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