Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1545
2006-08-15 22:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UNIFIL FORCE GENERATION UPDATE

Tags:  PREL PGOV KPKO UNSC IS LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1233
OO RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHPW
RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUCNDT #1545/01 2272216
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 152216Z AUG 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9849
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 001545 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM A/S HILLEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UNSC IS LE
SUBJECT: UNIFIL FORCE GENERATION UPDATE

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, per 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 001545

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM A/S HILLEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UNSC IS LE
SUBJECT: UNIFIL FORCE GENERATION UPDATE

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, per 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) chaired a meeting of UNIFIL Troop Contributing
Countries (TCC) on Friday August 11 and two follow-on
"technical meetings" on Saturday August 12 and Monday August
14 with both current and potential contributors. The purpose
of these meetings was to discuss next steps required to
quickly generate and deploy a beefed-up force for UNIFIL.
DPKO discussed force needs in general terms and addressed
several specific concerns of existing UNIFIL TCCs. During a
separate bilateral meeting on August 15, a DPKO official
shared with USUN a notional plan for force generationplanning
purposes which was developed for internal UN use following
informal contacts between the UN Secretariat and various
countries, and informed by DPKO assumptions. With the caveat
that no country has provided a formal commitment thus far,
this notional plan envisions France, Ghana, India, and Turkey
as providing at least two battalions each ) consisting of
mechanized infantry and/or infantry troops ) while
Indonesia, Italy, and Spain would provide one battalion each.
DPKO would welcome an exchange of information with the USG
about potential troop contributions. (Note: PM A/S Hillen
will meet with DPKO August 16-17.) USUN also confirmed that
DPKO U/SYG Guehenno is in discussions with Germany about the
possiblity of German bilateral assistance to the GOL )-
independent of the UNIFIL force structure -- to help secure
Lebanon,s border with Syria to prevent the rearmament of
Hizballah. DPKO will convene another meeting of NY-based
representatives of potential TCCs on August 17 to brief on
the proposed Concept of Operations, Rules of Eengagement, and
force generation needs. A decision on French participation
is crucial for DPKO to complete its plan. End Summary.

DPKO Requests Help With Planning
--------------


2. (C) During recent meetings with current and potential
TCCs, DPKO asked member states to provide a team of 4 - 5

military planners to augment current DPKO staff. (NOTE: US is
providing one officer in accordance with DPKO's request who
will arrive o/a August 18. As of August 15, we understand
that France and Italy have already provided officers for this
team. Retired French Brigadier Francois Dureau, currently
serving as the head of DPKO's situation center, has already
been dispatched to Beirut to liaise with UNIFIL Force
Commander Pellegrini. END NOTE.) The planners would assist
in finalizing the plan and then some of them would deploy as
part of a larger advance party. There is no firm timeline
thus far for initial force deployment but the DPKO plan now
is to deploy a planning team to UNIFIL HQ in Naqoura o/a
August 27 in order to facilitate an initial force of two or
three battalions that would be the lead elements. The team
would consist of a team of DPKO officers augmented by some of
the military planning officers to be provided by member
states. As to next steps, DPKO hopes to complete the Concept
of Operations (CONOPs) by midweek and to present the proposed
CONOPs, Rules of Engagement, and other DPKO thinking at a
"formal" TCC of NY-based representatives on Thursday August

17.

Generic Force Needs
--------------


3. (U) Without going into numbers, DPKO previewed on August
11 and 12 what they would ask for in the force generation
phase: mechanized infantry units, combat engineers to
facilitate mobility, ground and air recon, transportation
assets (light/medium trucks),utility helicopters and a level
two hospital. There will be a need at the outset for
Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and demining units which
will be critical to facilitate rapid return of IDPs. There
should also be a maritime component to the operation for
interdiction purposes. Additionally DPKO wants to establish a
UNIFIL Liaison Team of two or three officers in Beirut. They
also plans to set up a "hot line" between UNIFIL, the IDF and
the LAF, and would like to establish regular mil-to-mil
meetings between UNIFIL, the IDF and the LAF.


4. (C) Some existing UNIFIL TCCs, particularly India,
continue to voice concerns about their current troop
deployments and what is going to be required of them in the
near term. The representative from the Indian mission has
repeatedly pointed out that no one should expect the existing

USUN NEW Y 00001545 002 OF 003


UNIFIL to take on the new mandate until additional forces are
deployed, and that no one should assume that the existing
TCCs would continue to participate in the new UNIFIL. During
the August 11 meeting, DPKO USG Guehenno pointed out that all
TCCs would be consulted about follow-on participation, and in
the meantime their troops would not be expected to carry out
new mandates in UNIFIL's existing configuration.

DPKO Seeks Collaboration with USG
--------------


5. (C) During a separate meeting August 15, Special Assistant
to U/SYG Guehenno Salman Ahmed (protect) showed USUN a
notional internal DPKO document outlining the types of
contributions the Secretariat might expect from individual
member states. Ahmed said the document reflects DPKO,s
assessment of member state capabilities as well as a sense of
what these states might be prepared ) with some cajoling by
the USG and other interested parties ) to contribute. The
document suggested France, Ghana, India, and Turkey might be
called upon to provide at least two battalions ) consisting
of mechanized infantry and/or infantry troops ) while
Indonesia, Italy, and Spain might be asked to provide one
battalion each. These countries, as well as Malaysia,
Norway, Sweden, and China, might also be asked to contribute
other kinds of forces besides infantry.


6. (C) Ahmed acknowledged that DPKO,s force generation
efforts will depend in large part on whether France decides
to lead the expanded UNIFIL force. He expressed some
frustration that the French military still had qualms about
committing large numbers of new forces under a blue helmet
lead, despite early political signs from Paris that France
would play a primary role. Ahmed also referred to press
report citing Italian officials who had expressed concerns
that UN forces require approval from New York to open fire,
which Ahmed said is categorically untrue. He appealed to the
USG to remain in close touch with both France and Italy, as
well as other contributors, to ensure that they play their
part in the new force, and described a press campaign by DPKO
U/SYG Guehenno to update European audiences on DPKO practices
and procedures.


7. (C) In addition to the countries listed on the notional
internal DPKO document, Ahmed told Poloffs that Guehenno is
in discussions with Germany about possible German bilateral
assistance to Lebanon to secure its border with Syria to
prevent rearmament of Hizballah, most likely by providing
customs officials as well as a training and equipping
program. Ahmed described his understanding that any Germany
assistance would be independent of UNIFIL, and conveyed a
reported German reluctance for German officials to be
stationed on the Israeli-Lebanese border. He admitted that
this proposal -- wherein UNIFIL would not be directly
responsible for monitoring arms trafficking on the Syrian
border -- was preferable to DPKO. USUN urged DPKO to
consider how to support GOL efforts to ensure that arms will
not be smuggled into Lebanon's air and seaports in order to
reassure Israel and thereby facilitate their prompt
reopening.


8. (C) Ahmed assured USUN that DPKO is firmly committed to
ultimately generating a force of roughly 15,000 troops.
Acknowledging earlier reports that A/SYG Annabi and DPKO
Military Advisor General Mehta had determined that the
enhanced UNIFIL force might be able to accomplish its mission
with fewer soldiers (approximately 7-8,000),Ahmed confirmed
that DPKO had received USUN's earlier message about the
political sensitivity of suggesting a dramatically lower
number. He noted that Mehta is worried about the initial
absorptive capacity of UNIFIL and the LAF and is considering
a rolling deployment. Of particular concern is how UNIFIL
can help the LAF deploy given the current environment (e.g.,
destroyed bridges and roads). Ahmed said the TCC meeting on
August 17 would focus on reassuring potential contributors
that the UN would establish a clear command and control
structure for the force, with robust Rules of Engagement and
the necessary budgetary and equipment support. He also said
DPKO would reassure current and potential TCCs that the
mandate in UNSCR 1701 is sufficiently clear and flexible to
enable the force to carry out its mission.


9. (C) Finally, Ahmed conveyed that DPKO's approach to the
task of rapidly expanding and deploying UNIFIL was to move as

USUN NEW Y 00001545 003 OF 003


fast as possible. He said this pace means it can't be
business as usual at the UN, and that the UN would like USG
support for DPKO to seek flexibility in such areas as
procurement and authority to commit budgetary resources. He
also said that DPKO is inclined to keep Pellegrini in place,
noting the UNIFIL force commander has the confidence of all
parties and that changing the leadership structure at this
stage could delay deployment.
BOLTON