BOSNIA: NEW MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO ATTEND

S E C R E T SARAJEVO 000932

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SECDEF FOR FATA, CAGAN AND BEIN, DEPT FOR EUR (DICARLO),D
(SMITH),P (BAME),EUR/SCE (HOH, SAINZ, FOOKS),AND EUR/RPM
(BROTZEN),NSC FOR BRAUN, USNIC FOR WIGHTMAN AND MCLANE,
USNATO FOR REID, UNDERWOOD, SHAFFER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2017
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PREL PTER BK IZ
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: NEW MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO ATTEND
COALITION CONFERENCE; BOSNIAN IED CAPABILITIES

REF: STATE 54923

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS MCELHANEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Newly-installed Bosnian Minister of Defense Selmo
Cikotic, along with Deputy Defense Minister Igor Crnadak and
Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces' Operational Command BG
Mirko Tepsic, will attend the Coalition Conference in Tampa,
Florida April 30-May 2. Cikotic, who assumed his duties this
week, will be making his first overseas trip as Minister.


2. (S) Before Cikotic and Crnadak departed for the United
States, we briefed them on proposals to expand the scope of
duty of Bosnia's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit
currently serving in Iraq. We explained that some serious
consideration was given to training subsequent rotations of
the EOD unit to engage in counter-Improvised Explosive Device
(IED) activities.


3. (S) Both Cikotic and Crnadak expressed their broad support
in principle for increasing the capabilities and
responsibilities of the EOD unit. Cikotic noted that Bosnia
should be expected to take on greater responsibilities in
peace support operations as a means to demonstrate its
commitment to NATO and global security. Cikotic said that
one of his primary goals as Minister would be to expand
Bosnia's capacity to engage in such missions. For his part,
Crnadak said that in his role as Deputy Minister for Policy
and Plans, he had asked the Joint Chiefs to prepare detailed
development and training plans for niche capable units that
could eventually be used for future peace support operations.



4. (S) Cikotic and Crnadak also hinted that any impediments
to the EOD unit assuming counter-IED capabilities were
political rather than logistical and that any such requests
must therefore be handled in a "prudent" manner. For his
part, Crnadak said that he suspected certain political
leaders would view the EOD unit's assumption of counter-IED
operations as a "substantive change of mission" thereby
necessitating the deployment's re-approval by the Presidency
and Parliament. We stressed that the EOD unit would not
change in composition and would engage in similar work, which
presents a legal rationale for avoiding a potentially
contentious Presidency and Parliament debate on the mission.
Cikotic and Crnadak also inquired as to the nature and
location of counter-IED training, and said that it would be
preferable for many reasons to undertake the training
activities in Bosnia.


5. (S) Comment. Cikotic's participation at the Coalition
Conference illustrates that the Ministry of Defense views the
Iraq deployment as one its highest policy priorities. Though
new to their positions, both Cikotic and Crnadak are
well-briefed on the deployment issues and will be engaged and
knowledgeable interlocutors at the conference. Our initial
conversations with both men indicate that they support
expanding future Bosnian contributions to peace support
operations worldwide. The realization of expanded deployments
will depend on support from Bosnia's political leaders, a
prospect that is far less certain. We will continue to
highlight that assuming counter-IED capabilities does not
mean a changed mission for the EOD unit, which could prove
successful in heading-off a larger political debate. End
comment.
MCELHANEY