Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SINGAPORE1591
2007-08-29 06:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Singapore
Cable title:
AFGHANISTAN PRT: NO SINGAPORE COMBAT FORCES, BUT
how-toVZCZCXRO2742 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHGP #1591 2410631 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 290631Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3880 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2600 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1954 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0037 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4078 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5673 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1344 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 001591
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL AF SN
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN PRT: NO SINGAPORE COMBAT FORCES, BUT
EXTENDING CURRENT SUPPORT "DOABLE"
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Daniel Shields. Reasons: 1.4 (a)
(b)(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 001591
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL AF SN
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN PRT: NO SINGAPORE COMBAT FORCES, BUT
EXTENDING CURRENT SUPPORT "DOABLE"
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Daniel Shields. Reasons: 1.4 (a)
(b)(d)
1. (C) Singapore will not send combat personnel to Provincial
Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan, MFA Second
Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan told EAP DAS Scot
Marciel and the Ambassador during an August 24 meeting. It
would be "politically impossible" to do so, Kausikan
asserted. Singapore has a conscript army specifically for
homeland defense and the GOS would not be able to explain to
the public a deployment of combat personnel to Afghanistan.
In the past, Singapore had selected non-conscript army
regulars for a peacekeeping mission in East Timor and had
only been able to justify the mission on the grounds that
East Timor was right on Singapore's doorstep. The deployment
of the army regulars, who ordinarily focus on training of the
conscripts, had caused immense disruption to the rest of the
army.
2. (C) DAS Marciel cited recent comments by Minister Mentor
Lee Kuan Yew that the United States must "stay the course" in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Reinforcing recent messages delivered
to the Singaporeans in Washington, he urged that Singapore do
more to provide assistance in accomplishing that mission.
Kausikan responded that Singapore had deployed medical and
engineering teams for three months each to support New
Zealand's PRTs in Afghanistan. He affirmed that extending
this type of commitment was "doable" and that Singapore would
consider other requests for support that were "realistic."
Asked by the Ambassador if Singapore would increase the
number of personnel serving in the PRTs, Kausikan said he was
unable to answer at this time.
3. (U) DAS Marciel cleared this message.
Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
HERBOLD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL AF SN
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN PRT: NO SINGAPORE COMBAT FORCES, BUT
EXTENDING CURRENT SUPPORT "DOABLE"
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Daniel Shields. Reasons: 1.4 (a)
(b)(d)
1. (C) Singapore will not send combat personnel to Provincial
Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan, MFA Second
Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan told EAP DAS Scot
Marciel and the Ambassador during an August 24 meeting. It
would be "politically impossible" to do so, Kausikan
asserted. Singapore has a conscript army specifically for
homeland defense and the GOS would not be able to explain to
the public a deployment of combat personnel to Afghanistan.
In the past, Singapore had selected non-conscript army
regulars for a peacekeeping mission in East Timor and had
only been able to justify the mission on the grounds that
East Timor was right on Singapore's doorstep. The deployment
of the army regulars, who ordinarily focus on training of the
conscripts, had caused immense disruption to the rest of the
army.
2. (C) DAS Marciel cited recent comments by Minister Mentor
Lee Kuan Yew that the United States must "stay the course" in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Reinforcing recent messages delivered
to the Singaporeans in Washington, he urged that Singapore do
more to provide assistance in accomplishing that mission.
Kausikan responded that Singapore had deployed medical and
engineering teams for three months each to support New
Zealand's PRTs in Afghanistan. He affirmed that extending
this type of commitment was "doable" and that Singapore would
consider other requests for support that were "realistic."
Asked by the Ambassador if Singapore would increase the
number of personnel serving in the PRTs, Kausikan said he was
unable to answer at this time.
3. (U) DAS Marciel cleared this message.
Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
HERBOLD