Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BERLIN1665
2008-12-12 15:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
GERMANY SUPPORTS CONTACT GROUP, BUT WARY OF ANY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001665
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2018
TAGS: MOPS PBTS PHSA PREL PTER GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY SUPPORTS CONTACT GROUP, BUT WARY OF ANY
DISCUSSION OF PURSUING PIRATES ASHORE
REF: A. STATE 129941
B. BERLIN 1664
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JOHN KOENIG. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001665
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2018
TAGS: MOPS PBTS PHSA PREL PTER GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY SUPPORTS CONTACT GROUP, BUT WARY OF ANY
DISCUSSION OF PURSUING PIRATES ASHORE
REF: A. STATE 129941
B. BERLIN 1664
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JOHN KOENIG. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY. While welcoming the establishment of the
Contact Group as a useful way to improve coordination in
counter-piracy efforts, MFA officials voiced concerns about
the U.S. desire for the new proposed UNSC resolution to
address the need to pursue pirates ashore. They pointed out
that the December 16 UN Security Council ministerial meeting
will take place just as the Bundestag begins its debate on
the proposed parliamentary mandate covering the participation
of the Bundeswehr in the EU "Atalanta" counter-piracy
mission. They worried that talk about pursuing pirates on
land could undermine parliamentary support for the EU mission
and raise concerns about Germany being "dragged into" a
ground war in Somalia. END SUMMARY.
INTERLOCUTORS
2. (c) Post delivered ref A demarche to MFA UN Action Officer
Dirk Stockhausen December 12. Also participating in the
meeting were Deputy Director of the Parliamentary and Cabinet
Affairs Office Jasper Wieck, Deputy Director of the Public
International Law Office Oliver Fixson and EU Action Officer
Stefan Roessel.
WELCOME CONTACT GROUP, WARY ON LAND OPERATIONS
3. (C) Stockhausen and the other MFA officials welcomed the
planned establishment of the Contact Group as a useful way to
improve coordination in counter-piracy efforts. Stockhausen
said he assumed that Deputy UN Director General Michael Frei
von Ungern-Sternberg would represent Germany at the first
organizational meeting in January (he attended the December 2
consultations in Paris),but that remained to be confirmed.
Stockhausen also underlined a German understanding that the
Contact Group would not discuss the issue of land operations
against pirates. In this connection, he pointed to language
in the U.S. non-paper which noted that the Contract Group
will help facilitate additional international coordination
and cooperation on counter-piracy issues "off of the east
coast of Africa." He asked for confirmation that this, in
fact, was still the U.S. position.
CONCERN ABOUT EFFECT ON BUNDESTAG VOTE
4. (C) Stockhausen and the other MFA officials spent most of
the meeting asking for further information regarding the U.S.
desire for the new proposed UNSC resolution to address the
need to pursue pirates ashore. Wieck and Roessel noted that
the December 16 UNSC ministerial meeting will occur just as
the Bundestag begins its debate on the proposed parliamentary
mandate covering the participation of the Bundeswehr in the
EU "Atalanta" counter-piracy mission (ref B). Underscoring
that the EU mission is purely sea-based, they worried that
talk at the UN about pursuing pirates on land could undermine
parliamentary support for the EU mission and raise concerns
about Germany being "dragged into" a ground war in Somalia.
Wieck and Roessel were curious about how soon the U.S.
planned to launch such land operations and how extensive they
would be, clearly indicating their hope that nothing would
happen before the final Bundestag vote on the parliamentary
mandate December 19. Stockhausen said he understood that the
December 16 UN ministerial meeting was open to observers, but
wondered if non-participants would be allowed a speaking
role. He also questioned whether there would be a side event
associated with the ministerial meeting.
MAINTAIN A CLEAR DIVIDING LINE
5. (C) Drawing a comparison to OEF and ISAF in Afghanistan,
Wieck argued that it was important to maintain a strict
division between counter-piracy operations at sea and those
that might be contemplated on land. Otherwise, public
support for the sea-based EU mission could be significantly
compromised. Acknowledging the need to address the sanctuary
issue, he did not rule out the possibility that Germany could
eventually support or even participate in some limited land
operations against piracy, but said far more details about
what exactly the U.S. had in mind would be needed.
6. (C) Fixson noted that collateral damage and civilian
casualties were much more of an issue once the fight moved to
land than they were at sea. He also questioned what the
mechanism would be for securing Somalia's acquiescence to
such land operations, noting that under UNSCRs 1846 and 1816,
every State wishing to conduct counter-piracy operations in
Somalian territorial waters must formally notify Somalian
authorities and receive advance concurrence. Finally,
Roessel wondered if the U.S. had a regional strategy with
regard to land operations against
pirates that would, for example, take into account the role
of Ethiopia.
