CANADIAN CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PALESTINIAN SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002215 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG EAID WE IS GZ CA SUBJECT: CANADIAN CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PALESTINIAN SECURITY Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. In November 28-29 meetings with senior Canadian officials, U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) for the Israel-Palestinian Authority Lt. General Keith Dayton expressed his high appreciation for Canadian contributions to his staff and asked for additional assistance on staff and project funding. Canadian officials expressed optimism about Canada's ability to make further contributions, again showing itself to be a generous partner in building peace and combating terrorism. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Lt General Keith Dayton, U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) for the Israel-Palestinian Authority, met with Canadian officials November 28-29 on the heels of the Annapolis peace conference. In all meetings, General Dayton expressed thanks and appreciation for Canada's contribution of six Canadians to his Tel Aviv-based staff, which also includes approximately 20 Americans and one Briton. General Dayton stressed that Canada's contribution to his team was vital not only because Canada provided outstanding people, but also because his Canadian staff members were able to travel freely to Palestinian areas including Gaza, while he and his U.S. staff faced travel restrictions. He described his Canadian staff members as his "eyes and ears" in his team's mission to establish and train Palestinian security forces. ¶3. (C) Increasing Canadian staff: In separate meetings with Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay and Chief of Defense Staff General Rick Hillier, General Dayton asked for additional Canadian staff, notably Canadian Forces (CF) officers with logistical experience. Dayton stated that additional staff members would be especially important in the coming months because, beginning in January 2008, he expected to have access to the USD 86 million that Congress had allocated to the USSC. Minister MacKay told Dayton that Canada likely could provide the USSC with four additional CF officers. General Hillier said that the four Canadians (three officers and one non-commissioned officer) would likely arrive in late January. ¶4. (C) Additional funding: Separately, Dayton asked Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier, International Cooperation Minister Beverly Oda, and Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister's Office Ian Brodie to consider funding Palestinian security projects, which Canada could announce at the December 17 Paris donors' conference. General Dayton admitted that it was difficult to convince donors to contribute to Palestinian security because the only visual that taxpayers might immediately see would be "Arabs with guns." He commented that donors were more interested in funding projects such as schools and hospitals, but underscored that such projects could not succeed without first establishing security. ¶5. (C) Setting priorities: General Dayton cited two security projects as most urgent: establishing penal and judicial systems in the West Bank city of Nabulus, and providing the Palestinian Authority with money for pensions for older security officers. He stated that Palestinian PM Salam Fayad had sent a Palestinian security force to Nabulus -- formerly one of the most violent cities in the West Bank -- to crack down on criminals and gangs in an effort to establish Nabulus as a model for security in the West Bank. General Dayton said that this effort had been surprisingly successful, but noted that, in order for the project to succeed fully, Fayad Qnoted that, in order for the project to succeed fully, Fayad needed funds for penal and judicial systems so that the authorities could try and incarcerate criminals after arrest. Regarding pensions, General Dayton explained that the USSC could not effectively train Palestinian security forces until after hiring new, younger officers. He said this would only be possible when older Palestinian security officers retired, which would not happen until they were able to receive pensions. General Dayton said that he recognized this would be a politically difficult project for a Western country to fund, since some could equate it to paying off former terrorists, and suggested instead that Canada could help urge Arab countries to fund this project. ¶6. (C) Canadian willingness: Foreign Minister Bernier expressed strong agreement with the emphasis on security in the West Bank, and predicted that Canada would likely be able to contribute funds to security projects in the Palestinian territories. Bernier had already concluded that funding security was a precondition for successful economic and social projects, based on Canada's experience in Afghanistan. International Cooperation Minister Beverly Oda also promised seriously to consider General Dayton's suggestions. ¶7. (C) Comment: Once again, Canada is showing itself as a generous partner in building peace and combating terrorism, OTTAWA 00002215 002 OF 002 with its likely additional contributions of staff for USSC and funding for priority projects in Palestinian territories. Visit our shared North American Partnership blog (Canada & Mexico) at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap BREESE