Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SOFIA610
2008-09-12 13:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:
BULGARIA UNDECIDED ON EXPANSION OF ISAF
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSF #0610 2561348 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 121348Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5391 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0991
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000610
SIPDIS
EUR/RPM, SCA/A
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2017
TAGS: NATO MOPS MARR BU AF
SUBJECT: BULGARIA UNDECIDED ON EXPANSION OF ISAF
COUNTERNARCOTICS AUTHORITIES
REF: STATE 97395
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief James Bigus for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000610
SIPDIS
EUR/RPM, SCA/A
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2017
TAGS: NATO MOPS MARR BU AF
SUBJECT: BULGARIA UNDECIDED ON EXPANSION OF ISAF
COUNTERNARCOTICS AUTHORITIES
REF: STATE 97395
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief James Bigus for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) The Bulgarian Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministries
have yet to reach consensus on SACEUR's proposed amendment to
the Counternarcotics Annex of the ISAF Operations Plan to
authorize ISAF forces to interdict narcotics production and
trafficking facilities. According to COL Stefan Yanev,
Director of Defense Policy and Planning, Bulgaria had no
objections from a military perspective to the amendment as
presented, but it hoped the Afghan National Army would play
the leading role in counternarcotics operations. The
Director of NATO Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Georgi Panayotov was more circumspect. Bulgaria does in
principle support new counternarcotics authorities for ISAF,
he said, but Bulgaria had not finished weighing the merits of
the UK plan versus the US plan. He expressed concern that
perhaps too broad a counternarcotics approach by ISAF could
alienate farmers and local elders and distract ISAF from its
primary security mission. Bulgaria would continue to examine
the two proposals and would be interested in discussing the
issue in more detail at the NATO Military Committee meetings
in Sofia.
McEldowney
SIPDIS
EUR/RPM, SCA/A
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2017
TAGS: NATO MOPS MARR BU AF
SUBJECT: BULGARIA UNDECIDED ON EXPANSION OF ISAF
COUNTERNARCOTICS AUTHORITIES
REF: STATE 97395
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief James Bigus for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) The Bulgarian Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministries
have yet to reach consensus on SACEUR's proposed amendment to
the Counternarcotics Annex of the ISAF Operations Plan to
authorize ISAF forces to interdict narcotics production and
trafficking facilities. According to COL Stefan Yanev,
Director of Defense Policy and Planning, Bulgaria had no
objections from a military perspective to the amendment as
presented, but it hoped the Afghan National Army would play
the leading role in counternarcotics operations. The
Director of NATO Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Georgi Panayotov was more circumspect. Bulgaria does in
principle support new counternarcotics authorities for ISAF,
he said, but Bulgaria had not finished weighing the merits of
the UK plan versus the US plan. He expressed concern that
perhaps too broad a counternarcotics approach by ISAF could
alienate farmers and local elders and distract ISAF from its
primary security mission. Bulgaria would continue to examine
the two proposals and would be interested in discussing the
issue in more detail at the NATO Military Committee meetings
in Sofia.
McEldowney