CYPRUS ARMS: GREEK COMPLIANCE WITH AGREEMENT --

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 002026 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2017 TAGS: MARR PREL MASS NATO GR CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS ARMS: GREEK COMPLIANCE WITH AGREEMENT -- POSITIVE INTERAGENCY MISSION TO CYPRUS REF: ATHENS 1058 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Charge Tom Countryman for 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request -- see para ¶4. -------------- SUMMARY/ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶2. (C) An interagency team visited Cyprus October 2 - 4 to review initial steps taken by Greece to comply with U.S. law regarding the transfer of U.S.-origin defense articles to Cyprus. The team found that the Government of Greece had taken significant steps to implement the May 2007 agreement: -- All U.S.-origin defense articles provided after December 22, 1987 have been removed from Cyprus. -- No U.S.-provided equipment is co-located with Cypriot equipment, and substantial measures have been taken to establish a substantial physical separation between any U.S.-provided equipment and Cypriot equipment. The Greeks are taking steps to ensure that all their facilities enjoy a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive Greek control and do not involve transit through any Cypriot facility. -- U.S.-origin equipment is stored at a total of eight facilities, and the Greeks have developed and are implementing measures to ensure that no persons other than officers, employees, or agents of the Government of Greece or of the U.S. may be provided access to any U.S.-provided defense articles. -- The GOG will ensure that it has a sufficient number of guards to provide adequate security and control of the U.S.-origin equipment. ¶3. (C) The team identified a number of issues to be resolved by the Greeks, including a requirement to complete fencing in several sites, a requirement for further information on the security regime, a need to remove vehicle gates between Greek and Cypriot facilities, and information on four (4) M88 Medium Recovery Vehicles. The Greeks committed to resolve all remaining outstanding issues on U.S. terms on an urgent basis. In general, the visiting team found the Greeks' approach, tone, and the quality of work already completed to exceed expectations. End Summary. ¶4. (C) Action Request: Embassy Athens requests that the Department lift its holds on sales of U.S.-origin equipment to Greece, including the pending Multiple Launcher Rocket Systems (MLRS) and Howitzer spare parts. End Action Request. -------------- Greece Implementing Agreement -------------- ¶5. (C) The interagency team consisting of PM/RSAT Deputy Director Hank Tucker, DSCA End-Use Monitoring Program Manager Leon Yates, Embassy Athens ODC Chief Steve Boukedes, Embassy Athens Pol-Mil Chief Jeff Hovenier, and Embassy Nicosia A/DATT Scott Miller visited Cyprus October 2 - 4 to review steps taken by Greece to comply with the May 2007 U.S./Greece exchange of letters on the presence in Cyprus of defense articles provided by the United States to Greece. Greek counterparts were Major General Anastasios Kanellopoulos, A Branch, Greek General Staff; Ambassador Dimosthenis Stoidis, Deputy Director General of International Relations, Greek Ministry of Defense; and Brigadier General Mendecidis, Commander of all of Greek facilities where U.S.-origin equipment is stored. ¶6. (C) In their briefing, the Greeks hit the key points, asserting: -- All defense articles provided pursuant to agreements between the United States and Greece enter-- There is no co-location of U.S.-provided equipment with Cypriot equipment; -- In locations where U.S.-provided equipment under Greek control is close to or adjacent to a Cypriot National Guard facility, there is a substantial physical separation between the U.S.-provided equipment and the Cypriot equipment with a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive Greek control; -- The U.S.-origin equipment has been consolidated into "the fewest number of facilities possible;" -- There will be a sufficient number of guards to provide security and control; -- Access to the U.S.-origin equipment is limited to officers, employees, or agents of the Government of Greece or of the United States. ¶7. (C) The Greeks then briefed on the eight locations where the U.S.-origin equipment is located (Mathiatis, Aplanta, Athalassa, Tseri, Polis Chrisohus, Polemidia, Liopetri, and Aghia Barbara),showing detailed plans to establish substantial physical separation between U.S.-provided equipment and any Cypriot equipment, and plans to ensure that access to U.S.-origin equipment would be limited to U.S. or Greek officials. The briefing also indicated the locations of the 81 tanks and 114 artillery pieces, accounting for all of the U.S.-origin equipment previously inventoried (power point file provided to PM/RSAT). ¶8. (C) The team visited each of the eight sites. Although the team had anticipated that the implementation of the Greek plans would be at an early stage, it found that the work was roughly 75 percent complete. The Greeks had particularly focused on perimeter security (e.g., fencing) to separate Greek and Cypriot equipment and units; in several sites, fences had been completely erected. The team found that the Greeks had gone to expensive and extensive lengths to comply with the exchange of letters; for example, at Aplanta they were building new barracks and headquarters to ensure effective separation with the Cypriot National Guard. At Aghia Barbara, they had negotiated the complete departure of the Cypriot National Guard from the site. ¶9. (C) The Greeks were less advanced in defining the conceptual details of base security (e.g., surveillance and SOPs for access). The team requested and received additional information on the organizational structure of the Greek units in possession of the U.S.-origin equipment (provided to PM/RSAT). The team also received information on the rotation structures for personnel assigned to each unit. -------------- Issues to be Resolved -------------- ¶10. (C) In the course of the visit, the team identified issues to be resolved and provided them in writing to Greek interlocutors at the conclusion of the visit (paper e-mailed to PM/RSAT and EUR/SE). Key among them were: -- Security Regime: The team requested that the SOPs for providing security at each of the facilities (e.g., aers. -- Timelines: The team requested a timeline for completion of each site. In general, however, the Greeks believe the work can be completed by late November 2007. -- Vehicle Gates: The team observed secured/closed vehicle gates between the Greek and Cypriot National Guard facilities in five sites and requested that all vehicle gates between Greek and Greek Cypriot facilities be removed and replaced with NATO-standard fencing. -- Site Specific Issues: The team identified two locations (Athalassa and Polemidia) where the Greek facilities did not have a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive Greek control and that required transit through a Cypriot National Guard facility. During the course of the visit, the Greeks agreed to changes in the plans to ensure that each facility had a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive Greek control and with no transit through a Cypriot National Guard facility. -- M88s: The team observed 2 M88s in Mathiatis and 1 in Aplanta. The Greeks confirmed that there were two M88s in each location. The team explained to the Greeks that these four M88s are subject to the same end-use and retransfer assurances as the other U.S.-origin equipment. The team asked the Greeks for confirmation that these four M88s were provided pursuant to agreements between the United States and Greece entered into prior to December 22, 1987 -- or that they will be removed from Cyprus, if this is not the case. ¶11. (C) Major General Kanellopoulos and Ambassador Stoidis committed that the Government of Greece will resolve all outstanding issues on an urgent basis. -------------- Next Steps -------------- ¶12. (C) Embassy Athens will now send a formal letter to the Greeks that reiterates the outstanding issues identified by the team in its out brief with the Greeks. The Greeks have committed to respond positively in writing that they will complete all outstanding issues on terms acceptable to the United States. The Greeks have also committed to further inspections to observe the remaining work, to verify its completion, and/or to confirm ongoing implementation of the Greek commitments to the United States. COUNTRYMAN