THREE ISSUES FOR MOD TOLGFORS APRIL 17 CALL ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000272 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018 TAGS: PREL MOPS PINR PGOV IZ AF SW SUBJECT: THREE ISSUES FOR MOD TOLGFORS APRIL 17 CALL ON SECDEF GATES REF: A. STATE 19616 ¶B. STOCKHOLM 187 Classified By: Ambassador M. Wood for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) In connection the upcoming April 16-17 visit by Swedish Minister of Defense Sten Tolgfors to Washington, Embassy recommends raising two requests regarding specific additional contributions in Afghanistan (ref A) and Sweden's pending decision on participation in NATO's Rapid Response. We also recommend thanking Sweden for hosting the upcoming International Compact with Iraq Conference. End Summary. Supporting ISAF in Afghanistan -------------- ¶2. (C) We demarched MFA and MOD regarding ref A request for the Swedish Armed Forces to deploy a Battalion-level Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) to Afghanistan (Ref B). Although Sweden has promised to continue and do more in Afghanistan, we have received no reply regarding the OMLT,s. We recommend Secretary Gates raise the issue with Defense Minister Tolgfors at their April 17 meeting. ¶3. (C) For the battalion OMLT to be operationally effective would require a change in the current Swedish policy that decisions to deploy Swedish soldiers outside their PRT area be made in Stockholm, rather than in the field. Our sources indicate no such deliberation is underway. In addition, the Swedish Armed Forces has indicated its desire on several occasions to deploy Medevac helicopters, JAS-39 Gripen aircraft and possibly additional soldiers in its PRT. The Ministers current views on these subjects would prove enlightening. NATO Rapid Response -------------- ¶4. (C) Sweden,s MOD had earlier expressed an interest and the politicians are currently deliberating Sweden,s participation in the January-July 2010 NATO Response Force ¶14. We had hoped that, like Finland, Sweden would announce their commitment to the effort at the Bucharest Summit. The decision was delayed by haggling within the governing center-right coalition (which is led by the Moderate Party, of which Tolgfors is a member). The pivotal Center Party is hesitant, but a decision in favor of participation has not been precluded. The likely scope of Sweden,s potential contribution has not been declared, though the Swedish Armed Forces had said it would likely be a land component. Sweden currently leads and contributes 2300 personnel to an EU battle group with a core mechanized battalion, and intends to do this again in 2011. There is however no reason to believe this level of effort would be offered for the NRF 14. Sweden must fund, recruit and train and from a pool of former conscripts and reserve soldiers to field a force of this nature as it has limited standing forces for this task. International Compact With Iraq Conference (ICI) -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) On April 3, Prime Minister Fredrick Reinfeldt announced that Sweden will host the May 29 ICI conference on Iraq, co-chaired by UN SYG Ban and Iraq PM Maliki. Secretary Rice will attend. Reinfeldt stated what Sweden hopes to see is the groundwork for civilian missions that build a country in the long term, adding that Sweden plans to be very active. Likely Swedish contributions to Iraq rebuilding efforts are civilian and therefore largely outside the portfolio of Minister Tolgfors, but we recommend Secretary Gates thank Minister Tolgfors for the GoS hosting this conference. ¶6. (C) Bio comment: The Ambassador has cultivated a close working relationship with Tolgfors from Tolgfors' prior job as Minister of Foreign Trade. Tolgfors went to high school in the U.S. and told the Ambassador he loves the U.S. and maintains friends there. WOOD