NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT - SEPTEMBER 26, 2007

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000527 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2017 TAGS: NATO PREL AF SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT - SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Summary from the NAC Meeting: -- Afghanistan: Deputy Secretary General (D/SYG) Minuto-Rizzo urged continued efforts to find a long-term fix to ISAF helicopters shortfalls, and Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee (D/CMC) Eikenberry reminded the NAC of continuing CJSOR shortfalls. The International Military Staff briefed on its intelligence assessment of Iranian weapons transfers to Afghanistan, as well as recent investigations into civilian casualty incidents. Canada, backed by several additional Allies, asked for political briefings from the IS to the NAC on developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan. -- Balkans: The D/SYG noted upcoming Contact Group ministerial in New York; D/CMC briefed Council on last Monday,s bomb blast in Pristina, which was attributed to criminality. -- Darfur: The D/SYG briefed the NAC on the September 21 high-level meeting on Darfur co-chaired by the UN and the AU in New York, plans for the October 27 peace talks, and reported on a deadlock between the UN and Sudan on African troops deployed as part of the hybrid AU-UN Force. -- Iraq: The D/SYG noted that the NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) Periodic Mission Review (PMR) has been submitted by SHAPE. The Military Committee and the Policy Coordination Group will now review the PMR. D/CMC reported on the U.S. SOF raid at the Iraqi Military Academy in Ar-Rustimayah on September 25, in which NATO aided in the development of intelligence but took no part in the operational planning or execution. -- AOB: NATO,s Special Committee provided a briefing on a paper developed by the UK Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) called &Homegrown Terrorism: UK and NATO Perspective,8 which found that homegrown networks in the UK are often linked to Al Qaeda and represent the UK,s greatest terror threat. The paper also found that key members of homegrown cells often travel to Pakistan for training and guidance, they are often motivated by anger over UK foreign policy, and they are part of a broader Al Qaeda-influenced network active elsewhere in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. In response to a Turkish question, the briefer said there were no observed links between the Al Qaeda-linked Iraqi Kurds and the PKK. -- The D/SYG announced the 19 September appointment of the new EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator, Belgian Gilles de Kerchove. END SUMMARY. -------------- Afghanistan -------------- ¶2. (C) The D/SYG noted the September 23 high-level JCMB that took place on the margins of the UNGA in New York with the SYG,s participation, and stated that a report of the SYG,s trip and bilat meetings would be forthcoming. ¶3. (C) The D/SYG informed the NAC that the Senior Resource Board is now working on funding questions relevant to the ISAF proposal to outsource intra-theater sustainment lift. The D/CMC reminded PermReps that even though the outsourcing USNATO 00000527 002 OF 005 of some cargo lift within Afghanistan would give COMISAF greater flexibility and help shift some rotary wing assets from transport to tactical operations, the outsourcing initiative does not address critical, continuing CJSOR shortfalls in attack and adequately-equipped troop lift helicopters. The 30% shortfall in attack helicopters, for example, even with the outsourcing initiative, limits COMISAF,s ability to conduct close air support and air assault operations. This shortfall will need to be addressed at the November 2007 force generation conference, he stated. The D/CMC also noted that COMISAF has issued an order to his subordinate commanders outlining revised reporting procedures for those tactical engagements which may involve civilian casualties, mandating greater detail and shortened reporting timelines. ¶4. (C) Deputy AD for Operations RADM Moreno provided the International Military Staff,s intelligence assessment of Iranian weapons shipments to Afghanistan. Since mid-2006, &large numbers8 of arms have been sent to Afghanistan, particularly to northern Helmand. Moreno assessed that many weapons shipments are likely dropped off for pick-up along the Iran-Afghan border. He characterized the Iranian role as a source country for weapons as increasing, though asserted the Taliban,s efforts to acquire MANPADS from Iran had yet to yield anything other than early generation systems. RADM Moreno briefed that Iran does not want an armed, aggressive Taliban on its