ENGAGING SWEDEN TO CONCLUDE "LIFE SUPPORT" MOU IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000077

SIPDIS

KABUL/USAID FOR ANN MARIE YASTISHOCK
IPA FOR PATRICIA MCNERNEY
MAZAR FOR DOUG CLIMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL EAID PHUM SNAR PINR PTER AF SW
SUBJECT: ENGAGING SWEDEN TO CONCLUDE "LIFE SUPPORT" MOU IN
AFGHANISTAN PRT

REF: A. KABUL 437

B. KABUL 376

C. 2009 STOCKHOLM 796

Classified By: Political Counselor Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b,d)

1.(C) On February 17, Poloffs handed over the revised draft
of the U.S.-Sweden MOU on Life Support to Carl Magnus
Eriksson, Deputy Director of the Security Policy Department
at the MFA, General Lennart Bengtsson, Military Advisor to
the MFA and a representative from the MOD's Security Policy.
Eriksson stated that Sweden "welcomes" the MOU and the
expanding USG civilian presence, and Sweden would like to
"facilitate" the deployment of additional USG civilians. The
MFA and MOD would review the amended MOU and would work on
the "logistics" from "a practical point of view." Eriksson
and Bengtsson expressed relief that the MOU had been amended
in Sections V (E) and (F) with "self-drive" and "within the
means and capabilities available" language regarding ground
movements. When asked about the Armed Forces review of the
document mentioned in our earlier meeting (Ref C),the MOD
representative said a final analysis was pending, but
reminded Poloffs of the limited Swedish military resources in
the PRT.


2. (C) Eriksson said the Swedes have a schedule of
enhancements at their three provincial offices in Sar-e Pul,
Jowzjan and Samangan that will run into 2011. Sweden wants
to see "enhanced capabilities in far-out regions" to be able
to accommodate additional Swedish staff as well as USG
civilians. GEN Bengtsson shared a timeline put together by
the Armed Forces -- which MFA and MOD had not yet approved in
final -- regarding Sweden's ability to accommodate USG
personnel in the different provinces. The Armed Forces
expects that 1-3 USAID officers could be accommodated in Camp
Northern Light by April 1, in Shibirghan by June 1, in Aibak
by December 31, and in Sar-e Pul by June 30, 2011. In a
follow-up call, GEN Bengtsson remarked that facilities were
so limited in some of the provincial offices, especially in
Sar-e Pul, that current staff were already "hot bunking."


3. (U) Poloffs proposed a conference call among Stockholm,
U.S. Embassy Kabul, and PRT Mazar. Eriksson readily agreed
such would be useful after he had time to discuss the MOU
with relevant offices.
BARZUN