FSC OCTOBER 8: USCG COMMANDANT ON INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USOSCE 000243 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC, SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA JCS FOR J-5 OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) NSC FOR HAYES USUN FOR LEGAL, POL EUCOM FOR J-5 CENTCOM FOR J-5 UNVIE FOR AC GENEVA FOR CD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE RS GG XG SUBJECT: FSC OCTOBER 8: USCG COMMANDANT ON INTERNATIONAL MARITIME SECURITY USOSCE 00000243 001.2 OF 004 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Russia and Georgia again traded innuendo and accusations at the October 8 Forum for Security Cooperation. Russia said "some" were still trying to aggravate the situation in South Ossetia and provoke new military action, citing the October 3 car bomb attack, which killed several Russian soldiers, and other incidents. Despite these attacks, Russia still intends to withdraw its forces by October 10, assuming that the EU will take appropriate measures to stabilize the situation. Georgia blamed the attacks on conflict between Russia and unknown elements in the South Ossetian militia and complained of continued Russian attacks on Georgian police and civilians. ¶2. (SBU) U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen briefed the Security Dialogue on his service's contributions to international maritime security, including anti-piracy measures, environmental protection, and maritime situational awareness. U.S. Navy Commander James Kraska briefed the legal background to some of Admiral Allen's programs. ¶3. (SBU) In the working groups there was broad support for the Estonian cyber security proposals, although several participating States lack instructions. Germany and Russia proposed edits to the Finnish chair's Ministerial Council draft decisions on FSC issues and small arms and light weapons/stockpiles of conventional weapons (SALW/SCA), including a review of the OSCE Document on SALW. End summary. Attacks on Russian "Peacekeepers" -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) complained "some" in South Ossetian and the surrounding "security zone" were still trying to aggravate the situation and provoke new military action. Ulyanov mentioned the October 3 car bomb attack that took the lives of several Russian "peace-keepers," an attack on a South Ossetian government official, shelling of civilian housing areas that killed a construction worker and the October 6 attack on a column of Russian soldiers. Despite the attacks Russia still plans to withdraw from the security zone by October 10 per the Sarkozy-Medvedev ceasefire agreement. Russia assumes that EU monitors will take appropriate measures to stabilize the situation and has appealed to the UN and OSCE monitors for their assistance. Georgia: South Ossetian Militia to Blame -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Georgia (Giorgadze) responded that Russia continues to attack Georgian police and civilians, resulting in deaths and injuries, and commit other human rights violations. He added Russia still prevents access to humanitarian relief supplies and has even accused the OSCE monitors of provocative acts. Giorgadze reported the head of the OSCE mission in Georgia Terry Hakala was outraged by these accusations. Giorgadze said the situation South Ossetia had significantly deteriorated, with Russian forces and South Ossetian militia now in complete control of the territory. He blamed the car bomb and other attacks on Russians on conflict between "unknown elements" of the South Ossetian militia and the Russian military. Some parties, he said, sought to prolong Russian military occupation. Georgia was open to a full investigation of these attacks. Giorgadze USOSCE 00000243 002.2 OF 004 said Georgia offered its assistance to Russia in withdrawing and was itself fully committed to the "six-point plan." USCG Commandant on Maritime Security -------------- ¶6. (SBU) U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen briefed the USCG's maritime security and international outreach programs. Admiral Allen described his service's roles and missions and highlighted its unique contributions to many of the non-military aspects of security such as anti-trafficking, environmental protection, search and rescue, aids to navigation, and maritime situational awareness. He described regional organizations for the North Atlantic and North Pacific that involved cooperation among the coast guards of the littoral states, including Russia and China. ¶7. (SBU) Admiral Allen, describing the challenge of piracy to existing maritime legal regimes, called for an international governance mechanism that would allow consultation and cooperation among affected states. U.S. Navy Commander James Kraska, an international lawyer, described relevant legal instruments and institutions, including the Law of the Sea, the International Maritime Organization, the Proliferation Security Initiative, and UNSCR 1540. Luxembourg Fails to Steer Admiral onto Shoals -------------- ¶8. (SBU) In response to questions, Admiral Allen said the OSCE could play a part by enhancing awareness among