Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE74362
2009-07-16 21:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Secretary of State
Cable title:
ASSISTING AFGHANISTAN BEYOND THE AUGUST
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 074362
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS MARR AF
SUBJECT: ASSISTING AFGHANISTAN BEYOND THE AUGUST
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
REF: A. STATE 14097
B. STATE 29482
C. STATE 28929
D. STATE 31102
SUMMARY
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 074362
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS MARR AF
SUBJECT: ASSISTING AFGHANISTAN BEYOND THE AUGUST
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
REF: A. STATE 14097
B. STATE 29482
C. STATE 28929
D. STATE 31102
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (SBU) The purpose of this demarche request is to
encourage host governments to start thinking about how they
might enhance their contributions to the effort in
Afghanistan following the August 20 Afghan presidential
election. General McChrystal, Commander of the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan
(USFORA),is overseeing initial assessments of both ISAF and
USFORA operations in Afghanistan. Based on the outcomes of
these assessments, the United States will renew its
suggestions for specific contributions to both civilian and
military sectors. At this moment, the Department requests
action addressees to impress upon host governments the
importance President Obama places on broad international
support for the agreed Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy through
the commitment of additional civilian and military resources
to meet the requirements in Afghanistan. In order to achieve
demonstrable results within the coming twelve months, it is
vital that new resources reach th
e ground in the critical post-election period.
OBJECTIVES
--------------
2. (SBU) As the United States is adopting a
whole-of-government solution to stabilize Afghanistan, action
addressees are instructed to pursue at the most senior
appropriate level the following objectives with host
government officials across the range of relevant ministries
in your host country (such as finance, interior, development,
and defense ministries):
- emphasize the need for the international community to
demonstrate continued and enhanced support for the Afghan
people beyond Afghanistan's democratic presidential election
on August 20,
- (for Election Support Force contributors - Estonia,
Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania,
STATE 00074362 002 OF 005
Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK) specifically
encourage nations to consider extending their temporarily
elevated troop levels beyond the election to a longer-term.
- inform host governments that ISAF Commander (COMISAF)
General McChrystal is conducting an assessment of
international military efforts in Afghanistan,
- inform host governments of our commitment to support the
Afghan Government's efforts to identify priorities and our
intention to respond to these priorities, including by the
provision of more assistance directly through the Afghan
Government and with the support of the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),
- advise host governments that, based upon the results of the
ISAF Commander's assessment and the ongoing efforts by the
Afghan Government and UNAMA to update civilian requirements,
the international community will need to re-evaluate its
contributions toward military as well as civilian
contributions, and
- encourage host governments to consider now what types of
resources they are able to provide to help build the capacity
of the Afghan government to effectively secure and govern the
Afghan people.
DEADLINE
--------------
3. (SBU) Department requests action addressees to report the
results of their efforts by front channel cable slugged for
S/SRAP - Karen Hanrahan, SCA/A - Ariella Viehe, and EUR/RPM -
Aaron Cope by July 24.
TALKING POINTS
--------------
4. (SBU) Action addressees should draw from following
talking points:
- In support of the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan
endorsed at the March 31 Afghanistan conference at The Hague,
the United States is pursuing a whole-of-government solution
to stabilize Afghanistan, leveraging civilian and military
resources.
- We are committed to working through the Afghan government
and UNAMA, with our Allies and partners in Afghanistan to
build the capacity of the Afghan government to effectively
secure and govern the Afghan people.
STATE 00074362 003 OF 005
- The international community is providing critical support
to the August 20 Afghan presidential election, but a
credible, inclusive, and secure election is not an end point.
- The United States wants to ensure that the international
community is ready to join us in enhancing civilian and
military contributions in Afghanistan following the election.
-- Civilian Contributions --
- The United States has expanded its efforts to cooperate
with and strengthen Afghan government capacity, with UNAMA
support, and is assessing civilian requirements and
priorities.
- We note that the Government of Afghanistan issued through
UNAMA a proposal detailing its request for civilian
capacity-building assistance on June 22. We welcome this
initiative and encourage efforts to work with UNAMA and the
Afghan Ministry of Finance in Kabul to meet those needs.
- This proposal represents an important Afghan effort to lead
the development and stabilization of Afghanistan and to build
their own capacity to govern and deliver services. In
addition, the Minister of Agriculture has produced a
comprehensive strategy for the agriculture sector which the
United States' new agriculture strategy will support. There
will be other sector-based strategies soon.
- The United States is reviewing how to support the Afghan
government's request for civilian assistance and aims to
align our assistance with Afghan priorities.
-- The Afghan government, with UNAMA and international
support, will be identifying its priority needs for civilian
assistance in the coming months. Currently, priority areas
in which additional civilian resources are needed include
governance capacity-building, lawful and sustainable
livelihoods, infrastructure, energy, higher education, and
security (police training, counter-narcotics, and de-mining).
-- Military Contributions --
- General McChrystal has begun an initial assessment of ISAF
and U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, to determine current
resources and needs in Afghanistan.
- COMISAF, with Afghan and international input, will issue
STATE 00074362 004 OF 005
his priority needs for military assistance in the coming
months. The broad areas in which additional military
resources may be needed are maneuver capabilities and related
enablers, training and equipping the Afghan National Security
Forces, aviation assets (including intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance),and civil-military
partnerships.
- In addition to critical civilian assistance required to
enhance Afghan government capacity, we encourage our ISAF
partners to replace temporary Election Support Forces with
longer-term troop deployments as a key measure to prevent
violent extremists from undermining the new Afghan
government's efforts to improve security and provision of
governance for the Afghan people.
- Training and equipping the Afghan National Security Forces
requires Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs),
Police Mentoring Teams, branch schools, and financial
contributions to NATO's Afghan National Army Trust Fund and
the UN's Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan.
- Civil-military integration requires both mobilizing
additional civilian expertise and improving coordination to
ensure that civilian and military personnel work together to
"clear" territory of insurgents, enable Afghan forces to
"hold" areas, and "build" them by enhancing governance and
economic growth.
-- Renewing Commitments --
- Based on the assessments of civilian and military
requirements in Afghanistan from COMISAF and the Afghan
Government, the United States will review how to support
these priorities with our own contributions and we will
encourage the international community to join us in
re-examining how each of us can contribute.
- As these assessments are being completed, we ask that you
identify now those areas, both civilian and military, in
which your country is able to contribute.
- While the current economic situation makes it particularly
difficult for many countries to increase their international
assistance, there are opportunities to provide personnel and
other technical assistance without increasing troop pledges.
- A strong demonstration of continued and broad international
support for Afghanistan will be essential to extend the
positive momentum generated by a credible, inclusive, and
STATE 00074362 005 OF 005
legitimate election to facilitate further progress in
economic development, governance, and security.
BACKGROUND
--------------
5. (SBU) Through a series of demarche instructions sent this
spring, the United States outlined for our Allies and
partners in Afghanistan the strategic review initiated by the
President and sought their input to it (Ref A State 14097);
conveyed the results of that review (Ref B State 29482); and
encouraged additional contributions in Afghanistan. These
requests included specific contributions sought at the April
3-4 NATO Summit (Ref C State 28929) as well as other,
long-term priorities (Ref D State 31102). As the
circumstances in Afghanistan evolve and we adapt our strategy
to those changes, the list of resources needed to succeed in
Afghanistan must also evolve. Based on Afghan requests, our
renewed emphasis on civilian contributions and the results of
General McChrystal's assessment, we will renew our engagement
with Allies, partners, and the broader international
community on the additional resources they can provide in
Afghanistan this fall.
6. (SBU) The ISAF/U.S. Forces-Afghanistan assessment will
address the overall situation in Afghanistan, the military
campaign plan and force requirements, civil-military
integration, command and control structures, and rules of
engagement with a focus on preventing civilian casualties.
The U.S. Embassy, UNAMA, Afghan officials, and others are
being consulted in the process of the assessment. The
assessment process began in mid-June and likely will be
completed by mid-July and presented to the North Atlantic
Council in early August.
7. (SBU) See the "Afghanistan Asks" intellipedia site
(http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Afgh anistan Asks)
for a copy of the Government of Afghanistan's request for
technical assistance and other background materials.
CLINTON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS MARR AF
SUBJECT: ASSISTING AFGHANISTAN BEYOND THE AUGUST
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
REF: A. STATE 14097
B. STATE 29482
C. STATE 28929
D. STATE 31102
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (SBU) The purpose of this demarche request is to
encourage host governments to start thinking about how they
might enhance their contributions to the effort in
Afghanistan following the August 20 Afghan presidential
election. General McChrystal, Commander of the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan
(USFORA),is overseeing initial assessments of both ISAF and
USFORA operations in Afghanistan. Based on the outcomes of
these assessments, the United States will renew its
suggestions for specific contributions to both civilian and
military sectors. At this moment, the Department requests
action addressees to impress upon host governments the
importance President Obama places on broad international
support for the agreed Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy through
the commitment of additional civilian and military resources
to meet the requirements in Afghanistan. In order to achieve
demonstrable results within the coming twelve months, it is
vital that new resources reach th
e ground in the critical post-election period.
OBJECTIVES
--------------
2. (SBU) As the United States is adopting a
whole-of-government solution to stabilize Afghanistan, action
addressees are instructed to pursue at the most senior
appropriate level the following objectives with host
government officials across the range of relevant ministries
in your host country (such as finance, interior, development,
and defense ministries):
- emphasize the need for the international community to
demonstrate continued and enhanced support for the Afghan
people beyond Afghanistan's democratic presidential election
on August 20,
- (for Election Support Force contributors - Estonia,
Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania,
STATE 00074362 002 OF 005
Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK) specifically
encourage nations to consider extending their temporarily
elevated troop levels beyond the election to a longer-term.
- inform host governments that ISAF Commander (COMISAF)
General McChrystal is conducting an assessment of
international military efforts in Afghanistan,
- inform host governments of our commitment to support the
Afghan Government's efforts to identify priorities and our
intention to respond to these priorities, including by the
provision of more assistance directly through the Afghan
Government and with the support of the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),
- advise host governments that, based upon the results of the
ISAF Commander's assessment and the ongoing efforts by the
Afghan Government and UNAMA to update civilian requirements,
the international community will need to re-evaluate its
contributions toward military as well as civilian
contributions, and
- encourage host governments to consider now what types of
resources they are able to provide to help build the capacity
of the Afghan government to effectively secure and govern the
Afghan people.
DEADLINE
--------------
3. (SBU) Department requests action addressees to report the
results of their efforts by front channel cable slugged for
S/SRAP - Karen Hanrahan, SCA/A - Ariella Viehe, and EUR/RPM -
Aaron Cope by July 24.
TALKING POINTS
--------------
4. (SBU) Action addressees should draw from following
talking points:
- In support of the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan
endorsed at the March 31 Afghanistan conference at The Hague,
the United States is pursuing a whole-of-government solution
to stabilize Afghanistan, leveraging civilian and military
resources.
- We are committed to working through the Afghan government
and UNAMA, with our Allies and partners in Afghanistan to
build the capacity of the Afghan government to effectively
secure and govern the Afghan people.
STATE 00074362 003 OF 005
- The international community is providing critical support
to the August 20 Afghan presidential election, but a
credible, inclusive, and secure election is not an end point.
- The United States wants to ensure that the international
community is ready to join us in enhancing civilian and
military contributions in Afghanistan following the election.
-- Civilian Contributions --
- The United States has expanded its efforts to cooperate
with and strengthen Afghan government capacity, with UNAMA
support, and is assessing civilian requirements and
priorities.
- We note that the Government of Afghanistan issued through
UNAMA a proposal detailing its request for civilian
capacity-building assistance on June 22. We welcome this
initiative and encourage efforts to work with UNAMA and the
Afghan Ministry of Finance in Kabul to meet those needs.
