VZCZCXYZ0046
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #3109/01 2571531
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 141531Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3078
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0251
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1348
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 7618
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0201
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0151

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003109 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2011 
TAGS: PREL MARR OSCE AF IR BE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT ON 
AFGHANISTAN AND FROZEN CONFLICTS 
 
Classified By: A/DCM TERRI ROBL; REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  In a meeting with the Ambassador on 
September 12, Belgian FM De Gucht reiterated Belgian 
intentions to fulfill pledges of more forces for Afghanistan, 
adding that he would get the details worked out with the 
Socialist coalition partners after local elections October 8. 
 He also said he has a busy week in New York on the fringes 
of UNGA where, among other things, he is going to have dinner 
with the Russian Foreign Minister to talk OSCE; and a meeting 
with the Kazakh President to try to finesse the 2009 Chairman 
in Office bid.  He also got quite passionate about how "very, 
very dangerous" Iran's Foreign minister Mottaki and Iran are. 
 He said he was going to raise many of these issues and 
especially Mottaki/Iran at the September 22 Gymnich luncheon 
with the Secretary and the Foreign Ministers.   End Summary 
 
¶2. (U) Belgian FM De Gucht and Ambassador Korologos met for 
an hour-long session on September 12 to cover a wide range of 
issues, including Afghanistan, the OSCE, the Minister's New 
York travel plans, and the upcoming local elections.  De 
Gucht indicated he would have a hectic week in New York 
between September 19 and 22, where he would have a full slate 
of OSCE-related meetings, as well as sessions on the Great 
Lakes.  He must return to Belgium for domestic political 
meetings on September 23, and then return to New York to 
deliver Belgium's speech to the General Assembly on September 
¶25. 
 
----------- 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador, having met with the Prime Minister the 
evening before and heard about the reduced Afghanistan 
commitment (septel), asked De Gucht bluntly about Belgium's 
intentions regarding troop commitments in Afghanistan.  The 
Minister replied without hesitation that Belgium would 
fulfill pledges to send additional forces to Afghanistan 
before the end of the year.  There is no quid for the troops 
to UNIFIL, he said.  That's separate.  He declined being 
drawn out on the details -- unlike what the PM said -- 
including whether Belgium would send our original 
understanding of 300 ground troops or an F-16 squadron. 
According to De Gucht, the Belgians want to keep the details 
of what they will do fuzzy until after the October 8 local 
elections.  Doing so will placate the Socialist coalition 
partners who remain adamantly opposed to robust Belgian 
participation in ISAF.  De Gucht said he would make sure the 
Socialists fulfill their agreement to send troops and 
expected to make all the necessary arrangements for Belgium's 
augmented contribution after the elections.  As an aside 
during the Afghanistan discussion, he said, Karzai is out of 
control.  EU diplomats do not like him at all."  He also said 
Afghanistan has also "doubled" its opium production which 
doesn't help at all. 
 
----------- 
OSCE Issues 
----------- 
 
¶4. (C) De Gucht has a full slate of activities planned in New 
York that relate to his role as OSCE Chairman in Office.  The 
most important include a session with the Kazakh President, 
during which De Gucht plans to gently probe for flexibility 
on Kazakhstan's bid to become Chairman in Office in 2009. 
Thinking out loud, he pondered offering the Kazakh's 
Chairmanship of the Economic Forum.  He said the Germans were 
strong for the Kazakh Chairmanship, given the energy supply 
they need (sic) from the Kazakhs. He also has a 
"two-and-a-half-hour dinner meeting" with Russian Foreign 
Minister Lavrov.  Speaking in an expansive mood, De Gucht 
claimed he was in a position to make major progress on 
resolving the various frozen conflicts.  He cited Moldova, 
Transnistria and South Ossetia.  "We will not get all that we 
want, but we will get a lot."  When the Ambassador queried 
why the Russians would be willing to move forward after 
months of intransigence, De Gucht argued that the recent 
helicopter firing incident in Georgia has frightened Moscow 
into a more constructive mood.  "They do not want the 
situation to get out of control" in places like Georgia.  De 
Gucht said he looked forward to discussing his expectations 
further with USG officials in New York.  He said "if there is 
an opening," he will contact us. 
 
----- 
Iran 
 
---- 
 
¶5. (C) In response to questions about Iran, the Minister 
pounded the table and said he remained a strong supporter of 
placing maximum pressure on Iran.  Noting that he had 
declined an invitation to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister 
Mottaki, De Gucht said he considered the main to be 
"dangerous--very, very dangerous."  "You can't trust him," De 
Gucht, "he is active in Turkey, he is working in Azerbaijan, 
and in various of other stans. They are behind Hezbolah and 
behind Syria.  Iran also has submarines (sic) and who knows 
where they're going or what they're doing."  He said it was 
important under present circumstances for the international 
community to speak with one voice.  Continuing, De Gucht 
declared it was even more important for the major powers to 
do all necessary to bring about a two-state settlement in the 
Middle East.  The parties must be made to accept "anything 
reasonable" if Europe were to deal with its greatest security 
threat.  If there is no deal it will be impossible to get a 
unified European/US agreement on Iran.  At the end of the 
Iran discussion, he repeated: "Take a note. . . Mottaki is a 
very, very dangerous man.  Ask your CIA about him."  He said 
he was going to raise the Iranian issue at the Secretary's 
Gymnich Foreign ministers luncheon on September 22. 
(Comment: He sounded as though he was rehearsing his 
statement. End comment) 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) De Gucht was uncharacteristically indirect when asked 
to explain his recent public criticism of the U.S. on the 
secret prison issue.  He did not deny or modify news stories 
 
SIPDIS 
that he had slammed us for "playing fast and loose" with the 
facts in an "unexpectable" way for a great democracy, but he 
did profess ignorance about what the President actually had 
said on the subject.  (Note: Ambassador had provided the 
speech text to FM and PM immediately; De Gucht had simply not 
focused on it before his remarks to the media. End note) 
Ambassador emphasized he read the President's full speech on 
how many lives have been saved.  If the subject does not come 
up in the Gymnich lunch, USG officials might want to take the 
matter up again with De Gucht.  End comment. 
KOROLOGOS 
.