Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USNATO152
2007-03-08 07:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Mission USNATO
Cable title:  

NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT MARCH 7, 2007

Tags:  NATO PREL AF 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000152 

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2017
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT MARCH 7, 2007


Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000152

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2017
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT MARCH 7, 2007


Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY:

-- Afghanistan: PermReps and SYG discussed apparent failure
to pre-brief the NAC on Operation Achilles, launch with many
parties expressing frustration and disappointment. SYG
promised to take this issue of poor communication up with
SACEUR. The SHAPE Operations Director MG Stein detailed
Operation Achilles which is now COMISAF,s main tactical
effort. A French CIMIC team will go south for Achilles;
Spanish and Italian (RC-W) forces will help as well. The UK
and U.S. announced a March 28 joint brief to the NAC on
counternarcotics. Germany questions USAID absence from ISAF
press conference on Achilles/Kajaki dam and Ambassador Nuland
explained why USAID did not participate.

-- Kosovo: ASYG Pardew updated NAC on status process and
NATO-EU technical talks. Ambassador Nuland briefed on A/S
Fried,s visit to Belgrade.

-- Periodic Mission Review (PMR) Reform: SYG noted broad
support by PermReps for proposals to reform the Periodic
Mission Review (PMR) process and said he would reissue the
proposals soon for NAC approval.

END SUMMARY.

Afghanistan
--------------

2. (C) Preempting the NAC, SYG de Hoop Scheffer kicked off
discussion on Afghanistan by expressing concern that NMAs had
not adequately briefed him or the Council prior to the
high-profile March 6 press conference announcing the launch
of ISAF,s Operation Achilles in Helmand province.
Specifically, the SYG felt he had not been adequately
informed as to when the operation would begin. He stated he
would raise with SACEUR the need to find the right balance in
communication between NMAs and the NAC. Many PermReps made
clear they felt ISAF,s public announcement of Achilles had
blindsided them. The French PermRep (who told us he was
speaking on instruction from Paris) again brought up MOD
Alliot-Marie,s intervention at Seville calling for greater
political oversight of military operations. Spain, Germany,
Norway, and Belgium piled on, though all agreed the NAC
should not µmanage8 ISAF operations. The UK
cautiously concurred, respecting the need to balance info

sharing with operational security. Ambassador Nuland
regretted that NMAs had not worked with the NAC to enable
Ambassadors to serve as force multipliers with capitals and
press; all the same, Operation Achilles had received good
coverage in U.S. papers.


3. (C) The SYG reminded Ambassadors that on March 12 he would
host a coffee for Afghan Parliament Speaker Qanuni, and that
the March 13 PermReps, lunch discussion would focus on
Afghanistan. He had also spoken to the Qatari Crown Prince
over the weekend, and Qatar had decided to allow the ISAF
cell at USCENTCOM,s combined air operations center in Doha
to remain in-country an additional ninety days while
negotiations continued.


4. (C) In his ops brief, SHAPE J3 MG Stein stated that
Operation Achilles was now COMISAF,s main tactical effort.
Achilles aims to disrupt insurgent activity in Helmand
between Gereshk and Kajaki, setting enduring conditions for
the sustained development of the Kajaki dam and in support of
the GOA. The ISAF theater task force, long a CJSOR shortfall
and now filled by the U.S., became fully operational on March
1 and is seeing action. Italian and Spanish forces in RC-W
are part of the operation, and the French CIMIC unit will
soon deploy to RC-S in support of Achilles. Stein assured
PermReps that COMISAF had factored in lessons from last
year,s Operation Medusa, and was working to implement a
comprehensive approach to ensure stability following kinetic

USNATO 00000152 002 OF 003


operations; 1000 ANP and 800 auxiliary police have been
factored into planning, and NATO was taking great care to
avoid civilian casualties, including through information ops
such as leaflet drops. MG Stein stressed that Op Achilles is
but one tactical set out of several that will comprise the
pan-theater Operation Now Ruz (briefed several times to the
NAC). Taking Ambassadors, comments on board about
information flow between SHAPE and the NAC, he reminded that
COMISAF does not have an ironclad schedule by which he
launches these tactical sets and that the decision to launch
is based on constantly evolving factors.


5. (C) On NATO training teams for the ANA (OMLTs),of 69
needed, 17 are fielded and three are in the pipeline. In
response to a question from Ambassador Nuland, MG Stein noted
that SHAPE is working on an initiative that will seek to make
fielding training teams less burdensome for Allies. On
NATO,s equipment support to the ANA, Stein noted that a
large portion of the ANA,s small arms and ammo needs for the
year have been met, but key shortfalls included armored
personnel vehicles and funds to transport pending donations
from Europe to Afghanistan.


6. (C) During discussion, the UK and U.S. noted our intent to
brief the NAC on counternarcotics on March 28. In light of
the UNODC,s recent winter survey on poppy cultivation in
Afghanistan, UK Ambassador Eldon pointed to some positive
indicators: twelve provinces are expected to be poppy-free in
2007; eradication is active in thirteen provinces; and with
several weeks left, current efforts are showing more progress
already than aggregate 2006 results.


7. (C) Ambassador Nuland praised the participation of French,
Italian, and Spanish units in Operation Achilles, and
encouraged the SYG to have his Senior Civilian Rep in Kabul
provide the NAC with information on reconstruction and
development, plus political elements of Operations Achilles
and Now Ruz. The German PermRep questioned the last-minute
withdrawal of USAID from an ISAF press conference
highlighting Operation Achilles, goal to provide security
for the Kajaki dam project. Ambassador Nuland noted that the
USG had believed that raising Afghans, expectations in the
short-term over a project that will take years to develop was
a tactical error, and had made the decision to cancel USAID
participation in this particular event. (Comment: Some
Allies, without all the facts, likely viewed this as U.S.
failure to support the &comprehensive approach8 Secretary
Rice unveiled at NATO HQ on January 26. To address this
concern we are circulating an excellent fact sheet on US
Assistance to Afghanistan provided by Embassy Kabul. End
Comment.)

Kosovo
--------------

8. (C) ASYG Pardew updated the NAC on the status process and
his participation in high-level talks between parties on the
security aspects of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari,s proposal.
He said the final round of consultations with both parties
has been completed. There will be a high level meeting on
March 10 so both parties can present final comments on the
proposal. On the security aspects, Pristina, while unhappy
with the &disbanding8 of the KPC, largely accepted the
proposal, while the Serbs opposed anything but a completely
demilitarized Kosovo.


9. (SBU) ASYG Pardew then gave an update on the status of the
ongoing technical discussions between NATO and the EU,
including the most recent March 2 meeting. Pardew said that
both organizations continue their work on the draft technical
agreement documents and are planning to shift to a joint
drafting session next week. The drafts should be completed
and ready for review by the end of March. One item that has
been identified that will require further work is NATO,s
coordinating relationship with the international civilian
representative (ICR),specifically KFOR support to the ICR

USNATO 00000152 003 OF 003


during extreme national emergencies. In response to the
SYG,s inquiry on NAC input into the process, Pardew
responded that once both organizations at the staff level
feel the draft documents are in an mutually acceptable form,
they will be presented for NAC consideration and approval.
The French PermRep noted that, as the EU ESDP mission was
dependent on a UNSCR, there should be no exchange of letters
between the NATO SYG and EU High Representative before
passage of a UNSCR. Ambassador Nuland urged the SYG and
SACEUR to continue to take up with the EU High Representative
the issue of force levels and ensuring no security gap
between UNMIK and the ESDP mission.


10. (C) Ambassador Nuland briefed PermReps on Assistant
Secretary Fried,s March 5-6 visit to Belgrade, stating that

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the purpose was to focus Serbia beyond Kosovo and onto a path
to a NATO-EU future. During his meeting with President Tadic
and Prime Minister Kostunica, A/S Fried urged them to go to
Vienna with practical amendments.

Periodic Mission Review (PMR) Reform
--------------

11. (SBU) The SYG noted that at the March 6 coffee, proposals
for reform of the PMR process had received broad support from
PermReps in principle, but that some PermReps still required
further consultations with their capitals. The SYG will
consult further with delegations and reissue the proposals,
incorporating additional ideas, under a new document for NAC
approval.
NULAND