GUIDANCE FOR LONDON AND WARSAW IRAQ CONSULTATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 038563 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2031 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL IZ RO LH SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR LONDON AND WARSAW IRAQ CONSULTATIONS REF: STATE 141362 06 CLASSIFIED BY NEA DAS LAWRENCE BUTLER FOR REASONS 1.4 (A),(B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Department instructs an interagency delegation led by NEA Deputy Assistant Secretary Amb. Lawrence Butler to participate in the March 29 UK Partners meeting and in bilateral talks with Poland on March 30. For Poland, reftel guidance from bilateral talks in August remain valid to ensure Poland continues its Iraq deployment at current strength through the end of 2007. ¶2. (C) For the UK Partners Meeting, although the U.S. is officially an observer at this meeting, delegation should engage where appropriate to characterize and advocate current policies. This meeting also provides an opportunity to continue to press select delegations, such as Lithuania, to continue its current Iraq deployment at current troop levels. ¶3. (C) For general engagement: -- Delegation should draw upon the President's New Way Forward announced on January 10, recent information on Provincial Reconstruction Teams, Baghdad Security Plan, and other relevant documents to characterize and advocate U.S. policies in Iraq. ¶4. (C/REL UK, ROMANIA) For a trilateral with Romania and the UK, delegation should pursue the following goals: -- Determine Romania's intentions for its 100-man company, currently assigned to protect UN personnel in Basrah, once the UN personnel depart Basrah and once U.S. and UK presence relocates to the Basrah Air Station approximately in August. -- Romania should be encouraged to undertake a new mission that furthers Iraq's security and stability in August. -- Noting that the UN Protection Force function remains under the unified command of MNF-I per the November 2005 MOU between the U.S. and the UN, and absent a clear request from MNF-I on how this specific formation should be used upon the completion of its current mission, delegation is authorized to informally explore several alternate missions with Romania and the UK. Per MNF-I's request, alternate missions should not result in troop drawdowns. RICE