"IF ASKED" GUIDANCE FOR PRESIDENTIAL

UNCLAS STATE 007798 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID SADC SUBJECT: "IF ASKED" GUIDANCE FOR PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION ON SADC SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On January 16, then-President Bush signed a Presidential Determination (PD) recognizing that &the furnishing of defense articles and defense services to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.8 The PD is one of several steps required before the U.S. may sell or grant certain defense articles and/or services to the SADC or the SADC Standby Brigade. The points below may be used at posts, discretion on an &if asked8 basis with the press and host government interlocutors. TALKING POINTS -------------- ¶2. (U) Begin &If Asked8 Talking Points: -- On January 16, then-President Bush signed a Presidential Determination (PD) concerning the Southern African Development Community (SADC). -- The PD is one of several requirements for the U.S. to provide certain defense articles and/or services to the SADC Standby Brigade or other elements of the SADC. Additional steps must be completed, however, including the conclusion of an end-use, retransfer and security agreement applicable to certain grant assistance. -- The SADC PD will enable the USG to further its policy of supporting Africa's peace and security institutions. The PD for SADC is similar to PDs already obtained for the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) and is intended to assist the USG in its long-term strategy of seeking to support Africa,s peace and security agenda, including support for the regional standby brigades to increase peacekeeping capacity, strengthen interoperability, and improve our mil-to-mil cooperation. -- Negotiating an acceptable end-use, retransfer and security agreement is a complex process that will take considerable time. -- Any assistance provided to the SADC or its Standby Brigade will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must also comply with all relevant existing legal obligations, including, where appropriate, restrictions applicable to SADC members. End talking points. ¶3. (SBU) Background: The AU,s African Peace and Security Architecture incorporates the notion of managing conflict at all stages: conflict prevention, conflict response, and post-conflict reconstruction. As such, the AU has developed the Africa Standby Force (ASF) as a key element of its vision for quickly responding to potential conflict, disaster, and other crises. The ASF consists of five multi-dimensional standby brigades broken out into Africa's five sub-regions, including SADC. Before the USG may provide certain resources to these entities, the President must determine that furnishing defense articles and services to such entities will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace. Former President Bush made such a determination for SADC on January 16. As noted above, there are other requirements beyond the PD that must be satisfied before the USG may provide certain defense articles and services to SADC. There are similar PDs regarding the AU and the ECOWAS. Seeking the authority to provide certain defense articles and services to SADC is part of the U.S. policy of support for the AU and its sub regional organizations as they pursue peace and security on the African continent. The White House Chief of Staff,s January 20, 2009 memo (ordering review of all proposal or final rules not yet published in the Federal Register) does not apply to this Presidential Determination. CLINTON