READOUT: OCTOBER 1 NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 USNATO 000358

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2018
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: READOUT: OCTOBER 1 NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING

Classified By: Classified by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Walter S. R
eid for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) Summary from the NAC Meeting:

-- EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH SERBIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE
SUTANOVAC: Reported septel.

-- AFGHANISTAN: The Operations brief noted insurgent
activities were high despite the Ramadan holidays. MG Li
Gobbi, Assistant Director of the Ops Division, briefed on the
status of Afghan National Police, noting shortfalls in Afghan
Border Police and a still inadequate Counter-Narcotics Police
capability. The Deputy Chief of the Military Committee
reported on the preliminary assessment of additional
resources that will be required to support the increase in
the size of the ANA, including more Operational Mentoring and
Liaisons Teams (OMLTs),equipment and training schools. Via
VTC from Kabul, the Senior Civilian Representative urged the
Allies to focus on election support, governance (in
particular the Afghan Social Outreach Program),and a
collective effort to build the ANA.

-- BALKANS: The SYG announced the NAC trip to Kosovo has
been scheduled for November 4, although Spain said the date
did not work for them.

-- AFRICA: Support to the AU: Following a briefing to the
Council on military planning for the mid-October deployment
of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2) that will travel
near the coast of Somalia, Canada called on Allies to
contribute naval assets to the task of escorting World Food
Program (WFP) ships off Somalia, after their escort mission
ends in October.

-- IRAQ: Turkey drew Allies attention to the situation of
minorities in Kirkuk following a change to the provincial
electoral laws.

-- RESPONSE TO TERRORISM: No discussion.

-- STATEMENTS ON POLITICAL TOPICS: France briefed on EU
events including this week,s EU-India summit, today,s
deployment of the EU observer mission in Georgia and the
upcoming EU ministerial on defense issues. Luxembourg and
Spain announced recent contributions to various trust funds.
In response to a concern raised from Spain, the Chairman
clarified that today,s conference at SHAPE (which included
the participation of a Kosovo delegate) had actually been
postponed to deconflict it with that day,s appearance of the
Serbian Defense Minister at the NAC..

--AOB: Albania and Croatia extended their gratitude to the
US for ratifying the countries, accession to the Alliance
and urged other Allies to be diligent in pushing through
ratification.

END SUMMARY.

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Afghanistan
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2. (C/NF) Afghanistan: Pakistan: MG Li Gobbi, Assistant
Director of the International Military Staff Operations
Division, briefed on ongoing Pakistani military operations in
the Bajaur and Swat districts. He stated that three tribes
were supporting the Pakistani Government efforts in the
tribal areas. Additionally, due to security threats all
Pakistani airports are on &bomb alert.8


3. (C/NF) ISAF Operations: MG Li Gobbi reported that despite
the Ramadan holidays, opposing militant force (OMF) activity
is still high, particularly in Regional Command-East.
Additionally, OMF are targeting specific government
officials, and food is becoming a matter of concern in the

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North and West as the colder months approach. In Regional
Command-Capital, OMF may try to launch a spectacular attack,
but to date high levels of security forces have prevented
this type of event. In Regional Command-North, OMF and
criminal activity is concentrated in the Konduz-Baghlan
corridor. In Regional Command-West, the OMF has a strong
presence along the Ring Road, with attacks expected on main
supply routes and against convoys. In Regional
Command-South, the threat level remains high with IEDs and
harassing attacks expected. ISAF is conducting relief in
place activities in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. In
Regional Command-East, Kunar and Paktika provinces expect
attacks on convoys and supply routes.


4. (C/NF) Presentation on Afghan National Police: MG Li Gobbi
gave a brief overview of the status of the Afghan National
Police (ANP). Currently the ANP has 78,599 of an authorized
82,000 police officers. In particular, the Afghan Border
Police are manned at 66 percent, and the Counter-Narcotics
Police still possess &inadequate capabilities8 although
they are actually slightly over their authorized size. The
Afghan National Civil Order Police is a good news story, in
that they have proven effective and relatively free of
corruption and have been fundamental in the Focused District
Development program. Finally, MG Li Gobbi noted that there
are some command and control issues between provincial and
district governors and their Chiefs of Police, as well as the
national headquarters.


5. (C/NF) DCMC Update on ANA Expansion: The Deputy Chief of
the Military Committee (DCMC),Lt Gen Eikenberry, reported
that a full assessment of the additional resources that will
be required to support the increase in the size of the ANA to
134,000 is due in late October or early November, after
CSTC-A provides inputs to SHAPE. DCMC briefed the interim
assessment to include an increase in the number of
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) that NATO
will be asked to provide of between 14 and 32, institutional
training support in the form of branch schools, ANA Air Corps
support, and increased sustainment cost of equipping the ANA
of 40 percent. DCMC said the increase in size and
capabilities of the ANA &is the decisive part of the
campaign.8 He also stressed the importance of the
development of the ANP, which he said is essential if the
Afghans are to be able to hold ground cleared of insurgents.
He reminded PermReps that NATO Chiefs of Defense at their
last meeting had suggested NATO examine whether the Alliance
should begin supporting the development of the ANP.


