Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LISBON1291
2008-06-02 17:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Lisbon
Cable title:  

ISAF ALLIES WEIGHING IN WITH PORTUGAL

Tags:  MOPS MARR PREL PGOV AF PO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9107
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLI #1291 1541740
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021740Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6857
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 001291 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL PGOV AF PO
SUBJECT: ISAF ALLIES WEIGHING IN WITH PORTUGAL

Classified By: AMBASSADOR STEPHENSON, REASONS 1.4 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 001291

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL PGOV AF PO
SUBJECT: ISAF ALLIES WEIGHING IN WITH PORTUGAL

Classified By: AMBASSADOR STEPHENSON, REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (C/NF) Summary. Resident Ambassadors from NATO nations
with uncaveated and militarily significant contributions to
ISAF gave the ambassador a readout June 2 of their views
regarding Portugal's contributions to that mission. While
none of them have lobbied the GOP regarding the withdrawal of
Portugal's QRF as vigorously as we have, each appeared
receptive to our suggestion to do so. End summary.


2. (C/NF) Government of Portugal (GOP) interlocutors have
privately told us that our efforts to lobby for expanded
Portuguese contributions to ISAF would be substantially aided
by complementary pressure from other allied governments. For
that reason, the ambassador hosted the ambassadors from the
United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, and Canada for
a lunch to discuss Portugal's role in ISAF and particularly
the decision not to renew the company-level Quick Reaction
Force (QRF) scheduled to end its mission in August 2008.


3. (C/NF) UK Ambassador Ellis said that he had last pressed
the GOP on this issue in October 2007. None of the other
ambassadors present had apparently done so, although Polish
Ambassador Skorzynska said she was interested in demarching
the GOP on the subject regardless of instructions from
Warsaw. Some of the ambassadors admitted that they have not
followed the issue very closely; indeed, some of them were
unaware that Portugal had committed a second Operational
Mentoring Liaison Team (OMLT).


4. (C/NF) Each of the ambassadors present believed it
worthwhile to encourage the GOP at least to maintain its
current commitment level. In discussing pressure points to
do so, several made comments in line with our own
understanding that President Cavaco Silva is the primary
block to expanded contributions. Ambassador Ellis suggested
that within Cavaco Silva's staff, the Chief of the Military
House, General Reis, had particular influence.

Comment
--------------

5. (C/NF) While the GOP happily points to Cavaco Silva as the
primary block to expanded contributions, there are few
champions for the mission within the Prime Minister's office
and the MFA. Even at the MOD, while the uniformed service
chiefs are openly supportive of further missions, the Chief
of Defense himself, General Valenca Pinto, is hesitant, we
suspect for political reasons. We will continue to explore
all avenues to influence the decision-making apparatus,
including discussions with General Reis. We hope our
colleagues from allied nations will make their own efforts as
strongly and as soon as possible.
Stephenson