VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSM #0272 1021516
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 111516Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3342
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0078
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0077

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2018 
TAGS: PREL MOPS PINR PGOV IZ AF SW
SUBJECT: THREE ISSUES FOR MOD TOLGFORS APRIL 17 CALL ON 
SECDEF GATES 
 
REF: A. STATE 19616 
     ¶B. STOCKHOLM 187 
 
Classified By: Ambassador M. Wood for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C) In connection the upcoming April 16-17 visit by 
Swedish Minister of Defense Sten Tolgfors to Washington, 
Embassy recommends raising two requests regarding specific 
additional contributions in Afghanistan (ref A) and Sweden's 
pending decision on participation in NATO's Rapid Response. 
We also recommend thanking Sweden for hosting the upcoming 
International Compact with Iraq Conference.  End Summary. 
 
Supporting ISAF in Afghanistan 
------------------------------ 
¶2.  (C) We demarched MFA and MOD regarding ref A request for 
the Swedish Armed Forces to deploy a Battalion-level 
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) to Afghanistan 
(Ref B). Although Sweden has promised to continue and do more 
in Afghanistan, we have received no reply regarding the 
OMLT,s.   We recommend Secretary Gates raise the issue with 
Defense Minister Tolgfors at their April 17 meeting. 
 
¶3.  (C) For the battalion OMLT to be operationally effective 
would require a change in the current Swedish policy that 
decisions to deploy Swedish soldiers outside their PRT area 
be made in Stockholm, rather than in the field.  Our sources 
indicate no such deliberation is underway.  In addition, the 
Swedish Armed Forces has indicated its desire on several 
occasions to deploy Medevac helicopters, JAS-39 Gripen 
aircraft and possibly additional soldiers in its PRT.  The 
Ministers current views on these subjects would prove 
enlightening. 
 
NATO Rapid Response 
---------------------------- 
¶4.  (C) Sweden,s MOD had earlier expressed an interest and 
the politicians are currently deliberating Sweden,s 
participation in the January-July 2010 NATO Response Force 
¶14.  We had hoped that, like Finland, Sweden would announce 
their commitment to the effort at the Bucharest Summit.  The 
decision was delayed by haggling within the governing 
center-right coalition (which is led by the Moderate Party, 
of which Tolgfors is a member).  The pivotal Center Party is 
hesitant, but a decision in favor of participation has not 
been precluded.  The likely scope of Sweden,s potential 
contribution has not been declared, though the Swedish Armed 
Forces had said it would likely be a land component. Sweden 
currently leads and contributes 2300 personnel to an EU 
battle group with a core mechanized battalion, and intends to 
do this again in 2011.  There is however no reason to believe 
this level of effort would be offered for the NRF 14.  Sweden 
must fund, recruit and train and from a pool of former 
conscripts and reserve soldiers to field a force of this 
nature as it has limited standing forces for this task. 
 
 
International Compact With Iraq Conference (ICI) 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
¶5.  (C) On April 3, Prime Minister Fredrick Reinfeldt 
announced that Sweden will host the May 29 ICI conference on 
Iraq, co-chaired by UN SYG Ban and Iraq PM Maliki.  Secretary 
Rice will attend.  Reinfeldt stated what Sweden hopes to see 
is the groundwork for civilian missions that build a country 
in the long term, adding that Sweden plans to be very active. 
 Likely Swedish contributions to Iraq rebuilding efforts are 
civilian and therefore largely outside the portfolio of 
Minister Tolgfors, but we recommend Secretary Gates thank 
Minister Tolgfors for the GoS hosting this conference. 
 
¶6.  (C) Bio comment:  The Ambassador has cultivated a close 
working relationship with Tolgfors from Tolgfors' prior job 
as Minister of Foreign Trade.  Tolgfors went to high school 
in the U.S. and told the Ambassador he loves the U.S. and 
maintains friends there. 
WOOD