EMBASSY CONTINUES VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN OF AWARENESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BRUSSELS 000106

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM, SCA/A AND S/SRAP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2020
TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV EAID BE AF
SUBJECT: EMBASSY CONTINUES VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN OF AWARENESS
ON AFGHANISTAN IN ADVANCE OF LONDON CONFERENCE

REF: A. 09 BRUSSELS 1737

B. 09 BRUSSELS 1739

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Classified By: Ambassador Howard Gutman, reason 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary: Embassy Brussels, and particularly Ambassador
Gutman, have intensified their efforts to raise Belgian
public and official awareness, understanding and support for
the President's strategy on Afghanistan since the new year.
The strategy has included a vigorous round of media
interviews, discussions with government and opposition
politicians, and an unprecedented appearance before a joint
committee of the Belgian parliament. His arguments appeal to
Belgium's international credibility as an important tool in
rallying support across Europe to do more to achieve peace
and stability in Afghanistan as envisaged by the President's
recently announced Afghanistan strategy. In meetings with
the severest critics of Belgium's already proportionately
strong military engagement in Afghanistan, the Ambassador
found significant support for more civilian assistance to the
country. Using requests for military protection we have
received from the Belgians for their aid workers in Haiti as
a metaphor, he began to develop sympathy and understanding
for why security forces are needed in Afghanistan. Prime
Minister Leterme, however, remains a hard sell, although even
he feels the January 28 London Conference on Afghanistan
could generate "new views." End Summary.


2. (U) The Belgian government, in the persons of Defense
Minister Pieter De Crem, Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere,
Minister of Development Cooperation Charles Michel, Interior
Minister Annemie Turtelboom and Justice Minister Stefaan De
Clerck, appeared before the Belgian parliament on January 13.
These appearances did not break new ground, but they
confirmed the Belgian government's intention to maintain its
current commitment through the end of 2010. Essentially,
this consists of providing security for Kabul Airport, six
F-16's with pilots and support personnel based at Kandahar,
participation in a German-led PRT in Kunduz and two OMLT's on
the ground in Kunduz. The Belgians also recently deployed a
contingent as part of NATO Allied Land Component
Headquarters, led by Major General Hubert De Vos as Deputy
Commander for Resources, from Heidelberg to Kabul. The
debate in Parliament was an opportunity for those who oppose
the current Belgian commitment to Afghanistan, and even more
bitterly oppose an increase in that commitment, to again make
their views known. Key among these are Flemish Socialist
Dirk Van Der Maelen (Sp.a) and Flemish green party member
Wouter DeVriendt (Groen!). Their attitude is that "the war
in Afghanistan cannot be won". Other skeptical
parliamentarians include Hilde Voetmans (Open VLD) and former
Defense Minister Andre Flahaut (PS),although their
objections are more practical and political than
ideologically or categorically opposed.


3. (U) Defending government policy, De Crem pointed out
successes in Afghanistan so far, and Vanackere noted that the
government's critics had not presented any other policy
solutions. Vanackere said that it is not a good idea to
present a timetable for withdrawal because it will give the
Afghan people the impression that Belgium is giving up on
them. Although there seemed to be some support for extending
Belgium's participation in ISAF beyond 2010, there was no
mention of the possibility of doing more than the measures
announced in early December by the government. These consist
of 2-3 police trainers and a magistrate, and an intention to
increase development aid if the Karzai government can show
progress in good governance and anti-corruption efforts.


4. (U) With the President's recently announced Afghanistan
strategy in mind, and with the January 28 conference in
London fast approaching, the Ambassador and the Embassy
wished to energize public discussion of Belgium's role in
ISAF and Afghanistan. During a public panel discussion on
January 13 hosted and reported by the center-left Dutch
language daily De Morgen, and amplified at a luncheon held
for all major media outlets in the country the following day,
the Ambassador laid out an argument for an increased Belgian
military and civilian presence in Afghanistan. He said that
he finds broad agreement that terrorism is a real threat to
Europe and to Belgium. He then told the journalists that he
wished to clear up some misconceptions in the public mind
about President Obama's strategy. First, he said, the
President is well aware that a purely military solution to
terrorism is not possible. He knows that sustainable social
and economic development and an integrated civilian and
military approach is necessary. It is necessary to put into

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place enough security to permit development assistance to
have an effect. This is the reason for the "surge" of 30,000
U.S. and an expected 7,000 ISAF partner troops. The
Ambassador urged Belgium to consider sending 50, 75, or 100
troops to the theater, although he stressed there is no
specific ask in that regard. "Something like 100 troops
would be noticed by the Allies," he said. He said that he
recognizes that Belgium's financial and manpower resources
are smaller than other European partners'. However, he said
that Belgium's participation is important because of
Belgium's credibility as a country without a particular ax to
grind in international affairs. If Belgium participates, it
is and example of moral leadership that sends a strong
message to other partners in Europe and elsewhere that a
unified and determined response to the problem of Afghanistan
is needed. The Ambassador repeated this message in public
media and private meetings with key officials over the next
week to ten days.


5. (U) The Ambassador's words at the media luncheon evoked a
strong reaction. The Belgian wire service Belga issued a
news alert headlined "U.S. Ambassador Asks for 100 Troops for
Afghanistan" within 15 minutes of the journalists leaving the
Ambassador's residence. The story under the headline
correctly reported that the numbers mentioned by the
Ambassador were symbolic and that no formal or explicit
request has been made by the United States. Nevertheless,
the headline spread and other media issued similar reports
based on the Belga dispatch. Coverage of the Ambassador's
message about Belgium's credibility and moral leadership
dominated the evening television news and the next day's
print media. MP's Van Der Maelen and De Vriendt both issued
press releases. De Vriendt's said "the U.S. Ambassador's
proposal to send 100 troops to Afghanistan is absurd." "I do
not believe we will solve the problems in Afghanistan with
more troops," said Van Der Maelen. On Monday, January 18, a
key francophone Socialist minister, Laurette Onkelinx, said
flatly that "there will not be anything additional for the
time being given that we are already massively present in
that country."


6. (U) At this point, the Embassy intensified the
Ambassador's press appearances and his schedule of private
meetings with politicians, especially those opposed to an
increase. It also issued a press release pointing out that
in essence, we agree that there is no purely military
solution to the problems in Afghanistan and emphasizing that
"given Belgium's immense credibility within the partnership
of nations, Belgium's participation in the increased civilian
reconstruction and law enforcement efforts, and in the
increased military effort designed to provide the security
framework to allow such reconstruction efforts to proceed,
would be very meaningful." The press release also offered to
discuss Afghanistan at length with members of Parliament. On
January 18, the Embassy received a call from the
parliamentary committees that deal with foreign relations and
defense inviting the Ambassador to address a joint session of
the House and Senate Committees on Defense and Foreign
Relations on January 20.


7. (U) Also on January 18, the Ambassador appeared on a
leading late-night political talk show, "Phara". The other
guests in the round-tableinister of
Defense and the newly appointed Archbishop of Belgium. That
night, "Qhara's" audience of 200,000 viewers heard the
Ambassador's explanation of Belgium's potential ole in
Afghanistan directly.


8. (C) JanuarQ 20 the Ambassador had an active schedule whch
included a meeting in the city of Mons wiQh the head of the
francophone Socialist Party ragraph 5. However, he toldQ
Di Rupo how during the weekend the Belgian B-Fst team sent
to assist in Haiti had run id called the State Department
operations center and obtained additional protection from the
U.S. troops in Haiti. The situation was analogous to
Afghanistan, the Ambassador said, in that it was impossible
to provide the needed humanitarian assistance without proper
security. This idea hit home with Di Rupo and also with the
Belgian politicians the Ambassador talked with over the next
few days. A greater Belgian effort is "very difficult", Di
Rupo told the Ambassador, but "not impossible". Di Rupo
emphasized mainly the cost of such an effort, but said he
would "propose something to Prime Minister Leterme" because
Belgium should show it is ready to help. The Ambassador's
visit to Mons was well-covered by the local and regional

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newspapers and television stations.


