READOUT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING MARCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000097 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2019 TAGS: AF PREL NATO SUBJECT: READOUT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 11,2009. Classified By: Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Walter E. Andrusys zyn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 1.(C/NF) Summary from the NAC Meeting: -- BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: The NAC,s meeting with Bosnian Foreign Minister Alkalaj and Bosnia Defense Minister Cikotic on the spring 2009 assessment of BiH,s Individual Partnership Action Plan will be reported in a separate cable. -- AFGHANISTAN: The Deputy Secretary General (DSYG) noted the &very fruitful8 meeting with Vice President Biden on 10 March, while the Canadian PermRep called the VPOTUS visit a &watershed event.8 Deputy Chief of the Military Committee (DCMC) gave a readout of the Military Committee,s first meeting with Afghan Chief of Defense, General Khan, who felt that the Taliban had &lost ground8 due to their gruesome tactics, but whose presence was increasing in the southern and eastern provinces. Ambassador Volker stressed the need for both &classical8 police training, which EUPOL accomplishes, and paramilitary police training to assist in &holding territory,8 where NATO could provide assistance. -- BALKANS: The Deputy Secretary General cautioned Allies not to overplay recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs protesting electricity cut-offs and Kosovo police, but noted that they highlight the potential for economic problems to create volatility. The Greek PermRep said the impending withdrawal of the British 170-person unit from KFOR sends the wrong political signal. The UK responded that the decision was unrelated to the deterrent presence issue. SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Major General Wright said that Sweden has pledged to donate 70,000 euros to the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) trust fund. -- AFRICA: The Chairman of the Military Committee provided an overview of deployment plans for Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1),which will include a total of 40 days on anti-piracy duties off the Horn of Africa. He noted that the Operation Plan (OPLAN) for Operation Allied Protector has been approved but that the rules of engagement and an executive order authorizing deployment must still be approved by the Council prior to the start of the operation. -- IRAQ: The Chairman announced that the Policy Coordination Group (PCG) has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will serve as the basis for discussions with Baghdad on a longer-term NATO-Iraq agreement on the legal status of NATO Training Mission Iraq (NTM-I). The British PermRep noted that a British platoon has been deployed from Basra to Al Rustamiyah to provide force protection to NTM-I activities there and that the British government will announce at the NATO Summit in April its intention to increase its support for NTM-I's officer training and education activities. -- RESPONSE TO TERRORISM: no discussion -- STATEMENTS ON POLITICAL TOPICS: Croatia provided an update of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) activities, noting the recent visit of the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan to Iran and an upcoming meeting of the UNSC to discuss an African Union (AU)-UN panel report. -- AOB: no discussion END SUMMARY. -------------- Afghanistan -------------- ¶2. (C/REL ISAF) Afghanistan: SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Maj Gen Wright briefed Allies on the five priorities of the ISAF Commander (COMISAF) including maintaining freedom of movement, continuing the USNATO 00000097 002 OF 003 Shape-Clear-Hold-Build campaign, partnering with Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF),and Counter-narcotics support. He also reported the recent voter registration campaign had added nearly 5 million voters for a total of 15.6 million Afghans now registered. ¶3. (C/REL ISAF) Deputy Chief of the Military Committee (DCMC),Lieutenant General Eikenberry, gave a readout of the first meeting with Afghan CHOD General Bismulla Khan at NATO. The DCMC relayed that Gen. Khan had the perception that the Taliban had &lost ground8 due to their gruesome tactics, but their presence was increasing in the southern and eastern provinces. He also felt the media, both local and international, are too negative and it is psychologically harming the Afghan population. Additionally, Gen. Khan felt that secure elections would be a further setback to the Taliban. ¶4. (C/REL ISAF) The Deputy Secretary General cited the &very fruitful8 meeting with Vice President Biden on 10 March, noting that the consultation has added momentum to the preparation for the upcoming Summit. The Canadian PermRep called the VPOTUS visit a &watershed event8 and then made a strong plea for Allies to &roll up their sleeves8 on Summit deliverables. He felt these deliverables should include: filling out the election support force; Afghan National Army development and sustainment; a package on Pakistan; and emphasis on areas to increase Afghan &ownership.8 Ambassador Volker provided readout to PermReps of the VPOTUS meeting with EU officials, stressing the need for &classical8 police training, which EUPOL accomplishes, and paramilitary police training to assist in &holding territory,8 where NATO can provide assistance. Various PermReps supported a UK request to include a meeting on police efforts during the NAC trip next week to Afghanistan. -------------- Balkans -------------- ¶5. (C/NF) Balkans: The Deputy Secretary General cautioned Allies not to overplay recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs protesting electricity cut-offs and Kosovo police but noted that they highlight the potential for economic problems to create volatility. He said KFOR was closely monitoring the situation. ¶6. (C) The Greek PermRep expressed concern about the impending withdrawal of the British 170-person unit from KFOR, noting that even if there was military justification it sends the wrong political signal. The British PermRep retorted that the decision was unrelated to the KFOR deterrent presence issue, and it would be difficult to justify maintaining a valuable unit in Kosovo when NATO Military Authorities say it is no longer needed. Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee Lieutenant General Eikenberry added that this was a national decision and the unit in question is only a small force. Greece said Allies should consider the weight national decisions carry for active, ongoing NATO operations. ¶7. (C) SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Major General Wright said that Sweden has pledged to donate 70,000 euros to the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) trust fund, while the Dutch PermRep reiterated that his foreign minister had announced last week that the Netherlands would donate 1 million euros to the KSF. MG Wright noted that 91 percent of KSF recruits passed the first basic training cycle, the next training cycle begins March 16, screening for the first group of civilian recruits is due to be completed on March 31, and the first training cycle for civilian recruits should begin on May 4. -------------- Africa -------------- USNATO 00000097 003 OF 003 ¶8. (C/NF) Africa: The Chairman of the Military Committee provided an overview of deployment plans for Standing NATO Maritime Group-1 (SNMG-1) which will include 26 days of counter-piracy activities en route to port visits in Singapore and Australia and 14 days while returning through the area. While the OPLAN for Operation Allied Protector has recently been approved, the Council must still approve the rules of engagement and an executive directive authorizing deployment. The German PermRep noted that the two German ships participating in the operation will remain under the authority of the European Union's Operation Atalanta during the counter-piracy segments of the deployment. (Privately, the UK told us the announced plans for SNMG-1 to make a refueling and resupply stop at Diego Garcia on the return leg had not been coordinated with them and they anticipated it would be problematic.) -------------- Iraq -------------- ¶9. (C/NF) Iraq: The Chairman announced that the PCG has approved a MOU between NATO and Iraqi authorities that will serve as the basis for discussions with Baghdad seeking to establish a longer-term NATO-Iraq agreement on the legal status of NTM-I. The British PermRep noted that his government plans to make a formal announcement at the Summit in April of its intention to increase support for NTM-I's officer training and education activities. He also reported that a British platoon has been deployed from Basra to Al Rustamiyah to provide force protection to NTM-I activities there, but will remain only until the 31 July pull-out date for British troops. ¶10. (C/NF) Response to Terrorism: no discussion -------------- Statements on Political Subjects -------------- ¶11. (C/NF) Statements on Political Subjects: Croatia provided an update of UNSC activities. The Croatian PermRep noted the recent visit of the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan to Iran and an upcoming UNSC meeting to discuss an AU-UN panel report. ¶12. (C/NF) Any Other Business: no discussion. ANDRUSYSZYN