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,

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with its likely additional contributions of staff for USSC
and funding for priority projects in Palestinian territories.


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