NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT - JULY 22, 2008

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000258 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2018 TAGS: NATO PREL AF SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT - JULY 22, 2008 Classified By: CDA Joseph P. Stein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) Summary from the NAC Meeting: -- Farewell to the Permanent Representative from France: In his farewell address to the NAC, departing French PermRep Richard Duque said the greatest threat facing the Alliance was the danger of being pulled into disunity, particularly on the issue of Russia where he encouraged Allies to see a future of cooperation. -- Afghanistan: SHAPE reported that the Government of Pakistan had suspended operations of the Frontier Corps in Khyber agency in order to facilitate talks, and that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain tense. Tactical plans are in place for the transfer of security responsibility to the ANSF in Kabul city beginning August 28, but there are no immediate plans for a change in ISAFs force levels. Regarding civilian casualties, BG Porter stated that dialogue with the UN (both UNAMA and UNHQ) has begun regarding how to calculate numbers accurately. Chairman of the Military Committee (CMC) Di Paola stated that the Transport Trust Fund has zeroed out, and some equipment donations in Europe (including helicopters and infantry fighting vehicles) cannot be shipped to Afghanistan until there are further donations to the Fund. He said COMISAF sees OMLTs as a top priority for NATO, but that the ongoing shortage will become more acute if/when DefMin Wardaks proposal to increase the size of the ANA is approved. U.S. Charge Stein commended the growth in ANA capability and recent performance, but drew attention to signs of heavy tasking and operational shortfalls during this update and recent SHAPE briefing as indications of the need for additional ANA capability. The SYG added that NATO needs a careful assessment of the implications of the ANA expansion, saying he would raise these points on his trip to Kabul this week. -- Balkans: The SYG praised the July 18 "Friends of Kosovo" meeting in Brussels, while the Turkish PermRep cautioned it was a need-driven event that did not need to be repeated soon. The CMC urged Allies to provide a replacement to the Hungarian company that had been providing security at KFORs main base in Pristina. Many Allies welcomed the news of Radovan Karadzics arrest and agreed with the SYGs approach of welcoming the arrest while keeping the pressure on Serbian authorities to also arrest Ratko Mladic. The Spanish and Bulgarian PermReps expressed concern that Macedonia was endangering its chances for Euro-Atlantic integration through its actions over the name dispute with Greece. The SYG accepted the suggestion of sending a message to Skopje that it should engage discreetly and constructively to resolve the name dispute. -- Africa - Support to the AU: The Spanish PermRep noted that the latest EU GAERC meeting had reached conclusions on the issue of Somali piracy that could effect the debate at NATO. -- Iraq: No discussion. -- Activities of the Senior NATO Logisticians Conference USNATO 00000258 002 OF 005 (SNLC): The co-chairmen of the SNLC briefed on the outcome of the Spring 2008 SNLC. They highlighted the work accomplished at the conference and how the SNLC has focused its efforts toward collective and multi-national solutions, which supports the expeditionary nature of current NATO operations and the NATOs transformation to support future operations. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C/NF) Farewell to the Permanent Representative from France: In his farewell address to the NAC, departing French PermRep Richard Duque noted that in the ten years of his career he had devoted to NATO the Alliance had always been described as being "in crisis." He quipped that the Alliance should only worry if it was no longer described as being in crisis. Duque said the greatest threat for the Alliance lay not in finding a stronger adversary, but in being pulled into disunity. He thought NATOs relations with Russia had the greatest potential to split the Allies and said a number of Allies see a future in cooperation, not conflict, with Russia and seek a full dialogue with Russia without falling into traps. He said the other Allies should take note of this reality. Duque said he had worked to increase cooperation between France and NATO and predicted that if a "new meaning" could be given to European defense then Frances relations with NATO would be renewed at the NATO Summit in April. -------------- Afghanistan -------------- ¶3. (C/NF) BG Porter, SHAPEs Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy, reported that there has been a 49 percent increase over 2007 in indirect fire incidents against ISAF and ANSF in the Pakistan/Afghanistan border areas. Most of the indirect fire is ineffective, but is used to distract attention from movement of insurgents from Pakistan into Afghanistan. BG Porter said there had been little recent activity in Garmsir district of Helmand, as the OMF are now focusing on northern Helmand and Kandahar. In RC-East, activity is focused on security and clearance of the Ring Road, particularly in Logar and Ghazni provinces. ¶4. (C/NF) Regarding Pakistan, BG Porter noted the government had suspended operations of the Frontier Corps in Khyber agency in order to facilitate talks. He added that two tribes in Hangu town in NWFP have "declared war" on the Taliban, though it is too early to assess the consequences. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain tense. Another meeting between COMISAF and Pakistani CHOD Kayani is scheduled for late July, when they will discuss the next TriPartite Commission meeting set for late August at the 4-star level. ¶5. (C/NF) Regarding current operations, BG Porter said ISAFs focus is on freedom of movement along key roads, including the Ring Road. In RC-East, there has been a reduction in OMF attacks on the Ring Road south of Kabul. The arrival of Polish and French units in RC-East, as well as the rotation of U.S. units, will change the "geometry on the ground." In RC-North, ISAF is working with ANSF to increase security USNATO 00000258 003 OF 005 along the Ring Road. In RC-South, there has been a focus of operations around Kandahar city, and there will be operations in northern Helmand, to set the conditions for work at the Kajaki dam in the coming months. The ANA ordered a full kandak to Garmsir district by August 1. ¶6. (C/NF) In RC-Central the tactical plans are in place for the transfer of security responsibility to ANSF. The transfer is phased: Kabul city on August 28; Phase 2 (north) in October 2008; Phase 3 (south) in December 2008; and Phase 4 (east) in January - March 2009. This will not have an immediate impact on ISAFs CJSOR. ISAF will continue to provide enablers in Kabul, and there are no immediate plans for a change in ISAFs force levels. ISAF will continue to provide security at key sites, including the airport and ISAFs own locations. BG Porter also explicitly stated that this transfer is not part of OPLAN Phase IV (transition). ¶7. (C/NF) BG Porter reported voter registration will be conducted in phases from October 2008 through February 2009. OMF are likely to react with public messaging and attempted attacks on some registration sites, but it is not assessed as likely that OMF will conduct large-scale coordinated efforts to disrupt registration. ISAF will provide security within means and capabilities and will likely provide third-line security in support of the ANSF. BG Porter also noted that ISAF and ANSF planning is flexible to allow for changes in timetables, and that additional details will be forthcoming. ¶8. (C/NF) Regarding civilian casualties, BG Porter stated that dialogue with the UN (both UNAMA and UNHQ) has begun regarding how to calculate numbers accurately. Spanish PermRep Benavides asked about public messaging on incidents of civilian casualties, and the CMC, Admiral Di Paola, described the careful investigative process and said ISAF does advise the press that it will investigate these cases. ¶9. (C/NF) CMC Di Paola stated that the Transport Trust Fund has zeroed out, and that there are some equipment donations in Europe (including helicopters and infantry fighting vehicles) awaiting transport to Afghanistan that cannot move pending further donations to the TTF. CMC Di Paola stated that of ten planned ANA "branch schools," only three have sponsoring nations, so seven require sponsors. He also mentioned ANA literacy as an important focus. ¶10. (C/NF) CMC Di Paola said that COMISAF sees OMLTs as a top priority, but that the ongoing shortage will become more acute if/when DefMin Wardaks plans to increase the size of the ANA are approved. In response to a question from the Bulgarian PermRep, he stated that the ANA expansion will also impact training, equipment needs, etc., and the IMS will provide an assessment of these needs after the September JCMB meeting that will decide on Wardaks plan. Meanwhile ISAF is also evaluating the need for the expansion -- and the Afghan governments justification of its request. U.S. Charge Stein commended the growth in ANA capability and recent performance, but drew attention to signs of heavy tasking and operational shortfalls during this update and recent SHAPE briefing as indications of the need for additional ANA capability. BG Porter acknowledged that the ANA is heavily tasked, saying "wee pushing as far as possible" but that they are creful not to push too far in order to avoid an oerational failure. BG Porter added that the ANA i growing increasingly capable under CSTC-As tutlage, noting that the ANAs response to the prisn break and to the attack on the U.S. combat outpst were both satisfactory. The SYG later added hat NATO does need a careful assessment of the iplications of the ANA expansion, saying he would rise these points on his trip to Kabul this week. ¶11. (C/NF) UK PermRep Eldon asked about progresson EUPOLs MOUs with PRTs, but CMC Di Paola saidhe had no information to report in this area. Edon also asked about the decrease in the number f suicide attacks, which BG Porter attributed toISAFs success in interdicting routes and cells of uicide bombers. Eldon also asked for a provinceby-province breakdown of border incidents and a imetable for work at Kajaki dam, which BG Porterundertook to provide. -------------- Balkans -------------- ¶12. (C/NF) The SYG said the July 18 "Friends o Kosovo" meeting in Brussels had been constructie and many participants had agreed bureaucratic ifficulties between NATO and the EU should not b allowed to hinder cooperation. He said he was glad to hear EU High Rep for the CSDP Solana say there would be no security gaps in Kosovo. While there was more work to do on the EU-UN MOU, the SYG hoped EULEX would be deployed by the fall, though deployment could stretch to the end of the year since the 120 day clock would not start until the MOU was signed. The UK said it had a different understanding -) that the 120 day clock would begin July 23, per discussions at the UN in New York. The UK also reminded the NAC that it still owed the NATO Military Authorities an updated OPLAN for KFOR. The Turkish PermRep commented that the "Friends of Kosovo" meeting had been a need-driven event and the results should be absorbed before rushing to schedule another. He also said he said it would take time to eliminate "uncertainties" regarding the OPLAN, so there should be no rush to complete it until the picture was clearer. ¶13. (C/NF) CMC Di Paola said the threat levels in Kosovo had not changed and the situation remained calm. KFOR was conducting fire security operations, which will continue through September in preparation for a possible repeat of last summers wildfires. Trust Funds for the stand-down on the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) and stand-up of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) had been established and SHAPE was preparing a detailed planning document as well as a detailed requirements list for equipment donations for the KSF. ¶14. (C/NF) The CMC also noted that the Hungarian company that had been providing security to KFORs main base in Pristina had completed its tour and no Ally had provided a replacement. Currently one maneuver company had been tasked with guarding the base. The CMC hoped a replacement would be found during the November Global Force Generation Conference. USNATO 00000258 005 OF 005 ¶15. (C/NF) The SYG welcomed the news of Rodovan Karadzics arrest by Serbian authorities, saying it was an important day for the victims of Sarajevo and Srebrenica. He said NATO should welcome the arrest, but not overly so, and keep the pressure on the Serbs to also arrest Ratko Mladic. Several PermReps )- Slovenia, Spain, Italy, Canada, UK, Greece, and U.S. )- supported the SYGs message. Slovenia added that the arrest demonstrated that extending support to pro-EU political forces in Serbia had been the right thing to do. Spain said the arrest was another of a series of positive steps taken by the new government in Serbia. ¶16. (C/NF) The Spanish PermRep expressed concern about the actions of "nationalists in Macedonia" that were jeopardizing the Euro-Atlantic future of that country. He suggested NATO send an envoy to Macedonia to deliver a message to Macedonia and not allow Macedonia to "isolate itself." The Greek PermRep said Macedonian PM Gruevski had sent a letter that "raised extraneous matters and was an attempt to throw a spanner in the works" and that the Greek PM had responded with a letter that urged Gruevski to engage seriously. Bulgaria supported the Spanish proposal and the SYG concluded he would find a way to send a message to Skopje that it should engage in discreet discussion on the name issue and avoid diplomacy through letters and accusations. -------------- Africa - Support to the AU -------------- ¶17. (C/NF) The Spanish PermRep briefly noted that the July 22 EU General Affairs and External Relations Committee (GAERC) will discuss Somali Piracy. The SYG said was aware of this, noting the matter was related to the NAC discussion on piracy of a few weeks ago in which the NAC deferred further discussion until the EU approach was clearer. -------------- Activities of the Senior NATO Logisticians Conference -------------- ¶18. (U) Assistant SYG for Defense Policy and Planning Sedivy and Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee LTG Eikenberry, co-chairmen of the SNLC, briefed the NAC on the Spring SNLC. Ambassador Sedivys portion focused on the SNLC Vision and Objectives for 2009-2018, and cooperation with partner nations. LTG Eikenberry addressed collective responsibility, multi-national logistics, and logistics transformation. The emphasis from each briefer was the accomplishments being made in creating multi-national synergy and that NATO logistics is transforming to meet the needs of an expeditionary alliance. The briefing was well received by the national representatives. Canada, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom each echoed the need to work collectively to save and manage precious resources. The CMC stressed that logistics is a key enabler and that collective logistics must be built into the plan and not developed after deployment into theater. STEIN