AUSTRIA NOT PREPARED TO EXPAND ISAF PRESENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000195 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/A (RUSH) AND EUR/RPM (CARLAND AND COPE) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2020 TAGS: MASS PREL NATO AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA NOT PREPARED TO EXPAND ISAF PRESENCE REF: A. STATE 14366 ¶B. VIENNA 65 Classified by: DCM J. Dean Yap (acting) for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) With the Ambassador traveling in Austria outside of Vienna, the DCM raised reftel A points February 19 with Gerhard Jandl, MFA Security Policy Director. Jandl noted that the GOA was preparing to send five police trainers to the EUPOL mission in Afghanistan (reftel B),and said Austria was not in a position to provide additional ISAF support at this time. He said there was a possibility that Austria could provide rescue workers in response to a recent avalanche in Afghanistan. ¶2. (C) Polchief also discussed reftel A points February 19 with Bernhard Zimburg, MFA East Asia Director. Zimburg said officials at the Defense Ministry were interested in expanding the Austrian presence in ISAF within the existing mandate, which allows for up to 10 Austrian personnel serving within the greater Kabul area. There are currently two Austrians serving in ISAF. Zimburg said he did not now whether Defense Minister Darabos -- who has publicly opposed sending additional troops to Afghanistan -- would support an increase. Zimburg said the GOA would likely leave the mandate intact at least through 2010, as expanding it could be politically unpopular. EACHO