CZECH DEFENSE MINISTER ON VERA-E, AFGHAN PRT, AND

S E C R E T PRAGUE 000283 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE, PM/RSAT FOR FORTIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2016 TAGS: AF EZ NATO PARM PREL PTER ETTC KSTC MASS SUBJECT: CZECH DEFENSE MINISTER ON VERA-E, AFGHAN PRT, AND MISSILE DEFENSE Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (S) Summary: Ambassador met March 14 with Czech Defense Minister Karel Kuehnl to present the letter from SECDEF Rumsfeld on the positive results of U.S. testing of the VERA-E passive surveillance detection system. Afghanistan and missile defense were also discussed. Kuehnl welcomed the SECDEF's letter but said that actual sales of the VERA-E would be important in the future. Kuehnl was not as optimistic as the MFA on plans for a Czech-led PRT, but was careful to say that the Ministry of Defense would not be a roadblock. Kuehnl also said he was open to talks on missile defense in the coming months, but cautioned that the discussion should be kept low-profile until after the June election; he said that Prime Minister Paroubek could distance himself from missile defense if it were to become an electoral liability. End summary. -------------- VERA-E: U.S. SEAL-OF-APPROVAL WELCOME BUT CZECHS SAY MORE SALES ARE NEEDED -------------- ¶2. (C) Kuehnl welcomed SECDEF Rumsfeld's favorable letter on the VERA-E, saying the Czech Republic never had doubts about the system's technical capabilities. He agreed with the Ambassador that such a document would be useful in marketing the system to allies. However the Minister observed that the Czech Republic's industrial and social policies were taking a back seat to national security policy on this issue. He said praise of the system would not be enough. Failure of the VERA to become commercially successful would lead to a "grave" domestic political problem. Kuehnl said he is committed to maintaining the superiority of allies, and not making them more vulnerable. He hoped with the help of the United States the Czechs could find ways to make Czech passive surveillance technology less of a proliferation threat and therefore more exportable. The Minister asked that the Ambassador communicate the Czech request for practical measures to Washington for action. The Ambassador responded that Washington was aware and engaged, as the letter from SECDEF Rumsfeld indicated. He said he understood the Minister's concerns from both an economic and a political standpoint, and assured Kuehnl the United States is grateful for Czech cooperation on the VERA-E issue. 
 -------------- MOD ON FORMING A CZECH-LED PRT: VERY HARD BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador shared with Kuehnl the United States' favorable reactions to Czech interest in leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, adding that the U.S. would be prepared to help the Czechs identify potential partner allies with the right capabilities. Kuehnl said discussion of the issue was premature. Initially taking a very negative tone, Kuehnl individually listed most of the Czech Republic's ongoing deployments as evidence that the Czech armed forces have more troops deployed than current doctrine allows. However, Kuehnl went on to say he was not prepared to rule out a PRT. He said the Ministry of Defense could go forward but that the problem was political. Creation of a Czech PRT would need the approval of both chambers of Parliament. Additionally, an effective PRT would require civilian programs from other ministries, which had not prepared plans for how they might contribute. -------------- MISSILE DEFENSE CONSULTATIONS: THE JUNE ELECTION MAKES THIS DELICATE -------------- ¶4. (S) Kuehnl and the Ambassador also touched on the future of discussions on missile defense. Kuehnl agreed there had been several years of cooperation on the issue, but cautioned that the pre-election period was a politically delicate time for any work that might hit the press. He warned that (highly-pragmatic) Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek could distance himself from missile defense if it were to become an electoral liability. Kuehnl said the Ministry of Defense is interested in further talks but any work on the issue should not/not be made public before the election. He suggested that talk on missile defense be packaged as part of wider discussions on political and military matters. Kuehnl said that he saw no problem with private briefings to NATO allies or Russia on missile defense. -------------- COMMENT: -------------- ¶5. (C) Kuehnl's position on increased VERA-E system sales is a reflection of rising pressure within the GOCR to authorize more exports of this technology. The Minister believes there is scope for more bilateral U.S.-Czech cooperation on this issue. ¶6. (C) The PRT question continues to cause divisions in Prague. The MFA is a promoter of the idea, the Minister of Defense appears agnostic and aware of the costs, while most of the MOD policy staff believe the Czechs cannot mount this kind of operation. It is encouraging that Kuehnl is not prepared to allow the MOD to become a bottleneck on the road to a PRT. However, his days in this job are numbered (Note: Kuehnl's party is unlikely to make it into parliament after the June 2 election End note). It is an open question whether a Czech PRT can be planned during the life of this government for approval by the next. ¶7. (S) Kuehnl is not alone in seeing missile defense as a delicate matter. All parties in the coalition government are in full campaign mode. He is prepared to go ahead with consultations in the interests of international cooperation with a close ally, but is clearly focused on the possible political threats to Czech involvement in the missile defense program if the issue becomes a political football. CABANISS