CANADIAN INTERIM REPLY ON KFOR TROOP REDUCTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000228 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/RPM-C.DAVY E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019 TAGS: PREL MARR NATO KPKO KV CA SUBJECT: CANADIAN INTERIM REPLY ON KFOR TROOP REDUCTIONS REF: STATE 26179 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) According to Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade NATO Deputy Director Anne Burgess, Canada is not likely to have a strong policy stance on the recent controversy over a possible drawdown in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR). She noted that Canada has only five Canadian Forces personnel in theater, attached to the training command. The new trainers, who arrived in summer 2008, are Canada's first troops on the ground in five years, Burgess added. She commented that, were Canada to believe that "a drawdown in Kosovo would free up 1,000 troops for Afghanistan, we would likely have a much stronger opinion" in favor, given the more stable conditions in Kosovo compared with Afghanistan. She underscored that Canada was "under no illusions" that a notional KFOR drawdown would translate into more troops for ISAF. Burgess promised further to consult within her hierarchy on reftel views and provide a fuller response over the next few days. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE