Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USNATO527
2007-09-27 10:37:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Mission USNATO
Cable title:  

NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT - SEPTEMBER 26, 2007

Tags:  NATO PREL AF 
pdf how-to read a cable
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000527 

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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)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000527

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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

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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

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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