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C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 
TAGS: MARR KPKO PGOV PREL EI SU XY
SUBJECT: IRELAND CONSIDERING REDEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS 
 
 
Classified By: DCM JONATHAN S. BENTON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D) 
 
¶1. (C)   Summary and Action Request.  On March 23, the DCM 
met with Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy 
Political Director Colm O'Floinn and UN/Terrorism and Illicit 
Drugs Director John Deady regarding GOI plans for the 
potential redistribution of its peacekeeping forces by the 
end of 2006.  Earlier, Ambassador, DCM and DATT had a similar 
discussion with Irish Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary 
General Michael Howard.  O'Floinn and Deady expressed 
concerns over the UN's lack of a plan for replacing the 
Irish/Swedish Quick Reaction Force Peacekeepers, noting that, 
rather than tying a Swedish/Irish departure to a closure of 
the QRF, they should be at least looking for replacements if 
necessary.  They added that the GOI is considering a 
redeployment of its forces to Darfur.  Embassy requests 
coordinated USG views on where we feel the Irish contingent 
would most usefully go, in order to help steer Irish 
peacekeeping decisions.  End summary and action request. 
 
Irish peacekeepers to leave Liberia? 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2.  (C)  Ambassador, DCM and DATT met March 8 with Irish 
Department of Defense Secretary General Michael Howard, and 
on March 23, DCM and emboffs met with Department of Foreign 
Affairs Deputy Political Director and Security Affairs 
Director Colm O'Floinn and UN/Terrorism and Illicit Drugs 
Director John Deady regarding GOI plans for the potential 
redistribution of its peacekeeping forces.  O'Floinn and 
Deady said that by the end of 2006, Ireland is likely to 
redeploy Irish soldiers that are currently serving in 
Liberia, but has yet to decide where to send these troops. 
The GOI can deploy up to 850 troops overseas, and generally 
likes to have as close to that number ) a huge percentage of 
their standing forces - deployed as possible.  There are 
about 450 troops in Liberia, making it Ireland's largest 
overseas deployment at this time and the largest Western 
national force in Liberia.  They added that Ireland supports 
the need for the presence of a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) in 
Liberia and expressed disappointment that the UN has yet to 
formulate plans on replacing their Liberian contingency if it 
leaves. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Howard, O'Floinn, and Deady, noted the following 
points regarding their African peacekeeping deployments: 
 
--In Liberia, The Swedes comprise one third of the QRF, with 
the Irish making up the other two thirds.  On March 10, the 
Swedish government informed the GOI that it intends to pull 
its assets out of Liberia at the end of the year in order to 
refit into a Nordic Battlegroup scheme.  Ireland has had a 
similar timetable for some time. 
--The GOI is still not completely convinced, however, that 
Liberia will be stable enough to leave at the end of the 
year.  Deady relayed some concern that supporters of former 
Liberian president Charles Taylor may "pull some stunts" over 
his likely extradition and prosecution. 
--Although the DPKO office is "pressuring" Ireland to be 
flexible, there is some irritation at the Irish DOD and DFA 
that it seems to be only looking at the Swedish/Irish forces 
to carry out the rapid reaction function in Liberia.  They 
are open to arguments to stay (they may be more flexible on 
that score than the Swedes), but feel a Swedish/Irish 
departure should not necessarily spell the end of QRF. 
--The Irish government has publicly said it plans to send a 
contingent to the Congo, but that unit will be very small 
(newspapers have said ten soldiers) and might not be affected 
by a Liberia decision.  The Irish DOD still has serious 
security concerns about the mission and LTG James Sreenan, 
Chief of Staff of the IDF, has stated that the IDF will only 
participate if the deployed force is robust and contains 
sufficient resources to accomplish the mission. 
 
Battlegroups and Irish Legislation 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  A significant part of neutral Ireland's 
peacekeeping strategy is to participate in an EU battlegroup. 
 Their most concrete planning is currently with the Swedes, 
although they are keeping lines open with others for possible 
inclusion if arrangements to be paired with the Swedes do not 
work out.  Irish overseas military deployment is potentially 
hampered by the self-imposed "triple lock" on overseas 
deployments, which requires a formal government decision, 
parliamentary approval, and a clear UN mandate prior to any 
deployment overseas of the Irish Defence Forces.  The Irish 
DOD is spearheading a government effort to enact new 
legislation that will make conditions for overseas military 
deployments clearer, including by noting an exception from 
the "triple lock" for very small deployments, training 
missions, and emergency humanitarian deployments.  Currently, 
deployments of 12 or less soldiers are permitted without the 
"triple lock" but the legality of such deployments is 
questionable.  Proposed legislation would also broaden the 
language required of a UNSC resolution to "authorize" Irish 
participation.  Although the government would like to get 
this legislation introduced and acted upon before the summer 
recess, the impending national parliamentary election cycle 
(probably May of 2007) could get in the way.  Both DFA and 
DOD interlocutors indicated failure to pass the proposed 
legislation will not affect possible African Deployments in 
the short run. 
 
Darfur 
-------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  If it does not pull its forces out of Liberia, 
Ireland will be in no position to send forces to Darfur.  If 
it does pull out of Liberia by the end of the calendar year, 
however, it expects it will probably be part of a Western 
(probably rapid reaction) force in Darfur.  The Irish Defense 
Department expects that it would take at least 2-3 months to 
"refit" its Liberia contingent for Darfur.  With a small 
number of standing forces, the roughly 400-500 troops that 
would go to Darfur would essentially be the same ones rotated 
in and out of Liberia at the present time. 
 
Comment 
----------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  The Irish are clearly deciding what to do next with 
their limited number of forces informally dedicated to 
peacekeeping in Africa.  The assumption of the diplomats and 
the military leadership (as well as, we believe, the 
politicians and the uniformed military) is that Ireland will 
continue to keep at least 700 troops overseas, with 
approximately 450 in Africa.  If they leave Liberia, they 
will go elsewhere in Africa.  As they decide what to do next, 
the desires of the UN leadership and DPKO will weigh the 
heaviest.  But the GOI will also be sensitive to EU politics, 
EU Battlegroup configuration, and U.S. concerns.  We request 
coordinated guidance from the Department so that we may 
convey U.S. views to the Irish in time to influence their 
decision. 
 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
Visit Dublin's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/dublin/index. cfm 
KENNY