EMBASSY PARIS SUBMISSION TO THE 2005/2006 REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 PARIS 000719 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR PM/SNA, EUR/WE; OSD FOR OSD/PA&E, OASD/ISA/EUR, OASD/ISA/NP, OASD/ISA/AP, OASD/ISA/NESA AND OASD/ISA/BTF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP FR SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS SUBMISSION TO THE 2005/2006 REPORT TO CONGRESS ON ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMON DEFENSE REF: A. STATE 223383 ¶B. PARIS 000005 This message is sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet dissemination. Due to its length, this is part two of a three part message ¶40. (U) In Africa, France has provided 80 million euros to Darfur through the African Union and provides support to Chad on a bilateral basis. The French transported the Senegalese units of the AU force to Sudan and the Nigerian police contingent. (See paragraph 72 for more detail). ¶41. (U) In response to natural disasters in 2004 and 2005 France contributed substantially to Pakistan Earthquake relief efforts, the South Asian Tsunami relief efforts, and relief efforts after hurricane Katrina hit the southern United States. (See paragraphs 73-81 for more detail). ¶42. (U) The major part of France's efforts at capacity building in the world is focused on Africa where France relies on its forces stationed in seven nations to conduct most of its capacity building operations (see paragraphs 82-85 for more detail). Also, 4000 French troops stand alongside UNOCI in Operation Licorne in Cote d'Ivoire in support of the UN operation, in addition to the French permanent base in Abidjan. ¶43. (U) French Gendarmerie has taken the lead in the development of the European Gendarmerie Force. French Gendarmes are also deployed in Lebanon (UNIFIL),Haiti (MINUSTAH),Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI),the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, and the Central Africa Republic. They also conducted training in Kinshasa, Kenya (see paragraphs 86-89 for more detail). ¶44. (U) In the summer of 2004, the French also began a joint fighter pilot training school in Cazeaux, France (see paragraph 90 for more detail). ¶45. (U) As a nuclear state, France endorses deterrence theory and holds to long-standing NATO doctrines. It has consistently supported international arms control regimes as a means of bolstering stability and transparency. In addition to its continued support for international mechanisms to limit proliferation, France with their British and German colleagues pursued EU3 negotiations to obtain Iranian compliance with Iran's Safeguard Agreement commitments. EU3 efforts led to the signing of the Paris Agreement in November 2004. Iranian resumption of conversion in August 2005, and research on enrichment in December 2005, led to suspension of Paris Agreement discussions. France and its EU partners, with U.S. support, continue to pursue efforts to convince Iran to suspend its nuclear ambitions. (See paragraphs 91-93 for more detail). ¶46. (U) The French military continues to maintain strong contacts with the U.S. and other NATO countries for contingency planning. During 2004 and 2005, France conducted planning and exchanges with EUCOM and CENTCOM. French and U.S. analysts and planners share information on terrorism and WMD proliferation as well as political- military developments. From the beginning of operations in Afghanistan (both OEF and ISAF),and the Lebanon crisis, French and U.S. planners have continued to work together to produce effective, timely results. French forces permanently or temporarily stationed in Africa and Central Asia have assisted U.S. operations in the EUCOM and CENTCOM theater of operations. -------------- -------------- REF A PARAS 9-10: DIRECT COST-SHARING -------------- -------------- ¶47. (U) No direct cost sharing activities occur in France -------------- -------------- REF A PARA 11: INDIRECT COST SHARING -------------- -------------- ¶48. (U) No indirect cost-sharing activities as described in Ref A paragraph 11 occur in France. However the U.S. did receive several types of miscellaneous indirect cost- sharing benefits from France as described below. Overflight Clearances, Port Access, Use of French Facilities -------------- -------------- ¶49. (U) In 2004, France granted overflight and landing clearances to 1842 USG missions. 977 of these missions were in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 76 of these missions supported operations in the Balkans. During 2005, France granted 2061 overflight and landing clearances to USG missions. 811 of these missions supported OIF while 68 supported Balkan operations. France continued to grant blanket overflight clearances to most USG missions allowing over flights of and landings in France without notice. ¶50. (U) The 744 Expeditionary Air Base Group operated three KC-135 tanker aircraft from Istres Airbase in southern France during most of 2004. This group of 100 US military personnel flew air refueling missions supporting operations in the Balkans. The French provided fuel tax- free. The mission ended in December 2004. ¶51. (U) Tax concessions on fuel and landing fees for non- operational missions during 2004 totaled approximately 4000 dollars. During 2005 these concessions totaled 8450 dollars. ¶52. (U) During 2004 the US Navy made 14 port calls to facilities in metropolitan France. In 2005 the number of port calls was 29. In all cases, the French Navy provided excellent support and force protection services without cost. Additionally, no taxes were imposed for supplies or parts for US