DSACEUR LETTER ON NTM PAVES WAY FOR CZECH

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000066

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL MOPS EZ IZ
SUBJECT: DSACEUR LETTER ON NTM PAVES WAY FOR CZECH
GOVERNMENT TO SEEK PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE FOR CONTINUED
CZECH DEPLOYMENT IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4
(B/D)


1. (C) According to President Klaus' office, the Czech
government in its weekly
cabinet session on January 12 decided to seek a parliamentary
mandate for the
continued deployment of the Czech company of MPs in southern
Iraq. The MOD
was charged with preparing the draft for presentation to
parliament, perhaps
as early as the week of January 17 in a special parliamentary
session. The mandate
will provide for the Czech unit to continue under MNF for
now, but switch over
to NTM when NTM Phase III starts later in the year. We
understand that the mandate
is to provide for deployment until the end of February 2006.
A DSACEUR letter
that same day to FM Svoboda and MOD Kuehnl contained explicit
assurances that the
Czech contingent would be included under NTM when Phase III
begins later this year,
according to an informed Czech diplomat and the British
Embassy, citing MOD
sources.


2. (C) MFA Deputy Director for Security Policy, Vaclav Balek,
also told Poloff
on January 12 that DSACEUR's letter, which Balek had read,
indicated that the
Czech military police now conducting training in Basra as
part of the MNF,
could continue the same mission in the same place as part of
NATO's training
mission in Iraq, once Phase III begins later this year. Even
though no specific
date was given for the start of Phase III, the signal was
sufficient for PM Gross'
Government to take a decision to seek parliament's approval
for a mandate
extension.


3. (C) Balek said that the government will argue that
participation in the
NATO mission is an important long-term national goal and that
a temporary
extension of the mission under MFN should not prevent them
from achieving their
goal. The government will also argue that it will cost much
more to
temporarily close the mission in Basra and fly everyone home,
only to fly them
back some months later and reopen the mission. Balek was
optimistic that the
extension would be passed under these conditions.


4. (C) Comment: The current mandate expires on February 28.
Although there will
be criticism from left-wing CSSD deputies that the Czech unit
was not included
from the start under NTM, which has UNSCR authorization, the
prospects for
parliamentary approval now look better than ever.
HILLAS