DE CREM: NO MANDATE FOR BELGIAN SOLDIERS ON THE

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001369

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM AND SCA/A

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR BE
SUBJECT: DE CREM: NO MANDATE FOR BELGIAN SOLDIERS ON THE
GROUND IN AFGHANISTAN OUTSIDE TRAINING MISSION, F-16'S

REF: BRUSSELS 1366


1. (U) The Belgian public's tolerance for putting any of its
soldiers in harm's way was tested by the September 3 death of
a Belgian "blue helmet" soldier in Lebanon, who was engaged
in a de-mining operation. Responding to such sensitivities,
Belgian Defense Minister De Crem was obliged to take issue
with General Eddy Testelmans, who told reporters on September
3 that he hopes a successful mission by the four Belgian
F-16's in Kandahar could lay the groundwork for the presence
of ground troops in Afghanistan, beyond what has already been
approved by the government (reftel). De Crem hastened to
assure that "Belgium has no intention to deploy troops on the
ground in the South of Afghanistan." While the government
early in 2008 approved the stationing of 60-70 troops only as
an "Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT)" in Kunduz,
in Northern Afghanistan, Testelmans had openly envisaged a
scenario where the Belgian trainers might follow their
trainees into combat elsewhere in the country. The OMLT
troops are expected to arrive in February, pending final
approval by the government. They will work alongside German
troops. De Crem has described them as "training, not
fighting troops".


2. (U) De Crem nevertheless underlined the significance of
the OMLT troops to both the government of Belgium as a NATO
member and to Afghanistan's needs for security and
reconstruction. He criticized those in Brussels who decried
human rights violations by the Taliban, especially against
women, but who now refuse to support Belgium's mission in
Afghanistan. Although De Crem was clearly not pleased with
his outspoken general, he recognized the general's right to
speak his mind even as a military man. "There were times
when that was profoundly different," he added, getting in a
dig at his predecessor and oftentimes critic, Andre Flahaut.
He added, "General Testelmans has given his views, but it is
clear in this country that it is the government that decides."


3. (SBU) Comment: De Crem's visit to Afghanistan has not
quite provided the unalloyed positive PR he was looking for.
He missed the arrival of the F-16's in Kandahar when his own
military flight into the country was delayed. Now, on the
ground in Afghanistan, he has had to publicly rein in one of
his top generals, who is more ready to take on a dangerous
mission than most politicians back in Brussels. End Comment.


FOX
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