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

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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

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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

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--------------


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

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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