FRENCH BLOCK ISAF-RELATED AWACS FUNDING; DEFENSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000453 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2019 TAGS: MOPS MCAP MARR PREL NATO PGOV AF MU SUBJECT: FRENCH BLOCK ISAF-RELATED AWACS FUNDING; DEFENSE MINISTERS MAY DISCUSS Classified By: Deputy PolAd A. "Hoot" Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C/REL NATO) At the October 14 meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the Deputy Secretary General noted that the Senior Resource Board (SRB) had been unable to reach agreement on common funding to underwrite the short-term use of British AWACS planes based out of Oman to support NATO's ISAF mission in Afghanistan. The Deputy Secretary General noted that one nation had taken the position in the SRB that for the planes to be eligible for ISAF-related common funding they would have to be based inside Afghanistan. (Note: The one country was France, although the Deputy Secretary General did not name them in the NAC.) Describing the situation in the SRB as disappointing and worrying, the Deputy Secretary General said that this effectively overturned the decision taken on the issue at the June Defense Ministerial. He said that if the issue was not resolved, he expected NATO Secretary General Rasmussen to raise this with Defense Ministers at their October 22-23 meeting in Bratislava. Canada supported the Deputy Secretary General, noting the urgency of the need for AWACS over Afghanistan. Canada also said that the French interpretation of the common funding requirement made no sense given the determination that the security situation prevented the AWACS from being based inside Afghanistan at this time. ¶2. (C/REL NATO) When the Deputy Secretary opened up the discussion, presenting the French an opportunity respond, French PermRep Andreani chose to remain silent. DAALDER