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