Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09UNVIEVIENNA195
2009-04-30 08:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
UNVIE
Cable title:  

Debriefing UNODC on ISAF Counternarcotics Activities --

Tags:  SNAR NATO UN AF 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0195 1200839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 300839Z APR 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9376
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1619
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHNA/DEA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0287
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0093
UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000195 

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

DOD PASS CINCCENT, KABUL PASS C-JTF BAGRAM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR NATO UN AF
SUBJECT: Debriefing UNODC on ISAF Counternarcotics Activities --
ACTION REQUEST

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000195

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

DOD PASS CINCCENT, KABUL PASS C-JTF BAGRAM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR NATO UN AF
SUBJECT: Debriefing UNODC on ISAF Counternarcotics Activities --
ACTION REQUEST


1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: The UN Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) has requested to be debriefed on NATO-ISAF
counternarcotics activities so that UNODC can factor these
activities into its ongoing analysis of Afghan opium cultivation and
trafficking. UNVIE supports this request and asks that the
Department work with appropriate U.S. military and NATO authorities
to establish a formal mechanism for this purpose. END SUMMARY AND
ACTION REQUEST.


2. (U) The analysis of UNODC and the advocacy of its Executive
Director Antonio Costa were crucial to the October 2008 decision by
NATO Defense Ministers in Budapest for NATO-ISAF to play an enhanced
role in counternarcotics efforts. In March 2009, the White House
White Paper on our new AfPak strategy reaffirmed this role, stating
that: "The NATO/International Security Assistance Forces and U.S.
forces should use their authorities to directly support Afghan
counternarcotics units during the interdiction of narco-traffickers.
The new authorities permit the destruction of labs, drug storage
facilities, drug processing equipment, and drug caches and should
contribute to breaking the drug-insurgency funding nexus and the
corruption associated with the opium/heroin trade."


3. (SBU) At a meeting with Ambassador Schulte on April 2, Costa
requested that a mechanism be established to pass information on
ISAF operations involving counter-drug dimensions to UNODC so that
it can factor these operations into its ongoing analysis of opium
cultivation and trafficking. He told Ambassador that he heard, on
the margins of the March 31 The Hague Conference on Afghanistan,
about four military operations that included the bombing of drug
markets. Reportedly, he said, one of them, Operation Visa, involved
several U.S. soldiers. At a meeting of the "Friends of Afghanistan"
on April 28, Costa noted press reports on such operations (The
Scotsman on April 24 reported UK Marines seizing drugs worth 50
million Pounds Sterling from a Taliban base),and reiterated his
outstanding request.


4. (SBU) UNVIE supports Costa's request because UNODC analysis and
advice provide important input for shaping U.S. and international
counternarcotics strategy and evaluating its results. UNODC opium
surveys have become the international metric for evaluating the
impact of counternarcotics efforts. U.S. and NATO decision-makers
would benefit by UNODC analysis, for example, showing the
longer-term impact of ISAF operations by province on planting
decisions and trafficking trends.


5. (SBU) Details on NATO and national operations (e.g. date,
location, purpose, results) could be provided in theater to the
UNODC field office in Kabul following each operation or on a monthly
basis. We would also appreciate more general information on NATO
(or U.S.) operations that we could periodically provide to Costa or
brief to the "Friends of Afghanistan." UNODC is not/not requesting
advance information on operations.


6. (U) Mission would appreciate being able to reply to Costa on the
response to his request by the end of May.


7. (SBU) Costa will go to Kabul May 4. Mission recommends US/NATO
military authorities in Kabul meet Costa to discuss the possibility
of setting up such a mechanism.

SCHULTE