CZECH REPUBLIC: RESPONSE IRAQ COALITION DEMARCHE

S E C R E T PRAGUE 000606 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/I, NEA/I, PM, AND EUR/CE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018 TAGS: PRE IZ NAT MARR SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC: RESPONSE IRAQ COALITION DEMARCHE REF: STATE 96122 Classified By: Pol/Eco Counselor Charles O. Blaha for reasons 1.4 B & D 1.(S) Pol/Econ Counselor delivered the reftel demarche to Veronika Kuchnyova-Smigolova, the Czech MFA's Director of Security Policy, on September 10. She responded that the Czechs appreciated the notification and that they will use this information in planning their 2009 Foreign Deployments Bill, legislation required by the Czech Constitution to deploy forces overseas. Our Defense Attachi and Political Military Officer delivered the same points to Ivan Dvorak, the Czech Ministry of Defense's Director of Strategy and Policy, on September 11. Like the MFA, he appreciated our notification, but said the Czech Ambassador in Baghdad claimed that the Iraqis are very pleased with the approximately 17 Czech tank trainers deployed to the Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq (MNSTCI), part of MNF-I, and would like their mission to continue. Dvorak mentioned that he would like to receive an "official notification" from the Iraqi Government. He believes that this notification would help signify the success of the mission by indicating that the Iraqis are making progress on securing their own country. He added that, if the Iraqis sent an official request, the Czechs could study moving their trainers in Taji from MNSTCI to the NATO training mission umbrella (NTM-I). 2.(S) Comment: On the political side, we expect that the Czechs will be relieved to be able to pull out of Iraq. Czech participation in the Iraq war has very low public support and this step could decrease opposition to the 2009 Foreign Deployments bill in Parliament. With three casualties in 2008, the plan to increase troops in Afghanistan from approximately 400 to 600 will be controversial enough for the government this year. We also see this as a potentially positive step for their deployment plans. To successfully devote more troops to Afghanistan, they will need to focus their limited defense resources. End Comment. Graber