TRUST BUT VERIFY: GREEK CHOD CONFIRMS CYPRUS ARMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000110 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017 TAGS: MARR MASS NATO PREL PGOV GR SUBJECT: TRUST BUT VERIFY: GREEK CHOD CONFIRMS CYPRUS ARMS PLAN REF: A. 2006 SECSTATE 165770 ¶B. 2006 ATHENS 2884 Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHARLES RIES. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a January 18 meeting with the Ambassador, Greek Chief of Defense (CHOD) Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis laid out the GoG's plan for dealing with the Cyprus arms issue in line with U.S. legal requirements, consented to an American inspection team, and promised to consult with the MFA on providing us with a letter spelling out the Greek plan. Other topics discussed at the meeting are reported septel. END SUMMARY. U.S. REQUIREMENTS -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador began the meeting by reiterating U.S. requirements for resolving the Cyprus arms issue, including: -- U.S.-origin equipment had to be under exclusive Greek control; -- No Cypriots could be in the chain of command; -- No Cypriot training on, or use of, the equipment; -- Equipment must be housed in separate facilities; -- U.S. personnel needed to inspect all equipment to verify compliance with U.S. law. THE GREEK PLAN -------------- ¶3. (C) Chinofotis confirmed that the Greek plan would meet all these requirements and introduced his deputy, Lt. General Stratakos, who described his trip to Cyprus last week to make arrangements for the plan's implementation. Stratakos said he had visited all Greek units on Cyprus with U.S.-supplied equipment and confirmed with each its ability to comply with the plan. Elements of the plan included appointment of a supervisory flag-level officer (general) with his own staff under CHOD Chinofotis' direct command; warehousing of all equipment possible; that equipment for which warehouses were not available would be located separately from Cypriot equipment with Greek guards and perimeter fences. TIMING -------------- ¶4. (C) On timing, Chinofotis said the sorting process had already begun, and the flag-officer supervisor would be assigned in March in accordance with the normal senior officer corps rotation. Physical separation and warehousing/cordoning process would take from April through the summer. (NOTE: Chinofotis had earlier told us the process would be complete "by summer 2007." The end date now appears to have shifted to the end of summer. END NOTE.) Greece would send an additional 270 troops to Cyprus to manage and guard the equipment. Chinofotis and Stratakos said this was the biggest problem from their perspective because it meant diverting Greek troops from other missions. TRUST BUT VERIFY -------------- ¶5. (C) On the question of verification, Chinofotis agreed that American inspectors would be permitted to confirm all aspects of the disposition of the equipment and the command and control arrangements. He also agreed to a visit by a joint Embassy/Washington team to confirm details of the plan in its early stages to avoid any confusion further down the line. Ambassador assured Chinofotis that the preliminary team would be very discreet, without publicity. Chinofotis proposed tying the team's visit to the visit of an American aircraft carrier to Cyprus, which he expected in April. We agreed this sounded reasonable and offered to discuss details of the visit later. GETTING IT IN WRITING -------------- ¶6. (C) Finally, Chinofotis agreed in principle to the Ambassador's suggestion to provide a letter spelling out the various details of the Greek plan as discussed, though he said he first needed to check with the MFA. Chinofotis asked whether, once the U.S. side had verified the physical arrangements and chain of command and custody, the U.S. side could provide a written response confirming that these arrangements met U.S. requirements. Ambassador agreed to check this point with Washington agencies. RIES