GREECE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO IRAQ

S E C R E T ATHENS 000872 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017 TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PREL PTER IZ GR SUBJECT: GREECE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO IRAQ REF: A. SECSTATE 55436 ¶B. ATHENS 763 Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHARLES RIES. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: Per ref a, Embassy has assessed Greece's ability and willingness to contribute military or civilian resources to enhance the security mission in Iraq. Greece has made financial, logistical, equipment, and training contributions to Iraq and may be amenable to further similar contributions. Greece has not contributed troops or other personnel, however, and is highly unlikely to do so in the future. END SUMMARY. GREECE'S RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS -------------- ¶2. (C) GoG contacts have told us Greece contributed more than 14.5 million euros to Iraq, three million of which went to the UNDP trust fund (500K for elections, 600K for general development projects, and 1.9M for de-mining). The remainder (11.5M) represented bilateral assistance to Iraq focused on: health, education, de-mining, emergency situations relief, and aid to vulnerable women and children. Our contacts underscored that these contributions represented only those undertaken through the MFA. They noted that Greeks were generous in giving to humanitarian causes, and it was possible that private Greek organizations had also contributed substantial sums in addition to the MFA amounts, though they had no data on possible private contributions. In 2004-2005, Greece also contributed 500K euros to the UN trust fund for protection of UN forces in Iraq and is considering doing so again following the December 2006 appeal by the UN SYG. MILITARY CONTRIBUTIONS -------------- ¶3. (C) At the start of the Iraq war, Greece provided extensive support for aircraft refueling and other logistical activities at Souda Bay in Crete. Greek Special Forces teams were employed on the high ground above Souda Bay for several months to provide security for U.S. military operations there. The Greek military took every available fuel truck and driver to help deliver aircraft fuel to the U.S. Naval Support Activity airfield, which enabled U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft to refuel every B-52 striking Iraq from the west. When it became evident that even more fuel was needed, the Greek Air Force diverted 100 percent of their 115th Fighter Wing's fuel pipeline at Souda Bay to serve the U.S. effort. In the last 18 months, the Greek MOD has contributed 100 former East German armored personnel carriers (BMPs) and 4.5 tons of ammunition to the Iraqi army, provided training in Athens for five Iraqi physicians, and trained 30 Iraqi military personnel in Bulgaria for two weeks last August. WHAT MORE TO EXPECT -------------- ¶4. (S) The GoG may be amenable to making further financial, equipment, or training contributions. Deputy FM Stylianides was to attend the signing of the International Compact with Iraq, which we interpret as a signal of the GoG's willingness to continue to play a role in Iraqi reconstruction. Opposition to the war in Iraq remains very high in Greece, however, and politicians from the governing New Democracy party and opposition PASOK would regard as political suicide any suggestion of sending Greek forces or other personnel to Iraq. This is even more true with elections likely as early as September or October. RIES