NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT NOVEMBER 8, 2006

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000666

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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"

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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