- This proposal represents an important Afghan effort to lead
the development and stabilization of Afghanistan and to build
their own capacity to govern and deliver services. In
addition, the Minister of Agriculture has produced a
comprehensive strategy for the agriculture sector which the
United States' new agriculture strategy will support. There
will be other sector-based strategies soon.
- The United States is reviewing how to support the Afghan
government's request for civilian assistance and aims to
align our assistance with Afghan priorities.
-- The Afghan government, with UNAMA and international
support, will be identifying its priority needs for civilian
assistance in the coming months. Currently, priority areas
in which additional civilian resources are needed include
governance capacity-building, lawful and sustainable
livelihoods, infrastructure, energy, higher education, and
security (police training, counter-narcotics, and de-mining).
-- Military Contributions --
- General McChrystal has begun an initial assessment of ISAF
and U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, to determine current
resources and needs in Afghanistan.
- COMISAF, with Afghan and international input, will issue
STATE 00074362 004 OF 005
his priority needs for military assistance in the coming
months. The broad areas in which additional military
resources may be needed are maneuver capabilities and related
enablers, training and equipping the Afghan National Security
Forces, aviation assets (including intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance),and civil-military
partnerships.
- In addition to critical civilian assistance required to
enhance Afghan government capacity, we encourage our ISAF
partners to replace temporary Election Support Forces with
longer-term troop deployments as a key measure to prevent
violent extremists from undermining the new Afghan
government's efforts to improve security and provision of
governance for the Afghan people.
- Training and equipping the Afghan National Security Forces
requires Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs),
Police Mentoring Teams, branch schools, and financial
contributions to NATO's Afghan National Army Trust Fund and
the UN's Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan.
- Civil-military integration requires both mobilizing
additional civilian expertise and improving coordination to
ensure that civilian and military personnel work together to
"clear" territory of insurgents, enable Afghan forces to
"hold" areas, and "build" them by enhancing governance and
economic growth.
-- Renewing Commitments --
- Based on the assessments of civilian and military
requirements in Afghanistan from COMISAF and the Afghan
Government, the United States will review how to support
these priorities with our own contributions and we will
encourage the international community to join us in
re-examining how each of us can contribute.
- As these assessments are being completed, we ask that you
identify now those areas, both civilian and military, in
which your country is able to contribute.
- While the current economic situation makes it particularly
difficult for many countries to increase their international
assistance, there are opportunities to provide personnel and
other technical assistance without increasing troop pledges.
- A strong demonstration of continued and broad international
support for Afghanistan will be essential to extend the
positive momentum generated by a credible, inclusive, and
STATE 00074362 005 OF 005
legitimate election to facilitate further progress in
economic development, governance, and security.
BACKGROUND
--------------
5. (SBU) Through a series of demarche instructions sent this
spring, the United States outlined for our Allies and
partners in Afghanistan the strategic review initiated by the
President and sought their input to it (Ref A State 14097);
conveyed the results of that review (Ref B State 29482); and
encouraged additional contributions in Afghanistan. These
requests included specific contributions sought at the April
3-4 NATO Summit (Ref C State 28929) as well as other,
long-term priorities (Ref D State 31102). As the
circumstances in Afghanistan evolve and we adapt our strategy
to those changes, the list of resources needed to succeed in
Afghanistan must also evolve. Based on Afghan requests, our
renewed emphasis on civilian contributions and the results of
General McChrystal's assessment, we will renew our engagement
with Allies, partners, and the broader international
community on the additional resources they can provide in
Afghanistan this fall.
6. (SBU) The ISAF/U.S. Forces-Afghanistan assessment will
address the overall situation in Afghanistan, the military
campaign plan and force requirements, civil-military
integration, command and control structures, and rules of
engagement with a focus on preventing civilian casualties.
The U.S. Embassy, UNAMA, Afghan officials, and others are
being consulted in the process of the assessment. The
assessment process began in mid-June and likely will be
completed by mid-July and presented to the North Atlantic
Council in early August.
7. (SBU) See the "Afghanistan Asks" intellipedia site
(http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Afgh anistan Asks)
for a copy of the Government of Afghanistan's request for
technical assistance and other background materials.
CLINTON