NATO-AFGHANISTAN: FRANCE OPPOSED TO CAVEATS, BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002444 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2015 TAGS: PREL MARR AF FR NATO SUBJECT: NATO-AFGHANISTAN: FRANCE OPPOSED TO CAVEATS, BUT MAINTAINS KABUL RESTRICTIONS REF: STATE 60862 Classified By: Acting Political Minister-Counselor Paul Mailhot, Reason 1.4 B and D ¶1. (C) We conveyed on April 4 reftel points requesting that France lift its ISAF caveats to Camille Grand, Diplomatic Advisor in the MOD Cabinet, and to Xavier Chatel, NATO-ISAF desk officer at the MFA. They both observed that France is in principle opposed to caveats and pointed to French NATO operations in Kosovo as an example. Pressed further, they acknowledged that the French battalion in Kabul is not authorized to effect crowd control. Grand admitted that the French restriction is technically a caveat, but sought to explain that it is based on an operational rather than a political restriction. The French have assessed the likelihood of street demonstrations in Kabul as low. The French battalion has therefore not been equipped to take on crowd control duties. Asked if French forces would control a crowd were a situation to deteriorate, Grand was less certain and promised to get back to us with a more definitive response. ¶2. (U) Kabul minimized considered. LEACH