EU REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TO EU POLICE MISSION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 002603 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA (DEAN) AND EUR/RPM (SHEA) DOD FOR DASD DAN FATA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2017 TAGS: PREL EUN AF MOPS SUBJECT: EU REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TO EU POLICE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN Classified By: CDA Christopher Murray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request. Please see paragraph 8. ¶2. (C) Summary: The EU seeks support to enable its police training mission to deploy beyond Kabul. EU Council Director General for External and Politico-Military Affairs, Robert Cooper, is prepared to send a letter with a list of required support to SACEUR or any other designated addressee immediately, but asks for guidance on how the letter should be framed. End summary. ¶3. (C) USEU Charge and Pol-Mil Chief met August 14 with Robert Cooper, Director General for External and Politico-Military Affairs in the Council Secretariat, and Olivia Holdsworth, Political Advisor for the EU Police (EUPOL) Mission in Afghanistan. Cooper explained that, while the EUPOL mission has strong Member State support, and is a priority for the EU, the risks of operating in Afghanistan are of serious concern. He stated flatly that his primary interest is in ensuring that the mission has the necessary support to enable it to deploy safely outside of Kabul to the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and other elements. ¶4. (C) Cooper summarized the political difficulties that have complicated NATO-EU cooperation in Afghanistan. Though he termed the difficulties "very unwelcome," he reiterated that he had no desire to engage in any debate or discussion of philosophy, but was rather interested in doing whatever is necessary to allow military commanders in Afghanistan to sort out what support can be provided by which authorities. Holdsworth pointed out that there have been "many hours" of discussions between the EU and NATO Secretariats, and that NATO knows in detail what the EU needs. ¶5. (C) Referring to a telephone conversation he had in July with DASD Dan Fata, Cooper expressed his willingness to convey the EU request for support via whatever channels the U.S. deemed necessary, saying, "Tell us what to write, and we'll write it." Because it is unclear in some instances which assets within PRTs are nationally-owned and which are under COMISAF's authority, Cooper said he was prepared to send the EU's detailed list of support needs to SACEUR and allow the military to determine which commanders could offer which kinds of support. (Note -- Cooper sent a more general letter to SACEUR on July 24, 2007. Text appears in paragraph 6 below. End note) Cooper said that in addition to support provided within the ISAF/PRT structure, there would be an additional need to negotiate bilateral support in instances where it was clearly under national, non-ISAF authority. ¶6. (SBU) Begin text of July 24 letter. Brussels, 24 July 2007 General John Craddock Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR B-7010 SHAPE Belgium Dear General I am writing to express our thanks for the memorandum of 10 July 2007 from the ISAF Chief of Staff to the Head of Mission EUPOL in Kabul confirming ISAF'S in extremis support within means and capabilities, and to make two additional requests. Cooperation on the ground in Kabul and at desk level with NATO/SHAPE is good and the ISAF's support for EUPOL in the present difficult circumstances is much appreciated. The deployment of the EUPOL Afghanistan neverthelss represents a considerable risk for the EU. We would like to take on these risks in a context of the best possible partnership between the EU and NATO. As you know, we had originally asked for support for force protection, CIS, real life support, logistics, air lift, medical treatment including emergency medical treatment, MEDEVAC and information sharing that relates to staff and programme security. We would be grateful for whatever assistance you could provide in all of these areas but in particular we would welcome help with a NATO compatible CIS/Force Tracking Systems which would be a key to in extremis support. The second area to which we attach particular importance is that of information sharing where our own resources are far less than those of NATO or the USA. ISAF support for EUPOL is important to ensure that the mission works well and that our personnel are as safe as possible. We would therefore welcome all further steps to ensure the support EUPOL needs in these other important areas. Yours sincerely, Robert Cooper End text of letter. ¶7. (C) In a parenthetical aside, Cooper said that he was sympathetic to the Turkish concerns that prompted them to break silence on the arrangements for NATO-EU cooperation in Afghanistan. He said that his Turkish interlocutors assured him that Ankara did not want to cause actual disruption on the ground that might put lives at risk. Cooper urged that we "compare notes" on the dimensions of a possible deal that could resolve the underlying issues of NATO-EU cooperation. He said he had given some thought to a way ahead, but cautioned that he did not believe a deal was likely until after elections in Cyprus. ¶8. (C) Action request: The EU Council Secretariat understands the U.S. view that at least some elements of their requests for support should be directed to SACEUR, and Cooper is prepared to send such a letter immediately. The EUPOL mission has been severely hampered in its deployment due to the lack of the necessary logistical, communication, and force protection support, among other needs. USEU requests guidance on a number of specific points regarding next steps. These include: A) Are there specific elements or language that must be included in the EU's letter to SACEUR and others, including references to the modalities of technical arrangements? B) Is any request to SACEUR expected to include non-military U.S. support provided by non-ISAF elements such as CSTC-A or Regional Training Centers? C) What are the next steps and who is the authorizing authority for any bilateral U.S. support (to include technical arrangements for this support)? D) How, and in what venue, will specific elements of ISAF and U.S. support be determined in negotiation with the EU? E) What specific authorization is necessary for providing appropriate requested communications gear and associated cryptographic materials? ¶9. (U) Post appreciates Agencies' assistance in providing the EU with a concrete series of steps in order to secure the support necessary to allow EUPOL to make its best contribution to police reform in Afghanistan. The issues described above were also raised with USEU Ambassador Gray in letters of April 18, 2007 from EU Council Secretariat Director for Civilian Crisis Management, Pedro Serrano, and June 29, 2007 from EU High Representative Javier Solana. Murray .