Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USNATO224
2009-06-02 18:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Mission USNATO
Cable title:
NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING, MAY 27,2009
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000224
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO EWWT MARR MOPS AF PK RS
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING, MAY 27,2009
Classified By: A/PolAd A. "Hoot Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000224
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO EWWT MARR MOPS AF PK RS
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING, MAY 27,2009
Classified By: A/PolAd A. "Hoot Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C/NF) Summary from the May 27 meeting of NATO North
Atlantic Council:
-- AFGHANISTAN: The Czech Charge reported that Afghan
security forces had demanded to open the cargo on a
Czech-charted flight at Kabul International Airport, leading
to an 11-hour standoff. Allies discussed the possibility of
a NATO role in providing humanitarian assistance to Pakistan
as Islamabad struggles with the growing Internally Displaced
Persons crisis. The Deputy Secretary General urged a quick
political decision on a proposal by SACEUR to base AWACS
planes in Turkey in order to support the NATO operation in
Afghanistan.
-- BALKANS: Charge Heffern briefed Allies on Vice President
Biden's trip to the Balkans, emphasizing that the trip
underscored U.S. commitment to the region.
-- PIRACY: The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
reported disappointing results from a SHAPE conference
designed to get a sense of what assets Allies might be
willing to contribute to a long-term NATO counter-piracy
mission. He said that if this situation did not change a
NATO role might either have to be scaled back or delayed.
-- CNAD AND NC3B: Assistant Secretary General for Defense
Investment Peter Flory updated Allies on the activities of
the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) and the
NATO Consultation, Command, and Control Board (NC3B). He
asked for Allied assistance on six specific items, but put
particular stress on the need to move forward with the Allied
Ground Surveillance (AGS) capability.
-- NATO-RUSSIA: Charge Heffern said that Secretary Clinton's
staff wished to propose June 27 in Corfu as the date and
place for the much anticipated meeting of NATO-Russia Foreign
Ministers. Greece said it was willing to host the meeting.
END SUMMARY.
Afghanistan
--------------
2. (C/NF) Possible Unwarranted Search of ISAF material: The
Czech Charge reported that on May 21 incident an 11-hour
stand-off took place at the Kabul International Airport
between Afghan Security Forces and Czech officials.
According to the Charge, the Afghan forces claimed to have
intelligence that a Czech-charted flight contained contraband
for insurgent forces. The Charge said that the Afghans
threatened to use force if they were not allowed to inspect
the cargo. The Charge said that the Czech ambassador in
Kabul eventually allowed the cargo to be unsealed and
inspected. As soon as the Afghan security authorities
realized the cargo was intended for ISAF use, they apologized
and withdrew. The Charge requested an investigation into the
incident. He asked, for instance, how the Afghans had
obtained access to that part of the airport and why ISAF had
provided no force protection during the incident. SHAPE
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Major General Wright
responded that an investigation was already under way.
USNATO 00000224 002 OF 003
3. (C/NF) Potential for NATO Humanitarian Assistance to
Pakistanis Fleeing Fighting: The Canadian PermRep suggested
that NATO might garner considerable public diplomacy value in
being seen to offer assistance to Pakistan as it struggles to
deal with the growing humanitarian crisis involving
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He added that such an
offer would be to NATO's benefit, whether the GoP responded
positively or not. Several PermReps disagreed, arguing that
Pakistani sensitivities might be offended by an overt NATO
role in the crisis. The Deputy Secretary General agreed that
the NATO International Staff would delicately raise the issue
with Islamabad to determine whether NATO assistance would be
welcomed or not. The Deputy Secretary General said that the
Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC)
could be asked to compile an inventory of what assistance
Allies were providing bilaterally. He also suggested asking
NATO Military Authorities for advice on what assistance NATO
could provide. The Chairman of the Military Committee,
however, said that a broad request for advice on what could
be done was not likely to be productive. He said that the
military would be in a better position to offer advice after
political authorities had more clearly defined what the
potential parameters for such assistance might be. The
Deputy Secretary responded that it would be difficult to take
this issue further until Pakistan's reaction to the
possibility of NATO assistance was clearer.
4. (C/REL NATO) The Deputy Secretary General noted that
SACEUR GEN Craddock had proposed that as a short-term fix,
NATO AWACS planes be based in Turkey to support NATO's
Afghanistan mission. The Deputy Secretary General said the
Senior Resource Board was studying this proposal in order to
provide its resource advice. He urged nations to quickly
make a political decision on this proposal, once resource
advice was available. Germany echoed the need for speed,
pointing out that it would require a parliamentary mandate
and that parliament would soon be going on its summer recess.
Turkey said that it was reviewing the proposal, which it
said it had just received.
Balkans
--------------
5. (C/NF) Charge Heffern briefed Allies on Vice President
Biden's trip to the Balkans, emphasizing that the trip
demonstrated U.S. commitment to the region. Deputy Secretary
General Bisogniero said that the visit sent an important
signal on the need for responsible action by all actors in
the region if the goal of the region's integration into
Euro-Atlantic structures was to be realized.
Piracy
--------------
6. (C/REL NATO) The Chairman of the Military Committee
reported disappointing results from a SHAPE force "sensing"
conference held in order to get a "sense" of the possible
Allied contributions to a long-term NATO role in
counter-piracy. While not a formal force generation
conference, he warned that, if the results of the sensing
conference were accurate, a long-term NATO role might either
have to be scaled back or delayed.
USNATO 00000224 003 OF 003
CNAD and NC3B Briefing
--------------
7. (C/REL NATO) NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defense
Investment Peter Flory updated Allies on the activities of
the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) and the
NATO Consultation, Command, and Control Board (NC3B). He
asked for Allied help in six specific areas, but put
particular stress on the need to move forward with the Allied
Ground Surveillance (AGS) capability. He said that AGS was
"on the brink of success" and that it would be a significant
blow to similar (needed) multinational procurement projects
if this project--which had repeatedly and publicly been
declared an Alliance goal--fails. The U.S. was joined by
Denmark, Estonia, Germany, and Italy in intervening to
support AGS, urging those participating Allies who have not
already done so to sign the project's Memorandum of
Understanding. Germany said that its Defense Minister was
ready to sign as soon as enough other Allies supported the
project to make it viable.
NATO-Russia Foreign Ministerial
--------------
8. (C) Charge Heffern said that Secretary Clinton's staff
wished to propose June 27 in Corfu as the date and place for
the much anticipated meeting of NATO-Russia Foreign
Ministers. He noted that many Allied ministers would be in
Corfu anyway for the OSCE ministerial. Greece said it was
willing to host the meeting.
DAALDER
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO EWWT MARR MOPS AF PK RS
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING, MAY 27,2009
Classified By: A/PolAd A. "Hoot Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C/NF) Summary from the May 27 meeting of NATO North
Atlantic Council:
-- AFGHANISTAN: The Czech Charge reported that Afghan
security forces had demanded to open the cargo on a
Czech-charted flight at Kabul International Airport, leading
to an 11-hour standoff. Allies discussed the possibility of
a NATO role in providing humanitarian assistance to Pakistan
as Islamabad struggles with the growing Internally Displaced
Persons crisis. The Deputy Secretary General urged a quick
political decision on a proposal by SACEUR to base AWACS
planes in Turkey in order to support the NATO operation in
Afghanistan.
-- BALKANS: Charge Heffern briefed Allies on Vice President
Biden's trip to the Balkans, emphasizing that the trip
underscored U.S. commitment to the region.
-- PIRACY: The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
reported disappointing results from a SHAPE conference
designed to get a sense of what assets Allies might be
willing to contribute to a long-term NATO counter-piracy
mission. He said that if this situation did not change a
NATO role might either have to be scaled back or delayed.
-- CNAD AND NC3B: Assistant Secretary General for Defense
Investment Peter Flory updated Allies on the activities of
the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) and the
NATO Consultation, Command, and Control Board (NC3B). He
asked for Allied assistance on six specific items, but put
particular stress on the need to move forward with the Allied
Ground Surveillance (AGS) capability.
-- NATO-RUSSIA: Charge Heffern said that Secretary Clinton's
staff wished to propose June 27 in Corfu as the date and
place for the much anticipated meeting of NATO-Russia Foreign
Ministers. Greece said it was willing to host the meeting.
END SUMMARY.
Afghanistan
--------------
2. (C/NF) Possible Unwarranted Search of ISAF material: The
Czech Charge reported that on May 21 incident an 11-hour
stand-off took place at the Kabul International Airport
between Afghan Security Forces and Czech officials.
According to the Charge, the Afghan forces claimed to have
intelligence that a Czech-charted flight contained contraband
for insurgent forces. The Charge said that the Afghans
threatened to use force if they were not allowed to inspect
the cargo. The Charge said that the Czech ambassador in
Kabul eventually allowed the cargo to be unsealed and
inspected. As soon as the Afghan security authorities
realized the cargo was intended for ISAF use, they apologized
and withdrew. The Charge requested an investigation into the
incident. He asked, for instance, how the Afghans had
obtained access to that part of the airport and why ISAF had
provided no force protection during the incident. SHAPE
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Major General Wright
responded that an investigation was already under way.
USNATO 00000224 002 OF 003
3. (C/NF) Potential for NATO Humanitarian Assistance to
Pakistanis Fleeing Fighting: The Canadian PermRep suggested
that NATO might garner considerable public diplomacy value in
being seen to offer assistance to Pakistan as it struggles to
deal with the growing humanitarian crisis involving
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He added that such an
offer would be to NATO's benefit, whether the GoP responded
positively or not. Several PermReps disagreed, arguing that
Pakistani sensitivities might be offended by an overt NATO
role in the crisis. The Deputy Secretary General agreed that
the NATO International Staff would delicately raise the issue
with Islamabad to determine whether NATO assistance would be
welcomed or not. The Deputy Secretary General said that the
Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC)
could be asked to compile an inventory of what assistance
Allies were providing bilaterally. He also suggested asking
NATO Military Authorities for advice on what assistance NATO
could provide. The Chairman of the Military Committee,
however, said that a broad request for advice on what could
be done was not likely to be productive. He said that the
military would be in a better position to offer advice after
political authorities had more clearly defined what the
potential parameters for such assistance might be. The
Deputy Secretary responded that it would be difficult to take
this issue further until Pakistan's reaction to the
possibility of NATO assistance was clearer.
4. (C/REL NATO) The Deputy Secretary General noted that
SACEUR GEN Craddock had proposed that as a short-term fix,
NATO AWACS planes be based in Turkey to support NATO's
Afghanistan mission. The Deputy Secretary General said the
Senior Resource Board was studying this proposal in order to
provide its resource advice. He urged nations to quickly
make a political decision on this proposal, once resource
advice was available. Germany echoed the need for speed,
pointing out that it would require a parliamentary mandate
and that parliament would soon be going on its summer recess.
Turkey said that it was reviewing the proposal, which it
said it had just received.
Balkans
--------------
5. (C/NF) Charge Heffern briefed Allies on Vice President
Biden's trip to the Balkans, emphasizing that the trip
demonstrated U.S. commitment to the region. Deputy Secretary
General Bisogniero said that the visit sent an important
signal on the need for responsible action by all actors in
the region if the goal of the region's integration into
Euro-Atlantic structures was to be realized.
Piracy
--------------
6. (C/REL NATO) The Chairman of the Military Committee
reported disappointing results from a SHAPE force "sensing"
conference held in order to get a "sense" of the possible
Allied contributions to a long-term NATO role in
counter-piracy. While not a formal force generation
conference, he warned that, if the results of the sensing
conference were accurate, a long-term NATO role might either
have to be scaled back or delayed.
USNATO 00000224 003 OF 003
CNAD and NC3B Briefing
--------------
7. (C/REL NATO) NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defense
Investment Peter Flory updated Allies on the activities of
the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) and the
NATO Consultation, Command, and Control Board (NC3B). He
asked for Allied help in six specific areas, but put
particular stress on the need to move forward with the Allied
Ground Surveillance (AGS) capability. He said that AGS was
"on the brink of success" and that it would be a significant
blow to similar (needed) multinational procurement projects
if this project--which had repeatedly and publicly been
declared an Alliance goal--fails. The U.S. was joined by
Denmark, Estonia, Germany, and Italy in intervening to
support AGS, urging those participating Allies who have not
already done so to sign the project's Memorandum of
Understanding. Germany said that its Defense Minister was
ready to sign as soon as enough other Allies supported the
project to make it viable.
NATO-Russia Foreign Ministerial
--------------
8. (C) Charge Heffern said that Secretary Clinton's staff
wished to propose June 27 in Corfu as the date and place for
the much anticipated meeting of NATO-Russia Foreign
Ministers. He noted that many Allied ministers would be in
Corfu anyway for the OSCE ministerial. Greece said it was
willing to host the meeting.
DAALDER