Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS357
2005-01-19 17:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

NATO/AFGHANISTAN: FRENCH UNDECIDED ON STAGE II

Tags:  MARR PREL AF FR NATO 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000357 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL AF FR NATO
SUBJECT: NATO/AFGHANISTAN: FRENCH UNDECIDED ON STAGE II
CONTRIBUTION

REF: A) STATE 2743 B) PARIS 293 C) 2004 PARIS 8650
(NOTAL)

Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASON 1
.4 B AND D

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000357

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL AF FR NATO
SUBJECT: NATO/AFGHANISTAN: FRENCH UNDECIDED ON STAGE II
CONTRIBUTION

REF: A) STATE 2743 B) PARIS 293 C) 2004 PARIS 8650
(NOTAL)

Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASON 1
.4 B AND D


1. (C) Summary: Responding to Ref A demarche for building on
NATO foreign minister's meeting, French officials have
reiterated their reservations on Provisional Reconstruction
Teams (PRT) and are holding off on taking a decision to
contribute a quick response force (QRF) for Stage II Forward
Support Base. The French cite existing worldwide demands on
their military, as well as budgetary constraints, for their
go slow approach. Defense Minister Alliot-Marie informed the
Ambassador that after the Afghan legislative elections in the
summer, France would revisit its potential participation in
both the PRTs and the QRF. MOD and MFA officials also
emphasized that France believes that allies need to encourage
the Afghan government to engage on an effective
counternarcotics plan. End summary.


2. (C) We presented ref A points on Afghanistan January 6 to
MOD diplomatic advisor Bertrand Besancenot and to the MFA's
NATO deskoff Xavier Chatel. (Note: DAS-equivalent director
Francois Carrel-Billiard was out of the country.) In a
separate meeting with Defense Minister Alliot-Marie on
January 12, the Ambassador also conveyed our appreciation for
French ISAF contributions and inquired whether France would
participate in the Stage II western expansion through a
contribution to the QRF. French reactions, especially as
expressed by the defense minister (ref B),were that France
was not prepared at this time to expand its operations beyond
its planned contribution to parliamentary elections security
of six combat aircraft with support personnel. MOD and MFA
officials emphasized that Afghanistan was important for
France, but that at present the French military was stretched
thinly through its commitments in the Balkans, Africa (Ivory
Coast),tsunami relief, and in Afghanistan to the OEF, Afghan
army training and ISAF. Besancenot indicated that a final
decision on French planning for stage II expansion had not
been made, but that France would reconsider its actions after
the legislative elections. He added that France shared
SACEUR's concern that adequate means should be found to meet
this western expansion requirement of ISAF. (Comment: We
note that deliberations are ongoing as Chatel contacted us on
19 January seeking additional clarifications on our
demarche.)


3. (C) MOD and MFA officials citing our earlier paper on
broadening NATO's approach in Afghanistan in 2005, as well as
our recent demarche on Stage II expansion, emphasized that
the drug trade represented a major threat to security and
democracy in Afghanistan. They believe the Karzai government
is insufficiently engaged on this problem and that it is
essential that we assist the Afghans, in addition to what
ISAF is already doing. (Note: the MFA's Carrel-Billiard said
he had spoken with EUR/RPM director in Brussels last December
and conveyed to him some French thoughts on next steps in
Afghanistan.)


4. (U) Minimize considered.
Wolff