This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

102029Z Aug 05

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002422 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO MASS MARR CA
SUBJECT: CANADA: FOLLOW-UP TO SEA ISLAND ACTION PLAN 
 
REF: STATE 139663 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED/NOFORN.  HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Following confirmation from the Italian Embassy that 
Italy's demarche on assistance to COESPU had been delivered, 
on August 4 polmiloff provided reftel points and web site 
information to Foreign Affairs (FAC) International Security 
Bureau (IDD) Director General Paul Chapin.  An information 
copy was shared with Assistant Deputy Minister (A/DM) Jim 
Wright's Executive Assistant. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Polmiloff discussed Canada's response to our 
demarche with Acting Desk Officer Tony Anderson in the 
Regional Security and Peacekeeping Division (IDR) (part of 
IDD Bureau) on August 9.  (NOTE: A contract employee with 
IDR, Anderson has been working the G-8 file for nearly a year 
and is considered to be FAC's staff-level expert on G-8 
security actions. END NOTE.)  Affirming Canada's full 
commitment to the Sea Island Action Plan to expand peace 
support operations, Anderson said that FAC was working to 
allocate the balance (CAD 30 million over four years) of its 
CAD 50 million Sea Island pledge.  The spending plan for the 
balance requires approval of the Treasury Board -- 
anticipated for submission by FAC in September. The Canadian 
approach, said Anderson, is to "seek targeted opportunities" 
in niche areas where Canada has expertise and where it can 
make a visible difference.  While there are no plans, at this 
time, to augment Canada's initial pledge, Anderson did not 
rule out the possibility of future funds from the new, 
multiple-year Global Peace and Security Fund established in 
this year's federal government budget exercise. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Anderson confirmed that CAD 20 million was disbursed 
earlier this year to the African Union Mission in the Sudan 
for tactical lift (helicopters).  Reluctant to provide a 
detailed breakdown of FAC proposals for the remaining CAD 30 
million, Anderson instead gave examples of the "types of 
assistance" under consideration.  These include: 
-- funding support for training of African soldiers through 
the Department of National Defence (DND) military assistance 
training program (MTAP), similar to USG's own IMET program. 
This would include both the carefully-vetted 6-month courses 
in which select African military officers join a regular 
class of Canadian officers in training, as well as a shorter 
(3 weeks) military observer course in which groups of African 
officers (up to 30) participate.  Anderson cited the success 
of the capacity-building Peace and Security Initiative for 
West Africa (PSI) through the Canada Fund for Africa pledged 
at the 2002 G-8 Kananaskis Summit as another example of 
assistance that might be continued. The PSI provided funds to 
ECOWAS for ten (10) African military planners to receive 
training in peace operations. 
 
CANADA RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN "STABILITY-POLICING" 
TRAINING AT COESPU 
 
¶4. (SBU/NF) Anderson said that Canada supports Italy's Center 
of Excellence for Stability Police Units (COESPU).  Insofar 
as stability policing is "not in Canada's tradition," 
however, the government believes it would be more 
cost-effective to concentrate on areas of Canadian expertise, 
such as "community-based policing."  Anderson talked of 
complementarity in achieving Global Peace Operations Program 
(GPOP) objectives -- it makes sense, he said, for the U.S. 
and Italy to proceed with "stability-based policing" 
initiatives, while the U.K. and Canada might be better 
positioned to undertake training in community-based policing. 
 Anderson insisted that "the door is not shut" to potential 
RCMP assistance to COESPU, noting that while Canada doesn't 
normally "do" gendarmerie-type policing, this was not to say 
that a bilingual RCMP officer couldn't be of some value. 
(COMMENT: Despite our best efforts to pin down Anderson's 
response, he would not/not give a categorical "yes" or "no" 
response to our request.  Post will attempt to gain clarity 
on Canada's position through other FAC contacts. END 
COMMENT). 
 
CFAC TRAINING ASSISTANCE REQUEST SHOULD GO THROUGH PEARSON 
CENTRE 
 
¶5. (SBU/NF) Regarding potential deployment of 
Spanish-speaking staff from the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre 
to help train the Conference of Central American Armed Forces 
(CFAC) battalion in Guatemala, Anderson stated that Canada is 
still "looking to establish" relations with CFAC and thus 
there exists no funding mechanism at this time.  He explained 
that while the Pearson Centre definitely "has the 
capabilities" to assist CFAC, it is a non-government entity 
only partly funded by the Canadian government.  Thus CFAC 
should be encouraged to contact the Pearson Centre directly 
with a specific proposal for assistance.  The Centre would 
then seek funding from the GOC, likely from the GPOP fund. 
The funding process, which includes Treasury Board approval, 
could take two to three months according to Anderson. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS