ARGENTINA-U.S. POLITICAL-MILITARY CONSULTATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002838

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/26/2016
TAGS: MARR PREL PARM AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA-U.S. POLITICAL-MILITARY CONSULTATIONS

Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary: The United States and Argentina held a
successful round of political-military bilateral
consultations on December 15, 2006 in Buenos Aires. Both
delegations shared their foreign policy principles and
objectives. The Argentine delegation explained their
government's goals for civil-military relations, Argentine
armed forces transformation, and the impact these changes are
having on the conduct of Argentine foreign policy. The
United States delegation shared U.S. experiences with
attempting to better coordinate foreign and defense policy
across the interagency community, and provided the Argentines
with a brief of transformational changes underway. Regional
and global peacekeeping training initiatives and operations
were discussed, with a particular eye to the ongoing efforts
in and needs of Haiti. The United States delegation spoke to
military-to-military relations, specifically of the need to
reframe the dialogue on SOFA, and to secure enablers of
expanded military-to-military engagement. The consultations
drew to a close with a discussion of various
non-proliferation topics, including 3 1 Talks follow-up, the
Proliferation Security Initiative, and the U.S.-India nuclear
cooperation agreement. The day concluded with DAS Coulter's
invitation to the Argentines to participate in the next round
of pol-mil talks late 2007 in Washington, DC. End Summary.


2. (U) The United States and Argentine delegations were led
respectively by Michael Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary
for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and Ambassador
Elsa Kelly, Director of the Office of International Security,
Nuclear and Space Affairs within Argentina's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. The U.S. delegation included
representatives from PM, WHA, the Embassy, OSD, and SOUTHCOM.
The Argentine delegation included representatives from the
MFA and MOD.

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Opening Remarks
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3. (SBU) Ambassador Wayne, in introducing DAS Coulter, noted
the multidimensional aspect of hemispheric security and that
the threats and challenges facing the Americas in the 21st
century require political, economic, social, environmental
and military responses. He stated that an effective response
required coordinated, cooperative and multilateral efforts on
the part of the region's governments, and that the U.S. was
committed to an inter-American security agenda that promotes
prosperity and equity within our countries and cooperation
and stability among them. DAS Coulter opened the
U.S.-Argentina bilateral consultations by outlining U.S.
perspectives on changing security challenges and Secretary
Rice's Transformational Diplomacy initiative -- both of which
call for increase security cooperation with our international
partners. Ambassador Elsa Kelly, MFA Director of
International Security, Nuclear and Space Affairs (DIGAN),
echoed DAS Coulter's comments in relation to changes going on
within Argentina and called for the best possible
relationship with the United States. Ambassador Kelly
explained the underlying principles of Argentina's foreign
policy principles, focusing on democracy and human rights,
economic development, multilateralism and international law,
protection of the environment and natural resources, and the
fight against terrorism and drugs, all of which drive
Argentine foreign policy objectives.


4. (SBU) Ambassador Kelly reflected upon Argentina's history
with military intervention, and the emphasis the Argentine
government places on full civilian control of the armed
forces. The Argentine Armed Forces have a very limited and
restricted role in internal security, the fight against
terrorism, or in any of the "new" threats that law
enforcement officials are better prepared to address. The
MFA-MOD are entering a stage where communication and
cooperation are increasing, and interest was expressed for a
frank exchange with the U.S. delegation to learn from our
experience with interagency coordination. Acting OSD DASD
for WHA Caryn Hollis noted the roles and missions as defined
by the Argentine government mirror those of the United States
Government, where U.S. armed services also have restricted
domestic roles. However, in times of humanitarian crisis,
such as Hurricane Katrina, the armed forces are called upon
to provide support to civil authorities. These emergency
requirements reveal that the United States is also working on
interagency-defense coordination. DAS Coulter observed that
the GWOT is very much an interagency effort, rather than
being led solely by DOD.

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Peacekeeping
--------------


5. (SBU) MFA Director for International Organizations
(DIOIN) Ambassador Raul Ricardes briefed on Argentine
peacekeeping operations and policy. The GOA currently has
approximately 1000 troops in peacekeeping operations
worldwide. Their emphasis is on regional peacekeeping and
peacebuilding, noting that the former is being put into
action, while the latter still needs to be further developed.
Delegation officials stated a need for more law
enforcement-type organizations, i.e. coast guard, urban
police and customs/border protection. Reconstruction and the
internal security of the Haitian state, working under the
umbrella of the UN, is the next phase to which the
international community must commit itself. DAS Coulter
lauded GOA peacekeeping efforts and noted his good impression
of Argentina's CAECOPAZ Peacekeeping training facility
visited the day prior. He stressed strong United States
Government support for peacekeeping, and he pointed out that
this support takes many forms: peacekeepers, support to the
UN, training-and-equipping of partners, Global Peace
Operations Initiative, and political support. Ambassador
Kelly noted that peacekeeping must involve non-military
elements, e.g. police and aid workers, and proposed the idea
of a working group of countries with a presence in Haiti to
determine how best to present the needs of Haitian
development and reconstruction to the UN.


6. (SBU) Ambassador Kelly requested USG ideas and support on
how best to present the standing up of the Argentina-Chile
binational peacekeeping force before the UN. Ambassador
Kelly, again emphasizing the requirement for a UN mandate for
peace operations, expressed her appreciation for U.S.
support, and noted that the Argentina-Chile binational force
would be an important force for bilateral cooperation.

