CYPRUS - UPCOMING MANPADS DESTRUCTION EVENT

S E C R E T STATE 052499 NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2019 TAGS: PARM PERM PETR PREL CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS - UPCOMING MANPADS DESTRUCTION EVENT REF: A. IIR 6 823 0080 09 Classified By: EUR DAS, Acting, Anita Friedt, E.O.12958, 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 6 below. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. A team of U.S. and UK technical experts, in a multilateral effort under Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) auspices, will assist the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) with the destruction of 324 MANPADS and 101 associated gripstocks during demolition operations June 9-12, 2009. This assistance is the next step in the U.S.-UK-led, OSCE-facilitated response to a request from the ROC Defense Minister for technical assistance and capacity building. The PM/WRA representative will use this opportunity to offer the ROC additional bilateral assistance with future reduction of excess weapons and unstable munitions, as well as improvements to physical security and stockpile management of retained stocks. End Summary. GOALS ¶3. (C) Washington intends to complement the current MANPADS reduction project with an offer of further U.S. bilateral assistance. This would include the destruction of excess or outdated small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) and unstable munitions in Cyprus, as well as improvements in physical security and stockpile management (PSSM). Ideally this assistance would be in the form of U.S.-Cyprus bilateral cooperation; however, future OSCE-facilitated efforts that would transition to a U.S.-Cyprus mechanism could be possible. ¶4. (C) A bilateral approach to SA/LW destruction and PSSM improvement in Cyprus follows longstanding USG policy to facilitate the demilitarization of the island. Following on the positive meeting between Secretary Clinton and FM Kyprianou in Washington April 20, this cooperation would demonstrate USG support for the ongoing Cyprus negotiations and desire for an enhanced bilateral relationship. ¶5. (S//NF) The Intelligence Community (IC) is very interested in the possibility of acquiring French-made MISTRAL MANPADS. Intelligence suggests there are 65 MISTRALs in Cyprus; the IC has previously been unable to acquire a MISTRAL. Efforts to this end would be a long-term goal of this cooperation and would be coordinated through PM, EUR, Embassy Nicosia, and the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. NEXT STEP/ACTION REQUEST ¶6. (C) Washington requests that Embassy Nicosia set up a meeting with the appropriate parties within the ROC to discuss possible bilateral cooperation for the destruction of excess or outdated conventional weapons and unstable munitions and improvement of PSSM for retained stocks. The desired date for the meeting is June 10, 2009 as PM/WRA will have a representative available in Cyprus on that date. Department requests Embassy Nicosia approach host nation and respond by June 1, 2009. BACKGROUND ¶7. (SBU) On October 29, 2008, the Defense Minister of the ROC made a formal request to the OSCE for technical assistance with the destruction of 324 SA-7 MANPADS and 101 associated gripstocks. The ROC accepted British and U.S. destruction expertise offered under an OSCE flag. An initial assessment and project development visit took place March 10-12, 2009. The PM/WRA representative reported that the trip went smoothly, and the U.S. and UK experts were impressed by the excellent cooperation and support from the Cypriot National Guard. At that time, dates were set for a test destruction on March 20, 2009 and the complete destruction operations on June 9-12, ¶2009. The March 20, 2009 test destruction went smoothly and the team is still planning to assist the ROC in destroying the rest of the aging stockpile in June. In response to ROC's request, a major element of the June destruction event will be enhancing ROC domestic capabilities for stockpile reduction. The OSCE report also recommended a follow-on effort focused on PSSM that would be managed by the U.S. CLINTON