VZCZCXRO4289
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRL #0123/01 0221157
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221157Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6734
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 9191
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS BE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PREL GM
SUBJECT: German Out-Of-Area Deployment Update 
 
REF:  Berlin 2634 
 
¶1. (SBU) As of January 14, Germany has 7,486 military personnel in 
out-of-area deployments. All military out-of-area (OOA) deployments, 
with the exception of observers such as in Georgia (where currently 
11 military personnel are deployed under UNOMIG), require 
parliamentary approval.  A law regulates the parliamentary process, 
allowing expedited procedures only for non-controversial 
deployments.  What follows is a brief run-down on Germany's current 
OOA deployments. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Bundeswehr has 2,903 military personnel operating in 
Afghanistan under the UNSC mandate for ISAF.  The ceiling for the 
deployment is 3000 personnel.  Germany commands ISAF's northern 
region (RC-North), where it operates two Provincial Reconstruction 
Teams (Konduz and Feyzabad) and the Forward Support Base in 
Mazar-E-Sharif.  The mandate limits the Bundeswehr's operations to 
Kabul and RC-North, but Germany can provide assistance outside that 
sector provided it is of limited time and scope and essential for 
the mission.  The current parliamentary mandate extends through 
October 13, 2007.  Following a NATO request, the German government 
is currently considering deploying Tornado reconnaissance aircraft. 
Even though this could legally be possible under the current ISAF 
mandate, political considerations might result in the government 
requesting a revised mandate from the Bundestag. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Germany is the lead for UNIFIL's naval component and has 
1,011 military personnel deployed. 
The parliamentary mandate, which has a ceiling of 2,400 personnel, 
expires with the UN mandate on August 31, 2007. 
 
------------------- 
Kosovo Force (KFOR) 
------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Germany has 2,324 military personnel under the KFOR 
mandate, which has a ceiling of 8,500 total personnel.  The mandate 
extends automatically unless there is a change to the UNSC 
Resolution framework for the Kosovo Force. 
 
----------------------------------- 
European Union Force (EUFOR) Bosnia 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Germany currently has 896 soldiers in Bosnia as part of the 
EU's Operation ALTHEA. The mandate, amended on December 1, 2006, 
allows up to 2,400 military personnel.  This operation extends 
automatically unless there is a change to its underlying UNSC 
resolution.  Security conditions permitting, the German government 
has announced it intends to reduce its military presence in 
coordination with its allies during 2007. 
 
-------------- 
EUFOR RD Congo 
-------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The EUFOR operation in Congo (maximum ceiling 780 military 
personnel in Congo and Gabon) ended on November 30, 2007.  All 
forces returned to Germany end of December 2006. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The German Navy has 258 military personnel operating on the 
Horn of Africa under OEF.  The OEF mandate, which has a ceiling of 
1,800 personnel, also covers the deployment of Special Forces for 
counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan.  There are currently no 
acknowledged German OEF forces in Afghanistan.  The OEF mandate also 
covers contributions to NATO's Operation Active Endeavor (OAE).  The 
OEF mandate extends through November 15, 2007. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Germany currently has 35 military observers in UNMIS, 
monitoring the implementation of the peace agreement.  The 
parliament imposed a caveat, which bars military observers from 
going to Darfur without consultation of the Bundestag Foreign 
 
BERLIN 00000123  002 OF 002 
 
 
Relations Committee's chairman and ranking members. The mandate 
allows the participation of up to 75 military observers. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The German Air Force provides logistical support for the AU 
mission in Darfur, Sudan - primarily airlift into and out-of theater 
for rotating AMIS forces.  The mandate allows up to 200 military 
personnel.  There currently are no German soldiers in-theater.  The 
mandate will expire on June 2, 2007. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
New Deployment since December 2006 Update: 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The Bundeswehr, at the MFA's request, sent an unarmed team 
of 3 military personnel to Latin America (Belize, Guatemala, El 
Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) in order to 
assess the security situation in these countries.  These Bundeswehr 
personnel support German a crisis intervention teams (Krisen 
Unterst|tzungs- Teams, KUT) that would be responsible for evacuating 
German and EU expatriates and improving Embassy security in country. 
 The deployment does not require any parliamentary approval, as the 
team is unarmed. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Other minor deployments: 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Two military observers serve in Ethiopia and Eritrea for 
the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).  One 
soldier is seconded to the EU's advisory and assistance mission for 
security reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo (EUSEC - R.D. 
CONGO).  One German military observer is seconded to the United 
Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).  The Bundeswehr 
has seconded 41 military personnel to Strategic Medical Evacuation 
(STRATAIRMEDEVAC), for which no parliamentary mandate is required, 
as it is not defined as an armed deployment and the aircraft are on 
stand-by in Germany. 
TIMKEN, JR