KOSOVO: UNMIK REQUEST FOR USG ASSISTANCE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRISTINA 000293 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: 03/19/2017 TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO: UNMIK REQUEST FOR USG ASSISTANCE IN EXTENDING CIVPOL OFFICERS FROM NORWAY AND DENMARK REF: A. A. PRISTINA 00142 ¶B. B. PRISTINA 0012 ¶C. C. PRISTINA 00206 Classified By: CDA ALEX LASKARIS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) UNMIK CivPol Commissioner Richard Monk has asked USOP for assistance in persuading the governments of Denmark and Norway to extend the tours of two civilian police officers deemed mission-essential. We concur with Monk that the extension of these two officers, and possibly additional personnel, is important to maintaining a credible international law enforcement presence in Kosovo in the potentially dangerous period between the withdrawal of the UN and the stand-up of the EU-led follow on mission. ¶2. (SBU) The two officers in question are Stryker Gagnat of Norway and Katrine Anderson of Denmark. Both Norway and Denmark have policies prohibiting their police officers from remaining beyond their one-year secondments. Stryker Gagnat is a member of Commissioner Monk's working group on sub-stations and local public safety committees, as well as being a member of the UNMIK Main Headquarters Operations Planning Team for minority security. He is due to leave on May 30, 2007. Katrine Anderson is Commissioner Monk's executive officer, and is due to leave on May 22, 2007. Commissioner Monk says he cannot afford to lose these two officers due to their strong institutional knowledge and contacts. Even if it were possible to get short-term assistance from the two countries, it would be impossible to replace the officers' institutional knowledge in the minority security area, which will be a critical law enforcement challenge in the coming months. ¶3. (SBU) Monk took office following former Commissioner Stephen Curtis's resignation in the aftermath of violent protests in February 2007. In his introductory call on the COM and in all subsequent meetings with USOP personnel, he expressed concern over losing key, high-level officers due to their governments' refusal to extend their contracts (ref A-C). The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) recommends that police officers rotate out of missions for at least 6 months after 24 months of service. Most contributing nations, including the United States, adhere to these recommendations, but make occasional exceptions due to extraordinary circumstances. Commissioner Monk believes, rightly in our view, that the circumstances in Kosovo are indeed extraordinary and warrant flexibility in extensions. Commissioner Monk has asked contributing nations to be flexible; so far, he has met with considerable resistance. ¶4. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable in its entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. LASKARIS