YOUR MEETING WITH BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DE GUCHT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000189

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED PARA MARKINGS)


V S A LIVE MSG
FOR GENERAL PETRAEUS FROM CHARGE BUSH.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2019
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL AF BE
SUBJECT: YOUR MEETING WITH BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DE GUCHT

Classified By: CDA Wayne Bush for reason 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) General Petraeus, your meeting with Belgian Foreign
Minister Karel De Gucht comes at an ideal time to reinforce
our efforts to secure greater Belgian participation in ISAF
and increased Belgian support for Afghanistan development and
reconstruction efforts. The meeting is an opportunity to
recognize and express appreciation for the turnaround in the
direction of Belgian defense policy in the past year, to
solicit Belgian thoughts on the way ahead and share your own,
and to encourage the government to continue down the
politically difficult path of expanding its military and
development commitment to Afghanistan. Your meeting will
reinforce the sense of genuine partnership between the U.S.
and Belgium to accomplish the ISAF Mission.


2. (C) Belgium's approach to Afghanistan and to cooperation with
U.S. military efforts generally experienced a sharp
turnaround after the December, 2007 arrival of Pieter De Crem
as Defense Minister in a new coalition government. De Crem, a
Flemish Christian Democrat, has worked with Foreign Minister
De Gucht, a Flemish Liberal (i.e., conservative) to make the
case publicly for the need for Belgian involvement in
Afghanistan in the context of a "success strategy" that with
time and sustained international commitment, will lead to an
"independent and law abiding Afghanistan to which the
international community can transfer all responsibilities."
De Crem has traveled frequently to Afghanistan, including
trips in 2008 with General Craddock and to lead a
parliamentary and media delegation to visit Belgian forces.
In a visit to Washington in 2008, De Crem described Belgium's
desire to become the indispensable small ally of the United
States.


3. (C) Belgium has begun to match rhetoric with action. Of 1200
deployed Belgian forces worldwide, some 500 are in
Afghanistan. Belgium handed responsibility for operation of
Kabul airport to Hungary on October 1, but continues to
provide 280 troops for airport security, and provides the
facility's deputy commander. More importantly, it has
deployed four F-16s to Kandahar together with 100 support
personnel, and a 70-person Belgian OMLT arrived in Kabul in
January for certification prior to deployment to its
operational area in the north. Belgium also supplies a
24-person EOD team for the German-led PRT in Kunduz, a C-130
and crew to support F-16 operations, and 40 liaison and
support personnel at ISAF headquarters. Belgium has also
deployed 200 troops to Kosovo, 330 to UNIFIL in Lebanon, 300
to training missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(Belgium's most visible foreign policy priority) and Benin,
and 70 special forces to the European force in Chad.


4. (C) In 2009, we would like to see Belgium deploy an
additional OMLT, provide an AWACS crew as part of the NATO
AWACS mission, and expand its development assistance, which
is funneled through international organizations and has
totaled close to 40 million dollars since 2003. This will all
be very hard to achieve in the current political and economic
climate. Even harder to attain in 2010 would be for Belgium
to sponsor a PRT and provide police trainers and engineering
units. Efforts to expand Belgium's role in Afghanistan will
meet strong opposition from the francophone socialists who
are part of the governing coalition and who believe that the
allies' efforts in Afghanistan have been too heavily focused
on military action. Those in the Belgian government and
parliament who support active Belgian participation in
Afghanistan recognize the importance and difficulty of
addressing the impact of opium production and the safe havens
in Pakistan for Taliban militants and their command and
control. The Belgian military is financially constrained,
and over the past 18 months has sold equipment to generate
funds and begun restructuring to reduce personnel costs and
reduce the average age of soldiers, which is currently above
40 years.


5. (C) The Embassy assesses that Belgium's Afghanistan policy
has been driven by Defense Minister De Crem. Foreign
Minister De Gucht has supported the policy publicly, but has
strong reservations. He and others in the Belgian government
share a strong distrust of President Karzai, and question the
utility of supporting a government they perceive as corrupt.
De Gucht has resisted the deployment of Belgian forces to the
south of Afghanistan, and has blocked the utilization of
NATO's Afghanistan National Army Trust Fund for ANA
sustainment costs because he fears doing so would imply an
open ended commitment by Belgium and other NATO allies, a
perception the embassy is working to dispel. There has been
no reply from the Belgian government to our requests for
Belgium to contribute 10 million dollars annually for ANA
sustainment, or to contribute troops and materiel to security
for the 2009 elections.


6. (C) Objectives/suggested talking points:

- hank De Gucht for Belgium's expanding military and
development contributions to Afghanistan;

- Share your current thoughts on theway orward;

- Share your assessment of the Afghanistan government and
its future;

- Solicit De Gucht's input on critical factors in achieving
success in Afghanistan;

- Encourage De Gucht to support continued expansion of
Belgium's role.

- Welcome the deployment of F-16s in the south of
Afghanistan, andurge De Gucht to allow other Belgian
elements to deploy in the south;

- Urge: additional and less restrictive military
contributions to ISAF; increased development assistance;
financial support for ANA sustainment; and, agreement to use
the NATO trust fund mechanism for ANA sustainment.
.