NATO'S SCR RANKS REINTEGRATION, DELIVERING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000040 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2020 TAGS: PREL MOPS AF MCAP NATO SUBJECT: NATO'S SCR RANKS REINTEGRATION, DELIVERING CIVILIAN EFFECT, AND 2010 AFGHAN ELECTIONS AS FOCAL POINTS Classified By: Political Advisor Kelly Degnan for reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C/REL ISAF) Summary. NATO's Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) in Afghanistan, Fernando Gentilini, told ISAF representatives January 27 that reintegration, enhancing NATO's civilian effect on the ground, and the 2010 Afghan Parliamentary elections were the three most important issues facing ISAF before the spring Kabul conference on Afghanistan. Notable for his positive tone, Gentilini said a more "progressive" relationship between the Afghan government and the international community had developed in recent months. The NATO Secretary General, Rasmussen, called on nations to fully resource the NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A),stressing the importance of NTM-A training to the longer-term goal of transferring lead security responsibility to Afghans. Rasmussen also introduced Gentilini's successor, current UK Ambassador to Kabul Mark Sedwill, and discussed NATO's participation at the January 28 London conference on Afghanistan. Germany announced several new contributions to the effort in Afghanistan. END Summary. -------------- Reintegration Mechanisms Needed -------------- ¶2. (C/REL ISAF) During his last meeting with Allies and ISAF non-NATO troop contributors on January 27, Ambassador Gentilini struck a positive tone while underscoring the challenges of ISAF's mission. Reintegration, enhancing NATO's civilian effect on the ground, and the 2010 Afghan Parliamentary elections were the three most important issues for ISAF before the spring Kabul conference. Gentilini supported expanding the SCR's mandate to improve civilian coordination, with UNAMA retaining the overall lead. UK Ambassador to Afghanistan Mark Sedwill also joined the meeting; Rasmussen named Sedwill as Gentilini's successor. ¶3. (C/REL ISAF) Gentilini said that a positive momentum had developed within the Afghan government on reconciliation and reintegration policy in the last few months but political and operational challenges still remained. The Afghan government's approach on reconciliation and reintegration encompasses both a top-down and a bottom-up approach, he explained. Gentilini encouraged ISAF to start its reintegration efforts, including developing a funding mechanism, while the Afghan government developed its high-level efforts. He suggested ISAF strengthen the integration of its civilian and military efforts. Both would allow the international community to be more effective on the ground while giving the Afghan President a position of strength in reconciliation and reintegration talks. ISAF must set the conditions for success then step back and allow the Afghans to take over. -------------- Strengthening ISAF's Civilian Effect -------------- ¶4. (C/REL ISAF) Gentilini agreed with nations that UNAMA must retain the lead on coordinating international assistance in Afghanistan, but noted it was also critical to strengthen the NATO SCR's office and better align ISAF's civilian efforts with the military's strategy, particularly with the military's district-by-district prioritization of its operations. According to Gentilini, civilian efforts should be focused in the military's priority districts to maximize the civilian and military integration of effort. While France stressed the UN's role in Afghanistan, the PermRep said France favored enhancing the SCR's role and reinforcing the links between ISAF and other international community actors on the ground, as long as this took place under USNATO 00000040 002 OF 003 UNAMA's leadership. ¶5. (C/REL ISAF) In response to Norway's question on how to best strengthen the SCR's office, Gentilini said that the most important resource provided would be the people. He encouraged the Council to avoid over-developing the SCR's Terms of Reference and mandate, focusing instead on mobilizing ISAF civilians and getting the right people with the right skills in place. Newly appointed SCR Sedwill supported this view and said his goal would be to leverage the people and capacities already in Kabul at the NATO Embassies, not try to build a new empire. His aim would be to deliver a more coherent approach to civilian efforts by cohesively combining the ideas of NATO Ambassadors and their national agendas in order to achieve unity of effort that would better mirror COMISAF's unity of command. ¶6. (C/REL ISAF) Sweden supported Gentilini's view that the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) should share the responsibility for the coordination of ISAF's civilian effects. Gentilini encouraged nations to build upon existing mechanisms such as the PRT Executive Steering Committee and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance as a means for ISAF to strengthen its delivery of civilian effects on the ground. According to Gentilini, the donor community should also mobilize itself in support of all civilian activities on the ground to make the largest impact. -------------- 2010 Elections -------------- ¶7. (C/REL ISAF) Gentilini cautioned that the 2010 Parliamentary Elections should not become a distraction to ISAF's reintegration and civilian efforts. In his view, Allies were too consumed with all aspects of the 2009 Presidential and Provincial elections. ISAF should allow the United Nations Development Program to lead on all political aspects of elections, concentrating instead on demonstrating ANSF progress and providing a supportive security element. The Independent Electoral Commission's announcement to postpone the 2010 elections until the Fall was a good sign of the IEC's political maturation and greater understanding of the current security situation. According to Gentilini, this was an example of a stronger partnership between the international community and the Afghan government. -------------- We've Got a Partner in Kabul -------------- ¶8. (C/REL ISAF) Gentilini said the relationship between the international community and the Afghan government in Kabul was "progressive" compared to a couple of months ago, adding the Ministries of the Interior and Defense were reliable partners. Gentilini highlighted the January 20 Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) meeting as an example of the Afghan government being well-prepared and organized, lauding the Afghans for presenting well-developed concepts and papers that were eventually adopted or noted at the JCMB meeting. But, Gentilini said, the international community must maintain pressure on the Afghan government to reduce corruption. -------------- Trainers Needed -------------- ¶9. (C/REL ISAF) SecGen Rasmussen called on Allies to fully resource NTM-A, stressing that the training to be provided to the Afghan security forces was necessary if ISAF was to successfully carry out its goal of transferring lead security responsibility to the Afghan authorities. The SYG recognized that the January 20 JCMB approval to grow the ANSF to 300,000 USNATO 00000040 003 OF 003 by 2011 was ambitious and a challenge for NATO, but he stressed that this growth must be resourced. ¶10. (C/REL ISAF) Reporting on the January 26-27 meeting of NATO Chiefs of Defense, the Director of the International Military Staff (DIMS) said that COMISAF had confirmed a gap of 1300 trainers for the ANSF's development. As a result, DIMS tasked SHAPE to draft a comprehensive report of the resource gap implications which he planned to brief to ISAF nations in February. -------------- Rasmussen's Participation at London -------------- ¶11. (C/REL ISAF) Rasmussen said that he and COMISAF would attend the January 28 Afghanistan Conference in London, where he planned to present Ambassador Sedwill as the new NATO SCR. Rasmussen planned to highlight ISAF's new troop commitments of more than 37,000 pledged at the December 7 ISAF Force Generation Conference, outline NATO's approach on transition, and stress the need for ISAF and the international community to coordinate civilian efforts on the ground. The SYG stressed that ISAF's transition strategy was not an exit strategy, but a strategy that created the conditions for the ANSF to gradually take over security responsibility in districts and provinces. Rasmussen expected a concrete commitment at the Conference from the Afghan government and the international community in support of COMISAF's efforts in Afghanistan. -------------- Germany's New Contribution -------------- ¶12. (C/REL ISAF) Germany announced it would double its development and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan to 430 million Euro in 2010 and provide 50 million Euros to a Reintegration Trust Fund, once it was formally established. Germany also planned to increase its current troop ceiling in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 5,000 and restructure its military presence on the ground by devoting 1,400 troops to training. In addition and separate from raising its troop ceiling, Germany announced it would have 350 new troops on reserve, probably for use as election reinforcements. Germany also planned to add 80 additional police to train the Afghan National Police and increase its contribution to the European Union Police Training Mission in Afghanistan to 60. Parliamentary approval, expected after the London conference, would be necessary. ¶13. (C/REL ISAF) COMMENT: Gentilini's final remarks to ISAF nations were notable for their positive tone. He left the strong impression that even with the tough challenges he has faced in the job, he remains confident ISAF's mission in Afghanistan can be accomplished. DAALDER