GREECE TO ANSWER ISAF CAVEAT QUESTION AT BRUSSELS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001345 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR, DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISP E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2016 TAGS: NATO MARR PREL AF SUBJECT: GREECE TO ANSWER ISAF CAVEAT QUESTION AT BRUSSELS DEFENSE MINISTERIAL REF: STATE 74035 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Tom Yazdgerdi for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) During the May 17-18 meeting of the U.S.-Greece High Level Consultative Committee, OSD/ISP DAS Fata urged Greek DMOD Michaliolakos to lift the caveats that prevented Greek troops taking part in ISAF from deploying beyond Kabul. He noted that these caveats had a practical and significant impact on ISAF's ability to operate effectively. He cited the example of the Greek-led Role 2 Medical Facility, where Greek personnel could not move to other medical facilities in Afghanistan in the event of critical need or treat patients outside of the city who could not be moved. ¶2. (C) DMOD Michaliolakos expressed sympathy for the difficulty caveats caused for operational commanders, saying Greece used them only in extremely politically sensitive situations. That said, he understood that Greece would eventually need to lift its caveat on serving outside of Kabul by 2008, to meet its commitment to serve in the ISAF HQ. At the June 8-9 NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, he said, the Greek delegation would provide a response to the request to lift the caveat sooner. RIES