ships visiting French ports. -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- REF A PARA 12 RECENT CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS, MILITARY ASSISTANCE, HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS, CAPACITY BUILDING, COUNTERPROLIFERATION, AND NUCLEAR THREAT REDUCTION -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- Subparagraph A: Recent Contingency operations (See French Force Disposition and External Operations Table for personnel numbers) -------------- -------------- ¶53. (U) The French were among the first nations to volunteer troops to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and France continues to be responsible for Kabul International Airport and the area north of Kabul to the U.S. base at Bagram. A French battalion has been a part of ISAF since December 2001. From August 2004 to February 2005, a French general commanded the NATO-led ISAF. France has proposed an increased role in ISAF and offered to lead Regional Command-Kabul as part of the NATO reorganization and expansion of ISAF. In October 2005, France and Turkey announced that they would co-lead Regional Command-Kabul. The French are planning to augment their forces from the current 700 in ISAF to between 1,000 - 1,200 personnel to support the increased responsibilities of the regional command to include providing a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) battalion. The French have continued to provide a military police detachment in support of ISAF. ¶54. (U) Supporting OEF, the French Armed Forces continue to be actively involved in the fight against terrorism. 200 members of the French Special Forces are currently deployed in the South of Afghanistan alongside U.S. Special Forces in military operations against the Taliban. ¶55. (U) France assigned liaison officers to the U.S. staff headquarters in Tampa to ensure the interface between the military authorities of the two countries. French forces were directly involved in the fight against terrorism by carrying out the following missions: ¶56. (U) The air and sea group took part in air operations above Afghanistan in April-May 2004 (84 aircrafts were involved in operational missions for 450 flight hours). The French Air Force deployed within less than 48 hours six Mirage 2000D and two refueling aircraft from metropolitan France to the deployable airbase in Manas (Kyrgyzstan) which played a key role in the prosecution of air campaigns. ¶57. (U) In addition, two C160 airplanes with 130 soldiers of the Air Force have been operating in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) since December 3, 2001, totaling 10,000 flight hours. This detachment is focused on airlifting the French Forces operating in different areas in Afghanistan. ¶58. (U) In October 2004, three Mirage F1CR and one tanker C135FR were deployed in Dushanbe to carry out tactical reconnaissance missions for ISAF and the coalition against terrorism. To help promote the development of democracy in Afghanistan in close collaboration with its allies, the French Air Force again deployed an air detachment in Dushanbe, from August through November 2005 during the parliamentary elections. Within ISAF, the detachment, which includes three Mirage F1CR, three Mirage 2000D and two tankers C135FR based in Manas, was intended to establish an air presence throughout the country and support ground forces operations to deter any action likely to disrupt the elections. It was also entrusted with the mission to undertake reconnaissance and fire support operations supporting OEF. ¶59. Finally, the French military participates in the fight against terrorism within the OEF Task Force 150 (TF 150). The Task Force is actively involved in the following operations: - monitoring air and sea movements in the Red Sea, the Sea of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, - prohibiting the filtration of terrorists to the Arabian Peninsula or the Horn of Africa, - fighting against illegal trafficking (weapons, drugs etc.), - fighting against piracy and banditry acts. ¶60. (U) Since February 2003, a EUROMARFOR task group is part of the TF 150 and operates under the command of the U.S. staff. The French Navy greatly contributes to the TF 150 (about a quarter of the Task Force) with three ships operating on a permanent basis. France took command of TF 150 twice from September 2003 to January 2004 and from June to September 2004. ¶61. (U) An aircraft based in Djibouti, which was incorporated into the Task Force 57 (TF 57),is intended to patrol in coordination with the TF 150 ships. The 62 French ships involved in Operation Enduring Freedom since 15 December 2001 totaled more than 6,000 days at sea. ¶62. (U) The French Navy's strong participation in CTF-150, both by continuously providing ships and often providing a command staff in the Indian Ocean, particularly off of Somalia and the Gulf of Oman, and the presence of French Navy liaison personnel at NAVCENT Headquarters in Bahrain makes possible a good degree of interaction and cooperation in this key region. The French also maintain maritime patrol aircraft worldwide and cooperate with the U.S. Navy where there is common interest. ¶63. (U) The French also participate in the US Counter-Drug effort with Naval Forces. A French military officer is assigned to the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) in Key West, to ensure coordination with French forces in the Caribbean. Fort-de-France in Martinique supports U.S. Navy and Coast Guard units with port visits and the Navy Command in Fort-de-France has assisted the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard