Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USEUBRUSSELS751
2009-05-29 17:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
EU MEMBERS WELCOME NATO COUNTER-PIRACY MISSION, WITH U.S. FORCE COMMITMENT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0007 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBS #0751/01 1491748 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 291748Z MAY 09 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY RUZBCAA/NAVCENT INTEL MANAMA BA PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CNO WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU PRIORITY RUEHTH/USDAO ATHENS GR PRIORITY RUEHRL/USDAO BERLIN GE PRIORITY RUEHSW/USDAO BERN SZ MAY BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY RUEHCP/USDAO COPENHAGEN DA PRIORITY RUEHLI/USDAO LISBON PO PRIORITY RUEHLO/USDAO LONDON UK PRIORITY RUEHMD/USDAO MADRID SP PRIORITY RUEHNC/USDAO NICOSIA PRIORITY RUEHNY/USDAO OSLO NO PRIORITY RUEHOT/USDAO OTTAWA CA PRIORITY RUEHFR/USDAO PARIS FR PRIORITY RUEHPG/USDAO PRAGUE EZ PRIORITY RUEHRO/USDAO ROME IT PRIORITY RUEHSM/USDAO STOCKHOLM SW PRIORITY RUEHTC/USDAO THE HAGUE NL PRIORITY RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000751
NOFORN
SIPDIS
PASS TO NAVCENT POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2019
TAGS:MOPS, MARR, PREL, EWWT, XW, XF, EUN
SUBJECT: EU MEMBERS WELCOME NATO COUNTER-PIRACY MISSION,
WITH U.S. FORCE COMMITMENT
REF: USNATO 202
Classified By: Pol M-C Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000751
NOFORN
SIPDIS
PASS TO NAVCENT POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2019
TAGS:MOPS, MARR, PREL, EWWT, XW, XF, EUN
SUBJECT: EU MEMBERS WELCOME NATO COUNTER-PIRACY MISSION,
WITH U.S. FORCE COMMITMENT
REF: USNATO 202
Classified By: Pol M-C Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C//NF) Summary: Over the past few weeks, several
EU-based diplomats and military officers from key Allies as
well as EU officials have told USEU that they see room for
both NATO and the EU to fight piracy off the coast of
Somalia. They add, however, that the NATO counter-piracy
force, to add value and not divide the "single pool of
forces," should come from states not participating in the EU
naval operation, End Summary.
2. (C//NF) On May 27 and 28, including during a meeting
with USEU and the NAVCENT PolAd on May 28, two
representatives of the German EU military delegation argued
that NATO should bring "added value" to international
counter-piracy efforts. Before the meeting, German navy
Captain Hans-Joerg Detlefsen told PolOff that European Allies
do not want to see NATO be unable to launch an operation, but
noted that the U.S. has not yet suggested that it would
itself make a strong force commitment to a NATO mission. In
separate conversations on May 27 and 28, both Detlefsen and
the German delegation's Lt. Col. Michael Schlechtweg told
USEU that they believed a NATO operation should not divide
Europe's "single pool of forces" by competing for naval
contributions.
3. (C//NF) Over the past two weeks, key Allied country and
EU officials have told USEU that the EU perceives space for
both NATO and the EU to engage in counter-piracy operations
off the coast of Somalia, and that they expect that the U.S.
will be a major contributor to any NATO operation. The
Pol-Mil Counselor at the French mission hs underlined to
different USEU officers on several separate occasions that
France welcome a NATO counter-piracy contribution provided
it brings "additional capabilities" to bear. Those
additional capabilities, he said, should come from non-EU
members such as the United States, Canada, and Turkey, and
Denmark, an EU Member State that does not participate in EU
military operations.
4. (C//NF) At the same time, our contacts say NATO should
not look to EU Member States to commit forces to a NATO
counter-piracy operation, since the EU already has an ongoing
operation with the necessary command and legal arrangements.
The head of military operations and exercises in the EU
Council Secretariat has repeatedly told USEU that a NATO
operation makes sense if it brings "new capabilities, not
just a new organization's flag" to the counter-piracy fight.
On May 20, the Swedish Pol-Mil Counselor told PolOff that
Sweden hopes to avoid competition over forces, information
sharing, or any other issues. (Note: Sweden will take over
the EU Presidency in July. End Note.)
5. (C//NF) Comment: While constraints on forces and
budgets are factors in mounting any counter-piracy operation,
representatives of some EU Member States, at least, are
signaling their commitment to keeping Operation ATALANTA
afloat. End Comment.
MURRAY
NOFORN
SIPDIS
PASS TO NAVCENT POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2019
TAGS:MOPS, MARR, PREL, EWWT, XW, XF, EUN
SUBJECT: EU MEMBERS WELCOME NATO COUNTER-PIRACY MISSION,
WITH U.S. FORCE COMMITMENT
REF: USNATO 202
Classified By: Pol M-C Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C//NF) Summary: Over the past few weeks, several
EU-based diplomats and military officers from key Allies as
well as EU officials have told USEU that they see room for
both NATO and the EU to fight piracy off the coast of
Somalia. They add, however, that the NATO counter-piracy
force, to add value and not divide the "single pool of
forces," should come from states not participating in the EU
naval operation, End Summary.
2. (C//NF) On May 27 and 28, including during a meeting
with USEU and the NAVCENT PolAd on May 28, two
representatives of the German EU military delegation argued
that NATO should bring "added value" to international
counter-piracy efforts. Before the meeting, German navy
Captain Hans-Joerg Detlefsen told PolOff that European Allies
do not want to see NATO be unable to launch an operation, but
noted that the U.S. has not yet suggested that it would
itself make a strong force commitment to a NATO mission. In
separate conversations on May 27 and 28, both Detlefsen and
the German delegation's Lt. Col. Michael Schlechtweg told
USEU that they believed a NATO operation should not divide
Europe's "single pool of forces" by competing for naval
contributions.
3. (C//NF) Over the past two weeks, key Allied country and
EU officials have told USEU that the EU perceives space for
both NATO and the EU to engage in counter-piracy operations
off the coast of Somalia, and that they expect that the U.S.
will be a major contributor to any NATO operation. The
Pol-Mil Counselor at the French mission hs underlined to
different USEU officers on several separate occasions that
France welcome a NATO counter-piracy contribution provided
it brings "additional capabilities" to bear. Those
additional capabilities, he said, should come from non-EU
members such as the United States, Canada, and Turkey, and
Denmark, an EU Member State that does not participate in EU
military operations.
4. (C//NF) At the same time, our contacts say NATO should
not look to EU Member States to commit forces to a NATO
counter-piracy operation, since the EU already has an ongoing
operation with the necessary command and legal arrangements.
The head of military operations and exercises in the EU
Council Secretariat has repeatedly told USEU that a NATO
operation makes sense if it brings "new capabilities, not
just a new organization's flag" to the counter-piracy fight.
On May 20, the Swedish Pol-Mil Counselor told PolOff that
Sweden hopes to avoid competition over forces, information
sharing, or any other issues. (Note: Sweden will take over
the EU Presidency in July. End Note.)
5. (C//NF) Comment: While constraints on forces and
budgets are factors in mounting any counter-piracy operation,
representatives of some EU Member States, at least, are
signaling their commitment to keeping Operation ATALANTA
afloat. End Comment.
MURRAY