Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07OTTAWA118
2007-01-22 21:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ottawa
Cable title:
CANADA REVIEWS CLUSTER MUNITIONS POLICY, SEEKS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000118
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE PASS PM/WRA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017
TAGS: PARM MOPS PREL NATO
SUBJECT: CANADA REVIEWS CLUSTER MUNITIONS POLICY, SEEKS
U.S. ADVISOR AT SA/LW MEET IN GENEVA
REF: STATE 6667
Classified By: PolMinCouns Brian Flora. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000118
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE PASS PM/WRA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017
TAGS: PARM MOPS PREL NATO
SUBJECT: CANADA REVIEWS CLUSTER MUNITIONS POLICY, SEEKS
U.S. ADVISOR AT SA/LW MEET IN GENEVA
REF: STATE 6667
Classified By: PolMinCouns Brian Flora. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Responding to reftel demarche on January 22,
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
Mine Action and Small Arms Director Earl Turcotte said that
Canada viewed Cluster Munitions (CM) as legitimate and lawful
weapons when used in compliance with the laws of war.
Turcotte noted that the demarche was well timed, arriving one
day before Canada embarked on a whole-of-government review of
its engagement on CM that would run four days. Norway had
invited Canada to the planned CM conference in Oslo, he said.
The invitation was conveyed despite Canada's refusal to meet
the minimum requirement that participants declare their
willingness to negotiate, rather than discuss, an instrument
of international humanitarian law on CM.
2. (C) Turcotte suggested that Canada was essentially "in
the same place" as the U.S. and would not make a decision on
whether or how to engage in Norway, or in Montreaux in April,
until after the GOC completed its review of CM policy.
Canada, nevertheless, had "serious concerns" about CM
proliferation, he said. Turcotte then noted that Canada
expected CM to dominate the discussion of explosive remnants
of war at the June 19-22 experts meeting of the Convention on
Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
3. (C) Turcotte observed that Canada understood GON
frustration about the inability to achieve consensus on CM at
the CCW. It was the same kind of frustration felt by U.S.
and Canadian delegations when they sought unsuccessfully to
advance the protocol on Mines Other Than Anti Personnel Mines
(MOTAPM),he explained. Canadian officials also understood
from the Norwegians that the goal of the initiative was not
to eliminate the class of weapon in its entirely. Rather, it
was to stem the use of "inaccurate or unreliable ones." This
tracked with current Canadian internal CM practice, Turcotte
said, as Canada had destroyed its MK-20s and had its DPIC
munitions under review. Under current policy, he noted,
Canada would require over 99 percent reliability before
taking delivery of any CM procurements.
4. (SBU) Turcotte ended the discussion of CM by expressing
Canada's desire for more civilian and military expert-level
discussions of the matter. Post suggests PM/WRA consider
direct engagement with Turcotte early this week, before the
Qdirect engagement with Turcotte early this week, before the
GOC completes its review on January 26. Earl Turcotte can
be reached at:
Phone: (613) 995-9282
Fax: (613) 944-2501
earl.turcotte@international.gc.ca
5. (SBU) Turning to the informal meeting on Small Arms and
Light Weapons (SA/LW) in Geneva hosted by Canada in August
2007, Turcotte asked us to convey to Washington Canada's
request for a U.S. official expert member of the Chair's
Advisory Group.
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa
OTTAWA 00000118 002 OF 002
WILKINS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE PASS PM/WRA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017
TAGS: PARM MOPS PREL NATO
SUBJECT: CANADA REVIEWS CLUSTER MUNITIONS POLICY, SEEKS
U.S. ADVISOR AT SA/LW MEET IN GENEVA
REF: STATE 6667
Classified By: PolMinCouns Brian Flora. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Responding to reftel demarche on January 22,
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
Mine Action and Small Arms Director Earl Turcotte said that
Canada viewed Cluster Munitions (CM) as legitimate and lawful
weapons when used in compliance with the laws of war.
Turcotte noted that the demarche was well timed, arriving one
day before Canada embarked on a whole-of-government review of
its engagement on CM that would run four days. Norway had
invited Canada to the planned CM conference in Oslo, he said.
The invitation was conveyed despite Canada's refusal to meet
the minimum requirement that participants declare their
willingness to negotiate, rather than discuss, an instrument
of international humanitarian law on CM.
2. (C) Turcotte suggested that Canada was essentially "in
the same place" as the U.S. and would not make a decision on
whether or how to engage in Norway, or in Montreaux in April,
until after the GOC completed its review of CM policy.
Canada, nevertheless, had "serious concerns" about CM
proliferation, he said. Turcotte then noted that Canada
expected CM to dominate the discussion of explosive remnants
of war at the June 19-22 experts meeting of the Convention on
Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
3. (C) Turcotte observed that Canada understood GON
frustration about the inability to achieve consensus on CM at
the CCW. It was the same kind of frustration felt by U.S.
and Canadian delegations when they sought unsuccessfully to
advance the protocol on Mines Other Than Anti Personnel Mines
(MOTAPM),he explained. Canadian officials also understood
from the Norwegians that the goal of the initiative was not
to eliminate the class of weapon in its entirely. Rather, it
was to stem the use of "inaccurate or unreliable ones." This
tracked with current Canadian internal CM practice, Turcotte
said, as Canada had destroyed its MK-20s and had its DPIC
munitions under review. Under current policy, he noted,
Canada would require over 99 percent reliability before
taking delivery of any CM procurements.
4. (SBU) Turcotte ended the discussion of CM by expressing
Canada's desire for more civilian and military expert-level
discussions of the matter. Post suggests PM/WRA consider
direct engagement with Turcotte early this week, before the
Qdirect engagement with Turcotte early this week, before the
GOC completes its review on January 26. Earl Turcotte can
be reached at:
Phone: (613) 995-9282
Fax: (613) 944-2501
earl.turcotte@international.gc.ca
5. (SBU) Turning to the informal meeting on Small Arms and
Light Weapons (SA/LW) in Geneva hosted by Canada in August
2007, Turcotte asked us to convey to Washington Canada's
request for a U.S. official expert member of the Chair's
Advisory Group.
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa
OTTAWA 00000118 002 OF 002
WILKINS