TALIBAN EXCHANGE: FRANCE AGREES SERIOUS;

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001154 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016 TAGS: PREF PTER PREL AF IT NATO FR EUN SUBJECT: TALIBAN EXCHANGE: FRANCE AGREES SERIOUS; NON-COMMITTAL ON NEXT STEPS REF: STATE 36204 Classified By: PolMC Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D). ¶1. (C) POL Deputy delivered reftel demarche March 23 to DAS-equivalent for Security Affairs Pierre Thenard and desk officer Francois Revardeaux, highlighting (also to dispel some press rumors that have circulated) failed U.S. attempts to dissuade the Italians and Afghans from proceeding with such an exchange, the negative precedent such an exchange set in future hostage-taking situations, and the damaging impact on Western security interests and troops on the ground. He noted that the U.S. had protested to the Italians and the Afghans and was asking France and other friends and allies to do likewise, given that French interests were also involved. ¶2. (C) Thenard listened carefully to the presentation and indicated that he would "pass up the line" to the foreign minister's staff the depth of U.S. concern. He agreed that the Italo-Afghan deal, in going far beyond ransom payments, had added a new, "political" dimension to hostage taking. At the same time, he half apologized for the Italians in claiming that, unlike the "more stoic" USG, European governments were much more susceptible to the pressures of public opinion in dealing hostage-taking. He repeated that he would nonetheless inform his superiors of U.S. concerns. ¶3. (C) POL Deputy reiterated his hope that the GOF would not only register our preoccupation, but also take action itself in approaching the Italian and Afghani governments to protest their actions. Thenard suggested that this might have already occurred, at least with Italy and on an informal basis, while making clear that France would not likely take a public position on the issue. POL Deputy repeated that the U.S. fully expected France would take up the matter in diplomatic channels only. ¶4. (C) Comment: The GOF seems intent on handling this issue in "informal" channels, and made a point of specifying before the meeting that it would be treated as an "exchange of views" rather than as a formal demarche. Similarly, while Thenard said "he would not be surprised" if the issue had already been raised with the Italians (he did not mention the Afghans),he stopped short of stating explicitly that this had been the case. We suspect that the GOF, if it says anything at all to the Italians, will want to do so quietly and on its own terms without U.S. knowledge since Italy is a fellow EU member state. That our interlocutor did not mention the Afghans at all suggests that France is not interested in approaching them bilaterally; it would remain to be seen whether France would consider a multilateral demarche by NATO/ISAF. End comment. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON