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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 003253 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA AND WHA/CAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2016 
TAGS: CA IS KJUS PREL XF MEPI
SUBJECT: CANADA GIVES STRONG SUPPORT FOR U.S. SECURITY 
COORDINATOR FOR ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY 
 
Classified By: POLMINCOUNS Brian Flora, reasons 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
¶1. (C/NF) Summary:  U.S. Security Coordinator LTG Keith 
Dayton met October 19-20 with FM MacKay, Public Safety 
Minister Day, Defense Minister O'Connor, and other senior 
officials from CIDA, PCO, PMO, DND, and DFAIT to thank Canada 
for the contribution it has made to U.S. efforts to improve 
security in Gaza and the West Bank, and to solicit continuing 
support for the mission.  Canada has three military officers 
and one retired border official on the Jerusalem-based team, 
and Dayton told Canadian officials that these officers are 
worth their weight in gold because of their ability to move 
in places where Americans cannot go, and for their perceived 
neutrality with both Israel and Palestine.  All officials he 
met with were supportive of the mission, and were open to the 
possibility of doing more because they were all made to 
clearly understand that the USSC does not work with any 
elements of the Palestinian government with Hamas 
affiliations.  Ministerial officials have already identified 
a donor and project management 
team leader who could be joining the USSC team in a matter of 
weeks.  They will also consider the new request of adding a 
legal or financial management officer on the civilian side, 
and an officer or two with force development planning 
experience on the military side.  Canadian officials were 
less optimistic with regards to additional project money for 
anything other than the Karni crossing because of the strong 
Tory position against funding for Hamas. When asked how the 
US was providing assistance to Palestinians, the example of 
USAID money was provided. The Canadians said that they would 
consider a similar approach through the START fund, a 
USAID-like operation.  The message from our Canadian hosts 
was consistent -- Canada wants to work with the United States 
to find solutions to the problems in the Middle East and 
elsewhere.  End Summary 
 
¶2. (C/NF) On October 19-20 U.S. Security Coordinator LTG 
Keith Dayton traveled to Ottawa to thank Canada for its 
support and hold discussions with senior Canadian officials 
on the future of the mission.  The visit was facilitated by 
Ambassador Jill Sinclair, now Assistant Secretary to the 
Cabinet in PCO, who returned from Jerusalem recently where 
she was Canadian coordinator for the Middle East Peace 
Process.  She takes a strong interest in the Coordinator's 
mission.  Dayton was accompanied by his aide, Major Timothy 
Kane, and one of his Canadian staff members, Colonel Michael 
Pearson; Embassy Political Officer Keith Mines accompanied as 
notetaker. 
 
¶3. (C/NF) LTG Dayton explained his mission to each of the 
interlocutors, praising the four Canadian members of his team 
and explaining both how the mission fits in the overall 
Middle East peace process and how it has changed since the 
Hamas election and the war in Lebanon.  He appealed for the 
continuation of Canadian personnel support and for 
consideration of a financial contribution.  Dayton received a 
very positive reception from all, with the message that 
Canada sees this as an important mission and will continue to 
QCanada sees this as an important mission and will continue to 
support it.  On specific requests he was told the following: 
 
--    Overall support for mission: All agreed that Canada 
would continue to support the mission and that this is 
exactly the kind of thing it is looking to do in the Middle 
East, i.e. use its technical skills and neutrality in 
high-profile missions where it can make a difference. 
 
--    Increase in Personnel: We were told that a potential 
project management team leader is in the pipeline, and that 
the GOC would consider other positions such as a legal 
advisor and accountant on the civilian side, and force 
planners on the military side. 
 
--    Financial Support for Karni Crossing: The Harper 
government established a clear red line on funding for the 
Hamas government that would be difficult to walk back from 
now.  GOC officials said they would look at the possibility 
of using START (Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force) 
money, which is more flexible, to fund some aspects of 
crossing improvements that would not be perceived as a direct 
contribution the Palestinian Authority government outside of 
 
OTTAWA 00003253  002 OF 003 
 
 
the direct reports to President Abbas. 
 
