IRAQ: CROATIA OFFERS WEAPONS AND TRAINING TO NATO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 001364

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE HOH, SAINZ, BALIAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS MARR ASEC IZ HR DEFENSE REFORM
SUBJECT: IRAQ: CROATIA OFFERS WEAPONS AND TRAINING TO NATO
TRAINING MISSION

REF: ZAGREB 983 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Political Officer Tom Selinger for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Assistant Minister of Foreign
Affairs Pjer Simunovic provided PolOff November 9 with a list
of weapons and training courses the GoC has offered to the
NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I). Weapons range from
500 x 7.62mm assault rifles to 10 x 82mm recoilless guns,
while training includes courses for military police, navy
divers, and military dogs and their handlers. According to
Simunovic, Croatia's mission to NATO turned the list in to
NATO Operations on November 3.


2. (C) While the GoC is unable to send troops to Iraq, this
offer of equipment and training reflects its commitment to
furthering its engagement in other ways, including plans to
open a permanent diplomatic mission in Baghdad (reftels).
END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.

FROM GRENADE LAUNCHERS TO ANTI-TERRORIST TRAINING
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3. (C) Weapons the GoC is offering to donate to the NTM-I are
as follows:
-Assault rifle, 7.62 x 39mm, quantity 500
-Rocket-propelled grenade launcher, M79 "OSA", quantity 100
-Machine gun, 7.9 x 57mm, quantity 10
-Machine gun, 14.5mm, quantity 10
-Rocket-propelled grenade launcher, RPG-2, quantity 10
-Mortar, 60mm M57, quantity 30
-Recoilless gun, 82mm M60, quantity 10
-Gun, 20mm M75, quantity 10
Simunovic did not discuss GoC plans for transporting the
weapons to Iraq.


4. (C) The GoC is offering the following training courses for
Iraqi Security Forces:
-Military Police (basic, traffic),20 days for 6 personnel
-Anti-terrorist forces, 38 days for 10 personnel
-Vital infrastructure protection, 15 days for 4 personnel
-VIP security, 20 days for 4 personnel
-Peace Support Operations (train the trainer),14 days for 15
personnel
-Basic Navy Diving, 6 weeks for 10 personnel
The GoC is also offering to train up to 6 dogs and handlers
in:
-Explosive ordinance detection, 7 months
-Narcotics detection, 7 months
-Protection/Search and Rescue, 6 months
BRADTKE