Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBLIN313
2006-03-28 07:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dublin
Cable title:  

IRELAND CONSIDERING REDEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS

Tags:  MARR KPKO PGOV PREL EI SU XY 
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DE RUEHDL #0313/01 0870701
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P 280701Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6680
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY
RUESKT/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0001
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA PRIORITY 0011
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0138
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0126
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000313 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014
TAGS: MARR KPKO PGOV PREL EI SU XY
SUBJECT: IRELAND CONSIDERING REDEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS


Classified By: DCM JONATHAN S. BENTON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000313

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014
TAGS: MARR KPKO PGOV PREL EI SU XY
SUBJECT: IRELAND CONSIDERING REDEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS


Classified By: DCM JONATHAN S. BENTON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D)


1. (C) Summary and Action Request. On March 23, the DCM
met with Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy
Political Director Colm O'Floinn and UN/Terrorism and Illicit
Drugs Director John Deady regarding GOI plans for the
potential redistribution of its peacekeeping forces by the
end of 2006. Earlier, Ambassador, DCM and DATT had a similar
discussion with Irish Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary
General Michael Howard. O'Floinn and Deady expressed
concerns over the UN's lack of a plan for replacing the
Irish/Swedish Quick Reaction Force Peacekeepers, noting that,
rather than tying a Swedish/Irish departure to a closure of
the QRF, they should be at least looking for replacements if
necessary. They added that the GOI is considering a
redeployment of its forces to Darfur. Embassy requests
coordinated USG views on where we feel the Irish contingent
would most usefully go, in order to help steer Irish
peacekeeping decisions. End summary and action request.

Irish peacekeepers to leave Liberia?
-------------- --


2. (C) Ambassador, DCM and DATT met March 8 with Irish
Department of Defense Secretary General Michael Howard, and
on March 23, DCM and emboffs met with Department of Foreign
Affairs Deputy Political Director and Security Affairs
Director Colm O'Floinn and UN/Terrorism and Illicit Drugs
Director John Deady regarding GOI plans for the potential
redistribution of its peacekeeping forces. O'Floinn and
Deady said that by the end of 2006, Ireland is likely to
redeploy Irish soldiers that are currently serving in
Liberia, but has yet to decide where to send these troops.
The GOI can deploy up to 850 troops overseas, and generally
likes to have as close to that number ) a huge percentage of
their standing forces - deployed as possible. There are
about 450 troops in Liberia, making it Ireland's largest
overseas deployment at this time and the largest Western
national force in Liberia. They added that Ireland supports

the need for the presence of a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) in
Liberia and expressed disappointment that the UN has yet to
formulate plans on replacing their Liberian contingency if it
leaves.


3. (C) Howard, O'Floinn, and Deady, noted the following
points regarding their African peacekeeping deployments:

--In Liberia, The Swedes comprise one third of the QRF, with
the Irish making up the other two thirds. On March 10, the
Swedish government informed the GOI that it intends to pull
its assets out of Liberia at the end of the year in order to
refit into a Nordic Battlegroup scheme. Ireland has had a
similar timetable for some time.
--The GOI is still not completely convinced, however, that
Liberia will be stable enough to leave at the end of the
year. Deady relayed some concern that supporters of former
Liberian president Charles Taylor may "pull some stunts" over
his likely extradition and prosecution.
--Although the DPKO office is "pressuring" Ireland to be
flexible, there is some irritation at the Irish DOD and DFA
that it seems to be only looking at the Swedish/Irish forces
to carry out the rapid reaction function in Liberia. They
are open to arguments to stay (they may be more flexible on
that score than the Swedes),but feel a Swedish/Irish
departure should not necessarily spell the end of QRF.
--The Irish government has publicly said it plans to send a
contingent to the Congo, but that unit will be very small
(newspapers have said ten soldiers) and might not be affected
by a Liberia decision. The Irish DOD still has serious
security concerns about the mission and LTG James Sreenan,
Chief of Staff of the IDF, has stated that the IDF will only
participate if the deployed force is robust and contains
sufficient resources to accomplish the mission.

Battlegroups and Irish Legislation
--------------


4. (SBU) A significant part of neutral Ireland's
peacekeeping strategy is to participate in an EU battlegroup.
Their most concrete planning is currently with the Swedes,
although they are keeping lines open with others for possible
inclusion if arrangements to be paired with the Swedes do not
work out. Irish overseas military deployment is potentially
hampered by the self-imposed "triple lock" on overseas
deployments, which requires a formal government decision,
parliamentary approval, and a clear UN mandate prior to any
deployment overseas of the Irish Defence Forces. The Irish
DOD is spearheading a government effort to enact new
legislation that will make conditions for overseas military
deployments clearer, including by noting an exception from
the "triple lock" for very small deployments, training
missions, and emergency humanitarian deployments. Currently,
deployments of 12 or less soldiers are permitted without the
"triple lock" but the legality of such deployments is
questionable. Proposed legislation would also broaden the
language required of a UNSC resolution to "authorize" Irish
participation. Although the government would like to get
this legislation introduced and acted upon before the summer
recess, the impending national parliamentary election cycle
(probably May of 2007) could get in the way. Both DFA and
DOD interlocutors indicated failure to pass the proposed
legislation will not affect possible African Deployments in
the short run.

Darfur
--------------


5. (C) If it does not pull its forces out of Liberia,
Ireland will be in no position to send forces to Darfur. If
it does pull out of Liberia by the end of the calendar year,
however, it expects it will probably be part of a Western
(probably rapid reaction) force in Darfur. The Irish Defense
Department expects that it would take at least 2-3 months to
"refit" its Liberia contingent for Darfur. With a small
number of standing forces, the roughly 400-500 troops that
would go to Darfur would essentially be the same ones rotated
in and out of Liberia at the present time.

Comment
--------------


6. (C) The Irish are clearly deciding what to do next with
their limited number of forces informally dedicated to
peacekeeping in Africa. The assumption of the diplomats and
the military leadership (as well as, we believe, the
politicians and the uniformed military) is that Ireland will
continue to keep at least 700 troops overseas, with
approximately 450 in Africa. If they leave Liberia, they
will go elsewhere in Africa. As they decide what to do next,
the desires of the UN leadership and DPKO will weigh the
heaviest. But the GOI will also be sensitive to EU politics,
EU Battlegroup configuration, and U.S. concerns. We request
coordinated guidance from the Department so that we may
convey U.S. views to the Irish in time to influence their
decision.

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