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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000370 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2016 
TAGS: MARR MCAP PREL IR FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT JOINING COALITION IN 
IRAQ: URGENT ACTION REQUEST 
 
REF: A. SUVA 352 
 
     ¶B. SUVA 340 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Sec. 1.4 (B,D) 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C) Chief Executive of the Fiji Ministry of Home Affairs 
Korovavala told us on Sept. 11 that recent conversations have 
convinced him the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) 
should join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq.  He wants 
to make the case strongly to a Cabinet subcommittee on Sept. 
¶21.  He envisions sending a company, perhaps by the end of 
the year, without taking numbers away from other RFMF 
deployments.  He specifically requested detail on "what can 
Fiji gain" from such a deployment in concrete assistance from 
the USG: military support; specialized equipment; other 
advantages in trade or otherwise.  He also asked in what 
parts of Iraq the RFMF might serve and on what duties. 
Please provide as detailed a response as possible as far in 
advance of Sept. 21 as possible.  This is an opportunity. 
End Summary. 
 
Fiji Home Affairs CEO advocates Iraq Coalition deployment 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
¶2. (C) The CEO of Fiji's Ministry of Home Affairs, Lesi 
Korovavala, sought an appointment with the Ambassador on 
Sept. 11.  He said Fiji's Cabinet subcommittee on PKO will 
meet on Sept. 21.  Korovavala wants to propose at the meeting 
that the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) join the 
Coalition of the Willing in Iraq.  Per reftels, this is a 
request that the U.S. has had on the table here since early 
2006, when RFMF Commander Bainimarama returned from a visit 
to Iraq with a desire to engage RFMF forces more in "the 
action" in Iraq, a step beyond the static protective role 
RFMF units now undertake with the UN.  Until now, we have 
heard nothing encouraging from Fiji's civilian leadership. 
We had heard repeatedly that a Cabinet decision of three 
years ago to restrict the RFMF to UN "blue hat" roles would 
be an impediment. 
 
¶3. (C) Two things seem to have changed.  First, Korovavala's 
deputy at Home Affairs, Ross Ligairi, just returned from a 
trip to the Middle East.  He was to assess current Fiji PKO 
operations in Iraq and with the MFO in the Sinai as part of a 
Cabinet review of what Fiji's PKO posture ought to be. 
Korovavala said Ligairi returned convinced that joining the 
Coalition is a good idea.  Also, the OIC of Fiji's contingent 
with UNAMI, BG Iowane Naivalurua, has been home in Suva on a 
break.  We spoke with him last Friday.  He was upbeat about 
the Coalition, and he deeply appreciated that Gen. Casey had 
invited him to a periodic Coalition briefing in late July. 
We urged him to talk with the Minister and CEO of Home 
Affairs.  Korovavala mentioned they had a conversation over 
the weekend.  Korovavala was impressed at the degree to which 
the RFMF's UNAMI force has made connections with the 
Coalition.  Now, Korovavala is intent to make the case to 
remove the "blue hat" restriction and to urge Cabinet 
approval for Coalition participation. 
 
A Company by end of 2006 is possible 
------------------------------------ 
¶4. (C) When asked, Korovavala made clear he is thinking any 
RFMF troops to the Coalition should be "an addition, not a 
substitute" for the current UN contingent.  When asked, 
Korovavala said he is thinking in terms of company strength. 
As for timing, Korovavala said if the Cabinet subcommittee 
were to approve the concept Sept. 21, a proposal could go to 
the full Cabinet around the end of October.  With approval 
there, which could be very quick, actual deployment could 
take place a couple of months later.  Korovavala said he is 
pretty confident that, if all the arguments are in place, the 
Cabinet subcommittee (Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Attorney 
General, Finance, and Public Enterprises) will be supportive. 
 If the subcommittee is supportive, everything else will fall 
into place. 
 
Question to answer ASAP: what's in it for Fiji? 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶5. (C) Korovavala emphasized that, as Home Affairs prepares 
its PKO paper for the Cabinet subcommittee, it needs "some 
more ummph" to add to standard arguments about the 
generalized benefits for Fiji of contributing to PKO.  He put 
it bluntly: "What can Fiji gain?"  An aspect is military: 
 
SUVA 00000370  002 OF 002 
 
 
"what kinds of things can Fiji look forward to regarding 
support" for the RFMF unit that joins the Coalition?  "Can 
the U.S. reconsider how it supports the RFMF beyond PKO 
training?"  "Can special equipment be considered?"  When 
asked what sorts of special equipment, Korovavala mentioned 
"hard skinned vehicles" as an example.  Fiji also wants to 
know "what types of duty" would be likely and in what part of 
Iraq?  Korovavala has heard that Gen. Casey sent a letter to 
the RFMF four weeks ago asking for staff officers at the 
Coalition headquarters.  He (and we) would like any details 
about such a request.  Korovavala also broadened the query to 
ask what other sorts of USG favors might Fiji obtain if it 
joins the Coalition?  He mentioned "trade" as a possible area 
of interest. 
 
Comment and action request 
-------------------------- 
¶6. (C) This is a breakthrough.  Neither Korovavala nor any 
other heavyweights in Home Affairs or MFA had given a sense 
of a possible green light in the past.  It is not clear to us 
that the Cabinet subcommittee will make a quick and easy 
decision.  Per previous reporting, there is a degree of 
concern at the top about Fiji's degree of involvement in PKO 
in general.  Still, the U.S. now has an opportunity. 
Clearly, the Fiji Government will want to know "what is in it 
for us" in a very practical way.  We have discouraged any 
thought of textile concessions, based on past guidance from 
USTR, but we need guidance on what sorts of things the USG is 
prepared to provide.  Home Affairs needs whatever concrete 
response we can generate ASAP, as far before Sept. 21 as 
possible. 
DINGER