DOD 1206 FY08 DRAFT ETHIOPIA PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002390 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, S/CT:BRIAN PHIPPS, AND PM:PPA USCENTCOM FOR CCJ5 LTC ROBERT GIBSON/MAJ RYAN LAWRENCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL MASS ET SUBJECT: DOD 1206 FY08 DRAFT ETHIOPIA PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REF: SECSTATE 4130 (NOTAL) ¶1. AmEmbassy Addis Ababa supports the application of Section 1206 funds toward the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) for combat engineering support, and endorses the two separate proposals forwarded separately by Security Assistance Office (SAO) to USCENTCOM. The first proposal requests personal protective equipment for combat engineers, and the second proposal requests heavy equipment for combat engineers. ¶2. Ethiopia is a key strategic partner of the U.S. in the Horn of Africa, and is playing a key role in the global war on terror. These proposals seek to enhance the ENDF's counterterrorism capabilities by improving mobility of its forces for pursuing terrorist elements in the region. YAMAMOTO