EU CHAD MISSION ON RAZOR'S EDGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 003482

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/RPM (BTURNER),
PRM/AFR(MMCKELVEY),AF/FO (JSWAN),AF/RSA (MBITTRICK)
JOINT STAFF FOR ENP (MSHIELDS,JHIRST,JSEAMON),AF
(ROSBOURN,SKELLY),WEB (KBRENTON)
OSD FOR RFABRYCKY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: MOPS EUN CD CT PHUM
SUBJECT: EU CHAD MISSION ON RAZOR'S EDGE

REF: A. PARIS 4661 B. BRUSSELS 03258 C. BRUSSELS 03018

Classified By: USEU Joint Staff Liaison officer Major Maria Metcalf for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. The Director General of the EU Military
Staff (DGEUMS),LtGen Leakey told U.S. Ambassador to Chad
Nigro on December 5 that the 8EU is on a razor's edge
regarding the military mission in Chad," clarifying that due
to severe force generation shortfalls, EU credibility "may be
at stake." He said that French efforts to get EU Member
States to agree to common funding for the mission are being
blocked by the UK and Germany and seem likely to hold-up the
force generation process. DGEUMS added that the mission
faces the significant challenges regarding national caveats,
rules of engagement and detention. Leakey opined that
despite the problems, it is likely that the EU will find a
way to deploy the military mission eventually, because most
Member States recognize that the EU will appear militarily
impotent if the mission falls through. End Summary.


2. (C/NF) In a December 5 meeting, U.S. Ambassador to Chad
Louis Nigro and the EU Director General of the EU Military
Staff (DGEUMS),UK LtGen David Leakey, Ambassador Nigro asked
Leakey for an update on the EU's planning for its military
mission in Chad. DGEUMS explained that "the EU is on a
razor's edge regarding the military mission in Chad," due to
severe force generation shortfalls. LtGen Leakey specified
that helicopters are the most critical force requirement yet
to be filled by Member States. The mission requires at least
18 helos (11 transport, four reconnaissance and three
casualty evacuation). Currently no helicopters have been
pledged by any Member State.

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Sharing the Burden
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3. (C/NF) According to Leakey, no one in the EU is sure
what will become of the mission, but he believes that it will
go ahead in the end - the question really is when - and that
question depends on money. Some EU Member States, the UK and
Germany in particular, have an allergy to common funding.
Leakey emphasized that the UK military is maxed out regarding
critical assets in NATO and multi-national operations.
Therefore the UK is against common funding because in this
case it would only serve to offset the reality that most
Member States do not spend enough on defense. The real
answer is for the others to carry their share of the burden,
in NATO and in ESDP. He noted that the UK currently has
13,500 soldiers deployed (5,500 in Iraq and 8,000 in
Afghanistan),with Afghanistan alone costing over $1 billion
in additional costs every six months.

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Significant Challenges
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4. (C/NF) According to LtGen Leaky, if/when the EUFOR Chad
mission is launched there will be three significant
challenges for the Member States to the mission's credibility
and effectiveness: national caveats, rules of engagement and
detention.


5. (C/NF) National Caveats: It is likely that many
contributing countries will impose national caveats that will
limit the effectiveness of the contributions. Unfortunately,
countries don't like to make these caveats known until
immediately before or after deployment, which makes it
difficult for planners to work around them. However, DGEUMS
speculated that it is possible that there is a growing
resentment, both in the EU and NATO, regarding caveats.
Perhaps, he speculated, this will lead to limited caveats.


6. (C/NF) Rules of Engagement (RoE): The RoE will not be
written to cover every possible circumstance and it will be

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up to the Force Commander (French Brigadier General
Jean-Phillippe Ganascia) to interpret them on the ground.
The issue of RoE will be difficult because there is no "peace
to keep," but rather a complicated political and military
situation that EUFOR will have to navigate while maintaining
neutrality and impartiality. At what point would the use of
force be authorized? This challenge will require constant,
fluid discussions up and down the chain of command
on-the-ground. (Comment. This issue becomes even riskier,
considering that there has been fighting 20 miles away from
the EUFOR Force Headquarters in Chad for the past 10 days.
Although LtGen Leakey emphasized that the on the ground
assessments indicate EUFOR will not be a target for violence,
it could be difficult to keep from being in the center of a
violent situation if the fighting spreads. End comment.)


7. (C/NF) Detention: Conditions in Chadian prisons and lack
of capacity in the judicial system pose a unique problem for
EUFOR. If EU troops detain those caught in nefarious acts in
the EU areas of authority, what will they do with them? It
would not be in accordance with European standards to
hand-over the arrested to the local authorities. Should they
even arrest those caught in illegal acts, and if not, then
what credibility will the EU have on the ground?, asked
Leakey.

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Meeting with ESDP Director for Defense Aspects of ESDP
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8. (C/NF) In a separate meeting on the same day with
Claude-France Arnould, Director for Defense Aspects of ESDP,
Ambassador Nigro said the refugee and migration issues in
Eastern Chad are the most compelling from the U.S.
perspective. The U.S. hopes that the EU Chad mission will
affect the protection of refugees and change the
political-military equation in the East. The U.S. is also
looking for ways to support the UN Mission in Chad and the
Central African Republic (MINURCAT) and to work with other
international players in N'Djamena.


9. (C/NF) Arnould said that Chadian President Deby is
sensitive regarding any U.S. participation in the EU mission.
She also mentioned that there are also still "some issues"
with the exit strategy for the EU military mission, but did
not specify what they are. EUFOR Chad/CAR mission has
encouraged regular meetings between the Council and the
Commission to ensure coordination toward common objectives,
to include development projects relevant to the short-term
military mission and the long-term Commission goals.


10. (U) Ambassador Nigro suggested to Arnould the idea of
having regular video tele-conferences among the pertinent
departments in Brussels, Washington and N'Djamena, to ensure
the alignment of efforts of all involved. Arnould welcomed
the idea.

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Relevance
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11. (C/NF) The day following Ambassador Nigro's meetings,
French media reported that Italy will contribute a small
mobile medical facility. A contact at the Italian Delegation
expressed frustration at the way the French are setting-up
this mission, saying that the French pre-identified the
medical unit before asking the Italians if they would be
willing to contribute it, and then French newspapers
published the contribution before Italy officially made its
decision. The Italian contact commented that it seemed
likely that French intentionally leaked the possible Italian
contribution to the press in order to increase the pressure
on Italy to commit. Several Member States have the
impression that the French are pursuing every possibility
with other Member States to ensure that this mission will go
forward. What is unclear is how much the French will damage

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their relationships with other Member States in the process,
and to what degree this could limit the effectiveness of
French leadership in pushing future EU military missions.


12. (U) Ambassador Nigro has not had the opportunity to
clear this message.

Murray
.