pS of maritime border security issues. Allen ducked Luxembourg's (Pilot) invitation to comment on the need for a reporting mechanism for warship movements similar to those governing land forces in Europe, although Commander Kraska noted that U.S. warships routinely use self-identification systems that allow littoral states to monitor their movements. Admiral Allen described Coast Guard vessels and aircraft and their reliance on friendly countries for logistical support in response to a Russian question about the "location of your overseas bases." AIAM Dates Approved -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The FSC adopted the decision to hold the Annual Implementation Assessment Meeting in Vienna on March 3 - 4, 2009 (FSC.DEC/9/08). Cyber Security -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In the working group, several pS, including the U.S., offered their support for the Estonian cyber security proposal (FSC.DEL/125/08/Rev.4),which includes a workshop in ¶2009. Estonia also recommended March 17-18, vice March 24-25 in the latest revision, for the workshop. Turkey and Russia offered general support, but noted they lacked final instructions. The chair will reissue the paper as a draft decision. Ministerial Draft Decision on FSC Issues USOSCE 00000243 003.2 OF 004 -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Finland (Kangaste),the FSC chair, has circulated draft decisions for the Ministerial Council on FSC issues (MC.DD/6/08) and SALW/SCA (MC.DD/7/08). France proposed each decision refer to the other. ¶12. (SBU) On the FSC issues paper, Russia (Ulyanov),while lacking final instructions, suggested that the tic in OP1 welcoming Security Dialogue discussions including "the armed conflict in Georgia" be broadened to "conflict situations and security matters," recalling that the Security Dialogue also discussed Georgian UAVs and naval CSBMs. For the same reason, Ulyanov urged inclusion of a request to "intensify the Security Dialogue" in OP2. ¶13. (SBU) Ulyanov described the Russian sponsored FSC decision on "taking national holidays into account when planning verification" (FSC.DEC/2/08),included in OP1 tic 3, as "trivia" and urged the chair to include only decisions that were "worthy of the attention of the ministers." ¶14. (SBU) Georgia (Giorgadze) emphasized that the decision, in any case, had to include reference to the "war between two pS." Ministerial Draft Decision on SALW/SCA -------------- ¶15. (SBU) In the SALW/SCA paper, Germany (Schweizer) proposed preamble language, "Recognizing the importance of paying due attention to improving the management, security and safety of stockpiles of conventional weapons and their ammunition" to mirror the subsequent OP2 tic on stockpiles. Schweizer also proposed to substitute "scope and content" for implementation in the OP2 concerning the OSCE Document on SALW, noting that section VI para 3 of that document called for "regular review" of it yet there had been no review for over seven years. ¶16. (SBU) The U.S. (Silberberg) reminded Schweizer of, at a minimum, its opposition to any review or decisional language that would suggest merging SALW and ammunition work. Schweizer replied this was not his intent, although he has mentioned such a merger in earlier working group discussions as has Finland in connection with follow-up work to the third Biennial Meeting of States on the UNPOA on SALW. Turkey Responds to Greece on VD99 Incident -------------- ¶17. (SBU) Turkey argued with Greece over the status of certain eastern Ionian islands in response to Greek comments earlier over an error made by Austria and Sweden in describing the Vienna Document 1999 area of inspection in Greece. Greece reserved the right to reply. The UK (Gare) separately noted such arguments detracted from the appearance of Allied unity. FSC Progress Reports for the Ministerial -------------- ¶18. (SBU) The chair of the informal group of friends on USOSCE 00000243 004.3 OF 004 SALW/SCA (Schweizer),the Code of Conduct coordinator (Eischer),and the FSC chair (Kangaste) reported that draft progress reports on, respectively, SALW/SCA, the Code of Conduct, and arms control/CSBMs would be circulated shortly for comment. The progress reports are not consensus documents. Melange Overview -------------- ¶19. (SBU) There were no substantive comments on the draft decision to welcome the Finnish "overview of disposal aspects" of melange (rocket fuel oxidizer),formerly known as the "Melange Best Practice Guide." (FSC.DEL/148/08) Code of Conduct -------------- ¶20. (SBU) The FSC coordinator for the Code of Conduct (Eischer) announced an informal meeting on October 9 to discuss further the draft revision of the Code questionnaire (FSC.DEL/98/08/Rev.3). Eischer plans to submit the revision to the working group on October 15. Next Meeting -------------- ¶21. (SBU) The next meeting of the FSC will be on October 15 and will include Security Dialogue presentation by the chair of the Group of Government Experts on the Arms Trade Treaty and a presentation on export controls and arms transfers by Petr Litavrin, the security affairs and disarmament deputy director at the Russian MFA. SCOTT