6. (C/NF) NATO Senior Civilian Representative Comments: The
NATO Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) in Afghanistan,
Ambassador Gentilini, briefed the Council via VTC, saying
NATO should remain focused on areas where it can provide
strong value-added, such as election support, governance (in
particular the Afghan Social Outreach Program),and a
collective effort to build the ANA. He also noted that food
security assistance, civilian casualties, coherent efforts by
all Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and the potential
incorporation of tribes to assist with border security are
all topics that will need continued NATO attention.


7. (C/NF) Discussion: The Canadian, Czech and German PermReps
asked about the placement of future ANA Kandaks, stressing
they would welcome additional ANA forces in their respective
areas of operation. The DCMC answered by highlighting the
need for flexibility and for dynamic and adaptive OMLTs. The
German PermRep also noted that the Counter-Narcotics Police
are actually over-complement and asked for a further
assessment of their capabilities, implying that the Afghans
should be capable of taking on more counter-narcotics tasks.
The SCR answered questions about reconciliation, noting that
he does not see a strong government-led effort. He also
stated that the public support for ISAF among Afghans was not
bad and that we &have not lost the people.8 Additionally,
the SCR stated that he was impressed by the cooperation with
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in dealing with the

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recent flow of refugees from Pakistan.

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Balkans
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8. (C/NF) Balkans: The Spanish PermRep informed the Council
that the proposed date of 4 November for a NAC visit to
Kosovo was not workable for Spain. Deputy Secretary General
(DSYG) Bisogniero stated that the Secretary General (SYG)
will discuss this issue in more detail with Allies during
SYG,s lunch with PermReps on 7 October.

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Africa
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9. (C/NF) Africa: The International Military Staff briefed on
planning for the forthcoming deployment of Standing NATO
Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2). The group will transit the Horn
of Africa from 21-25 October, and return through the waters
off Somalia from 27-30 November. The DSYG noted there might
be a possible role for NATO in between the cessation of
Canada's naval escort mission of World Food Program shipments
to Somalia on 23 October (when their frigate will be
reassigned to different duties in the region). The Acting
SYG reminded Allies that the SYG had been pressed last week
by a number of interlocutors in New York during the UNGA,
starting with UNSYG Ban, to get Allies to contribute naval
assets to WFP escort duties.


10. (C/NF) The Canadian PermRep stressed the importance of
the issue, and said his country's frigate would cease
escorting WFP shipments on 23 October. He called this an
opportunity to see what NATO can contribute, and encouraged
further work on the question of a NATO role for WFP escorts,
adding that he hoped the issue would return to the NAC in the
near future.

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Iraq
--------------


11. (C/NF) Iraq: The Turkish PermRep took note of the 24
September adoption of Iraq's provincial electoral law, which
removed quotas for minority representation in Iraq's
provincial councils. Noting that Kirkuk city had long been a
locus for good relations among Kurds, Turkomans and Arabs, he
urged that Kirkuk be given a special status under the
national government in Iraq, rather than being governed by
the Kirkuk provincial council, which he said will now have no
guarantees of minority representation.


12. (C/NF) Response to Terrorism: No discussion.

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Statements on Political Subjects
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13. (C/NF) Statements on Political Subjects: France briefed
on EU activities, noting the 29 September an EU-India summit
which was held in Marseille and discussed both regional and
global issues including climate change, energy security and
the issue of high food prices. EU observers began today their
patrols in the regions adjacent to South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. Lastly she noted that the upcoming EU ministerial
on 3 October would discuss the topics of military
capabilities, counter-piracy efforts and current military
operations, particularly EUFOR Chad and EUFOR Althea.


14. (C/NF) On financial contributions, Luxembourg noted its
government,s decision to contribute 500,000 to the KPC
stand down trust fund and 500,000 to the establishment of
the KSF. Spain announced its contributions of 3,000 to the
NATO-Russia Council website; 25,000 to the NATO PfP Trust
Fund for Georgia; 150,000 to the NATO Trust Fund for the

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ANA; and 850,000 to the NATO Trust Fund for Jordan.


15. (C/NF) Spain expressed concern about Serbian Defense
Minister Sutanovac,s comment made earlier in another NAC
meeting about the fact that his presences at NAC was
scheduled for the same day as a conference at SHAPE on
NATO,s new tasks which included Kosovar officials. The
Spanish PermRep urged that in the future there be
coordination between the military authorities and the NAC.
The DSYG clarified that the conference at SHAPE had actually
been postponed.

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Any Other Business
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16. (C/NF) Any Other Business: Albania and Croatia extended
their gratitude to the U.S. for ratifying the countries,
accession to the Alliance and urged other Allies to be
diligent in pushing through ratification.
VOLKER