Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE7798
2009-01-28 22:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

"IF ASKED" GUIDANCE FOR PRESIDENTIAL

Tags:  PREL EAID SADC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7394
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHC #7798 0282211
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 282202Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHOR/AMEMBASSY GABORONE IMMEDIATE 6025
INFO RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 3398
UNCLAS STATE 007798 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID SADC
SUBJECT: "IF ASKED" GUIDANCE FOR PRESIDENTIAL
DETERMINATION ON SADC

SUMMARY
--------

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