Koenig
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2018
TAGS: MOPS PBTS PHSA PREL PTER GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY SUPPORTS CONTACT GROUP, BUT WARY OF ANY
DISCUSSION OF PURSUING PIRATES ASHORE
REF: A. STATE 129941
B. BERLIN 1664
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JOHN KOENIG. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY. While welcoming the establishment of the
Contact Group as a useful way to improve coordination in
counter-piracy efforts, MFA officials voiced concerns about
the U.S. desire for the new proposed UNSC resolution to
address the need to pursue pirates ashore. They pointed out
that the December 16 UN Security Council ministerial meeting
will take place just as the Bundestag begins its debate on
the proposed parliamentary mandate covering the participation
of the Bundeswehr in the EU "Atalanta" counter-piracy
mission. They worried that talk about pursuing pirates on
land could undermine parliamentary support for the EU mission
and raise concerns about Germany being "dragged into" a
ground war in Somalia. END SUMMARY.
INTERLOCUTORS
2. (c) Post delivered ref A demarche to MFA UN Action Officer
Dirk Stockhausen December 12. Also participating in the
meeting were Deputy Director of the Parliamentary and Cabinet
Affairs Office Jasper Wieck, Deputy Director of the Public
International Law Office Oliver Fixson and EU Action Officer
Stefan Roessel.
WELCOME CONTACT GROUP, WARY ON LAND OPERATIONS
3. (C) Stockhausen and the other MFA officials welcomed the
planned establishment of the Contact Group as a useful way to
improve coordination in counter-piracy efforts. Stockhausen
said he assumed that Deputy UN Director General Michael Frei
von Ungern-Sternberg would represent Germany at the first
organizational meeting in January (he attended the December 2
consultations in Paris),but that remained to be confirmed.
Stockhausen also underlined a German understanding that the
Contact Group would not discuss the issue of land operations
against pirates. In this connection, he pointed to language
in the U.S. non-paper which noted that the Contract Group
will help facilitate additional international coordination
and cooperation on counter-piracy issues "off of the east
coast of Africa." He asked for confirmation that this, in
fact, was still the U.S. position.
CONCERN ABOUT EFFECT ON BUNDESTAG VOTE
4. (C) Stockhausen and the other MFA officials spent most of
the meeting asking for further information regarding the U.S.
desire for the new proposed UNSC resolution to address the
need to pursue pirates ashore. Wieck and Roessel noted that
the December 16 UNSC ministerial meeting will occur just as
the Bundestag begins its debate on the proposed parliamentary
mandate covering the participation of the Bundeswehr in the
EU "Atalanta" counter-piracy mission (ref B). Underscoring
that the EU mission is purely sea-based, they worried that
talk at the UN about pursuing pirates on land could undermine
parliamentary support for the EU mission and raise concerns
about Germany being "dragged into" a ground war in Somalia.
Wieck and Roessel were curious about how soon the U.S.
planned to launch such land operations and how extensive they
would be, clearly indicating their hope that nothing would
happen before the final Bundestag vote on the parliamentary
mandate December 19. Stockhausen said he understood that the
December 16 UN ministerial meeting was open to observers, but
wondered if non-participants would be allowed a speaking
role. He also questioned whether there would be a side event
associated with the ministerial meeting.
MAINTAIN A CLEAR DIVIDING LINE
5. (C) Drawing a comparison to OEF and ISAF in Afghanistan,
Wieck argued that it was important to maintain a strict
division between counter-piracy operations at sea and those
that might be contemplated on land. Otherwise, public
support for the sea-based EU mission could be significantly
compromised. Acknowledging the need to address the sanctuary
issue, he did not rule out the possibility that Germany could
eventually support or even participate in some limited land
operations against piracy, but said far more details about
what exactly the U.S. had in mind would be needed.
6. (C) Fixson noted that collateral damage and civilian
casualties were much more of an issue once the fight moved to
land than they were at sea. He also questioned what the
mechanism would be for securing Somalia's acquiescence to
such land operations, noting that under UNSCRs 1846 and 1816,
every State wishing to conduct counter-piracy operations in
Somalian territorial waters must formally notify Somalian
authorities and receive advance concurrence. Finally,
Roessel wondered if the U.S. had a regional strategy with
regard to land operations against
pirates that would, for example, take into account the role
of Ethiopia.
Koenig