IMPEDIMENTS TO MACEDONIA'S DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000382

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FROM AMBASSADOR REEKER
DOD FOR USDP FLOURNOY, ASD VERSHBOW, AND DASD TOWNSEND
JCS FOR THE CHAIRMAN
STATE FOR AMB. HOLBROOKE; EUR/SCE; EUR/RPM; PM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MOPS NATO AF MK
SUBJECT: IMPEDIMENTS TO MACEDONIA'S DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.


1. (SBU) I request senior-level intervention to resolve bureaucratic
impediments to the long-planned deployment of 79 Macedonian soldiers
to Afghanistan. This deployment will allow the Vermont National
Guard to double its reconnaissance and police mentor teams, from 4
to 8 of each. Obtaining practical Macedonian participation in
operations in Afghanistan remains a top priority for Embassy Skopje,
on which I and my staff have engaged PM Gruevski and other top
officials.

BACKGROUND
--------------

2. (SBU) Macedonia is committed to embed 79 troops with the Vermont
National Guard (VTNG) deployment to Afghanistan February - November

2010. Vermont has had a vibrant State Partnership Program (SPP)
with Macedonia since 1995. This deployment has been long-discussed
with the Macedonian armed forces and government, including at
Bilateral Defense Consultations in Washington in 2007 and, more
formally, 2008. In October 2008, the Macedonian Defense Minister
briefed the potential deployment to Secretary Gates, who welcomed it
and remarked that this was a natural progression of the SPP. In May
2009, Macedonian Defense Minister Konjanovski wrote to me formally
confirming the offer to deploy. In the meantime, GoM military and
civilian officials discussed the deployment many times with VTNG
officials. Finally, in July of this year, EUCOM planners visited
Macedonia to cement the Macedonian commitment and commence concrete
planning.

SUDDEN PROBLEM
--------------


3. (SBU) Despite this preparation, we have now received word through
DoD, EUCOM, and USAREUR channels that some in the bureaucracy
believe that this deployment was not properly planned or vetted.
Lack of formal instructions has placed this deployment in jeopardy,
and needs to be solved now.

ACTIONS REQUIRED:
--------------


4. (SBU) These are the steps needed now:

-- DoD needs to formalize the Macedonian co-deployment with the
Vermont National Guard and task the unified commands to provide all
necessary support.

-- DoS needs to request that the Macedonian soldiers (because they
are from a non-NATO country) attend the
Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk with VTNG from Oct.
30-Nov 19. Funding for travel to this training is also needed.

-- VTNG will need to send a team here in late August to familiarize
the Macedonians on U.S. TTP and U.S. crew served weapons. USEUCOM
needs to receive a formal request to support the co-deployment by
providing weapons and ammunition or allowing use of Camp Bondsteel
for weapons familiarization.


COMMENT
--------------


5. (SBU) It is no small thing to ask a small country like Macedonia
to increase its commitment to Afghanistan, but time and time again
Macedonia has stepped up in Iraq and Afghanistan, taken its
responsibilities seriously, and performed exceptionally. Macedonian
soldiers deploy beyond the wire and have proven their mettle in
combat. I personally have urged Prime Minister Gruevski, Defense
Minister Konjanovski, and CHOD LTG Stojanovski to proceed with the
co-deployment with the Vermont National Guard. In addition to the
benefits to our efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, resolving the
bureaucratic hold-ups to this co-deployment is critical to our
credibility in Macedonia. Therefore I request senior-level
intervention to issue the necessary instructions to keep this
deployment on track.

REEKER