Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAMAKO679
2009-10-20 16:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bamako
Cable title:
A STOLEN MILITARY VEHICLE? DEPENDS WHO YOU TALK TO
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000679
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2019
TAGS: PINS PGOV MARR MCAP ML
SUBJECT: A STOLEN MILITARY VEHICLE? DEPENDS WHO YOU TALK TO
Classified By: PolCouns Peter Newman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000679
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2019
TAGS: PINS PGOV MARR MCAP ML
SUBJECT: A STOLEN MILITARY VEHICLE? DEPENDS WHO YOU TALK TO
Classified By: PolCouns Peter Newman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Several POL contacts recently reported that on
September 29 militia elements close to a Malian Army Colonel
stole a vehicle from the Malian Army's base in Kidal city.
The contacts said about five to seven armed perpetrators
entered the base in broad daylight and with no resistance
from Army units. The alleged mastermind has been implicated
in the carjacking and murder of a Norwegian citizen in Mali
in 2000. DAO contacts in the Ministry of Defense denied a
vehicle had been stolen from the base, reasoning that the
Army Colonel could have requisitioned the vehicle through the
normal chain of command, rather than sending a civilian proxy
to steal it.
2. (C) There seems to be confusion as to whether a vehicle is
missing or not, and if it is missing, whether it was
requisitioned under some normally accepted procedure or
whether it was stolen in broad daylight under the noses of,
or with the complicity of, Kidal-based soldiers. Needless to
say, it is difficult to account for something that is not
missing, but the rumors exist that it was stolen.
3. (C) With the French having recently donated a number of
vehicles to the Malian Army and the United States having
turned over 37 vehicles with radios and other equipment on
October 20, we will continue to press the military to
establish and maintain good command and control procedures to
safeguard the use of its equipment. The French defense
attache recently noted that their strategy will be to "trust
but verify" and to react quickly and forcefully if vehicles
are used for other than their stated purpose, let alone go
missing. For our part, the Office of Security Cooperation
has sent to the Minister of Defense a detailed letter
specifying that the vehicles and other equipment we are
donating to the Echelons Tactiques Interarmes are meant to
stay with those units and outlining our expectation that they
be well maintained and made available for the units'
participation in Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises
with the U.S. Military.
MILOVANOVIC
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2019
TAGS: PINS PGOV MARR MCAP ML
SUBJECT: A STOLEN MILITARY VEHICLE? DEPENDS WHO YOU TALK TO
Classified By: PolCouns Peter Newman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Several POL contacts recently reported that on
September 29 militia elements close to a Malian Army Colonel
stole a vehicle from the Malian Army's base in Kidal city.
The contacts said about five to seven armed perpetrators
entered the base in broad daylight and with no resistance
from Army units. The alleged mastermind has been implicated
in the carjacking and murder of a Norwegian citizen in Mali
in 2000. DAO contacts in the Ministry of Defense denied a
vehicle had been stolen from the base, reasoning that the
Army Colonel could have requisitioned the vehicle through the
normal chain of command, rather than sending a civilian proxy
to steal it.
2. (C) There seems to be confusion as to whether a vehicle is
missing or not, and if it is missing, whether it was
requisitioned under some normally accepted procedure or
whether it was stolen in broad daylight under the noses of,
or with the complicity of, Kidal-based soldiers. Needless to
say, it is difficult to account for something that is not
missing, but the rumors exist that it was stolen.
3. (C) With the French having recently donated a number of
vehicles to the Malian Army and the United States having
turned over 37 vehicles with radios and other equipment on
October 20, we will continue to press the military to
establish and maintain good command and control procedures to
safeguard the use of its equipment. The French defense
attache recently noted that their strategy will be to "trust
but verify" and to react quickly and forcefully if vehicles
are used for other than their stated purpose, let alone go
missing. For our part, the Office of Security Cooperation
has sent to the Minister of Defense a detailed letter
specifying that the vehicles and other equipment we are
donating to the Echelons Tactiques Interarmes are meant to
stay with those units and outlining our expectation that they
be well maintained and made available for the units'
participation in Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises
with the U.S. Military.
MILOVANOVIC