AMBASSADOR'S RAISES 7TH ROTATION TO IRAQ WITH

UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000666 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR MG IZ SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S RAISES 7TH ROTATION TO IRAQ WITH PRESIDENT, SPEAKER, PM Sensitive but unclassified -- not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) On September 5, Ambassador paid a farewell call on Prime Minister Enkhbold, and on September 6 she met with President Enkhbayar and Speaker Nyamdorj. In all the calls, the Ambassador lauded close military-military relations, and noted U.S. support for Mongolia's efforts to have its military play a larger peacekeeping role. She praised Mongolia's recent hosting, with U.S. support, of its first-ever multinational peacekeeping training exercise, Khaan Quest, and commented that the exercise had "put Mongolia on the map" with its Asian neighbors and highlighted Mongolia's peacekeeping role. She urged Mongolia to remain committed to Coalition operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and asked that Mongolia's National Security Council (NSC, comprised of the President, Speaker and Prime Minister) agree to send a 7th rotation at roughly the 100-troop level of the current rotation. She noted that this was not just a U.S. desire, that Mongolia had been requested by the Government of Iraq to send the rotation to assist its democratic transition. In addition, the Polish Government, which has a primary interest in Mongolia's continuing commitment, has formally requested a full troop rotation. ¶2. (SBU) In their own points lauding the current good state of Mongolia-U.S. relations, PM Enkhbold and Speaker Nyamdorj listened closely to the Ambassador's presentation, but neither touched either on military cooperation or on Iraq. During the September 6 call on the President, Enkhbayar praised close bilateral military relations and the Khaan Quest exercise. He said he had discussed the 7th rotation with the Prime Minister and some other members of the Cabinet to learn why they had made a preliminary decision to substantially reduce the number of soldiers in the 7th rotation. The NSC would use a different mechanism to consider the issue, he said, and would take into account the U.S. position, and that of Poland and Iraq. The NSC would meet to discuss the matter soon. He agreed that Mongolian soldiers who have served in Iraq are proud of doing so, and felt that it provided good training. The Ambassador noted that Mongolia's request for HMMVs and other equipment for a full 7th rotation is being worked on through appropriate channels, and assured Enkhbayar that, per Admiral Fallon's statement last month, the U.S. intends to meet the request. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: The President departs in the next few days for the NAM summit in Havana, and the PM will be in the U.S. for the UNGA September 17-23. With the 6th rotation term expiring at the end of September, that suggests the NSC should meet and decide on the 7th rotation before the President's departure for Havana. Meanwhile, as DATT has reported, on August 24 the Mongolian Armed Forces began to train 120 soldiers in order to be prepared should the NSC decide on a 7th rotation of 100 soldiers. SLUTZ