with the movement of personnel and weapons between various ships and aircraft. The direct participation of the French Navy in counter-drug operations consists of the deployment of frigates to the region to work with U.S. forces on a regular basis and the use of Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to the region. ¶64. (U) In 2004, the French Navy stopped three drug trafficking ships in the Antilles and one Togolese ship in the Gulf of Guinea with 450 kg of cocaine. The counter drug effort of the French Navy in 2004 was 199 days at sea, 156 hours of flight, 2058 ships queried, four ships intercepted, and 1020 kg of drugs ceased. ¶65. (U) In 2004, the French Navy effort against clandestine immigration equaled 683 days at sea, 904 flight hours, three ships intercepted, 43 clandestine immigrants turned over to border police. -------------- Subparagraph B. Military Assistance: NRF/NTMI/Afghanistan/NATO PKO. -------------- -------------- ¶66. (U) The French Army has been training the Afghan National Army within the overall U.S.-led program since its inception. Since 2002, the French have trained more than 2,000 Afghans. This includes three of the initial battalions; they have set-up the officer basic course and the staff officer's course. The French are currently participating in the Embedded Training Team concept with French Army soldiers assigned to mentor an Afghan battalion in Kandahar. ¶67. (U) The French have consistently expressed a desire to be part of NATO's transformation and interoperability initiatives as evidenced by their significant national contributions to the NATO Response Force (NRF). By participating in NRFs 1 through 6, the total French military contribution equals up to 40 percent of ground units, 30 percent of air assets, and 20 percent of naval capabilities. The French air force provides the deployable combined air operations center (CAOC) for the European led NRF. In January 2005, the French air force conducted AIREX 2005, a training exercise, to prepare for command of NRF-05 in July. On July 1st, the French air force became the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) of NRF-05 for six months. In 2004, NATO sent the NRF's Land Component Command Headquarters, the French led EUROCORPS, to lead the ISAF in Afghanistan. As part of NRF 5, NATO activated France's Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) to coordinate the air movements for the Pakistan earthquake relief effort. On 1 October 2005, the French formally created a multinational headquarters to serve as the Land Component Command for future rotations of the NRF. ¶68. (U) In 2005, the French also established a Maritime Component Command HQ to serve in future iterations of NATO's NRF. The French Navy successfully stood-up the High-Readiness Force - Maritime (HRF-M) staff in Toulon and qualified the staff during an at-sea exercise in 2005. This staff, will serve its rotational duties as an on-call force, ahead of schedule, and is being used by the French for out-of-area operations, for example, during the upcoming Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean deployment of the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Battle Group in early 2006. There is one U.S. Naval Officer assigned to the HRF-M staff. ¶69. (U) The French government has forbidden its military from contributing troops to the NATO training mission inside Iraq (NTM-1). One French officer is working on the training mission staff at SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium, and the GoF pledged 660,000 euros in February 2005 to help finance NTM-1. In 2005, the GoF took initial steps to contribute to the development of Iraqi defense and security capabilities. Under the European Union's EUJUSTLEX program, France has pledged to train 200 Iraqi police officials and judges in rule of law training in France, making France the top EU contributor to this program. Approximately 40 Iraqi police officials (non-military) completed month-long training at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Officiers de Police and the Ecole Nationale de Police in 2005. A third course started at the end of 2005 for judicial instruction at the Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature. At the same time, a French offer to train up to 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary police (gendarmes) outside Iraq remains unimplemented, although an Iraqi Ministry of Interior delegation visited France in July 2005 to further discuss the proposal. Currently there is a single Gendarme Officer in Iraq, responsible for provision of security for French embassy staff in Baghdad. ¶70. (U) In the Balkans, French forces remain among the largest contributors to operations in Kosovo. French participation in the former NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia continued under the EU Force, Operation Althea. 210 Gendarmes supported both the United Nations Interim mission in Kosovo and the NATO Intervention Forces in Kosovo. French Lieutenant General de Kermabon transferred authority as COMKFOR on 1 September 2005 after one year of command, the second time France has commanded KFOR. The French government provided approximately 60 gendarmes, including 20 officers to help combat organized crime under the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Hersegovina. Additionally, they provided European Union Police and military police in support of European Union Forces in Bosnia. ¶71. (U) The French continue to maintain a small French military presence (15 personnel) in Macedonia providing international police in support of the European Police Mission. They also provide a small presence force (three military observers) in Georgia to help support the U.N. monitoring mission. ¶72. (U) Regarding peacekeeping efforts in Africa, there has been ongoing debate as to NATO's role in Africa. This debate was most evident during the 2005 crisis in Darfur with France focusing its support for the AU through the EU. France, however, honored its pledge to SECSTATE that it would not oppose a NATO role in the crisis. France has provided 80 million euros to Darfur through the African Union and provides support to Chad on a bilateral basis. French troops and aircraft are conducting ground and air border security. During 2005, France provided refueling support to NATO and EU aircraft at Abech?in Eastern Chad, as well as personnel recovery capabilities using three C- 160 transport aircraft and three Puma helicopters. The French transported the Senegalese units of the AU force to Sudan and the Nigerian police contingent. -------------- Subpara C: Humanitarian Relief Operations NATOHMRO/Pakistan/Katrina/Tsunami -------------- ¶73. (U) In 2003, France allotted 9.3 million euros (USD 11.2 million) to what it termed Emergency Humanitarian Assistance, all of which was channeled through the Emergency Humanitarian Aid Fund of the MFA. In 2004, the initial allotment was 9.3 million euros (USD 11.2 million). The fund may be increased on an extraordinary basis to finance unexpected operations; this was the case in 2005, when France announced an emergency increased allotment of 2.8 million euros (USD 3.4 million) in favor of the victims of natural disasters or civil crises, primarily focused on the victims of the tsunami in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, and India, and an additional allocation of 5.6 million euros (USD 6.7 million) for the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan (see paragraphs below). The additional aid is imputed into the 2005 balance sheet bringing the total amount of emergency donations to 16,147,081 million euros. Allotments in 2006 are projected to increase to benefit victims of 2005's Hurricane Katrina in the United States. For an economic analysis of general Grant Aid and Humanitarian Assistance see paragraphs 117-221. ¶74. (U) Pakistan Relief. The French contributed 82 military personnel to the Pakistan relief effort. In addition, the French air force deployed two C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft to deliver relief supplies. The effort included medical service personnel, a surgical team, and support personnel (communications, equipment, and logistics) in Pakistan. Forty-six of the military personnel were inserted into the various NATO elements in Islamabad, Lisbon, Germany, and Turkey. Additionally, as part of NRF 5, NATO activated France's JFACC to coordinate the air movement piece of the relief effort. The JFACC at Taverney, near Paris has 23 French, five UK, and one U.S. officer assigned. ¶75. (U) KATRINA Relief. The NRF was activated in September 2005 after hurricane Katrina. At the same time, France used its Joint Forces Air Component (JFACC) to task the French Air Force to collect and deliver the 150 tons of European supplies for Louisiana. This support was delivered to Ramstein airbase, Germany. The French air force also provided two transport aircraft to move over four tons of supplies, including tents, tarps, and 1000 rations, to the US from the Caribbean. Along with these supplies, the French provided a team of four civil security personnel to help assess future U.S. needs and distribute assistance. Two French liaison officers were posted to the Joint Forces Commander in Lisbon to help coordinate all European assistance. An Airbus Beluga aircraft also delivered 12.7 tons of emergency equipment to Mobile, Alabama; ¶76. (U) The French Navy deployed a team of 17 Navy divers to assist with the Katrina disaster. This was facilitated by the fact that the French maintain a liaison officer with the U.S. Mine Warfare Command in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 17 French divers worked from September 11, 2005 to October 8, 2005 helping to clear waterways of debris and recover vessels. ¶77. (U) The GOF also offered the following contributions to assist with Katrina disaster recovery: --The "Gendarmerie nationale" offered experts in forensic police; --The GOF (with Airbus) offered to send an additional 20- 30,000 food rations. ¶78. (U) Tsunami Relief. The French Navy worked with U.S. forces and other willing partners following the December 26, 2004 Tsunami in South East Asia. In response to this disaster, the French Navy re-routed its helicopter carrier, Jeanne D'Arc, and, after picking up extra emergency supplies from the French base in Djibouti, sent the units into the disaster region. By February 1, there were 1,390 French Military personnel assisting in the disaster area, most aboard the three ships involved. The French Helicopter Carrier, Jeanne D'Arc, and the Destroyer George Leygues DD-644 deployed to Indonesia on January 4 until February 9 while the Destroyer Dupleix DD-641 deployed to the Maldives from January 5 until February 1, 2005. The Jeanne D'Arc supplemented the normal on-board complement of helicopters with an additional two heavy-lift helicopters. Embarked were 12 medical doctors and support personnel. ¶79. (U) There was one French Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to Thailand from January 1, 2005 that worked in cooperation with the U.S. Navy P-3 aircraft. One additional French Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployed to Sri Lanka from December 30, 2004 to January 1, 2005.