GERMAN MOD REQUESTS MORE INFORMATION REGARDING A

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000951 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/CE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2018 TAGS: GM NATO PREL IO AF SUBJECT: GERMAN MOD REQUESTS MORE INFORMATION REGARDING A PROPOSAL FOR INCREASED ANA FORCE SIZE REF: A (STATE 71479) B (BERLIN 00909) Classified By: DEPUTY POL MC STAN OTTO. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Following the meeting with German MFA officials on July 10 reported in reftel B, PolOff delivered reftel A points to COL Bernd Schtt, Armed Forces Staff at the German MOD, on July 14, 2008. Schtt appeared surprised about the timing of the current proposal for an ANA force size increase, since it was only in February 2008 that the decision was made to increase the ANA to 80,000 military personnel. He stated that quickly modifying that decision could create a credibility problem and would also make benchmarking more difficult. The new benchmark would need good justifications. ¶2. (C) Schtt also voiced a number of specific questions and concerns regarding the proposed ANA force size increase: -- Is the force size increase in the context of the discussion of bringing the ANP into the ANA command structure? He added that this would be politically very sensitive. -- What kind of new capabilities would be added to the ANA: Infantry, Special Forces, PSYOPS, and/or other special capabilities? -- How is the enlarged ANA going to be sustained financially? -- Who is to provide OMLTs for the new ANA units? ¶3. (C) Post will follow up on this issue, but would appreciate more details on the proposal for an increased ANA force size in order to respond to contacts in the MFA and MOD. TIMKEN JR