NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT NOVEMBER 8, 2006

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000666 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2016 TAGS: NATO PREL SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT NOVEMBER 8, 2006 Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: -- Azerbaijan: Azeri President Aliev provides an upbeat assessment of Azerbaijan,s reforms, predicts an end to Russia,s energy monopoly, and warns that frozen conflicts are the biggest threat he sees to regional stability, (see separate front channel message). -- Afghanistan: Pressure maintained on force generation and caveats; UK defends Musa Qala deal. Chairman of the Military Committee (CMC) highlights ISAF information operations, and NAC gets Intel briefing on record number of attacks by "other militant forces." -- Balkans: Kosovo Contact Group to meet in Vienna on Nov. 10; could recommend a delay in the status process. NATO-EU hold informal talks on post-status security in Kosovo. -- Iraq: Force protection report will recommend immediate reinforcement of access control at Ar-Rustamiyah. SYG circulates letter from Iraqi PM Maliki requesting NATO training for Iraqi military police. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Azerbaijan: Azerbaijani President Aliyev briefed the NAC on his nation,s economic, defense, and political reforms in the context of implementing its Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO. He predicted that Azerbaijan would approach western democratic standards in another five years, that Russia's energy monopoly will come to an end, and that Armenia will become isolated by the international community if it does not soon come to terms on Nagorno-Karabakh. He also announced that Azerbaijan would double its troop contribution in Afghanistan, (Note: Azerbaijan currently has 20 troops in Afghanistan). Ambassador Nuland saluted Azerbaijan's contributions to stability in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq and its bold energy policies, while pointing to the need for further democratization. ¶3. (S/NF) Afghanistan: NATO Deputy Secretary General Rizzo supported SACEUR,s recent letter to Chiefs of Defense (CHODs) urging Allies to fill the ISAF CJSOR and to lift caveats at the upcoming CHOD meeting in Brussels November 16. He urged the Military Committee to complete its work on the ISAF Periodic Mission Review (PMR) so that committee work on the political side could proceed, and so the NAC could endorse the PMR prior to Riga. He told the Council that SYG de Hoop Scheffer intends to look again at the issue of PMR timing and process in January. CMC Henault briefed on ISAF,s information operations, stating that ISAF seeks to drown out the Taliban message, while enhancing its own message and that of the Afghan government, particularly at the local community level. International Military Staff AD for Intelligence Admiral Clayton briefed that a record amount of attacks by other militant forces (OMF) had occurred in September, at least partially attributable to increased "friction" with ISAF as a result of Operation Medusa. He assessed that OMF would seek to maintain activity over the winter, particularly in the south and in urban areas. ¶4. (S/NF) The UK PermRep defended his government,s recent decision to withdraw from the Musa Qala district in Helmand, where UK forces had repeatedly fought Taliban insurgents, in exchange for a pledge from the local shura to maintain security. He asserted that there was no evidence of "passive Talibanization," and that local officials believe the agreement is working. Spain expressed interest in exploring deals with the local populace as the UK had done, and hoped to discuss the idea further at NATO. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Nuland welcomed the new "ISAF PRT Weekly" USNATO 00000666 002 OF 002 report, which is distributed in ISAF military circles but is not yet formally circulated on the political side at NATO. She urged all PRT lead nations to contribute, and asked NATO international staff to circulate the report weekly to delegations. Slovenia announced that its equipment donation to the ANA -- 10,000 AK-47s and two million rounds of ammunition -- was in transit, with the first part due to arrive in Afghanistan on Nov. 8. ¶6. (SBU) Balkans: The SYG told the NAC that the next meeting of the Kosovo Contact Group (CG) will take place on November 10 in Vienna, where Ahtisaari will receive initial feedback from capitals on his draft settlement proposal. The SYG advised that the CG could recommend a delay due to the prospect of Serbian elections and that KFOR would continue to monitor any developments which could impact security. He also reported that NATO and the EU held informal working level discussions last week regarding security post-status in Kosovo. Finally, the SYG informed the PermReps that the Autumn PMR has been provisionally endorsed by the MC and that the Policy Coordination Group (PCG) is expected to begin its work next week. ¶7. (SBU) Darfur: The SYG noted continuing opposition by the Sudanese government (GoS) to any transition from AMIS to the UN, adding that the UN is preparing for alternative means of support in case the transition does not occur. Attention is focusing on two upcoming meetings: on Nov 13, the UN, African Union (AU) and GoS will meet in Addis Ababa, and on November 24, the AU PSC will meet to discuss the future of AMIS beyond Dec. 31. The SYG said that work is underway on a draft AU)NATO framework agreement and that he intends to raise this issue at a PermReps coffee or lunch. ¶8. (SBU) CMC Gen. Henault noted that all NATO lifts of AMIS troops for the autumn rotation are completed, with the exception of Rwandan troops. The AU will send a note verbale to NATO clarifying when the Rwandan troops will rotate out. ¶9. (U) Iraq: The SYG noted that he had received and circulated to PermReps a letter from Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki requesting NATO training of Iraqi paramilitary police. The SYG said he intends to review this issue in more depth during a PermRep coffee or lunch next week. The SYG mentioned that the MC has provisionally approved the Autumn PMR and that the PCG will begin work on it next week. ¶10. (C) Based on conclusions from the Force Protection report due out Nov 15, CMC said a new CJSOR will be released during the Global Force Generation Conference on Nov. 21-23. The report concluded that an immediate reinforcement of security for access and control at Ar-Rustamiyah was needed. To help address this, CMC said that an additional element of 15 contract guards has been installed. CMC assured Council that this was not a slight to the Iraqi defense battalion which is providing proactive Force Protection. Rather, it was due to anticipated changes in insurgent tactics that could include the possibility of infiltration of the Iraqi Force Protection Battalion or the NATO compound. ¶11. (U) UNSC Mission to Afghanistan: Speaking on behalf of the UNSC, UK PermRep Eldon said that Japan would lead a Security Council mission to Afghanistan from November 10-17. During the NAC's Afghanistan discussion, the D/SYG asked Allies to respond positively to the UNSC's request for transportation from Dubai to Kabul, which SHAPE has forwarded to nations for consideration. NULAND