BULGARIA: NEXT STEPS ON AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000090

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2029
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: NEXT STEPS ON AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN

REF: A. STATE 15623

B. STATE 15959

C. SOFIA 44

D. SOFIA 452

E. SOFIA 724

Classified By: Ambassador McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Recognizing the strategic challenge that
Afghanistan presents - for the Alliance and for the region )
the Bulgarian government is looking to increase its
commitments on troop levels and civilian support. As one of
the principal transit routes for Afghan heroine, the
Bulgarians are also hoping to expand cooperation on
counter-narcotics. As Defense Minister Tsonev told
Secretary Gates in their February 4 meeting, Bulgaria is
planning to deploy additional OMLTs and a medical team and is
considering ways to provide helicopters. Foreign Minister
Kalfin will use a pull aside with Secretary Clinton at the
March 5 NATO Ministerial to discuss additional training for
Afghan civilians, especially in the areas of agriculture and
engineering. The Bulgarian General Staff has also offered to
discuss ways that joint bases here might be used to address
US and Alliance needs, in the event that the Manas base in
Kyrgyzstan becomes unavailable. Facing general elections
this summer, the politics - and pricing - of additional
commitments will not be insignificant issues but they should
prove manageable. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Bulgarian leaders "get it" on Afghanistan,
understanding fully that it is the central challenge facing
NATO. Prior to receipt of reftels A and B, the Ambassador
had extensive discussions with the Prime Minister, President,
Defense Minister and Foreign Minister on increasing Bulgarian
engagement. While the GOB has not made a final decision,
they are looking for ways to do more.

MILITARY ASSISTANCE: FOCUSED IN KANDAHAR


3. (C) Bulgaria has 467 soldiers in Afghanistan (up from
80 in 2006). Most are in Kandahar guarding the perimeter
of Kandahar Airfield, while the remainder are embedded in
international military, medical or PRT contingents in
Kabul, Herat and Pol-e Khomri. In February 2009, Bulgaria
will deploy to Kandahar its first Operational Mentor and
Liaison Team (OMLT),in cooperation with the Tennessee
National Guard. Bulgaria has also donated weapons,
ammunition and equipment to the Afghan Army. We have engaged
the Bulgarians repeatedly on adding more OMLTs and a Role Two
medical facility. The government is inclined to do so, but
has not committed. The Bulgarians are also serious about
providing helicopters to ISAF, including pilots and crews,
but talks with NATO on necessary refurbishments and upgrades
have not yet produced results.

CIVILIAN ASSISTANCE: ROOM FOR GROWTH


4. (C) The Foreign Minister and President's Chief of
Staff expressed interest in expanding civilian cooperation
in Afghanistan as a complement to military participation,
but look to us for ideas. In 2008, Bulgaria signed an
agreement to train a dozen Afghani diplomats per year in
Sofia. We believe this type of program could be extended
to other fields and/or Bulgaria could support development
in Afghanistan through engineering, medical or agricultural
teams. In response to demarche (reftels A and B),Deputy
Foreign Minister covering Afghanistan indicated readiness to
provide civilian training either in Bulgaria or in
Afghanistan. Bulgaria previously provided 70 personnel for
Air Traffic Control at Kabul International Airport.


5. (C) Counter-narcotics programs are an area of great
interest to the Bulgarians, as the largest-ever heroine
seizure in Europe (approximately 450 kgs from Afghanistan)
was recorded in December 2008 at the Black Sea port of
Burgas. Bulgaria has limited expertise to provide to
Afghanistan in this regard, but it does have a strong
law-enforcement relationship with our regional DEA office,
which could be expanded to promote Bulgarian cooperation
with Turkey, Macedonia, and Serbia. (See reftels D and E.)

EFFECTIVE IN THE FIELD, BUT NOT FULLY UTILIZED


6. (C) American and allied commanders have praised the
skill and professionalism of Bulgarian soldiers in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia. Bulgarian soldiers
are capable, and in many instances, may be under-utilized
(e.g., Special Forces personnel assigned to perimeter
security missions, etc.) Bulgaria retains a pool of
deployable forces, many with prior experience in overseas
operations. As a rule, Bulgarian soldiers are eager to
participate in foreign deployments and the General Staff
always has more volunteers than slots to fill.


7. (C) While Bulgaria possesses capable forces, its
soldiers have very little experience leading operations,
and its political leadership remains leery of sending
troops into combat situations. The first Bulgarian OMLT
(in cooperation with Tennessee National Guard) will be
U.S.-led, but future rotations will be Bulgarian-led. The
plan is to ease the Bulgarians into a leadership role and
get them comfortable operating "outside the wire." Longer
term, our recommendation to Bulgaria is to consolidate its
troops (now spread across three regional commands) to a
single area and add additional troops to form a
battalion-sized force. The Bulgarian leadership is
interested in this idea, though they have asked for U.S.
training and equipment support.

RECOMMENDATIONS


8. (C) Lack of money and equipment are the greatest
impediments to further Bulgarian contributions.
But the withdrawal of Bulgaria's 153-soldier contingent
from Iraq in December 2008 has created an opportunity to
transfer resources to Afghanistan. We see the following as
within Bulgaria's capacity:

- Bulgaria deploys 2 or 3 additional OMLTs in late 2009.

- Bulgaria deploys a Role Two Military Medical team in
2009 as recommended in the CJSOR.

- Bulgaria either allows NATO to refurbish its MI-17 helos
at a reasonable cost, or offers to deploy its newer Cougar
helicopters.

- Bulgaria begins planning for a long-term consolidation
of its forces to reduce command and control problems and
allow Bulgarian contingents to take on more ambitious
roles.

- Bulgaria agrees to new civilian training programs in
agriculture, engineering or medicine; and extends
counter-narcotics cooperation to include its neighbors,
especially Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia.


9. (C) Comment: The Bulgarian government will be
reluctant to announce any new large commitments prior to
the elections this summer. But they are interested in
discussing future options with us now, so that training and
logistics can begin to move and a new formal package of
Afghanistan assistance executed by year's end. The
government will likely respond positively to a specific,
targeted request, but it is important they hear a
coordinated message from the U.S. and NATO.
McEldowney