CHARGE PRESENTS MOUs ON LIFE, SECURITY AND MOBILITY SUPPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003870 DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA USFOR-A FOR POLAD SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT PREL EAID AF SUBJECT: CHARGE PRESENTS MOUs ON LIFE, SECURITY AND MOBILITY SUPPORT TO COALITION PARTNERS ¶1. This message contains an action request in para 5. ¶2. Summary: Over the past week, Charge Mussomeli presented a draft Memorandum of Understanding on Life, Security and Mobility Support to the ambassadors of all coalition countries that have Provincial Reconstruction Teams in which the USG may seek to place additional civilians during the coming months. These countries are the U.K., France, Canada, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Italy, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic, as well as the special case of Poland. Almost every Ambassador received positively Charge's presentation, although it will undoubtedly take time to vet the draft MoU in capitals and secure final agreement. See action request Para 5. End Summary. ¶3. In presenting the draft MoU to partner country embassies, Charge explained that the U.S. would soon have more than 400 civilians in Afghanistan outside of Kabul. In this context, we seek a more structured arrangement with PRTs led by coalition partners in the north and west of Afghanistan. Our proposed agreement, while not legally binding, would establish a framework for cooperation for what have been until now largely ad hoc arrangements. The MoU would provide a mechanism for USG payment to coalition PRTs for support services provided; it would also set forth general PRT obligations for the provision of life, security and mobility support to USG civilians. Charge made clear the U.S. would welcome whatever office and living space that PRTs could provide to incoming U.S. civilians. Several ambassadors noted that it would be easier to accommodate incoming civilians if the U.S. were able to provide connexes for living and/or work space. Embassy estimates that we will need approximately 21 such connexes (details to follow septel). ¶4. A brief summation of individual embassy responses to Charge's presentation of draft MoU is as follows: U.K. - Confirmed that discussions already underway were on track. Embassy has sent the latest version of the MOU to London. France - Very receptive. Will review document and forward to Paris. Canada - Very receptive. Would welcome additional U.S. civilians at Kandahar PRT. Sweden - Receptive in principle, but concerned about space limits at PRT Mazar. Connexes would help. Norway - Extremely receptive -- would "like to sign immediately." The ambassador said Norway was not interested in charging us. Italy - Receptive and will forward the agreement to Rome. Netherlands - Receptive. Interested in "internationalizing" the Dutch PRT. Optimistic that room would be found. Germany - Receptive. The Ambassador noted that the PRT in Kunduz was being upgraded/enlarged to make room for an additional company to strengthen German police training efforts. Lithuania - Would welcome additional Americans at PRT Chagcharan, but thought it would be easier if connexes were provided. (Note: Post is planning to send two containers to Chagcharan. End note.) Spain - Receptive; will forward draft MoU to Madrid for review. Czech Republic - Charge noted that, for now, U.S. civilians would be embedded with the U.S. Brigade Task Force in Logar, rather than at the PRT. Czech Ambassador complimented the brigade's relationship with the Czech PRT and expressed appreciation for being kept informed. Poland - Charge explained that the situation in Ghazni was unique: a U.S. PRT located within a Polish-operated base that is still owned by USFOR-A. While we wanted to inform the Polish government of our approaches to other coalition countries, we acknowledged that our draft MoU template might have to be modified substantially to fit the situation in Ghazni. The Polish Ambassador agreed that relations between the PRT and brigade were excellent, and that additional USG civilians would be welcome. Living and office space are very tight, he added, but there would be ample room for connexes if the U.S. could provide them. Hungary - Ambassador was personally supportive, saying that the Hungarian MFA thought the PRT in Pul-e-Kumri needed more civilians. Nevertheless, he warned that we could expect resistance from the Hungarian MoD, to which the PRT reported. The main problem was extremely limited space at the PRT - even if the U.S. provided its own containers. The Ambassador said the GOH had looked into enlarging the PRT, but defense budget problems made this unlikely KABUL 00003870 002 OF 002 for the foreseeable future. He suggested, however, that the MOD might be more flexible if approached directly by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. ¶5. Action Requested: Embassy Kabul recommends that the Department instruct Embassy Budapest to demarche the Hungarian Ministry of Defense to request favorable consideration of the MoU and accommodation of a limited number of USG civilians (less than five) at PRT Pul-e-Kumri in Baghlan Province. ¶6. Comment: The MOUs, once concluded, will go a long way toward clarifying the awkward situation faced by our personnel at several coalition-led installations, i.e. receiving services (and being billed) without being able to pay. Despite the almost uniformly favorably reaction to our draft by partner country embassies in Kabul, it will take time for each government to vet (and hopefully approve) the document. For this reason, even if most countries ultimately sign the MoU, the new framework's benefits will lie primarily in giving us increased flexibility to manage the placement of civilians arriving after the year-end surge currently underway. End Comment MUSSOMELI