Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRISTINA489
2007-06-22 13:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

KOSOVO: EUPT PROPOSES BROAD TRAINING CONCEPT FOR

Tags:  AORC KCRM KJUS PGOV PINS YI UNMIK KCRS 
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1190
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
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 03 PRISTINA 000489 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA, INL, NSC FOR BRAUN,
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: AORC KCRM KJUS PGOV PINS YI UNMIK KCRS
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: EUPT PROPOSES BROAD TRAINING CONCEPT FOR
ESDP MISSION

Classified By: COM Tina Kaidanow for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRISTINA 000489

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA, INL, NSC FOR BRAUN,
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: AORC KCRM KJUS PGOV PINS YI UNMIK KCRS
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: EUPT PROPOSES BROAD TRAINING CONCEPT FOR
ESDP MISSION

Classified By: COM Tina Kaidanow for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A recent weeklong course in Finland for
candidates for the anticipated Kosovo European Security and
Defense Policy (ESDP) mission covered ESDP concepts, the
goals of the Kosovo ESDP mission, an overview of rule of law
sectors in Kosovo, Kosovo-specific case studies, and the
missions of other principal actors in Kosovo. The goal of
the EU Planning Team for Kosovo (EUPT) is for member and
third party states to provide their contingents with similar
standardized pre-deployment training; the EDSP mission will
itself provide an induction training course for both member
and third party participants upon their arrival in Kosovo or
transition from UNMIK. EUPT anticipates that assuming a
UNSCR by July 1, the bulk of the pre-deployment training
would occur in August, with induction training beginning in
September. The draft concept for training presented recently
in Brussels outlines a menu of 6-8 different types of
training requirements for the mission, ranging from
pre-deployment training to specific policing skills training
(eg, shooting, driving). The EUPT anticipates providing the
standardized training program and materials to EU and
attending third party states at the ESDP Training Conference
June 25-26 in Berlin. We will continue to work with EUPT
officials in Pristina to refine the ESDP training curriculum
based on best practices from the INL civilian police training
courses. In particular, we will encourage them to add more
Kosovo- and mission-specific content. END SUMMARY.

PILOT PRE-DEPLOYMENT TRAINING COURSE: FOCUSING ON EU CONCEPTS


2. (C) USOP staff recently attended the second offering of a
four and a half day course in Finland to train Finnish

candidates for the anticipated Kosovo European Security and
Defense Policy (ESDP) mission. Finland is the only EU member
state already offering pre-deployment training to its
candidates. The course was first offered in March 2007, and
is viewed by the EU Planning Team for Kosovo (EUPT) as a
"pilot" for the pre-deployment training of all anticipated
1,800 members of the ESDP mission.


3. (C) In addition to Finnish judges, prosecutors, police,
and corrections officials, there were also participants from
Lithuania and Austria. The pilot course was taught primarily
by EU, EUPT, and UNMIK staff, who covered the ESDP concept
and the EU political structure, broad outlines of the goals
of the ESDP mission for Kosovo, and an overview of the
justice sector (eg, lessons learned, current capacity and
issues, structure). The course also included Kosovo-specific
case studies and the missions of other principal actors in
Kosovo, such as the OSCE, the ICO, and NATO/KFOR. Half of
the course focused on the structure of the EU Commission and
Council, the UNMIK pillars, and ESDP concepts. While this
provided a thorough grounding in the source and structure of
ESDP missions, including the requirement for consensus among
all 27 member states to undertake a mission, there was little
content on the actual goal and plans for the Kosovo ESDP
mission, primarily because the plans remain classified. The
course did cover two main structural goals of the mission: to
work side-by-side with locals throughout Kosovo, vice being
only in Pristina, and to focus on building local capacity.
(Note: Under UNMIK, all international judges and prosecutors
are located in Pristina. End note.)


4. (C) In the EU modules, lecturers covered the two-year
mandate of the Kosovo ESDP mission (extendable for an
additional 1-2 years),the cost (100 million euros annually,
plus 50 million for start-up),the staffing program (in
waves, with the first wave later this summer if there is a
UNSCR by July 1),and hiring policies. In addition,
presenters covered the EU's new Stability Instrument, which
is designed to provide more flexible funding for "crises,"
including the ability to turn around a decision in one to two
weeks vice an entire year, as more normal mechanisms require.
The exit plan for the ESDP mission was presented as a
transition to EU pre-accession mechanisms.


PRISTINA 00000489 002 OF 003


BURIED TOO MUCH: LESSONS LEARNED AND ANALYSIS OF KOSOVO


5. (C) Lessons from the past eight years of UNMIK were
scattered throughout the lectures, but the course could
benefit from an initial half-day session providing a
comprehensive overview of Kosovo and lessons learned. Topics
that could be expanded or added include: Albanian and
Serbian culture; an overview of Kosovo government
institutions and international actors' roles now and those
envisioned for the future; critical potential sources of
instability; potential triggers for conflict; key actors; and
lessons learned, particularly those related to the March 2004
violence. Topics covered as asides throughout the course
included how the UNMIK justice system has remained static
over the past eight years, insufficient emphasis by UNMIK on
civil justice and institution building -- particularly
related to local judges and prosecutors, insufficient staff
training, the dubious quality of internationals seconded by
UNMIK to Kosovo, and how political influence negatively
affected the justice system.

CRITICAL ISSUES FOR THE JUSTICE SECTOR PRESENTED


6. (C) During the course, several members of the EUPT
lectured on the justice sector, policing, and the corrections
system. They raised a number of issues that they saw as
critical potential impediments to the success of the ESDP
mission and to the institutionalization of the rule of law in
Kosovo. These include: addressing property rights, putting
into place vetting procedures for judges and prosecutors,
adjudicating socially-owned enterprise claims, passing
legislation on the enforcement of civil judgments, addressing
parallel Serbian court structures, developing local rule of
law capabilities, improving judicial system infrastructure,
addressing corruption, raising salaries of judges and
prosecutors, providing legal aid, improving witness
protection, instituting case management systems, using
population registration data to determine court
jurisdictions, and improving the state of applicable law,
which is currently a mixture of laws from different parts of
the world.

LITTLE INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC KOSOVO MISSION CONTINGENCIES


7. (C) The course included specific case studies on policing,
corrections, and an overarching study that pulled in elements
from the entire judicial system. These cases helped ground
the theoretical information participants had been receiving
in the reality of Kosovo. However, outside of a
comprehensive briefing on the security environment, there was
little information given on how participants would be
expected to react to different contingencies in Kosovo, the
tasks and responsibilities of ESDP staff in different
programs, life in Kosovo (health, food, standard of living,
housing),the working level relationships between the ESDP
mission and other key actors, such as the International
Civilian Office (ICO),the Kosovo government, and the
International Military Presence (IMP). It also included none
of the physical and policing skills and stress management
training that the ten-day U.S. civilian police courses
contain.

OVERALL TRAINING CONCEPT FOR ESDP MISSION MEMBERS


8. (C) In related news, the EUPT's training concept for the
overall Kosovo ESDP mission was approved in Brussels the week
of May 28, but budget ramifications are still being
determined. The concept outlines the need for training
programs and materials for key mission personnel, operational
heads, trainers, a standard program and material for
pre-deployment training (to be provided by member and third
parties states),induction training provided by the ESDP
mission upon arrival in Kosovo, specific functional training
in skills like driving and shooting, and training for local
staff. Training for key mission personnel will be held in
Brussels as they are selected; training for operational heads
will be held no later that 60 days after a UNSCR in Kosovo.

PRISTINA 00000489 003 OF 003


The EUPT plans to present the standard program and materials
for pre-deployment training at a workshop on the sidelines of
the ESDP Training Conference in Berlin, Germany June 25-26.
Participating states will be responsible for developing and
providing pre-deployment training for their contingents,
drawing upon the standard program and material. The EUPT has
extended an invitation for the U.S. to participate in that
conference. The bulk of the pre-deployment training will
likely take place in member states in August, with induction
training beginning in September as contingents arrive in
Kosovo. Current EUPT plans are that U.S. civilian police,
already operating in Kosovo under UNMIK, would be briefed on
the ESDP mission specifics during induction training upon
their transition. The EUPT has asked for U.S. input on the
programs and materials for all of the Kosovo ESDP mission
training courses.


9. (C) COMMENT: To avoid repeating mistakes of the last
eight years and ensure synchronized, complementary efforts
across the range of international actors in post-status
Kosovo, a robust training program for the incoming ESDP
mission will be essential. Mission staff must have a shared
understanding of the environment in Kosovo, critical
potential impediments to success, lessons and best practices
and lessons learned from the last eight years, including from
the March 2004 violence, potential triggers, and how their
specific actions fit into the overall strategy for Kosovo.
We will continue to work with EUPT staff to inject best
practices from U.S. civilian police training. As the ESDP
mission goals, strategies, and benchmarks become public, we
should revise future U.S. pre-deployment training to reflect
these specifics.
KAIDANOW