FINLAND: DAS MOON VISITS AS PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000075 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2019 TAGS: FI MARR PGOV PREL SUBJECT: FINLAND: DAS MOON VISITS AS PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN REF: (A) 08 HELSINKI 1562 Classified By: CDA Michael Butler for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. At the end of 2008 the Finnish Government (GOF) decided to increase its military, civilian and development assistance to Afghanistan. In February the GOF submitted to Parliament its plan to temporarily double its troop contribution to support security arrangements for the Afghan presidential elections. While the Parliament likely will endorse the plan, plenary debate included considerable discussion about the current security situation, "failures" of the international community, and the need to achieve lasting stability through a "political dialogue" rather than through military power. Much of that commentary reflects a skepticism within the governing parties about international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, and GOF officials have expressed an interest in greater situational awareness to help them maintain and increase support for Finland's greater engagement. DAS Moon visited Finland February 11-13, and provided briefings to officials from ministries and the defense forces, and to parliamentarians, and met with journalists. The briefings, covering the current security situation, the U.S.'s comprehensive engagement, and the Administration's ongoing policy review, provided just the information GOF officials seek. We will continue to engage the GOF on the importance of implementing its decision to do more, and will look to support its efforts to maintain and increase support for international community efforts in Afghanistan. END SUMMARY. GOF Submits Afghan election support plan to Parliament -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) At the end of 2008, the Finnish Government (GOF) decided to increase its military, civilian and development engagement in Afghanistan (REF A). Pursuant to legislation concerning military crisis management, the GOF must consult the Parliament. On January 29 the GOF announced its decision to present the Parliament one aspect of its overall plan for greater engagement, a report on Finland's participation in ISAF's support for Afghanistan's presidential elections in ¶2009. (NOTE: The Parliament will address the GOF's "action plan" on the civilian and development components later in the current session. END NOTE.) According to the report submitted to Parliament, Finland will reinforce its participation by sending a detachment of 100 soldiers to the northern command area for a period of approximately four months, at a cost of roughly 6 million euros. In deciding on this action, the GOF noted the importance of the elections for Afghanistan's stability and democratic development, and that while Afghan security forces bear primary responsibility for election security, those forces needed support from ISAF. ¶3. (U) The GOF submitted its plan to Parliament, which debated the matter in a February 12 plenary session. In presenting and defending its plan, Foreign Minister Stubb described a "challenging" security situation, as well as a "comprehensive" U.S. policy (i.e., not simply military) that encompasses, for example, the need to fight corruption and the opium trade. Pertti Salolainen, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, launched into a grim assessment of the situation, pointing to "failures" such as booming opium trade, hostilities towards ISAF troops, and a lack of progress on local governance. Salolainen and others, including Defense Minister Hakamies, said Afghanistan will not be stabilized through military power but through a political process, i.e., a political dialogue involving Afghan political leaders, tribal/ethnic leaders, "moderate Taliban" and leaders from neighboring countries. Following the plenary debate, the plan will work its way through the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees; the Parliament likely will approve the plan by the end of February. Maintaining support for increased engagement -------------- ¶4. (C) Reaching a consensus within the four-party governing coalition government meant convincing such skeptics as Trade and Development Minister Vayrynen, who has long doubted the appropriateness of governments delivering development (as opposed to humanitarian) assistance in failed and failing states. GOF officials repeatedly state that opponents of increased engagement did not advocate a reduction in Finland's support to Afghanistan, but only maintaining current levels. While support for at least maintaining current levels of support remains wide within the governing parties, that support is not universal: according to the advisor to Foreign Affairs Committee, while Chairman Salolainen will not oppose the government's policy (nor that of his party's (National Coalition Party) leading figures, who support increased engagement),his personal view approaches a "let's pull out entirely" position. ¶5. (C) Despite having secured a consensus to do more in Afghanistan, GOF officials remain concerned about maintaining support for Finland's work in Afghanistan, in particular in Parliament and among the public. (NOTE: Polls show strong public support for Finnish armed forces' participation in peacekeeping operations, while also showing a drop in support for Finnish participation in NATO-led operations. It is unclear whether the public grasps that ISAF is NATO-led. END NOTE.) Officials complain about a lack of awareness of the situation in Afghanistan; they seek a clearer picture in order to counter negative press about the situation and to assist them in more clearly articulating and implementing their increased support. DAS Moon visits Finland -------------- ¶6. (C) In responding to GOF officials' interest in a briefing on Afghanistan (REF),DAS Moon visited Helsinki on February 11-13 with Heidi Meyer, OSD Afghanistan Office Director. DAS Moon met with representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Interior, as well as from the Finnish Defense Forces, and briefed extensively on the situation in Afghanistan and the ongoing review of U.S. policy. Elina Kalkku, MFA Director General for Asia and the Americas emphasized Finland's commitment to increase its engagement, in particular through the temporary troop increase to support security for the upcoming elections, but also indicated that in the current domestic political and economic environment Finland would find it difficult to make additional contributions in the short or medium term. In a meeting hosted by Chairman Salolainen, DAS Moon briefed members of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees. Salolainen started the meeting by listing the same problems and failures he saw in Afghanistan as he listed in the plenary session. DAS Moon briefed not only on the current security situation but also the breadth of U.S. engagement, the Administration's interest in engaging friends and allies on the way forward, and its undertaking a comprehensive review of policy. At the end of the briefing Salolainen expressed his strong support for Finland's continued engagement in Afghanistan. DAS Moon reached a wide audience, including the general public, later participating in a press roundtable, giving an interview to the Finnish National Broadcasting Company (YLE) and dining with several journalists and editors. Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) The decision to increase engagement in Afghanistan is a welcome one. There is still more for the GOF to do: The temporary troop increase is but one aspect of its overall plan; the government must fill previously promised police and military trainer slots and confirm a decision to increase the number of trainers (and fill those additional slots). The visit of DAS Moon served precisely the need articulated by Finnish officials, helping them to justify not only remaining engaged in Afghanistan but increasing support comprehensively; several officials expressed considerable appreciation for the visit. Falling as it did just as the Parliament took up the GOF's plan, the briefing to the Committees also proved useful, emphasizing as it did not simply the current security situation but the breadth of U.S. engagement its ongoing policy review. (While a negative response to DAS Moon was unlikely, the skeptic Salolainen's unequivocal expression of Finland's continued support was nevertheless encouraging.) The visit in April of a PAS-organized speaker on Afghanistan will provide another opportunity to engage GOF officials, parliamentarians and the public. END COMMENT. BUTLER