Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PARIS398
2008-03-05 14:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
FRENCH PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHFR #0398/01 0651446 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 051446Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2163 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0611 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 6829 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2205 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3856
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000398
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR EAID NATO AF FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN
Classified By: Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000398
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR EAID NATO AF FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN
Classified By: Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. Afghanistan Coordinator Patrick Moon met
MFA DAS for South Asia Didier Leroy on February 27 to discuss
next steps in Afghanistan, including an Afghanistan Donors
conference and potential increases in French military
contributions to the security effort. Leroy noted the Afghan
Donors Conference would emphasize the importance of a civil
component to work in tandem with security
efforts to promote stability and democracy in Afghanistan.
While military planning was the province of the Ministry of
Defense, Leroy opined that France was likely to increase its
military contribution with an announcement at the Bucharest
Summit. He expected additional troops to be deployed to
eastern Afghanistan. Leroy said that France would find ways
to increase assistance to Afghanistan, while downplaying
prospects for a substantial new financial contribution. Both
Moon and Leroy agreed that improving public understanding of
the importance of the ISAF effort in Afghanistan was key to
continued success.
2. (C) COMMENT: Moon's visit helped highlight for France our
expectations for a substantial increase in French financial
contributions for Afghanistan. That said, the MFA is sending
clear signals to limit U.S. expectations for a substantial
increase in France's financial contributions as co-chair of
the June donors conference. The French may see a trade-off in
terms of their ability to deliver in both civilian and
military fields given the extremely challenging budget
environment currently facing the GOF. END SUMMARY.
CONFERENCE: focus on strategy plus donation resources
-------------- --------------
3. (C) During a one day visit on February 27, Afghanistan
Coordinator Pat Moon presented U.S. views on next steps in
Afghanistan to MFA DAS for South Asia Didier Leroy, urging an
increase in French troop contributions to the security
operation and a substantial increase in French development
assistance at the Afghanistan Donors Conference to be held in
Paris in June.
4. (C) Leroy outlined French thinking for the June conference
emphasizing that France hopes to
incorporate strategic discussions into the Conference, rather
than focus solely on increased aid pledges. Leroy described
a holistic approach with military, civil and economic
elements coming together at the conference. Using the
Afghanistan Compact agreed at the London conference in early
2006 as a base, supplemented with the Afghan National
Development Strategy (ANDS),France hopes to amplify the
strategic discussion about next steps for Afghanistan. Leroy
added that the conference is a chance for France to "update
its commitment."
5. (C) Acknowledging that France is not one of the major
donors in Afghanistan, Leroy noted that, traditionally French
donations to the International Red Cross and UNHCR take
priority over donations to individual nations. (Note: France
was the 16th largest bilateral donor to UNHCR in 2007 and
11th donor to the IRC in 2006. These contributions do not
capture French donations made through the European Union.)
Nevertheless, Leroy said France will increase its civilian
aid commitment to Afghanistan at the Conference. Moon noted
the U.S. hopes that the international community will match or
exceed Afghanistan's target, while emphasizing the importance
of large pledge amounts to show this as a success story to
the media and other international actors. Moon expressed
appreciation for the GOF's decision to host the Donor
Conference along with U.S. interest in working with France to
ensure the Conference's success.
The Illicit Drug Trade: A corrosive influence on stability
operations
-------------- --------------
6. (C) Leroy said France appreciates the corrosive effect of
the narcotics trade on our efforts in Afghanistan and seeks
to make a stronger commitment to fighting drugs. He did not
have specifics on anti-narcotics program contributions.
Leroy added that France is considering whether to host a
separate international meeting on the drug trade in
Afghanistan in May or June or in conjunction with the Afghan
Donors Conference. Leroy said that France will demarche
Afghan partners proposing a security council declaration
encouraging countries to ratify the convention on reporting
transfers of precursor chemicals, thereby contributing to
combating the illicit narcotics trade.
TROOPS: A French contribution in the East more likely than in
the South
-------------- --------------
7. (C) Leroy reported that France will announce a
"significant reinforcement of commitment" at the Bucharest
Summit. While noting the Ministry of Defense took the lead
in planning French military deployments, he said that
increased troop contributions would most likely be deployed
in eastern Afghanistan. He said such a deployment would be
logistically more feasible for the French than a more
costly deployment to southern Afghanistan. Leroy said
internal debate within the administration continued about
whether to deploy PRTs in Afghanistan. Leroy remarked that
the Afghans have not insisted on a need for PRTs in their
conversations with the French, which has led Paris to
conclude that the GOA did not place a high priority on
securing a French commitment to lead a PRT. (Embassy Comment:
In all of our meetings with French officials, only the MFA
has been open to considering deployment of a PRT -- the
military remains adamantly opposed. See Paris cable 163)
PUBLIC OPINION: A Key battleground
--------------
8. (C) Moon and Leroy agreed NATO must emphasize Afghan
achievements as part of the broader effort to boost public
understanding of the importance of the international mission
in Afghanistan and European security interests tied to
success there. Leroy, who served eight years in Afghanistan,
is optimistic that the situation on the ground is much
improved and underscored strong Afghan public support for
international efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan.
(NOTE: Leroy's comments follow what appears to be an
increasing French effort to publicize what France is doing in
Afghanistan. A prime example: In a documentary devoted to
the French military effort in Afghanistan which aired on the
LCI news channel on February 26, the journalist who presented
the piece stated flatly that "even though French troops have
been beside the Americans in Afghanistan since 2002, only now
is the French government working to publicize that." In
addition, this documentary, unlike much other press coverage
of Afghanistan, did not leave the impression that the
U.S.-led stabilization effort is doomed to failure. END NOTE)
Moon agreed that winning public opinion in Europe will
contribute to success in Afghanistan; he added that the
Bucharest Summit could also improve public understanding of
the stakes involved. He also noted that improved relations
between Pakistan and Afghanistan are cause for cautious
optimism.
UN Special Representative
--------------
9. (C) On the prospect of identifying a Special
Representative to coordinate international efforts for
Afghanistan following the withdrawal of Paddy Ashdown, Moon
noted a successful candidate would need to have sufficient
political stature to garner international support.
Suggesting a French preference for Canadian John Manley as
coordinator, Leroy said France has not made a decision on
whether they would support Norwegian Kai Eide or John Manley,
but noted that Canada has a strong position in Afghanistan.
10. (C) Comment: France under President Sarkozy has
reiterated a strong, long-term commitment to Afghanistan that
will be made more concrete at both the NATO Summit in
Bucharest and the Afghanistan Conference in Paris. French
policy makers are engaged in an internal debate over the
exact shape of this commitment. USG clarity on exactly what
we seek in French military and civilian contributions will
help our efforts. The French may see a trade-off in terms of
their ability to deliver in both civilian and military fields
given the extremely challenging budget environment currently
facing the GOF.
12. (U) This cable has been cleared by Afghanistan
Coordinator Patrick Moon.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR EAID NATO AF FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN
Classified By: Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. Afghanistan Coordinator Patrick Moon met
MFA DAS for South Asia Didier Leroy on February 27 to discuss
next steps in Afghanistan, including an Afghanistan Donors
conference and potential increases in French military
contributions to the security effort. Leroy noted the Afghan
Donors Conference would emphasize the importance of a civil
component to work in tandem with security
efforts to promote stability and democracy in Afghanistan.
While military planning was the province of the Ministry of
Defense, Leroy opined that France was likely to increase its
military contribution with an announcement at the Bucharest
Summit. He expected additional troops to be deployed to
eastern Afghanistan. Leroy said that France would find ways
to increase assistance to Afghanistan, while downplaying
prospects for a substantial new financial contribution. Both
Moon and Leroy agreed that improving public understanding of
the importance of the ISAF effort in Afghanistan was key to
continued success.
2. (C) COMMENT: Moon's visit helped highlight for France our
expectations for a substantial increase in French financial
contributions for Afghanistan. That said, the MFA is sending
clear signals to limit U.S. expectations for a substantial
increase in France's financial contributions as co-chair of
the June donors conference. The French may see a trade-off in
terms of their ability to deliver in both civilian and
military fields given the extremely challenging budget
environment currently facing the GOF. END SUMMARY.
CONFERENCE: focus on strategy plus donation resources
-------------- --------------
3. (C) During a one day visit on February 27, Afghanistan
Coordinator Pat Moon presented U.S. views on next steps in
Afghanistan to MFA DAS for South Asia Didier Leroy, urging an
increase in French troop contributions to the security
operation and a substantial increase in French development
assistance at the Afghanistan Donors Conference to be held in
Paris in June.
4. (C) Leroy outlined French thinking for the June conference
emphasizing that France hopes to
incorporate strategic discussions into the Conference, rather
than focus solely on increased aid pledges. Leroy described
a holistic approach with military, civil and economic
elements coming together at the conference. Using the
Afghanistan Compact agreed at the London conference in early
2006 as a base, supplemented with the Afghan National
Development Strategy (ANDS),France hopes to amplify the
strategic discussion about next steps for Afghanistan. Leroy
added that the conference is a chance for France to "update
its commitment."
