Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LJUBLJANA786
2006-12-07 12:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:  

SLOVENIAN CHIEF OF DEFENSE TACKLES HOST OF HOT

Tags:  MARR MASS MOPS PGOV PINR PREL SI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLJ #0786/01 3411256
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 071256Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5377
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000786 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2016
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PGOV PINR PREL SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIAN CHIEF OF DEFENSE TACKLES HOST OF HOT
TOPICS OVER LUNCH WITH THE COM


Classified By: COM for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000786

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2016
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PGOV PINR PREL SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIAN CHIEF OF DEFENSE TACKLES HOST OF HOT
TOPICS OVER LUNCH WITH THE COM


Classified By: COM for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Slovenian Defense Chief Gutman told COM the
MoD is working to lift caveats, eager to take on troop
deployment in Kosovo, enthusiastic about USG military
education programs, and committed to realizing its spending
target of 2% of GDP soon. Gutman shied away from discussing
defense acquisition issues, including a tender for simulation
systems that included a U.S. bidder, but did mention the
GoS's efforts to get serious about interdicting traffickers
on the sea and in the air. End Summary.


2. (SBU) COM hosted a lunch on November 27 for Major General
Mason C. Whitney, the Adjutant General of the Colorado
National Guard. The lunch was attended by General Whitney
and staff, Slovenian Chief of Defense (CHOD) Lieutenant
General Albin Gutman, Commander of Slovenian Armed Forces
(SAF) Doctrine, Development, Training and Education Command
Brigadier General Jozef Zunkovic, Adjutant to the CHOD Major
Matjaz Zirovnik, and Commander of the 1st Brigade Colonel
Anton Tunja.

--------------
SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS ON BUDGET AND CAVEATS
--------------


3. (SBU) At the top of the lunch Gutman asserted that the GoS
continues to have a long-term commitment to funding the MoD
at 2% of GDP. He acknowledged that it will not hit that
target this year or next, but said that defense expenditures
will definitely rise as the SAF continues to add personnel
and equipment. He said he hoped to see the MoD hit the 2%
target in the next few years.


4. (C) Regarding caveats, Gutman said that SAF troops in
Kosovo currently do not have any caveats and that the troops
in Afghanistan have "caveats regarding location" like many of
the other troops in Afghanistan. This does not match the
Embassy's understanding of current restrictions on the SAF's
troops in Kosovo. Without wanting to get too specific,

Gutman said that lawyers were struggling with the idea of
giving military police authority to operate outside of
military premises. He also noted the difficulty in letting
troops take action against demonstrators, saying that for
Slovenes deployed in the Balkans, "historical issues
immediately flare up." Ultimately, Gutman said the issue was
a "problem for the lawyers" and hoped that wording in the SAF
Military Service Act would solve the problem by producing a
solution that is "written in law." In contrast, a working
level staffer at the MoD privately told EmbOff that the law
is unlikely to change the current situation on caveats (The
SAF Military Service Act is currently under consideration in
the government with plans to send it to Parliament in
December).

-------------- --------------
KOSOVO DEPLOYMENT IS A TEST FOR SAF TRANSFORMATION
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Gutman raised the upcoming deployment of nearly 700
troops to Kosovo. He said that he is eager to see the SAF's
10th motorized battalion deployed to Kosovo now that it has
been certified by NATO. He added that it is good to get
troops out in the field to gain experience and that this will
be helpful in evaluating how the SAF is doing with its
transformation. The 10th motorized battalion is on track to
deploy to the town of Pecs in Kosovo in February 2007. When
it joins the 214 SAF troops already in Kosovo with KFOR, it
will be the largest international deployment in the history
of Slovenia as an independent state.

-------------- --
MAKING A COMMITMENT TO U.S. MILITARY EDUCATION
-------------- --


6. (C) In an about-face from the MoD's policy in recent
years, CHOD Gutman said the Ministry would submit applicants
for consideration to the U.S. Air Force Academy and West
Point (two per year for the next five years). Sending cadets
to U.S. service academies, if it comes to fruition, would be
a major financial commitment (approximately USD 100,000 per
year/cadet) given that the total MoD training budget is
approximately USD 3,000,000. It would represent the SAF,s
serious, ongoing interest in sending its best and brightest
to train alongside U.S. forces and develop SAF leaders with
American experience. It would also show a MoD that is

beginning to understand that it must shoulder more of the
costs of education and training exchange as Slovenia
completes its transition into a NATO partner and an exporter
of security. As to the high cost of training at a U.S.
service academy, Gutman made clear that "not getting the best
training was ultimately more expensive."

-------------- --
QUIET ON U.S. INTERESTS IN DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS
-------------- --


7. (C) Gutman demurred on COM inquiries regarding a decision
on the latest SAF defense acquisition with U.S. interests -
the purchase of a combat simulation system for Slovenia's
planned combat training center - and chose not to engage on
the highly controversial decision in summer 2006 to acquire
8x8 armored vehicles from Finish company Patria instead of
the U.S.-affiliated Slovenian bidder. On December 5, Major
Robert Sipec informed the Office of Defense Cooperation that
the SAF awarded the tender for the combat simulation system
to the Swedish company SAAB, marking a continuation of the
recent string of MoD decisions unfavorable to U.S.-affiliated
defense contractors.

-------------- --------------
GOS' INCREASED FOCUS ON BORDER, AIRSPACE PROTECTION
-------------- --------------


8. (C) In an interesting side discussion that began with a
reference to Slovenes' love for aeronautics, Gutman and
Brigadier General Zunkovic talked about the GoS's efforts
over the past year to focus seriously on patrolling the
Slovenian airspace and coastline to stave off the trafficking
of persons and drugs and improve the country's border
security. Gutman said that in the past, Slovenia was only
paying attention to big ships in the water off its coast, but
now it is increasingly focused on all ships, big and small.
Likewise, they said that while the government formerly
watched only the airspace around Brnik and Cerklje airports,
it will expand this vigilance to all of Slovenian airspace.

-------------- --------------
SAF STAFF CHANGES BRING USG-EDUCATED OFFICERS TO FOREFRONT
-------------- --------------


9. (SBU) Gutman concluded with a mention that current SAF
Director of General Staff Steiner was promoted to Major
General and would soon become his number two (the Deputy
Chief of Staff to the General Staff). Steiner attended
National Defense University through the IMET program in 2004.
Steiner is not alone among the ranks of recently announced
SAF leadership who have attended programs in the U.S.
Steiner's replacement as Director of General Staff will be
Brigadier General Branimir Furlan who attended the Army War
College in 2000, and new Commander of Forces Command,
Brigadier Alan Geder, attended Army War College in 2004, both
through the IMET program.

-------------- --------------
Slovenia-Colorado Partnership Program Reaps Benefits
-------------- --------------


10. (U) Major General Whitney, the Adjutant General of the
Colorado National Guard, paid his last visit to Slovenia as
Adjutant General from November 26 to 30 as part of an annual
assessment of the Colorado National Guard's State Partnership
Program with Slovenia. The visit included consultations with
Slovenian Chief of Defense Gutman and other top SAF leaders,
as well as a visit to Cerklje Air Base (which the GoS is
upgrading to meet NATO standards) and the partially complete
Cadet School in Maribor. The Slovenian - Colorado
partnership has been in existence since 1993 and has proved
to be incredibly popular within the SAF and was instrumental
in Slovenia's invitation to join NATO in 2002 and its
readiness to participate in NATO operations worldwide.


11. (C) Comment. MG Whitney's final visit celebrated what
has been a highly successful bilateral relationship for the
Colorado National Guard and the SAF. Gutman and his staff,
many of whom have known Whitney for years, were eager to
share their successes and their plans to continue the SAF's
transformation during the visit and at the COM's lunch.
Gutman said almost all the right things (about the budget,
international deployments, education and training, the
importance of U.S./Slovenian bilateral relations) but was
less encouraging on caveats. Gutman knows and appreciates

the American perspective. However, his reticence in
discussing acquisitions may indicate he is not powerful
enough to push through more contested MoD decisions that are
in the U.S. interest. End Comment.
ROBERTSON