Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRISTINA206
2007-03-16 15:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

KOSOVO: NEW POLICE COMMISSIONER INTENDS TO

Tags:  PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI 
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DE RUEHPS #0206/01 0751544
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 161544Z MAR 07
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7157
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1096
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
RHFMISS/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE PRIORITY
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RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000206 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND S/WCI, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN
FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR
ACKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: NEW POLICE COMMISSIONER INTENDS TO
MAINTAIN UNMIK STRENGTH THROUGHOUT TRANSITION


Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000206

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND S/WCI, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN
FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR
ACKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: NEW POLICE COMMISSIONER INTENDS TO
MAINTAIN UNMIK STRENGTH THROUGHOUT TRANSITION


Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: New UNMIK Police Commissioner Richard Monk
told COM March 14 that he will work to maintain UNMIK
Civpol's strength throughout the transition period to the
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) rule of law
mission. The same day, EU Planning Team Head Casper Klynge
said the EU intends to bring in additional police officers
midway through the transition -- and not pull from existing
UNMIK Civpol assets until status day -- to help UNMIK
maintain its strength while the ESDP mission builds up. The
COM shared our concerns regarding a range of police issues
with Monk, from the Civpol strength issue to the weak
Ministry of Interior Affairs (MIA),as well as the political
pressure Kosovo Police Service (KPS) officers, especially in
the Serb-majority north, are likely to face from their
hardline leadership during this sensitive period. Monk
(protect) acknowledged those concerns, noting that he would
focus on building KPS capacity and asking for assistance to
ensure that key, high-level international officers with
experience and knowledge are not lost over the remaining
months of UNMIK's tenure due to contributing nations' refusal
to extend their contracts. END SUMMARY.

UNMIK will try to maintain Civpol strength; ESDP will not
draw before status


2. (C) Newly appointed UNMIK Police Commissioner Richard
Monk told COM on March 14 that he will work to maintain UNMIK
Civpol's strength throughout the transition period to the
inception of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP)
rule of law mission. Also on March 14, EU Planning Team
(EUPT) Head Casper Klynge informed COM that the ESDP mission
will bring in 500 additional personnel, 50 to 60 percent of
whom will be police, midway through the four-month transition
period. (It is still unclear what exactly these 250-300 new
ESDP police officers would do, however. Klynge adviser
Alessio Zuccarini told poloff they would not have executive
functions and might include one or two Crowd and Riot Control
(CRC) units. The EUPT will not make that determination until
receiving member states' reactions to the job descriptions
the planning team circulated last week.) The EUPT intends to
have EU and U.S. police officers currently serving in the
UNMIK mission change hats on the last day of the transition
period, thereby avoiding any possible ESDP mission drain on
UNMIK Civpol personnel.

Monk Raises Concerns about Loss of Experienced Civpol Officers


3. (C) Monk expressed concern that UNMIK might lose key
high-level officers due to contributing nations' refusal to
extend their contracts, specifically mentioning two German
officers who were about to depart. However, he was not
specific on what further losses he feared, nor did he imply
that UNMIK police levels overall were in jeopardy. (Note:
We are following up to get a better picture of which
high-level UNMIK police may be departing in the coming
months, and to ensure that the U.S. contingent and its
executive-level officers remain at existing levels in Kosovo
throughout the transition period.) Monk noted what he
considered to be deficiencies in KPS capabilities and said he
would attempt to focus on strategic capacity-building during
the rest of UNMIK's tenure, asking for USOP/ICITAP advice on
critical areas for development. Monk also acknowledged that
political issues would rise to the forefront over the coming
months; he and COM discussed the pressure that might be
brought to bear on Serb KPS officers in the north and
elsewhere by the hardline Serb leadership once the Ahtisaari
recommendation for Kosovo status became public record.


4. (C) COMMENT: Monk seemed keenly aware of the challenges
ahead, both in making certain KPS has the necessary capacity
and ensuring that international civpol has the continuing
strength to deal with contingencies. The fact that the EU
will avoid drawing from current UNMIK police assets before
the transition should help with the latter, but we will need

PRISTINA 00000206 002 OF 002


to know more about what the initial buildup of ESDP officers
in the transition phase is designed to accomplish. We will
report further on that issue, as well as the UNMIK personnel
retention issue, as we learn more. END COMMENT.


5. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina does not clear this cable for
release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
KAIDANOW