5. (C) Acknowledging that France is not one of the major
donors in Afghanistan, Leroy noted that, traditionally French
donations to the International Red Cross and UNHCR take
priority over donations to individual nations. (Note: France
was the 16th largest bilateral donor to UNHCR in 2007 and
11th donor to the IRC in 2006. These contributions do not
capture French donations made through the European Union.)
Nevertheless, Leroy said France will increase its civilian
aid commitment to Afghanistan at the Conference. Moon noted
the U.S. hopes that the international community will match or
exceed Afghanistan's target, while emphasizing the importance
of large pledge amounts to show this as a success story to
the media and other international actors. Moon expressed
appreciation for the GOF's decision to host the Donor
Conference along with U.S. interest in working with France to
ensure the Conference's success.
The Illicit Drug Trade: A corrosive influence on stability
operations
-------------- --------------
6. (C) Leroy said France appreciates the corrosive effect of
the narcotics trade on our efforts in Afghanistan and seeks
to make a stronger commitment to fighting drugs. He did not
have specifics on anti-narcotics program contributions.
Leroy added that France is considering whether to host a
separate international meeting on the drug trade in
Afghanistan in May or June or in conjunction with the Afghan
Donors Conference. Leroy said that France will demarche
Afghan partners proposing a security council declaration
encouraging countries to ratify the convention on reporting
transfers of precursor chemicals, thereby contributing to
combating the illicit narcotics trade.
TROOPS: A French contribution in the East more likely than in
the South
-------------- --------------
7. (C) Leroy reported that France will announce a
"significant reinforcement of commitment" at the Bucharest
Summit. While noting the Ministry of Defense took the lead
in planning French military deployments, he said that
increased troop contributions would most likely be deployed
in eastern Afghanistan. He said such a deployment would be
logistically more feasible for the French than a more
costly deployment to southern Afghanistan. Leroy said
internal debate within the administration continued about
whether to deploy PRTs in Afghanistan. Leroy remarked that
the Afghans have not insisted on a need for PRTs in their
conversations with the French, which has led Paris to
conclude that the GOA did not place a high priority on
securing a French commitment to lead a PRT. (Embassy Comment:
In all of our meetings with French officials, only the MFA
has been open to considering deployment of a PRT -- the
military remains adamantly opposed. See Paris cable 163)
PUBLIC OPINION: A Key battleground
--------------
8. (C) Moon and Leroy agreed NATO must emphasize Afghan
achievements as part of the broader effort to boost public
understanding of the importance of the international mission
in Afghanistan and European security interests tied to
success there. Leroy, who served eight years in Afghanistan,
is optimistic that the situation on the ground is much
improved and underscored strong Afghan public support for
international efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan.
(NOTE: Leroy's comments follow what appears to be an
increasing French effort to publicize what France is doing in
Afghanistan. A prime example: In a documentary devoted to
the French military effort in Afghanistan which aired on the
LCI news channel on February 26, the journalist who presented
the piece stated flatly that "even though French troops have
been beside the Americans in Afghanistan since 2002, only now
is the French government working to publicize that." In
addition, this documentary, unlike much other press coverage
of Afghanistan, did not leave the impression that the
U.S.-led stabilization effort is doomed to failure. END NOTE)
Moon agreed that winning public opinion in Europe will
contribute to success in Afghanistan; he added that the
Bucharest Summit could also improve public understanding of
the stakes involved. He also noted that improved relations
between Pakistan and Afghanistan are cause for cautious
optimism.
UN Special Representative
--------------
9. (C) On the prospect of identifying a Special
Representative to coordinate international efforts for
Afghanistan following the withdrawal of Paddy Ashdown, Moon
noted a successful candidate would need to have sufficient
political stature to garner international support.
Suggesting a French preference for Canadian John Manley as
coordinator, Leroy said France has not made a decision on
whether they would support Norwegian Kai Eide or John Manley,
but noted that Canada has a strong position in Afghanistan.
10. (C) Comment: France under President Sarkozy has
reiterated a strong, long-term commitment to Afghanistan that
will be made more concrete at both the NATO Summit in
Bucharest and the Afghanistan Conference in Paris. French
policy makers are engaged in an internal debate over the
exact shape of this commitment. USG clarity on exactly what
we seek in French military and civilian contributions will
help our efforts. The French may see a trade-off in terms of
their ability to deliver in both civilian and military fields
given the extremely challenging budget environment currently
facing the GOF.
12. (U) This cable has been cleared by Afghanistan
Coordinator Patrick Moon.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON