Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USNATO375
2009-09-03 17:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Mission USNATO
Cable title:
NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING: NATO'S SYG GETS
how-toVZCZCXRO8099 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHNO #0375/01 2461738 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 031738Z SEP 09 FM USMISSION USNATO TO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3335 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0290 RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0393 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0618 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0006 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU PRIORITY 0128 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0779 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA PRIORITY 0003 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 6697 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 2450 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 0584 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN PRIORITY 0297 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0925 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 1244 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0510 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 1229 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0496 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG PRIORITY 0862 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0866 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0675 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0583 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 4076 RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK PRIORITY 0073 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0814 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0177 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0650 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 0449 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 3470 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 2434 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0819 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN PRIORITY 0008 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 5853 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 4571 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0974 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY 0386 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS PRIORITY 7305 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 4189 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0067 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 5533 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000375
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019
TAGS: AFDB MARR MOPS NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING: NATO'S SYG GETS
STRATEGIC ON AFGHANISTAN
USNATO 00000375 001.2 OF 005
Classified By: A/DCM Kate Byrnes.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) AND (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000375
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019
TAGS: AFDB MARR MOPS NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING: NATO'S SYG GETS
STRATEGIC ON AFGHANISTAN
USNATO 00000375 001.2 OF 005
Classified By: A/DCM Kate Byrnes.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) AND (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
used the September 2 meeting of the North Atlantic Council to
advance his goal for increased NATO strategic policy
coordination and guidance for political and military
authorities involved in Afghanistan. Allies generally
supported this approach. Work on this initiative will pass
to NATO,s Policy Coordination Group with the aim of
developing priorities and benchmarks of future success to
present to Defense Ministers at the October 22-23 meeting in
Bratislava. In a discussion on the separate issue of the Shia
Personal Status Law, Rasmussen concluded from the Allies'
discussion that NATO should not make any public statements on
the issue for the time being. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen used the
September 2 meeting of the North Atlantic Council to advance
his goal for increased NATO strategic policy coordination and
guidance for political and military authorities involved in
Afghanistan. At the SYG's instigation, Deputy Assistant
Secretary General for NATO Operations Larry Rossin identified
to PermReps five strategic outcomes in NATO,s Comprehensive
Strategic Political-Military Plan (CSPMP) that he said were
integral to ISAF progress for the remainder of 2009 and 2010.
He suggested that NATO should define success factors and
proposed that NATO also select benchmarks to assess progress
in these five areas between now and the 2010 NATO Summit.
3. (C) The five Desired Strategic Outcomes (DSOs) Rossin
highlighted were: ensuring that opposing militant forces do
not pose a threat to the Afghan government,s ability to
exercise authority across the country; Afghans taking over
lead security responsibility from ISAF; ensuring Afghans are
able to fully participate in the democratic process, both
nationally and sub-nationally; ensuring Afghanistan has good
USNATO 00000375 002.2 OF 005
and close relations with its neighbors, particularly
Pakistan; and ensuring effective assistance to the Afghan
government, including through the Provincial Reconstruction
Teams, to enable it to extend its authority throughout
Afghanistan.
4. C) Allies generally supported this approach. Germany and
France agreed, stating coordination with other international
actors already present in Afghanistan was also important to
measuring progress. Spain remarked that NATO should not lean
towards a mathematical or a purely technical approach but,
instead, should include political criteria as benchmarks are
prioritized. Ambassador Daalder said the ability to measure
success within the next 12-18 months was critical to
maintaining support for the ISAF Afghanistan mission among
our domestic publics. NATO should be clear on benchmarks and
specific on how it measures progress. He said it was
critical that NATO be clear and concise on the NATO/ISAF
role. The Ambassador said there is a need for a NATO "effect
on the ground," highlighting the importance of NATO
benchmarks and metrics. He encouraged the Alliance to be
clear on what NATO could do and where others, such as UNAMA,
should lead. Norway agreed and said there is a need for NATO
to ensure priorities identified are, in fact, priorities that
NATO as an institution can affect on the ground. Poland
encouraged the Council to also consider the public message on
NATO,s DSO work. The Polish Ambassador said a public
statement during the October Ministerial would shine a
positive light on NATO,s work in a time when public opinion
has grown increasingly critical of ISAF,s mission in
Afghanistan.
5. (C) The SYG himself suggested a push for no more than
three DSOs to simplify explaining NATO's focus to the public.
Rasmussen's top three DSOs for ISAF progress were: that
opposing militant forces do not pose a threat to the Afghan
government,s ability to exercise authority across the
country; Afghans taking over lead security responsibility
USNATO 00000375 003.2 OF 005
from ISAF; and incorporating a comprehensive approach which
would show demonstrable change within the daily lives of the
people of Afghanistan. The SYG also clarified that the DSOs
should be limited to issues that could be impacted by ISAF,
i.e. areas where ISAF could lead and ensure the military
chain of command prioritized attention and resources. The
SYG,s said his goal is for NATO to submit a final, decision
invoking text for consideration at the October Defense
Ministerial in Bratislava.
6. (C) The NAC agreed that the PCG should discuss the DSOs
in the coming weeks. (Note: The basis of this Council
discussion was the NATO Assistant Secretary General for
Operations, Martin Howard,s, Food For Thought paper
distributed to the PCG on July 10. End note.)
7. (C/NF) COMISAF,s 60-day Assessment. Almost every PermRep
intervention mentioned the need to view COMISAF,s 60-day
report before NATO could identify and prioritize benchmarks
for success from the CSPMP document (Note: Perm Reps chose
the tactic of subtly expressing their frustration of not
receiving a copy of the report, leaving their privately
expressed more forceful complaints at the door for this first
gathering in a public forum since the report went forward.
End note.).
8. (C) Shia Personal Status Law. Rasmussen said NATO Senior
Civilian Representative, Ambassador Fernando Gentilini, would
continue to inform the Council on the latest Shia law
developments and NATO would closely coordinate with the
United Nations on all public remarks. The SYG reassured
Council members that NATO, at this time, would refrain from
any public statements unless absolutely necessary, as in a
response to a significant turn in events. Norway summed up
today,s Council views well, stating, the Secretary
General,s letter to President Hamid Karzai, that expressed
his preliminary views on the law was sufficient in advance of
election results and the ISAF Commander,s 60-day assessment
rollout. Although NATO must allow the U.N to lead on the
USNATO 00000375 004.2 OF 005
issue, the Norwegian Ambassador reiterated the need to keep
the Afghan people first, by upholding the Afghan government
to international human and women,s rights standards, while,
simultaneously, walking the fine line between addressing
public opinion and remaining silent on the issue.
9. (C) Ambassador Daalder said human and women,s rights are
a high priority for the U.S. and NATO should lend support to
efforts by the Afghan civil society. However, he noted that
Afghan civil society itself had concerns about the possible
outcomes of public external comment, and asserted that NATO
should not take to the pulpit on this issue. Rasmussen
concluded that NATO would not make any public statements on
the Shia Personal Status Law and promised NATO coordination
with the U.N., the organization seen to have the lead on the
issue.
10. (C) NATO AWACS Deployment. Luxembourg,s Ambassador
briefed the Council that, if NATO agreed all AWACS flights
would turn off all radar and surveillance equipment during
transit of Azeri territory, Azerbaijan would agree to AWACS
overflight clearances. There was no objection from the
Council. Ambassador Rossin briefed that NATO still awaited a
response from the UAE on the NATO AWACS MOU. He said
negotiations with Turkmenistan were on hold until an
agreement with Azerbaijan is completed (Note: A robust AWACS
discussion is on the agenda for the next NAC discussion, at
which time, details of progressing basing negotiations with
other Gulf nations will be unveiled. End note).
11. (C) 2009 UNODC Report. The British Ambassador previewed
the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report as
containing good news on counternarcotics efforts. He said
the report announced a 22% decrease in opium production, a 33
% decrease in Helmand province, specifically, and ISAF,s
work to disrupt the insurgency narcotics trade as positive.
USNATO 00000375 005.2 OF 005
The U.K. Ambassador encouraged NATO to capitalize on the
report,s positive counternarcotics trends through NATO
strategic communications. Rasmussen responded positively to
this suggestion, stating he would highlight the UNODC report
analysis in his next press conference. The UNODC report will
be discussed in detail at the September 18 Council meeting.
BYRNES
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019
TAGS: AFDB MARR MOPS NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING: NATO'S SYG GETS
STRATEGIC ON AFGHANISTAN
USNATO 00000375 001.2 OF 005
Classified By: A/DCM Kate Byrnes.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) AND (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
used the September 2 meeting of the North Atlantic Council to
advance his goal for increased NATO strategic policy
coordination and guidance for political and military
authorities involved in Afghanistan. Allies generally
supported this approach. Work on this initiative will pass
to NATO,s Policy Coordination Group with the aim of
developing priorities and benchmarks of future success to
present to Defense Ministers at the October 22-23 meeting in
Bratislava. In a discussion on the separate issue of the Shia
Personal Status Law, Rasmussen concluded from the Allies'
discussion that NATO should not make any public statements on
the issue for the time being. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen used the
September 2 meeting of the North Atlantic Council to advance
his goal for increased NATO strategic policy coordination and
guidance for political and military authorities involved in
Afghanistan. At the SYG's instigation, Deputy Assistant
Secretary General for NATO Operations Larry Rossin identified
to PermReps five strategic outcomes in NATO,s Comprehensive
Strategic Political-Military Plan (CSPMP) that he said were
integral to ISAF progress for the remainder of 2009 and 2010.
He suggested that NATO should define success factors and
proposed that NATO also select benchmarks to assess progress
in these five areas between now and the 2010 NATO Summit.
3. (C) The five Desired Strategic Outcomes (DSOs) Rossin
highlighted were: ensuring that opposing militant forces do
not pose a threat to the Afghan government,s ability to
exercise authority across the country; Afghans taking over
lead security responsibility from ISAF; ensuring Afghans are
able to fully participate in the democratic process, both
nationally and sub-nationally; ensuring Afghanistan has good
USNATO 00000375 002.2 OF 005
and close relations with its neighbors, particularly
Pakistan; and ensuring effective assistance to the Afghan
government, including through the Provincial Reconstruction
Teams, to enable it to extend its authority throughout
Afghanistan.
4. C) Allies generally supported this approach. Germany and
France agreed, stating coordination with other international
actors already present in Afghanistan was also important to
measuring progress. Spain remarked that NATO should not lean
towards a mathematical or a purely technical approach but,
instead, should include political criteria as benchmarks are
prioritized. Ambassador Daalder said the ability to measure
success within the next 12-18 months was critical to
maintaining support for the ISAF Afghanistan mission among
our domestic publics. NATO should be clear on benchmarks and
specific on how it measures progress. He said it was
critical that NATO be clear and concise on the NATO/ISAF
role. The Ambassador said there is a need for a NATO "effect
on the ground," highlighting the importance of NATO
benchmarks and metrics. He encouraged the Alliance to be
clear on what NATO could do and where others, such as UNAMA,
should lead. Norway agreed and said there is a need for NATO
to ensure priorities identified are, in fact, priorities that
NATO as an institution can affect on the ground. Poland
encouraged the Council to also consider the public message on
NATO,s DSO work. The Polish Ambassador said a public
statement during the October Ministerial would shine a
positive light on NATO,s work in a time when public opinion
has grown increasingly critical of ISAF,s mission in
Afghanistan.
5. (C) The SYG himself suggested a push for no more than
three DSOs to simplify explaining NATO's focus to the public.
Rasmussen's top three DSOs for ISAF progress were: that
opposing militant forces do not pose a threat to the Afghan
government,s ability to exercise authority across the
country; Afghans taking over lead security responsibility
USNATO 00000375 003.2 OF 005
from ISAF; and incorporating a comprehensive approach which
would show demonstrable change within the daily lives of the
people of Afghanistan. The SYG also clarified that the DSOs
should be limited to issues that could be impacted by ISAF,
i.e. areas where ISAF could lead and ensure the military
chain of command prioritized attention and resources. The
SYG,s said his goal is for NATO to submit a final, decision
invoking text for consideration at the October Defense
Ministerial in Bratislava.
6. (C) The NAC agreed that the PCG should discuss the DSOs
in the coming weeks. (Note: The basis of this Council
discussion was the NATO Assistant Secretary General for
Operations, Martin Howard,s, Food For Thought paper
distributed to the PCG on July 10. End note.)
7. (C/NF) COMISAF,s 60-day Assessment. Almost every PermRep
intervention mentioned the need to view COMISAF,s 60-day
report before NATO could identify and prioritize benchmarks
for success from the CSPMP document (Note: Perm Reps chose
the tactic of subtly expressing their frustration of not
receiving a copy of the report, leaving their privately
expressed more forceful complaints at the door for this first
gathering in a public forum since the report went forward.
End note.).
8. (C) Shia Personal Status Law. Rasmussen said NATO Senior
Civilian Representative, Ambassador Fernando Gentilini, would
continue to inform the Council on the latest Shia law
developments and NATO would closely coordinate with the
United Nations on all public remarks. The SYG reassured
Council members that NATO, at this time, would refrain from
any public statements unless absolutely necessary, as in a
response to a significant turn in events. Norway summed up
today,s Council views well, stating, the Secretary
General,s letter to President Hamid Karzai, that expressed
his preliminary views on the law was sufficient in advance of
election results and the ISAF Commander,s 60-day assessment
rollout. Although NATO must allow the U.N to lead on the
USNATO 00000375 004.2 OF 005
issue, the Norwegian Ambassador reiterated the need to keep
the Afghan people first, by upholding the Afghan government
to international human and women,s rights standards, while,
simultaneously, walking the fine line between addressing
public opinion and remaining silent on the issue.
9. (C) Ambassador Daalder said human and women,s rights are
a high priority for the U.S. and NATO should lend support to
efforts by the Afghan civil society. However, he noted that
Afghan civil society itself had concerns about the possible
outcomes of public external comment, and asserted that NATO
should not take to the pulpit on this issue. Rasmussen
concluded that NATO would not make any public statements on
the Shia Personal Status Law and promised NATO coordination
with the U.N., the organization seen to have the lead on the
issue.
10. (C) NATO AWACS Deployment. Luxembourg,s Ambassador
briefed the Council that, if NATO agreed all AWACS flights
would turn off all radar and surveillance equipment during
transit of Azeri territory, Azerbaijan would agree to AWACS
overflight clearances. There was no objection from the
Council. Ambassador Rossin briefed that NATO still awaited a
response from the UAE on the NATO AWACS MOU. He said
negotiations with Turkmenistan were on hold until an
agreement with Azerbaijan is completed (Note: A robust AWACS
discussion is on the agenda for the next NAC discussion, at
which time, details of progressing basing negotiations with
other Gulf nations will be unveiled. End note).
11. (C) 2009 UNODC Report. The British Ambassador previewed
the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report as
containing good news on counternarcotics efforts. He said
the report announced a 22% decrease in opium production, a 33
% decrease in Helmand province, specifically, and ISAF,s
work to disrupt the insurgency narcotics trade as positive.
USNATO 00000375 005.2 OF 005
The U.K. Ambassador encouraged NATO to capitalize on the
report,s positive counternarcotics trends through NATO
strategic communications. Rasmussen responded positively to
this suggestion, stating he would highlight the UNODC report
analysis in his next press conference. The UNODC report will
be discussed in detail at the September 18 Council meeting.
BYRNES