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OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHNO #0676/01 3211723
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171723Z NOV 06
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0230
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0074
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0204
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 1302
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0479
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 6145
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0224
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0478
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0088
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0115
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0562
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 0004
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0443
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0219
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0468
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0863
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0304

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000676 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 
TAGS: NATO PREL
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT NOVEMBER 15, 2006 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson, for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: 
 
-- Western Balkans:  During an informal PermRep meeting, U.S. 
PermRep states that without more progress on ICTY, the Riga 
Summit is too soon to grant Partnership for Peace (PfP) 
status to Serbia; she proposes keeping pressure on Serbia 
through the elections, then taking up PfP issue for all three 
Western Balkan aspirants again in January with support from 
NATO Allies. 
 
-- Afghanistan:  SYG to meet with Pakistani Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff on margins of NATO Chiefs of Defense 
(CHODs) meetings at NATO HQ.  SHAPE "cautiously optimistic" 
on levels of violence, but warns that ISAF X composite 
headquarters shortfalls loom.   Canadian PermRep very worried 
that Taliban fighters are returning to Kandahar vicinity, 
while Italian PermRep tries to garner support for an 
international conference in Rome. 
 
-- Balkans/Kosovo: NATO to continue coordination with other 
international organizations while also planning KFOR,s role 
in the settlement implementation and post-status periods. 
 
-- Darfur:  UNSYG Kofi Annan hopes "hybrid solution" - an 
AU-UN joint operation financed by the UN - will be acceptable 
to all parties; sees need for continued NATO support. 
 
-- Iraq:  NATO Military Authorities (NMAs) are tasked to 
provide proposals in response to PM Maliki,s request for 
gendarmerie training; SHAPE revises CJSOR for force 
generation conference requesting a 30-man internal security 
platoon for NATO facilities at Ar-Rustamiyah. 
 
-- NATO Response Force:  SYG pushing hard for full NRF 
operability by Riga Summit though additional French 
amendments on "Financial Support for NRF Short-Order 
Deployments" will slow the process. 
 
-- NATO-UN:  UNSYG Kofi Annan proposes UN Department of 
Peacekeeping Operations Agreement with NATO. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------- 
Western Balkans 
--------------------- 
¶2. (C) During an informal 11/14 NATO PermRep discussion of 
the Western Balkans, Ambassador Nuland noted the importance 
during the election campaign of continuing to press Serbia 
for more reform, and reformers to campaign on positive 
change.  To that end, it would be premature to suggest 
granting PfP to Serbia at the November 28-29 Riga Summit 
without more ICTY progress.  She said Washington now agreed 
with those Allies who favored granting PfP to all three 
Western Balkan aspirants (Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and 
Montenegro) at the same time, and suggested that Allies take 
the issue up again in January 2007.  Seven Allies (UK, 
France, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and the 
Slovak Republic) clearly supported delaying the question 
until later.   Poland and Canada also made supportive 
statements yet with a softer tone. Interestingly, Germany, on 
new instructions, said all three should receive PfP at Riga. 
 
--------------- 
Afghanistan 
--------------- 
¶3. (C)  SYG de Hoop Scheffer informed PermReps that he will 
meet with Pakistani Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 
General ul-Haq, on November 17, prior to the General,s 
meeting with the NATO Military Committee.  Deputy/CMC 
 
USNATO 00000676  002 OF 003 
 
 
Baptiste noted that NATO CHODs were meeting at NATO HQ today 
and would discuss the unfilled CJSOR, caveats, ISAF X 
composite HQ issues, liaison with Pakistan, equipping and 
training the ANA, and how to support reconstruction and 
development.  The SYG welcomed circulation of the second 
"NATO/ISAF PRT Weekly" report, expressing hope that it will 
enhance NATO Allies' understanding of in-theater developments. 
 
¶4. (C)  SHAPE J3 MG Stein briefed the NAC on ISAF,s current 
operational environment (including development snapshots), 
ISAF X composite HQ, and CJSOR shortfalls.  Expressing 
cautious optimism that a resurgence of attacks had not 
materialized following Ramadan, he predicted that insurgents 
would focus on asymmetric attacks in urban environments as 
winter set in.  MG Stein presented a graph that detailed a 
significant spike in attacks over August, followed by a 
steady decrease since, and stated that attacks in Regional 
Command-East were down 40% since summer.  He told the NAC 
that UAE officials had recently visited Kandahar and 
confirmed that $30 million for Kandahar reconstruction had 
been approved "in principle" in Abu Dhabi.  He briefed that 
while the Composite HQ is beginning to stand up through the 
implementation of a phased training and integration plan, 
(that began in October 2006 and will conclude in February 
2007), nations had not yet fully staffed the HQ, leaving 150 
slots unfilled.  MG Stein reiterated CJSOR shortfalls, 
highlighting that this hampers COMISAF,s ability to act 
proactively. 
 
¶5. (C)  The Canadian Ambassador stated that the Taliban 
continued to return to the area around Kandahar, asserting 
the only reason for a decrease in attacks was that the 
Taliban had chosen not to engage ISAF.  He reiterated that 
additional resources were needed in the south and said he 
hoped CHODs would be successful in addressing the CJSOR.  The 
UK briefed on development activities run out of PRT Lashkar 
Gah and continued to defend its recent deal with the local 
shura and withdrawal from Musa Qala.  The Netherlands briefed 
on FM Bot,s early November travel to Afghanistan and 
Pakistan.  FM Bot had returned to The Hague "moderately 
optimistic," noting that local leaders in Uruzgan wanted more 
development, but were happy with the presence of 
international security forces.  Italy briefed on FM 
D,Alema,s November 11 trip to Afghanistan, reporting that 
President Karzai, FM Spanta, and UN SRSG Koenigs had 
expressed "interest" in the FM,s idea for an international 
conference on Afghanistan in Rome. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  NATO Response Force (NRF):  Under AOB, the SYG 
stated that he was seeking agreement on his Common Funding 
compromise proposal (contained in SG(2006)0809) for 
short-notice NRF deployments, which was discussed at the 14 
November PermReps, Coffee.  Reaching agreement on the 
proposal soon would "give us a sporting chance" at achieving 
NRF full operating capability by Riga.  French PermRep Duqu 
said his instructions confirmed that the paper was on "the 
right track" and he put forward two amendments to the paper. 
The Belgian PermRep put down a marker that his government 
might also be proposing new amendments.  UK PermRep Eldon 
said that the UK would be willing to work constructively 
toward agreement, but did not want the document referred back 
to the Executive Working Group.  AMB Nuland recommended that 
the SYG,s office write a revised document that incorporated 
French comments and then put the document out under silence 
before the end of the week.  The SYG indicated that he would 
do so. 
 
--------------------- 
Balkans/Kosovo 
--------------------- 
¶7. (SBU) The SYG told the NAC that during the period leading 
up to the Serbian parliamentary elections, NATO should 
 
USNATO 00000676  003 OF 003 
 
 
coordinate with other international organizations and 
continue prudent military planning for implementing a Kosovo 
status agreement.  The D/CMC reported that there was no 
violent reaction to last week's announcement of status delay, 
but cautioned that tensions could increase if the process is 
dragged out.  He mentioned that the Balkans Autumn PMR was 
approved and sent to the SYG.  The D/CMC added that military 
authorities are requesting additional political guidance that 
would help sharpen the focus on planning for KFOR,s role 
during settlement implementation and its post-status future 
role. 
 
--------- 
Darfur 
--------- 
¶8. (SBU) The SYG said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had 
called him to emphasize the importance of the meeting on 
November 16 in Addis Ababa on ways to move the peace process 
forward in Darfur.  The UN, Government of Sudan, and other 
international actors (including the Arab League) will be in 
attendance.  Annan stated that he hoped an AU-UN hybrid 
option, financed by the UN, would be a solution agreeable to 
all parties.  Whichever option was implemented, Annan said 
the UN would come back to ask for NATO assistance. 
 
----- 
Iraq 
----- 
¶9. (U) The SYG noted he has circulated a document tasking 
NMAs to provide proposals in response to Iraqi Prime Minister 
Maliki,s request for further training.  The Spanish PermRep 
reminded the NAC that the EU has been in Iraq for 18 months 
doing the same thing (i.e. police training) and that it would 
be important to coordinate with the EU.  (Comment:  The 
letter from Maliki (Nov 06) asks specifically for 
gendarmerie-like training that "bridges the gap between 
routine police actions and military operations.") 
 
¶10. (C) D/CMC Baptiste stated that, due to security 
environment changes as noted by NTM-I and JFC Naples, 14 
contract guards have been redeployed from the International 
Zone to Ar-Rustamiyah to augment security.  SHAPE has issued 
a revised CJSOR for the force generation conference November 
21-23, requesting a 30-man internal security platoon to 
provide enhanced security to NATO facilities within 
Ar-Rustamiyah.  Baptiste stated that this force will be 
complementary to the Iraqi Base Defense Battalion, which 
remains responsible for perimeter security. 
 
-------------------------- 
Any Other Business 
-------------------------- 
¶11. (SBU)  NATO-UN Agreement Still In Process: The SYG said 
that during a recent call with UN Secretary General Kofi 
Annan, the UNSYG had raised status of the NATO-UN 
Declaration.   Annan had suggested aiming for some form of 
agreement with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations 
(DPKO), since a more wide-ranging agreement might take longer 
to conclude.  The SYG said he was amenable to this, since it 
was the UN that had originally proposed an agreement with 
NATO.  He was meeting with UN Deputy Secretary General 
Malloch Brown later that day to discuss plans for such an 
agreement and said he would brief PermReps more extensively 
the following week. 
 
 
NULAND