FIJI THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT JOINING COALITION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000370

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2016
TAGS: MARR MCAP PREL IR FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT JOINING COALITION IN
IRAQ: URGENT ACTION REQUEST

REF: A. SUVA 352


B. SUVA 340 (AND PREVIOUS)

Classified By: Amb. Dinger. Sec. 1.4 (B,D)

Summary
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1. (C) Chief Executive of the Fiji Ministry of Home Affairs
Korovavala told us on Sept. 11 that recent conversations have
convinced him the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF)
should join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq. He wants
to make the case strongly to a Cabinet subcommittee on Sept.

21. He envisions sending a company, perhaps by the end of
the year, without taking numbers away from other RFMF
deployments. He specifically requested detail on "what can
Fiji gain" from such a deployment in concrete assistance from
the USG: military support; specialized equipment; other
advantages in trade or otherwise. He also asked in what
parts of Iraq the RFMF might serve and on what duties.
Please provide as detailed a response as possible as far in
advance of Sept. 21 as possible. This is an opportunity.
End Summary.

Fiji Home Affairs CEO advocates Iraq Coalition deployment
-------------- --------------

2. (C) The CEO of Fiji's Ministry of Home Affairs, Lesi
Korovavala, sought an appointment with the Ambassador on
Sept. 11. He said Fiji's Cabinet subcommittee on PKO will
meet on Sept. 21. Korovavala wants to propose at the meeting
that the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) join the
Coalition of the Willing in Iraq. Per reftels, this is a
request that the U.S. has had on the table here since early
2006, when RFMF Commander Bainimarama returned from a visit
to Iraq with a desire to engage RFMF forces more in "the
action" in Iraq, a step beyond the static protective role
RFMF units now undertake with the UN. Until now, we have
heard nothing encouraging from Fiji's civilian leadership.
We had heard repeatedly that a Cabinet decision of three
years ago to restrict the RFMF to UN "blue hat" roles would
be an impediment.


3. (C) Two things seem to have changed. First, Korovavala's
deputy at Home Affairs, Ross Ligairi, just returned from a
trip to the Middle East. He was to assess current Fiji PKO
operations in Iraq and with the MFO in the Sinai as part of a
Cabinet review of what Fiji's PKO posture ought to be.
Korovavala said Ligairi returned convinced that joining the
Coalition is a good idea. Also, the OIC of Fiji's contingent
with UNAMI, BG Iowane Naivalurua, has been home in Suva on a
break. We spoke with him last Friday. He was upbeat about
the Coalition, and he deeply appreciated that Gen. Casey had
invited him to a periodic Coalition briefing in late July.
We urged him to talk with the Minister and CEO of Home
Affairs. Korovavala mentioned they had a conversation over
the weekend. Korovavala was impressed at the degree to which
the RFMF's UNAMI force has made connections with the
Coalition. Now, Korovavala is intent to make the case to
remove the "blue hat" restriction and to urge Cabinet
approval for Coalition participation.

A Company by end of 2006 is possible
--------------

4. (C) When asked, Korovavala made clear he is thinking any
RFMF troops to the Coalition should be "an addition, not a
substitute" for the current UN contingent. When asked,
Korovavala said he is thinking in terms of company strength.
As for timing, Korovavala said if the Cabinet subcommittee
were to approve the concept Sept. 21, a proposal could go to
the full Cabinet around the end of October. With approval
there, which could be very quick, actual deployment could
take place a couple of months later. Korovavala said he is
pretty confident that, if all the arguments are in place, the
Cabinet subcommittee (Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Attorney
General, Finance, and Public Enterprises) will be supportive.
If the subcommittee is supportive, everything else will fall
into place.

Question to answer ASAP: what's in it for Fiji?
-------------- --

5. (C) Korovavala emphasized that, as Home Affairs prepares
its PKO paper for the Cabinet subcommittee, it needs "some
more ummph" to add to standard arguments about the
generalized benefits for Fiji of contributing to PKO. He put
it bluntly: "What can Fiji gain?" An aspect is military:

SUVA 00000370 002 OF 002


"what kinds of things can Fiji look forward to regarding
support" for the RFMF unit that joins the Coalition? "Can
the U.S. reconsider how it supports the RFMF beyond PKO
training?" "Can special equipment be considered?" When
asked what sorts of special equipment, Korovavala mentioned
"hard skinned vehicles" as an example. Fiji also wants to
know "what types of duty" would be likely and in what part of
Iraq? Korovavala has heard that Gen. Casey sent a letter to
the RFMF four weeks ago asking for staff officers at the
Coalition headquarters. He (and we) would like any details
about such a request. Korovavala also broadened the query to
ask what other sorts of USG favors might Fiji obtain if it
joins the Coalition? He mentioned "trade" as a possible area
of interest.

Comment and action request
--------------

6. (C) This is a breakthrough. Neither Korovavala nor any
other heavyweights in Home Affairs or MFA had given a sense
of a possible green light in the past. It is not clear to us
that the Cabinet subcommittee will make a quick and easy
decision. Per previous reporting, there is a degree of
concern at the top about Fiji's degree of involvement in PKO
in general. Still, the U.S. now has an opportunity.
Clearly, the Fiji Government will want to know "what is in it
for us" in a very practical way. We have discouraged any
thought of textile concessions, based on past guidance from
USTR, but we need guidance on what sorts of things the USG is
prepared to provide. Home Affairs needs whatever concrete
response we can generate ASAP, as far before Sept. 21 as
possible.
DINGER