DEFENSE MINISTER TALKS ABOUT AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 001119

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016
TAGS: MARR PREL LH AF
SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER TALKS ABOUT AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ
DEPLOYMENTS

REF: A. VILNIUS 1110 B. VILNIUS 1032

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Rebecca Dunham for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas
told the Ambassador that the GOL is still considering sending
Special Operations Forces (SOF) to Afghanistan during their
December 13 meeting. He also expressed interest in U.S.
plans in Iraq, where Lithuania has troops, emphasized the
importance of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, and asked
for support as Lithuania prepares to assume financial
responsibility for its Provincial Reconstruction Team in
Ghor, Afghanistan. He also discussed Lithuania's 2007
defense budget (ref A). End summary.

Lithuania still considering sending SOF to Afghanistan
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2. (C) Olekas told the Ambassador that there is agreement "on
the military side" to send Special Operations Forces (SOF) to
Afghanistan but that "there are still political discussions"
among the MFA and Presidency about when and where Lithuania
could send its SOF. Olekas said that Lithuania is
negotiating with the UK and Italy about contributing SOF to
their areas of responsibility. Lithuania's contribution
would have to end, he said, before its planned contribution
of 50 SOF to NATO Response Force 10 (January to July, 2008).
Responding to earlier reports that Lithuania was seeking a
deal on Baltic Air Policing in exchange for deploying SOF to
Afghanistan, Olekas denied that there was any such quid pro
quo offered by his ministry. He did say, "When we discuss
SOF, we also discuss air policing, as these are both things
that affect the resources of the MOD." The Ambassador
encouraged the Minister to deploy the SOF to Afghanistan in
2007 in order to respond to our common responsibilities in
NATO.

Asking for Support for PRT Handover
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3. (C) Olekas asked for U.S. support as Lithuania prepares to
assume complete financial responsibility for the Ghor
Province PRT, which the USG will support until the end of

2006. Although Olekas was not specific about what kind of
support he wanted, we are aware that the Lithuanian military
has asked CENTCOM if they can leave some U.S.-owned equipment
behind. The Ambassador told Olekas that the U.S. wants to
see Lithuania succeed with its PRT, and that we are ready and
able to assist the Lithuanians with advice.

Air policing
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4. (C) Olekas emphasized the importance of NATO's Baltic Air
Policing mission as a visible symbol of Lithuania's NATO
membership to the Lithuanian people. While he noted the
importance of the mission in relation to aerial incursions
from Russia and Belarus, he focused primarily on the its
symbolic value. "We can go to a village and explain it to an
old lady," he said, adding that it was the best example to
show what Lithuania gets from its participation in NATO
missions abroad. He reiterated Lithuania's plan to fill
future air policing rotations before going forward with the
Baltic States' formal request to extend the mission until
2018 (ref B).

Iraq
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5. (C) Olekas asked about U.S. plans in Iraq, emphasizing
that the USG's view was important to Lithuania, rather than
that of the Iraq Study Group or other outside commentators.
Olekas asked for "a little advance notice" if the USG is
planning to go public with a new policy. He implied that
Lithuania is trying to decide what to do with its troops in
Iraq, noting its consideration of sending troops to
Afghanistan and that the Ministry would have to go to
parliament for a new mandate to keep troops in Iraq through

2008. (Comment: Parliament has overwhelmingly defeated
several motions to withdraw the troops, so we don't see a
political problem renewing their mandate under current
circumstances. At the same time, a close advisor to the
President recently raised the prospect of a Lithuanian troop
pullout from Iraq with the Ambassador -- ostensibly to free
up more troops for missions in Afghanistan-- so the
possibility is clearly on the minds of GOL policymakers.)

Comment
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6. (C) We believe that there is a strong possibility that
Lithuania will send SOF to Afghanistan in 2007. We will
continue to push the GOL not to use NATO as a horse-trading
venue, but instead to pursue a common strategy to meet our
common security needs.


7. (C) On Iraq, the GOL is watching the debate in Washington
and London carefully. The Lithuanians will discuss future
troop levels with the Danes and the British, with whom they
serve in the south.
CLOUD