SLOVENIA'S WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000285

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PM/RSAT (KDOWLEY, DGLANCY, AND CDANIELEWSKI),EUR/NCE
(SSADLE),NEA/I (TGRAMAGLIA),DRL/P, DRL/NESCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2017
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PREL PTER SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA'S WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ

REF: A. SECSTATE 54925


B. LJUBLJANA 95

Classified By: COM for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) This is an action cable, please see paragraph 6.


2. (C) SUMMARY. Slovenia is a standout ally in NATO -
currently 11% of its active duty forces are deployed in
support of NATO, EU, and UN operations abroad - and is making
small, but concrete contributions to coalition efforts in
Iraq. Its most prominent and most politically difficult
contribution - four military trainers at NTM-I - was
unceremoniously halved by personnel reductions made by NATO
Command in February. Given strident public opposition,
political pressures, troop deployments elsewhere, and an
overwhelming policy focus on the country's upcoming EU
Presidency, Slovenia will be he hard pressed to do more than
continue current contributions to the coalition effort in
Iraq. That said, post will encourage Slovenia to maintain
its two trainers at NTM-I and believes a well-tailored,
specific request for additional troop and financial support
to potential NTM-I projects could yield results. These
contributions, in tandem with support of Slovenia's NGO
program for child victims of war, which is losing its current
funding source for work with Iraqi mental health experts,
would anchor Slovenia firmly to the "Way Forward" for the
long haul. We request more detailed information, as outlined
in paragraph 6, about needs and potential areas for Slovenia
to contribute. END SUMMARY.

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A Standout NATO Ally Doing What It Can In Iraq
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3. (U) As of April 2007, Slovenia has 11% of its troops
deployed internationally in support of NATO, EU, or UN
operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, and
elsewhere. In February 2007, Slovenia deployed over 600
troops from its 10th Battalion to NATO's KFOR, its largest
international deployment since independence in 1991.
Slovenian troops have been in Kosovo since January 2000 and
in Bosnia since October 1997 (originally with SFOR and today
under the command of EUFOR). Slovenian troops have been in
Afghanistan since March 2003, currently stand at 54 (52 with
the Italian-led PRT in Herat and two in Kabul),and will be
increased to 66 in August 2007. Slovenia has donated 10,000
decommissioned automatic rifles and two million pieces of
ammunition to the Afghanistan National Army, a total value of
USD $660,000. Twelve Slovenian troops have been supporting
UNIFIL in Lebanon since December 2006. See reftel b for
in-depth coverage of Slovenia's current international
contributions.


4. (SBU) Slovenian police trainers have been at NTM-I in Iraq
since February 2006. The decision to put Slovenian boots on
the ground in Iraq was highly unpopular with the Slovenian
general public and political opposition then and continues to
be unpopular today. Frustratingly for us, their contingent
of four trainers was unexpectedly reduced to two in February
2007 without notice to us after a NATO decision to reduce
forces at NTM-I. Two trainers were able to rotate into NTM-I
in February 2007, and Slovenia continues its commitment to
staff those posts at NTM-I for the near future. Slovenia has
donated USD 5 million in light weapons and ammunition to the
Iraq Security Forces, donated approximately EUR 200,000 to
the NTM-I Trust Fund, and paid for EUR 172,000 worth of
transportation costs for a Hungarian tank donation to Iraq
that traveled through Slovenia. Slovenian police trainers
served at JIPTC from February 2004 to April 2007, twice
extending their mandate before JIPTC's initial training
mission was concluded. Requests to extend their trainers a
third time, to August 2007, were denied because the move
would require Parliamentary re-authorization that could not
have occurred within a reasonable time frame for the mission.
Through its government-sponsored NGO "Together," the
Slovenian government also supports training for mental health
experts in Iraq focused on psycho-social support for children
affected by war. NOTE: Together's Director told EmbOff April
25 that the Austrian Government will be discontinuing support
for the program and that the organization is looking for
funding to continue its work with Iraqi mental health
professionals. END NOTE.

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Comment: Slovenia's "Way Forward" In Iraq
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5. (C) The GoS has repeatedly heard and responded to USG
calls for more international contributions often producing in
numbers that, given Slovenia's small size, far outpace other
coalition members. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, the GoS has
looked for creative ways to contribute substantially, and
continues to do so. Given public opposition to the war in
Iraq, Slovenia's significant troop deployments in support of
NATO operations elsewhere, an overwhelming policy focus on
the country's upcoming EU Presidency (from January to June
2008),the nearing of the next parliamentary elections (fall
2008),and perhaps most importantly, the sudden reduction of
Slovenia's strenuously negotiated contingent to NTM-I this
spring, it is unlikely that Slovenia will be able to do more
than continue its current contributions to the coalition
effort in Iraq.

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Action Request
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6. (C) With these conditions in mind, we believe that any
approach to Slovenia should build upon its current
contributions and be well-tailored to its niche capabilities.
We believe that keeping Slovenia in Iraq, given its
political significance here, is a high priority. Any
discussion of future drawdowns at NTM-I, therefore, should
include this post. Second, we welcome more detailed
information from USNATO or elsewhere about needs and
potential areas for Slovenia to contribute. We believe
Slovenia would seriously consider specific requests for
additional modest troop and financial support to potential
NTM-I training programs for gendarme police training and
security sector reform and to the NTM-I Trust Fund. Third,
we are interested in whether State has interest in
collaboration with Slovenia's NGO Together for further work
in Iraq. This marquee Slovenian aid program to Iraq will
likely cease operation without intervention.


7. (C) COM will continue to press Slovenia to maintain
present contributions to coalition efforts in Iraq and NATO
operations elsewhere in conversations with the Prime
Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of
Defense. We would welcome any specific contributions that
the Slovenes could make in Iraq to allow for a tailored
approach to the GoS and recommend this be a potential topic
at the planned Slovenian-American Pol-Mil Talks planned for
May 22 in Washington.
ROBERTSON