Wikileaks - DCCCXVIII

118198 8/8/2007 15:30 07USNATO448 Mission USNATO CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN 07STATE110089 VZCZCXRO4886 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHNO #0448/01 2201530 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 081530Z AUG 07 FM USMISSION USNATO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1103 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 0007 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0313 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 1382 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0593 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 2386 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0345 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0638 RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0195 RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0057 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0399 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0230 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0653 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 5735 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0329 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 3961 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA PRIORITY 7103 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0563 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 2355 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN PRIORITY 6988 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 5486 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS PRIORITY 7231 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 4057 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0439 C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000448

SIPDIS

NOFORN SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2017 TAGS: NATO, PREL, AF, AU SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT AUGUST 8 2007

REF: STATE 110089

Classified By: CDA Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (C) Summary from the NAC Meeting:

-- Afghanistan: D/SYG noted the upcoming Jirga in Kabul Aug 9-12 and applauded ISAF efforts in countering Taliban propaganda. The Deputy Chair of the Military Committee (DCMC) reported on the Border Security Sub-Committee Meetings, and the Ops Briefing showed an increase in OMF incidents. CDA briefed the NAC on the POTUS-Karzai meetings at Camp David. -- Balkans: Kosovo Troika set to meet with the Expanded Contact Group in London for the first time.

-- Darfur: CDA outlined U.S. support to the airlift of four Rwandan battalions; the UK PermRep informed the NAC of his country's airlift support for three Nigerian battalions.

-- Somalia: D/SYG reported the AU has requested NATO to extend its support for the AU mission.

-- Iraq: No briefing.

-- Statements on Political Subjects: Allies expressed serious concern over the alleged Russian missile strike near the territory of South Ossetia on 6 August, acknowledged Georgia's request for support from NATO and the international community, stressed that all the facts of the incident have not been determined, and called for NATO to continue to follow developments closely.

-- AOB: Both the U.S. and UK announced plans to release counter-narcotic programs in Afghanistan on August 9.

END SUMMARY.

Afghanistan
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2. (C) D/SYG noted that Karzai and Musharraf will attend the opening and closing sessions of the Jirga in Kabul Aug 9-12. He also noted that ISAF did a good job countering Taliban propaganda this week regarding civilian casualties in Helmand province. He stated that SACEUR has confirmed that US CENTCOM has issued guidance to OEF forces that parallels ISAF guidance designed to minimize civilian casualties.

3. (C) DCMC LTG Eikenberry reported on the Border Security Sub-Committee Meetings, which are chaired by ISAF Regional Commanders (East and South) and include senior Afghan and Pakistani officers and the ISAF DCOS for Ops. Issues discussed at the Meetings included: security in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province; enhanced communications; and intel sharing between Afghan and Pakistani border units. IN addition, the &Border Surveillance Center Concept8 ) to collocate ANA, Pakistani, and ISAF forces ) is now under development.

4. (C) Afghanistan ops briefing showed an increase in OMF incidents in Regions South and East and in Farah province; OMF are expected to increase ops in Kabul in the coming months and this week,s Kabul Jirga provides a target of opportunity to OMF. The Military Committee also provided a

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readout of conditions in Pakistan's FATA region (poor, local political autonomy, pop. 3.3 million). OMF activity is expected to continue in Helmand province, and Musa Qala remains an OMF stronghold. On 24 July, ISAF launched Operation Charkush in northern Helmand and established FOB Arnhem there. The NAC was also briefed on ISAF public affairs, effective effort to counter false Taliban claim of civilian casualties in Helmand,s Beghram district during recent ISAF precision bombing.

5. (SBU) CDA Olson briefed NAC on the POTUS/Karzai meetings at Camp David this week, emphasizing that atmospherics were very good and that public comments largely reflected the tone of private discussions.

6. (C) Lithuania noted that they will send a 54-person SOF unit to Kandahar city, without caveats, for a one-year tour. The unit should be fully operational within 2-3 weeks.

