VZCZCXRO0103
RR RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHSV #0352/01 2420026
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 300026Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY SUVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3269
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0037
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0003
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1276
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0002
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0001
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0002
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0886
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0005
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1068
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0255
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SUVA 000352 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ROME PLEASE PASS TO MFO: AMB. LAROCCO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 
TAGS: MARR KPKO MCAP PREL FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI AND PKO PARTICIPATION: CURRENT PROSPECTS FOR 
IRAQ, LEBANON, EAST TIMOR, AND ELSEWHERE 
 
REF: SUVA 340 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Sec. 1.4 (B,D) 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C) Fiji's Home Affairs Minister and CEO informed us that 
Fiji's Cabinet has approved deployment of 34 more troops to 
UNAMI in Iraq and 2 officers to East Timor.  A request for 
Fiji to join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq is before 
Cabinet, but no decision appears imminent.  The Minister said 
the UN has not asked Fiji to contribute to the expanded 
UNIFIL in Lebanon, though we are told the UN Peacekeeping 
Commission did initiate an informal query via the Fiji MFA 
about capacity some while ago.  When the Minister asked about 
assistance for a Lebanon mission, we noted it is a UN 
operation.  We accented active USG FMF and IMET support to 
build Fiji's PKO capacities and a U.S. willingness to 
consider assistance for an Iraq Coalition deployment.  In 
discussion of a Cabinet review of PKO issues, we urged 
confirmation, even expansion, of Fiji's efforts.  The 
Minister and military commander plan to travel to Iraq, the 
Sinai, Rome, Sudan, and Liberia soon.  The Baghdad stop could 
be an opportunity to discuss the Coalition option.  End 
Summary. 
 
Ministerial oversight trip re PKO for Cabinet review 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶2. (C) In a conversation on August 30, Fiji Minister for Home 
Affairs Vosanibola described to the Ambassador and DATT the 
state of play regarding the Fiji Cabinet's ongoing assessment 
of peacekeeping prospects.  As part of that assessment, the 
Minister, Home Affairs CEO Korovavala, and Republic of Fiji 
Military Forces (RFMF) Commander Bainimarama are planning a 
trip to Baghdad, the Sinai, Rome (MFO HQ), the Sudan, and 
Liberia in the coming weeks (The RFMF says the dates are Oct. 
10 - Nov. 7).  RFMF troops are with UNAMI in Iraq, the MFO in 
the Sinai, and with UN forces in Sudan and Bosnia.  A few 
Fiji Police are deployed in Liberia.  (Note: We pleaded for 
early notice of details for the Iraq portion of the trip to 
facilitate travel there.  We hear the Iraq dates are Nov. 
2-4.) 
 
More troops to UNAMI 
-------------------- 
¶3. (C) On Iraq, Vosanibola said a Cabinet meeting on August 
29 approved the immediate one-year deployment of another 34 
RFMF troops to UNAMI, to be located at "Bechtel" in/near 
Baghdad.  These troops supplement the 189 already on the 
ground protecting UN forces in Baghdad (134) and Erbil (55), 
and they are taken from a contingent that had been preparing 
for a UN deployment to Basra that seems stalled. 
 
No word re Coalition of the Willing 
----------------------------------- 
¶4. (C) We asked the status of the U.S. and RFMF request for 
Fiji to join the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq. 
Vosanibola said the issue is before the Cabinet, but no 
decision has been made.  We reiterated the USG's strong 
interest in Fiji joining the Coalition. 
 
Two officers to East Timor 
-------------------------- 
¶5. (U). Vosanibola confirmed a press report that Cabinet has 
decided to respond to a UN request to send an RFMF Colonel 
and a Major to East Timor. 
 
Lebanon?  No formal UN request yet 
---------------------------------- 
¶6. (C) A senior MFA official recently indicated publicly that 
Fiji has been approached by the UN to consider renewing its 
participation in UNIFIL in Lebanon.  Fiji had troops there 
for over 20 years before UNIFIL's scale-down.  When we asked 
the status of such a request, Vosanibola replied that, 
actually, the UN has not yet asked.  (Note: We heard a few 
weeks ago from MFA that the new UN Peacekeeping Commission 
inquired about what Fiji might be able to contribute in 
 
SUVA 00000352  002 OF 002 
 
 
Lebanon, but apparently no formal request has followed.)  The 
RFMF has been calculating what assets it might be able to 
contribute to UNIFIL, but lack of clarity about what external 
assistance would be available to support a Fiji deployment -- 
including armored vehicles, transport, etc. -- and 
uncertainty about new UNIFIL rules of engagement have 
hindered planning. 
 
U.S. assistance? 
---------------- 
¶7. (C) Vosanibola asked if the U.S. would be able to assist a 
Fiji deployment to Lebanon.  We responded that we have 
received no guidance.  We did suggest that, since the Lebanon 
operation is under the UN, it is likely any discussion of 
assistance would be in UN channels.  We noted that the U.S. 
would be able to discuss assistance directly for a deployment 
to the Coalition in Iraq.  We affirmed the U.S. view that 
Fiji's PKO efforts are commendable, contributing to global 
peace and security, and we reminded that we have backed that 
view with FMF and IMET assistance to build the RFMF's 
capacity to have a well-trained and appropriately equipped 
PKO force.  We suggested that a Fiji Cabinet endorsement, 
even expansion, of that PKO role would be very much 
appreciated. 
 
Maintaining a 600-person limit 
------------------------------ 
¶8. (C) Asked the prospects for Cabinet's review of PKO, 
Vosanibola described a degree of concern that troop 
contributions crimp Fiji's budget.  When we suggested that 
actually PKO remittances contribute to Fiji's economic 
prosperity, Vosanibola acknowledged the point and said 
remittances are important.  Still, he said a long-standing, 
Cabinet-imposed maximum of 600 Republic of Fiji peacekeepers 
deployed abroad remains in place, and Home Affairs does not 
advocate revisiting it.  CEO Korovavala said, after the 
latest Cabinet decisions, Fiji's PKO total will be 578.  We 
observe that, if the 600 limit stays in place, any new 
deployment to Lebanon and/or the Coalition would either have 
to be small or would have to draw from current deployments. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶9. (C) The Home Affairs Ministry gave the impression it does 
not expect the Fiji Cabinet review of PKO to rock the boat 
very much.  On the other hand, we know the RFMF aspires for 
some new thinking, in particular about having Fiji troops 
join the Coalition in Iraq.  The Vosanibola visit to Baghdad 
to observe UNAMI can be an opportunity to push for Coalition 
participation, as Gen. Abizaid did here last February.  We 
noted a seeming calm in relations between the Government and 
RFMF Commander Bainimarama.  Vosanibola indicated the 
situation is OK for now.  They are talking.  The long 
PKO-oriented trip would seem a real test of just how 
compatible the two men have become. 
DINGER