VISIT OF DASD PARDO-MAURER TO ARGENTINA

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000291

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AR
SUBJECT: VISIT OF DASD PARDO-MAURER TO ARGENTINA



1. (SBU) Summary: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
for International Security Affairs Rogelio Pardo-Maurer
visited Argentina January 26-28. During his visit,
Pardo-Maurer met with Argentine Minister of Defense Nilda
Garre and other senior ministry officials. During his
meetings, Pardo-Maurer stressed the importance of regional
cooperation to create reliable peacekeeping partnerships.
Minister Garre said the GoA was working closely with Chile
to increase mil-mil cooperation. Both the atmospherics and
the substance of the visit were positive. Garre conveyed a
positive attitude toward existing mil-mil relations with
the U.S. and indicated a willingness to continue
cooperative efforts. End Summary.


2. (SBU) The Ambassador hosted a luncheon on Jan. 26 at
the residence for Pardo-Maurer with a guest list headed by
Defense Minister Nilda Garre. Also attending were
Secretary for Military Affairs Jose Vasquez Ocampo,

SIPDIS
Secretary of Planning Oscar Cuattromo and Chief of the

SIPDIS
Argentine Joint Staff BG Jorge Chevalier (four-star
equivalent). Luis Cappagli (the acting Under Secretary for
Foreign Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Jose
Ureta from the North America office of MFA also attended.
On the U.S. side, Luis Sanchez, OSD Country Director for
Western Hemisphere Affairs, Embassy Defense Attache, MILGRP
commander and PolCouns also attended.


3. (SBU) Pardo-Maurer congratulated the minister on the
role of Argentine troops in Haiti. He noted that the
regional contribution to MINUSTAH constituted a success
story in its own right and clearly demonstrated the role of
a military in a democracy. He said continued regional and
hemispheric cooperation would be critical for success in
Haiti following elections. In this vein, Pardo-Maurer said
increased mil-mil cooperation between Argentina and Chile
would have a very positive impact and urged the MOD to move
to strengthen exising ties with Chilean counterparts.
Garre said the GoA was working very closely with Chile to
increase mil-mil cooperation. Garre conveyed a positive
attitude toward existing mil-mil relations with the U.S.
and indicated a willingness to continue cooperative
efforts.


4. (SBU) Following the luncheon, Pardo-Maurer continued
discussions with Ocampo and Cuattromo and members of their
staffs for nearly 90 minutes at the Ministry of Defense.
The Argentine agenda focused on the two areas in which we
have traditionally concentrated: humanitarian and
peacekeeping operations and professional military education
(in terms of human rights). However, the discussion
expanded to include joint warfighting and bilateral
military relations.


5. (SBU) Both sides agreed that it was mutually beneficial
to continue close cooperation in peacekeeping operations in
Haiti. The GoA is concerned that the ARG public does not
recognize the strategic importance of regional stability
and does not see any utility with its efforts in Haiti.
The Joint Staff is concerned that public support will dry
up if any Argentines are killed in Haiti. Additionally,
both sides agreed that the combined Chilean-Argentine
peacekeeping force is a positive development. The GoA
encouraged U.S. military cooperation in the establishment
of the combined Chilean-Argentine force. Both parties
reinforced earlier Argentine offers to train this force and
other international forces at CAECOPAZ, as well as
Argentina providing instructors to the regional
peacekeeping center in Guatemala being established under
the Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative (GPOI).
Ocampo did caveat this offer with a stipulation that others
(the U.S.) fund these efforts due to Argentine military
budget limitations. At the end of the session, discussion
returned to peacekeeping and Haiti with an eye to regional
cooperation. Cuattromo mentioned that the nations of the
combined task force were compartmentalizing their efforts,
with the Chileans focusing on a combat engineer unit for
construction projects and the Argentines focusing on health
and medical capabilities (Argentina has a deployed field
hospital in Haiti).


6. (SBU) The GoA does not see a military solution to the
problem in Haiti. The military and its humanitarian
programs are a stop-gap measure until civilian agencies can
build the infrastructure necessary to make Haiti a viable
nation. The MOD is interested in continued U.S.
involvement in their peacekeeping efforts. Additionally,
the GoA expressed reluctance to expand cooperation with
Central American countries due to their lack of capability.


7. (SBU) Pardo-Maurer reiterated the desirability of
increased Argentine military cooperation with Chile,
particularly the creation of a combined peacekeeping
force. The U.S. objective in promoting regional
integration was to create reliable peacekeeping
partnerships through increased force interoperability. As
a means of assisting this cooperation, Pardo-Maurer raised
the possibility of assistance from Joint Forces Command in
Norfolk to a combined Argentine/Chile force through a joint
visit with Chile to the JFCOM. Pardo-Maurer said a
relationship with JFCOM would not diminish ongoing
Argentine cooperation with SOUTHCOM.


8. (SBU) The promotion of jointness struck a chord with
Ocampo. He noted a primary objective of Garre and the MOD
was to transform the Argentine Joint Staff from a primarily
advisory role to the Minister to that of an actual
combatant command. The Chief of the Joint Staff, Brigadier
General Chevalier, emphasized that their Joint Staff is not
a command but an advisory body for the Minister of Defense
and the President. He was echoed by the MOD officials
present in expressing the objective of establishing systems
and processes to integrate the services into joint
warfighting. Pardo Maurer stated he would forward the
Argentine request to the U.S. Joint Forces Command and that
it may be able to provide some assistance in this area.
Ocampo said another important objective for the MOD was
moving forward on an initiative to fully incorporate human
rights in all military doctrine. He said the MOD would
create a human rights directorate. But Ocampo agreed with
Pardo-Maurer that human rights initiatives should be foward
looking rather than dwelling on past abuses.


9. (SBU) Both parties agreed that cooperation in science
and technology is an important initiative. The Argentine
MOD is interested in processes that will improve quality
control and reduce the timeline from research and
development to production. The Argentines expanded this
discussion to include an institutional review of roles and
missions and of redesigning the armed forces to increase
interoperability and joint warfighting. Additionally, MOD
Undersecretary for Institutional Development Gustavo
Sibilla made a specific request for software currently in
use in other countries such as the Philippines that
analyzes defense management operations and recommends
changes to improve efficiency. Cuattromo stated that he
does not want to use the Chinese system for PPBS.


10. (SBU) Ocampo raised the Bilateral Working Group and
suggested a June meeting. Pardo-Maurer said no dates are
set for now but said our mil/mil relationship was
stable for the long term. The question was how to
reinforce this relationship. He said both the Secretary of
Defense and the Joint Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace were
in accord with this and that the more Argentina can
increase its cooperation with Chile, the more the U.S. can
increase our inter-relationship.


11. (SBU) Comment: Both the atmospherics and the substance
of the visit were positive. DASD Pardo-Maurer's message of
increased military cooperation with Chile was well received.
His meetings also reinforced the impression that the new
leadership in the Ministry of Defense supports continued
close cooperation with the U.S. military. In fact, the
Ministry officials appeared eager not only to maintain
current engagement but also to look at new objectives.
Ocampo was much more open with us during these meetings than
in previous encounters we have had with him. Minister Garre
displayed an open and positive attitude toward cooperation as
well. End Comment.
GUTIERREZ