Balkans
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7. (SBU) The D/SYG noted for the Council UN SYG Ban Ki-Moon,s August 1 statement on the new period of engagement between Belgrade and Pristina which started the 120 day period of negotiations with a report back date of December 10. The DSYG informed the Council that a meeting of the Expanded Contact Group will take place in London on Thursday, August 9 where representatives will meet for the first time with the members of the Troika who will facilitate the upcoming negotiations. Deputy Assistant SYG Pardew will represent NATO and will update the Council following the meeting.

Darfur
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8. (C) CDA Olson informed the NAC that the U.S. intends to support airlift of four Rwandan (AU) Battalions and armored vehicles to El Fasher in the North Darfur region, Sudan and rotate three AU Battalions back to Rwanda. U.S. plan is to complete the airlift in the second half of September. U.K informed that its military would airlift a rotation of 3 Nigerian Battalions to Darfur.

Somalia
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9. (C) D/SYG informed the NAC that the African Union (AU) has requested NATO to extend its agreement to support the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until Feb 08. The current support agreement is set to expire 21 Aug 07. D/SYG said he would issue a memo to council later this week.

Statements on Political Subjects
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10. (C) The Spanish Charge, as OSCE Chair representative, voiced concern over the South Ossetia conflict and the alleged Russian missile strike near the territory on 6 August. He reminded Allies that Spain's Miguel Angel Moratinos currently has the OSCE Chair, and discussed the late-July visit to Tbilisi by the OSCE Special Envoy for meetings with HOSG and with the commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces there; the discussions acknowledged that implementation of some joint decisions on security issues in the Ossetia conflict have yet to be implemented (he mentioned joint policing as one example). He then stated that Moratinos

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has called for restraint on all sides with regard to the recent missile incident, and has requested an OSCE report with accurate and complete information. Finally, he noted that Georgia's Foreign Minister has asked for a strong OSCE response because Russia will view a weak response as encouragement for escalating the conflict.

11. (C) CDA Olson welcomed the OSCE Chair's statements on the missile incident, and drew on press guidance to note that we are following the issue closely, condemn any attack on sovereign Georgian territory and noted the need to move forward in solving the South Ossetia conflict. Olson urged the NAC to continue to follow the issue closely as the investigation of facts on the ground moves forward. Statements along similar lines were made by Reps from Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria;many of them informed Allies about bilateral disussions between their capitals and Georgian Miniters on the missile strike.

12. (C) Lithuanian nd Romanian Reps stressed that a commitment to the territorial sovereignty of Georgia is crucial (Romania stated that this was in line with the spirit of the Riga commitments). Latvia acknowledged the special relationship between Georgia and NATO. The Czech Republic stated that the incident should not escape our condemnation. France stated it was concerned about renewed tensions in the area, welcomed the role of the OSCE, and stressed the importance of determining the facts of the case, because &different versions8 were currently out there. (Portugal essentially seconded the French position). D/SYG then informed Allies that the IS was following the issue closely, but that it has not yet been formally approached by Georgian officials about the matter (he indicated that this is likely to happen within the next day or two).

AOB: U.S. and UK on CN Strategy for Afghanistan
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13. (C) Prior to the NAC meeting, per reftel, CDA briefed the D/SYG on the rollout of the U.S. CN strategy for Afghanistan. At the NAC, the U.S. stated that a new enhanced counter-narcotics program for Afghanistan will be announced on August 9 and it will highlight how U.S. plans to more effectively use its counter-narcotics resources. The UK PermRep briefed that his country, like the U.S., will rollout its CN strategy on August 9. The UK plan includes: enhanced interdiction; more military support for CN; more support for CN criminal justice; better eradication; and expanding Good Performers Initiative. The UK PermRep also explained that his government is &skeptical8 about aerial eradication, and that ISAF needs to follow the GoA lead on eradication.

OLSON