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Regional Security
--------------


7. (C) Ambassador Kelly called for greater consideration of
Latin American points of view regarding regional security
challenges and threat assessment. She said that Argentina
has redefined its own threats, and now focuses on
cooperating, rather than competing, with its neighbors
through means of confidence and security building measures
and jointly exploring ways to combat illicit activities and
proliferation of WMD. Vice Minister of Defense Jose
Vazquez-Ocampo explained that Argentina's new policies are
based on a defensive posture. This new defense policy is
focused on transparency, multilateralism, protection of
citizens, natural resources and territorial integrity, and
joint force cooperation and interoperability. DAS Coulter
asked how sub-regional and multilateral integration becomes a
reality, to which Ambassador Kelly replied that binational
forces with Chile, and potentially Brazil and Uruguay, would
be stood up and put at the disposal of the UN. Argentina's
priorities, in order, are border countries, the Southern
Cone, and South America.


8. (C) The GOA viewed the 7th Defense Ministerial of the
Americas as a turning point that will eventually lead to a
policy of non-supremacy and strict multilateralism. DAS
Coulter conveyed his satisfaction with the DMA VII and
support of the Nicaraguan proposal of developing a concrete
action plan leading into the DMA VIII, to be held next year
in Ottawa. Caryn Hollis commented that U.S. defense policy
follows the lead of the State Department and NSC, and that
the Department of Defense directly supports the President's
goals. Hollis raised the proposal made by former Secretary
of Defense Rumsfeld to hold a sub-regional meeting of the
Southern Cone MODs and the U.S. Secretary of Defense. This
would mirror the October 2005 Central America-United States
MOD meeting that addressed sub-regional issues. Ambassador
Kelly responded favorably to the concept and took the idea
for consideration. Dr. Leonardo Hekimian mentioned that the
Bilateral Working Group (BWG-OSD and the Argentine MOD
consultations) would be meeting in early March and that these
issues should be discussed as part of the agenda.


9. (C) Following Vice Minister Vazquez Ocampo's
presentation, COL Bob Ballew from the OSD Transformation
Office provided a well-received brief on the DOD
transformation strategy. The Argentine delegation noted that
the briefing, in demonstrating the need for DOD
transformation, was particularly relevant to the Argentine
MOD, as the Argentine military is transforming its armed
forces to better address future challenges.


10. (C) Concerning military-to-military relations, DAS
Coulter spoke of a desire to reframe the discussion, with the
intention of creatively seeking enablers to increase
cooperation. Ambassador Kelly commented on the name and
immunities issues relating to UNITAS, and spoke of moving the
exercise beyond its Cold War creation, something which would
have to be discussed at the MOD level. Ambassador Kelly
opined that joint military exercises should focus on
interoperability and confidence building, while United States
Embassy Milgroup commander COL Napoli thought information
exchange was also of significant utility. Kelly noted that
GOA granting of immunities is complicated by the need for
congressional authorization and the lack of reciprocity. DAS
Coulter explained that a SOFA should be viewed as a tool for
enabling greater cooperation, not as an obstacle, while the
GOA would still retain the right to approve an exercise. MOD
Chief of Staff Raul Garre said the Minister is considering
United States Government invitations to visit the United
States Air Force Academy (issues relating to integration of
women into the military),SOUTHCOM (invited by ADM
Stavridis),and WHINSEC (issues relating to the current
curriculum being taught in this school).

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Global Security
--------------


11. (SBU) Ambassador Kelly stated that the GOA takes issues
of global security, particularly non-proliferation, very
seriously. DAS Coulter applauded the role Argentina plays in
the IAEA, PSI and the UNSC, and encouraged continued
Argentine support of these institutions. Ambassador Kelly
touched on the productive discussions coming out of the
recent 3 1 meeting held in Buenos Aires December 4-5 (annual
meeting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and the United States
to discuss anti-terrorism cooperation and related issues in
the Tri-Border Area),noted the good bilateral cooperation
with the United States, and stated that the GOA is prepared
to do all it can to help the fight against terrorism. She
noted that the GOA has ratified 12 UN conventions concerning
terrorism, has adopted domestic implementing legislation, and
asked for USG recognition of their efforts.


12. (C) Ambassador Kelly voiced concern over the United
States-India nuclear agreement, stating apprehension over the
potential consequences establishing such a precedent, and
frank GOA disagreement over the deal. She said that the GOA
seeks worldwide compromise on nuclear disarmament and would
like to know how the United States plans on moving this
forward.

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Closing Remarks and Sidebars
--------------


13. (U) DAS Coulter closed the consultations for the United
States by expressing hope that this is just the beginning of
a continued productive dialogue, one that the U.S. hopes to
see continued next year in Washington, DC. Ambassador Kelly
conveyed a similar sentiment and emphasized the need to
continue to look for means of increasing the dialogue and
exchanges among the MFA and MOD and their counterparts at DOS
and DOD, thanking the United States delegation for making the
trip, and closed the consultations to a round of applause.


14. (C) Side conversations: The GOA delegation did not wish
to discuss Afghanistan or DOD treatment of Latin America
under a homeland security rubric during the official bilats,
but the issues were discussed over lunch. The GOA delegation
expressed concern with "homeland security" and the perception
of Argentina and Latin America being viewed only through that
lens. DAS Coulter and DASD(A) Hollis addressed these
concerns. DAS Coulter raised the idea of GOA support in
Afghanistan, possibly through a PRT, taking advantage of GOA
experience in Haiti. The GOA delegation expressed preference
for UN operations, but agreed to continue the dialogue.
(Comment: Both political cover and salary reimbursement of
UN operations are likely a desirable to the GOA.)


15. (U) Comment: Much of the discussion centered on
identifying both common goals and areas of disagreement,
enabling mechanisms for joint military engagement, and
peacekeeping operational needs. Both sides were pleased
overall with the consultations.


16. (U) This cable has been cleared by DAS Coulter.
WAYNE