9. (C) Later on January 20, the Ambassador met with the
Groen! party's De Vriendt. He then appeared before the
Senate and House Foreign Affairs and Defense committees, once
again emphasizing that the important thing in the Afghanistan
debate is what Belgium brings to the table in credibility and
support, and only secondarily in numbers of troops. De
Vriendt and Vandermaelen stated their opposing views in
detail. De Vriendt did say, however, that 2010 will be a
"year of truth" and a new strategy will have to be developed
based on results. MP Georges Dallemagne (CdH) echoed some of
the themes sounded by Di Rupo. He said that Belgium needs to
work hard in cooperation with the U.S. to convince other
European countries that Afghanistan is important to global
security. Belgium should participate in the Afghan mission
in proportion to what it can contribute, he said, which
should include "a more important civilian contribution". At
the same time, he said that such support must be efficient
and the Afghan government must show it is willigt combat
corruption. Dalltings, one
with Afghanistan critic Dirk Van Der Maelen (Sp.a) and the
other with the president of the Belgian Senate, Armand De
Decker (CdH). De Decker, who is a former Minister of
Development Cooperation (2004-2007) in the Verhofstadt
government, said that there is still no good policy at the EU
level for development in Afghanistan. The Ambassador
discussed the need for more military and civilian help at
length. When the meeting ended, De Decker told the
Ambassador that he would be making an announcement that would
be pleasant to his ears. In fact, later in the day, De
Decker released a press statement that called on Belgium to
explore leading a PRT. The press reaction to De Decker's
statement noted that De Decker's new strategy followed a
lengthy meeting with the Ambassador.


13. (C) Van Der Maelen was more difficult to convince.
However, the Ambassador and Van Der Maelen developed a warm
personal relationship and found several areas of agreement:
that one cannot leave the problem of terrorism unaddressed,
that the solution to Afghanistan is not a military one, that
there is a need for development in the country to achieve
peace and security. Van Der Maelen said he would support the
idea of more development aid for Afghanistan. However, he
simply does not believe the West can succeed in making
Afghanistan secure. His alternative suggestion is that
troops from Muslim countries replace American and European
soldiers and that a regional conference of Afghanistan's
neighbors and the Taliban be held to seek a negotiated peace.



14. (C) On January 25, the Ambassador met with Andre Flahaut
(PS) in his office. The Ambassador discussed his various
meetings over the previous week, noting that in spite of
differences, he had found areas of agreement. Flahaut said
that he had not heard a clear statement of a need for troops
from the Minister of Defense. He added that he thought
leading a PRT would be a good way Belgium could contribute
more. He sees a need for a thorough re-thinking of Belgium's
contributions to Afghanistan that will bring not only the

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government but also the Flemish Socialists into agreement.
Flahaut suggested that perhaps Belgium could do more,
including adding one or two C-130 transport aircraft, medical
teams, demining experts, and reinforcement of a PRT with more
people. At the same time, he reiterated his misgivings about
De Crem, criticizing his lack of "transparency" in putting
his plans for Afghanistan into effect.


15. (C) Later that same day, the Ambassador met with Prime
Minister Leterme to stress the points he had been making in
the press and to other Belgian politicians. Leterme told the
Ambassador that the decision on the Afghanistan deployment
had been made after President Obama's Afghanistan speech. He
defended the size of Belgium's deployment as proportional to
Belgium's social, military and economic weight. However, he
did say that Foreign Minister Vanackere's report from the
January 28 London Conference could "bring new views."

GUTMAN

GUTMAN

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