border, but still wishes to hamper ISAF forces. ¶5. (C) In his look around the theater at ongoing operations, RADM Moreno cited a decrease in enemy activity in RC-South over the past week compared to the prior week, and noted enemy attacks could increase in the coming days in RC-Capital and RC-West due to expanded ISAF/ANSF operations in RC-Capital and a desire by insurgents to establish freedom of movement in northern Badghis province. Moreno noted that insurgents are using Wardak province in RC-East as a base from which to launch attacks in and around Kabul, and that COMISAF,s main tactical effort remains in the east, with the Theater Task Force continuing to stay engaged in operations in Tora Bora. ¶6. (C) RADM Moreno made a compelling case for NATO to live up to its commitment to replace U.S. embedded training teams in the Afghan National Army with NATO trainers (&OMLTs8), which would enable U.S. efforts to shift over to bolster a lagging police training program. Moreno noted CSTC-A is currently providing about 40% of the 2,400 needed police mentors and the EU intends to provide 161. ¶7. (C) RADM Moreno also provided a status report on four recent events involving civilian casualties. ISAF continues to investigate a September 14 engagement in which two local nationals (LN) were wounded in Uruzgan. COMISAF determined no further investigation was needed into a September 18 engagement in Uruzgan where one LN was killed, nor into a September 19 encounter in Helmand involving six LN deaths. An investigation is ongoing into a September 22 engagement in Kunar province involving close air support that killed two Afghan police and two LNs. ¶8. (C) The Italian PermRep thanked the UK, Germany, Spain and U.S. for their assistance in the successful rescue of two Italian intelligence officers kidnapped September 22 in RC-West. The officers had been engaged in an intelligence-gathering operation when they were kidnapped, he said. The Spanish PermRep followed, stating that the Spanish parliament had approved 34-1 a decision to deploy two OMLTs USNATO 00000527 003 OF 005 (52 soldiers) to RC-West. He hailed what he characterized as the decisiveness of the government in presenting the OMLT request to Parliament one day after two Spanish soldiers had been killed by an IED. Canadian PermRep McRae, joined by the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, noted his hope that the NAC could receive more regular political briefings on select topics, such as the situation in Pakistan or the status of Afghanistan,s PTS national reconciliation program (particularly relevant in the wake of President Karzai,s recent comments about negotiating with the Taliban, McRae noted),relations with Pakistan, and the status of CSTC-A and EU POL missions. McRae also urged a solution to ISAF airlift shortfalls. Alluding to the significant impact the withdrawal of the U.S. helicopter bridging force would have on Canadian operations in RC-South should a solution not be found, McRae stated, &for us, the clock is ticking.8 Norway asked for more detailed information on the precise sorts of activities in which ISAF supports Afghan counternarcotics efforts in order to better define what additional support ISAF could offer. -------------- Balkans -------------- ¶9. (C) The D/SYG mentioned last week,s Contact Group meeting in London with the Troika and the ongoing meeting in New York preparing for tomorrow's ministerial, which the SYG will attend. Parties from Belgrade and Pristina are set to meet face-to-face following the ministerial. The D/SYG noted the security situation in Kosovo is tense following Monday,s early morning bomb blast in downtown Pristina that killed two people and wounded ten others. The D/CMC said the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) suspects the incident is related to organized crime, but has not ruled out other possible causes. The bombing was not related to inter-ethnic tension and KFOR immediately deployed explosive ordnance disposal teams to assist the KPS. The D/CMC also informed the NAC that there was an increase in organized crime-related incidents from July to August, highlighting illegal weapons possession and seizures. In response to the Greek PermRep,s inquiry whether this increase in incidents meant a possible increase of weapons into the region, the D/CMC said while NATO has no evidence of an increasing influx of weapons, it would focus intelligence efforts to address this concern. KFOR assessed that the security situation will remain calm, but unpredictable leading into the November election due to the unresolved status issue and the state of the failing economy. -------------- Darfur -------------- ¶10. (C) The D/SYG reported that on September 21 in New York a high-level meeting on Darfur co-chaired by the UN and the AU took place with the participation of 26 states including Sudan. The UN SYG announced the creation of a Trust Fund for the peace talks (scheduled for October 27 in Libya), which aim to include all the warring factions in the Darfur conflict. ¶11. (C) The D/SYG also reported on a deadlock between the UN and Sudan over whether there are enough African troops as part of the hybrid AU-UN Force. Sudan has objected to some non-African specialist units. ¶12. (C) The D/SYG reported that AU Chair, Mr. Konare, will meet with the SYG on the margins of the UNGA meeting. The USNATO 00000527 004 OF 005 NAC will be briefed upon the SYG,s return. -------------- Iraq -------------- ¶13. (C) The D/SYG noted that the NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) Periodic Mission Review (PMR) has been submitted by SHAPE. Input from the Military Committee and the Policy Coordination Group is forthcoming. ¶14. (C) The D/CMC reported on the U.S. SOF raid at the Iraqi Military Academy in Ar-Rustimayah where NTM-I conducts training on September 25. He reported that the Iraqi Deputy Commandant was the target of the raid and that NATO aided in the development of intelligence prior to the operation, but took no part in the operational planning or execution. -------------- Homegrown Terrorism -------------- ¶15. (S) NATO,s Special Committee provided a briefing on a paper developed by the UK Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) called &Homegrown Terrorism: UK and NATO Perspective.8 Ambassador Ioannis Corantis, General Director of the Greek National Intelligence Service EYP and Chair of the NATO Special Committee, and Mr. Mark Hendon and Mrs. Rebecca Mancini of the UK JTAC provided the briefing. (We will share the briefing slides when they are distributed.) ¶16. (S) Amb. Corantis introduced the paper, noting that the Special Committee intended to call the Council,s attention to the threat of homegrown terror. Mancini reviewed the paper,s chief findings: - homegrown networks in the UK are often linked to Al Qaeda and represent the UK,s greatest terror threat - their key members often travel to Pakistan for training and guidance - they are often motivated by anger over UK foreign policy (e.g., involvement in Iraq in Afghanistan) and this motivation will not dissipate in the short-term even as developments on the ground change - these homegrown cells are part of a broader Al Qaeda-influenced network active elsewhere in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East ¶17. (S) In response to questions from the PermReps, Hendon noted that other transnational networks may be linked to UK homegrown terror cells, but Al Qaeda is the main threat because it offers training and guidance. He mentioned that radicalized Iraqi Kurds linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq are active in the UK supporting actions directed at Iraqi targets, but could quickly become a major threat to the UK if directed by Zawahiri or Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders to do so. In response to a Turkish question, he said there were no observed links between the Al Qaeda-linked Iraqi Kurds and the PKK. Hendon said that Kashmir-based terror groups often provide training to homegrown UK terrorists, but do not have the transnational operational reach of Al Qaeda. He added that a link to Al Qaeda is not essential for a homegrown cell to be deadly. When questioned about whether UK policy changes on Afghanistan or Iraq would change the impulse for terror, Hendon replied in the negative, noting that Britain was still being targeted for perceived grievance stemming from its role in the partition of Palestine in 1947-1948. ¶18. (S) Canadian PermRep McRae noted that, in light of the Al USNATO 00000527 005 OF 005 Qaeda link to homegrown terror, ISAF,s operations in Afghanistan are clearly linked to Allies, domestic security, and this link should be more clearly highlighted in Allies, messaging to their own publics in explaining ISAF,s value. ¶19. (S) German PermRep Brandenburg noted that Germany is developing legislation to criminalize receiving overseas terrorist training. Hendon noted that legislation targeting terror financing and training has been successful, as have efforts targeting potential terrorists for common crimes such as fraud. ¶20. (C) The Spanish PermRep intervened to stress the importance of CT and asked the SYG to update the 2005 NAC CT tasking to the NATO Office of Security with the aim of focusing NATO CT efforts and determining future possibilities for action. The D/SYG responded that the SYG had the report and would provide an update. ¶21. (C) The D/SYG announced the September 19 appointment of the new EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator, Belgian Gilles de Kerchove. NULAND