) Affirming Canada's full commitment to the Sea Island Action Plan to expand peace support operations, Anderson said that FAC was working to allocate the balance (CAD 30 million over four years) of its CAD 50 million Sea Island pledge. The spending plan for the balance requires approval of the Treasury Board -- anticipated for submission by FAC in September. The Canadian approach, said Anderson, is to "seek targeted opportunities" in niche areas where Canada has expertise and where it can make a visible difference. While there are no plans, at this time, to augment Canada's initial pledge, Anderson did not rule out the possibility of future funds from the new, multiple-year Global Peace and Security Fund established in this year's federal government budget exercise. 3. (SBU) Anderson confirmed that CAD 20 million was disbursed earlier this year to the African Union Mission in the Sudan for tactical lift (helicopters). Reluctant to provide a detailed breakdown of FAC proposals for the remaining CAD 30 million, Anderson instead gave examples of the "types of assistance" under consideration. These include: -- funding support for training of African soldiers through the Department of National Defence (DND) military assistance training program (MTAP), similar to USG's own IMET program. This would include both the carefully-vetted 6-month courses in which select African military officers join a regular class of Canadian officers in training, as well as a shorter (3 weeks) military observer course in which groups of African officers (up to 30) participate. Anderson cited the success of the capacity-building Peace and Security Initiative for West Africa (PSI) through the Canada Fund for Africa pledged at the 2002 G-8 Kananaskis Summit as another example of assistance that might be continued. The PSI provided funds to ECOWAS for ten (10) African military planners to receive training in peace operations. CANADA RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN "STABILITY-POLICING" TRAINING AT COESPU 4. (SBU/NF) Anderson said that Canada supports Italy's Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (COESPU). Insofar as stability policing is "not in Canada's tradition," however, the government believes it would be more cost-effective to concentrate on areas of Canadian expertise, such as "community-based policing." Anderson talked of complementarity in achieving Global Peace Operations Program (GPOP) objectives -- it makes sense, he said, for the U.S. and Italy to proceed with "stability-based policing" initiatives, while the U.K. and Canada might be better positioned to undertake training in community-based policing. Anderson insisted that "the door is not shut" to potential RCMP assistance to COESPU, noting that while Canada doesn't normally "do" gendarmerie-type policing, this was not to say that a bilingual RCMP officer couldn't be of some value. (COMMENT: Despite our best efforts to pin down Anderson's response, he would not/not give a categorical "yes" or "no" response to our request. Post will attempt to gain clarity on Canada's position through other FAC contacts. END COMMENT). CFAC TRAINING ASSISTANCE REQUEST SHOULD GO THROUGH PEARSON CENTRE 5. (SBU/NF) Regarding potential deployment of Spanish-speaking staff from the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre to help train the Conference of Central American Armed Forces (CFAC) battalion in Guatemala, Anderson stated that Canada is still "looking to establish" relations with CFAC and thus there exists no funding mechanism at this time. He explained that while the Pearson Centre definitely "has the capabilities" to assist CFAC, it is a non-government entity only partly funded by the Canadian government. Thus CFAC should be encouraged to contact the Pearson Centre directly with a specific proposal for assistance. The Centre would then seek funding from the GOC, likely from the GPOP fund. The funding process, which includes Treasury Board approval, could take two to three months according to Anderson. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa WILKINS |