FM MACKAY 
--------- 
 
¶4. (C/NF) FM MacKay told LTG Dayton that one of the largest 
challenges he faces is convincing Canadians that an 
international military security presence is needed in order 
to keep Canadians safe.  For the current generation of 
Canadians it is a shock to see soldiers killed, but if Canada 
believes in law, democratization, and human rights, it must 
be willing to fight for it.  He said that this is a very 
short time frame of engagement in countries that have had a 
long time for things to go wrong and that Canadians must 
learn to be patient.  MacKay said he is very pleased with the 
elevated level of contacts which his government has with the 
United States and its increasing ability to jointly get 
things done. 
 
¶5. (C/NF) MacKay was very interested in how the mission was 
proceeding and on LTG Dayton's take on developments in the 
Middle East.  The Foreign Minister then said that Canada has 
a unique place in the world as a respected middle power with 
a tremendous capacity that the government intends to use to 
make a difference.  One role revolves around the Refugee 
Working Group, for which Canada holds the gavel.  He said 
that he believes this working group can be helpful to broader 
Middle Eastern peace efforts since so many of the intractable 
problems go back to the issue of refugees; Canada is in a 
position to make a positive difference.  Abbas, he said, is 
not great, but "the best we've got."  He also mentioned that 
since Canada has a mission in both Syria and Iran, it could 
be a bridge for the U.S. in these places.  He also offered 
that Canada could play a role in ongoing prisoner 
negotiations. 
 
Ministers Day and O'Connor 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C/NF) Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day simply wanted 
to know what more Canada could do and suggested that if there 
was a need for more border expertise like the one retired 
Canadian Border Services officer currently on the team, he 
would support the request.  Minister O'Connor was similarly 
supportive of the mission while remaining non-committal on 
specific requests. 
 
PMO/PCO 
------- 
 
¶7. (C/NF) PMO Director of Policy and Research Mark Cameron 
said that it will be difficult to provide funding to any 
entity close to the Hamas government, but that the GOC would 
continue to support the mission broadly.  He asked whether 
NATO or the EU could play a larger role.  PMO Policy Advisor 
Keith Fountain was interested in what niche Canada could best 
play in the mission and how to exploit it. 
 
¶8. (C/NF) PCO Foreign Policy Advisor to the PM, David 
Mulroney, said that Canada was looking for ways to use its 
various strengths to advance our common ends, and was always 
interested in coordinating with the U.S. to achieve greater 
synergy.  He said Canada continues to want to play a balanced 
role and is looking for ways to re-energize its efforts in 
the region.  The FM will be seeing King Abdullah in a few 
weeks and may see FM Livni on the margins of the BMENA 
meetings.  Canada is looking for ways to get back to playing 
a positive, productive role with the Palestinians. Mulroney 
Qa positive, productive role with the Palestinians. Mulroney 
said he is pleased that there are things like the USSC 
mission that Canada can contribute to in the region.  The 
challenge is in finding places to put funding that contribute 
to stability without flaunting the ban on funding to the 
Hamas-led government.  Overall, Mulroney said, the GOC 
remains supportive of the mission and will factor this in as 
it looks for ways to increase its activity in the Levant. 
 
DND 
--- 
 
¶9.  (C/NF) BG Davies, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, 
 
OTTAWA 00003253  003 OF 003 
 
 
told LTG Dayton that Canada has 19 other missions ongoing and 
that there is a constant competition for people and 
resources.  There is "no shortage of places to do good work." 
 His command however recognizes the ability of a few good 
officers to have a disproportionate impact if well placed, 
and he sees this mission and the Strategic Advisory Team in 
Afghanistan as examples of low-cost, high-impact projects. 
Davies mentioned in passing that Canada is considering making 
tours of duty for key leadership positions in Afghanistan 
9-12 months, and that Canada will come out of the Afghan 
mission with the most combat capable force it has had in 
decades. 
 
DFAIT 
----- 
 
¶10. (C/NF) ADM for International Security Colleen Swords said 
that it is important for Canada to focus on the supporting 
missions, not just "the peace process" writ large.  She said 
she is looking at how to get around the current prohibition 
on funding a Hamas-tainted government and agreed that the way 
to do so might be to provide funds directly to the 
Presidential Guard. 
 
¶11. (C/NF) Gordon Venner, DG for the Middle East and North 
Africa said that the USSC had good reviews from everyone who 
reported on it.  He said that Canada sees a key role in 
"motivating moderate Arabs," and wants to proceed with 
increased urgency to do so.  Venner said that Canada could 
continue to support the Security Coordinator's mission, which 
he sees as one of the "most strategic missions" that Canada 
currently participates in. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS