AUGUST 26 NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING: ALL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000373

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR MOPS AF PK XG
SUBJECT: AUGUST 26 NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING: ALL
AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: A/PolAd Brian Greaney.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/REL NATO) Summary: This is a summary of the August 19
meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC).

-- AFGHANISTAN: The Deputy Secretary General (DSYG) urged
continued Allied restraint against public reactions to
preliminary Afghan elections' results. He announced the
flags to post conference for the NATO Training
Mission-Afghanistan had been successful, but additional
resources, particularly police and army training teams, would
be critical to its success. PermReps continued debate on the
revised Afghan Shi'a Law. The DSYG announced that the UAE
had decided to replace a planned new round of AWACS-basing
talks by sending a letter outlining their position. SHAPE
gave updates on Border Coordination Center construction and
on operations. Canada requested that NATO's Media Operation
Center provide press lines that Allies would be able to use
uniformly at the release of COMISAF's 60-day review.

-- There was no discussion of other regions or items.

End Summary.


2. (C/REL NATO) Afghanistan: (C) At the August 26 meeting of
the North Atlantic Council Deputy Secretary General Claudio
Bisogniero (DSYG) announced that Afghan Foreign Minister
Daftar Rangin Spanta had sent a letter thanking NATO for
ISAF's security support to August 20 elections. The DSYG
advised that Allies "avoid getting drawn into reacting
publicly to preliminary results." He urged that the Afghan
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and Election
Complaints Commission (ECC) should retain the lead on
counting, resolving fraud allegations, and announcing
results. Responding to a question from Germany, the DSYG
said that while the IEC's plan to "dribble out" results for
every 10 percent of polling stations tallied might not be
ideal, NATO should support the procedure because it was the
Afghans' agreed plan. Spain and Germany noted discomfort at
not engaging the press about allegations of fraud in the
elections, but said they would respect the Afghan lead on
communications. The DSYG said NATO would release press lines
to Allies, and Ambassador Daalder underscored the importance
of Allied restraint against predicting the presidential
election's outcome. Major General Rudy Wright of SHAPE
assured the Council that ISAF was prepared for either
demonstrations contesting the elections' outcome or a
follow-on second round vote, again providing third tier
support to the Afghan Army and Police.


3. (C/REL NATO) NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A):
The DSYG applauded the results of the August 14 manning
conference for the NTM-A headquarters' senior officer

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billets, which have all been filled by NATO and partner
nations. He said the final flags-to-post plot should be
available to nations in September, and the establishment of
the headquarters was on track for opening September 10 and
reaching initial operating capability by September 15.
Chairman of the Military Committee Admiral Di Paola reminded
Allies of the September 2 follow-on manning conference to
fill Lieutenant Colonel-level headquarters positions and
below, but drew attention to the more critical need to fill
training requirements. Di Paola said the NTM-A's specific
Combined Joint Statement of Requirements would be available
to nations in mid-September, but would include needs for 179
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) and 469
Police OMLTs. The U.S. would fill 273 POMLTs, he said, but
nations would need to additionally field 38 this year, 105 in
2010, and 53 in 2011. Di Paola also said the funds required
for 2009 (12.7 million Euros) and 2010 (5.4 million Euros)
would be critical to standing up the NTM-A. Ambassador
Daalder echoed the Di Paola's call for POMLT and OMLT
contributions.


4. (C/REL NATO) Shi'a Law: Following up Council discussion
on August 21, the DSYG said NATO's Senior Civilian
Representative (SCR) Ambassador Fernando Gentilini was
consulting with the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission and working to obtain additional information and a
formal translation of the revised Shi'a Law. Deputy PermReps
from Spain and Germany noted intense press coverage in their
capitals of the Shi'a Law, and indicated that NATO should
prepare to take some action once it had more complete
information on the content of the revised law. Ambassador
Daalder focused on the SCR's approach in reaching out to
civil society actors including human rights and women's
groups for their reactions, and pointed out the importance of
the Council considering the local Afghan context and
reception of the law prior to deciding to take any actions.
The DSYG supported this position.


5. (C/REL NATO) AWACS: The DSYG reported that, although the
next round of talks with the UAE was supposed to have begun
during the week of August 24 to resolve AWACS basing in
support of ISAF, the UAE had backed out and indicated it
would send a letter outlining its thoughts on the
negotiations. The German Deputy PermRep alerted the Council
that "the credibility of ISAF demands was being tainted by
the AWACS issue politically in Germany," where the
Bundestag's domestic debate on ISAF would likely begin in
October following elections. The German asked that the
basing issue be resolved urgently. Ambassador Daalder
suggested that the NAC could benefit from a briefing on how
AWACS could contribute to operations in Afghanistan.


6. (C/REL NATO) Border Coordination Centers (BCCs): SHAPE
gave a status update of BCCs including the following: Khyber

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reached full operating capability in August 2008. BCCs Lwara
and Spin Boldak were under construction and should reach
initial operating capability in September and October 2009,
respectively. BCCs at Bari Kowt, Nawa Pass, and Khar Lachi
are planned for 2010. The UK asked about delays in setting
up similar centers on the Pakistani side of the border. MG
Wright said the delays were primarily due to financing, and
two initially planned BCCs for Pakistani territory might move
to the Afghan side.


7. (C/REL NATO) Operations Update: MG Wright noted a marked
spike in violence on Afghan election day, but said attacks
were neither concentrated nor coordinated. The day's
violence had affected fewer than two percent of polling sites
directly, though Wright acknowledged that the psychological
indirect effect of insurgent activities may have been
greater. SHAPE assessed that ISAF should not expect any
reduction in violence during Ramadan. He said that five
upcoming post-election ISAF operations would target: Marjah
in Helmand province, IED networks in Wardak and Lowgar
provinces, insurgents in Kunduz and Baghlan, Baghdis
province, and the Surobi district of Kabul city. SHAPE
reported that the Pakistani Taliban leadership remained in
disarray after the death of militant leader Baitullah Mehsud.
Working from a position of strength, Wright continued, the
Pakistan Military had refused an offer made by an insurgent
sub-commander to cease fire during Ramadan in Waziristan
tribal areas.


8. (C/REL NATO) Canada requested that NATO's Media Operation
Center provide press lines that Allies would be able to use
uniformly at the release of COMISAF's 60-day review.


9. (C/REL NATO) Kandahar bombing: Responding to a question
from Canada, the DSYG said the Secretary General would issue
a condemnation of the August 25 bomb attack in Kandahar that
killed and wounded up to 100 individuals as a brutal
targeting of civilians.
DAALDER