U.S.-AUSTRALIA BILATERAL ON MARGINS OF RC-SOUTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 000627 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2018 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR NATO AF AS CA SUBJECT: U.S.-AUSTRALIA BILATERAL ON MARGINS OF RC-SOUTH MEETING IN OTTAWA REF: OTTAWA 626 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: At their April 27 meeting in Ottawa, the U.S. and Australian delegations agreed the RC-South Plan should emphasize a counterinsurgency approach and retain its counternarcotics elements. The U.S. delegation agreed to include language in the Plan on a long-term approach and periodic reviews to address Australian domestic political considerations. The Australian delegation offered to support American outreach to key donors in the run up to the Paris Support Conference. End Summary. RC-S Plan -------------- ¶2. (C) The U.S. and Australian delegations met on the margins of the ISAF Regional Command - South (RC-S) Officials Meeting in Ottawa, April 27-28 (reftel). SCA DAS Patrick Moon briefed his Australian counterpart, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Assistant Secretary (A/S) Paul Robilliard, on U.S. thinking about the way ahead in RC-S. In particular, DAS Moon emphasized the U.S. desire to draw on recent counter-insurgency (COIN) successes in RC-East (RC-E) in re-working the British draft RC-S Plan Document into a "concrete plan" containing recommendations for ISAF members operating in RC-S. DAS Moon articulated U.S. red-lines for the Plan, to include the requirement that the final version contain a strong strategic statement that addresses COIN and counternarcotics (CN). ¶3. (C) A/S Robilliard observed that the draft RC-S Plan was not a NATO paper, and that this advantaged like-minded RC-S partners who wanted to present it to their governments as RC-S agreed "policy guidance." Based on what he had heard, Robilliard said he would likely convey the Plan to Prime Minister Rudd as policy advice, and then use the PM's endorsement to get the foreign and defense ministries "behind it." Robilliard added that Australia agreed with the U.S. that, to have value, the Plan must address COIN and CN directly. To meet Australian needs, Robilliard added, the Plan would also have to include a review process and benchmarks by which ministers could measure and point to success. Australia was open to describing the roles of task forces, Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs),development agencies, international organizations, NGOs, etc. in the Plan, but appreciated that doing so too plainly would make it difficult for some RC-S partners to back the paper, he said. ¶4. (C) AusAID Senior Adviser Alan March interjected that the Plan should address the delivery of assistance in non-permissive environments. We need to decide, he argued, what type of work our PRTs should be doing in order to make sure their programs are coherent and track with Afghan national objectives, and that aid deliverers are free to focus more on being nimble than on "reading the rule book." Robilliard said that allies also needed to press the UN to increase its engagement in RC-S, which would likely grow the NGO presence there, while Department of Defence Assistant QNGO presence there, while Department of Defence Assistant Secretary Andrew Chandler warned that the UN agencies often do little but their force protection needs "sucked up resources." March added, and Robilliard concurred, that the Plan should call on RC-S partners to "put more of an Afghan face" on efforts in order to advance critical COIN objectives. ¶5. (C) DAS Moon warned that getting language on benchmarks would be difficult and time consuming. He also noted that benchmarks have already been included in the ISAF Comprehensive Strategic Political Military Plan, which leaders at the NATO Bucharest Summit endorsed. Robilliard countered that Australia could accept language that called on RC-S partners to "review progress" if it was too difficult to include specific benchmarks in the text. DAS Moon said that coordination of the delivery of reconstruction aid had improved, making critical resources available in the wake of "clearing" operations. He also noted that, should there be agreement to go forward, a new draft of the Plan could be OTTAWA 00000627 002 OF 002 completed and conveyed to allies by mid-May. Drugs, Reconciliation, and Police -------------- ¶6. (C) DAS Moon briefed CN efforts throughout Afghanistan and in RC-S, stressing the correlation between poppy growth and insecurity, as well as the requirement for enhanced force protection for Afghan eradication teams. Robilliard responded that Australia -- and Prime Minister Rudd in particular -- "fully endorsed" the U.S. approach to CN in Afghanistan, but sought assurance that the U.S. and the UK had dealt with differences over eradication. DAS Moon assured Robilliard that the two sides had done so. ¶7. (C) Robilliard noted that Australia shared the U.S. view that reconciliation must be an Afghan process that respects U.S. red-lines, and that he would work to ensure that Australia "says the right things" on this matter to allies, to include stressing the need to bring in more senior insurgents. ¶8. (C) Robilliard said that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) planned to deploy mentors (amount TBD) after the government passed its budget in May. Paris Support Conference -------------- ¶9. (SBU) DAS Moon characterized the Paris Support Conference as the other "book-end" to the Bucharest NATO Summit. The Conference will review the Afghan National Development Strategy and involve pledging towards it. DAS Moon went on to say that total pledges from the international community should exceed the $10.5 billion pledged at the 2006 London Conference to send a clear message of the international community's long-term commitment to Afghanistan. This message is important to influence public opinions. DAS Moon highlighted the need for specific pledges towards the 2009 and 2010 elections and voter registration which should begin soon. Robilliard expressed appreciation for U.S. assistance in gaining a seat for Australia in the Afghanistan meeting at the NATO Bucharest Summit, and said that the two partners would approach the Paris Support Conference in the same way. While he did not yet know exactly what Australia would pledge at the Conference, Robilliard stressed that Canberra was open to suggestions from the U.S. regarding particular needs. He offered to have Australia join the U.S. and others in pressing the Gulf States to give more to Afghanistan. ¶10. (U) DAS Moon cleared this cable. ¶11. (U) Australian Delegation Assistant Secretary Paul Robilliard Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Afghanistan and Iraq Branch Assistant Secretary Andrew Chandler Department of Defence Central Asia, Middle East and Africa International Policy Division Senior Adviser Alan March AusAID Reconstruction and Humanitarian ¶12. (U) U.S. Delegation State SCA DAS Patrick Moon Defense OSD NATO Principal Director Robert Newberry Defense OSD Afghanistan Desk Officer Kathleen McInnis State SCA Afghanistan Desk Officer Nisha Singh Embassy Ottawa Pol-Mil Officer Brett Mattei Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at QVisit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE