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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 USNATO 000015 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017 
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT JANUARY 10, 2007 
 
 
Classified By: DCM RICHARD G. OLSON for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: 
 
-- Afghanistan: SYG focuses Allies on upcoming NATO foreign 
and defense ministerials, agrees to Ambassador Nuland,s 
suggestion to invite Afghan FM Spanta to meet ISAF Foreign 
Ministers on January 26, while delaying a decision on 
inviting the EU, UN, and World Bank to the ministerial. 
SHAPE J3 MG Stein briefed the NAC, noting that RC-S Allies 
and a French CIMIC team, (deployed from Kabul), are operating 
together in Kandahar to dislocate hard core Taliban.  MG 
Stein stated that time is running short to fill HQ billets 
for General McNeill,s ISAF X.  While detailing the 
investigation into the Zangabad incident where 31 civilians 
died, the General strongly reiterated ISAF,s commitment to 
avoid civilian casualties. 
 
-- Kosovo: SYG will meet with Kosovo President Sejdiu on 
January 15, and reported that UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari, in 
a phone call on January 9, stated to him that it is 
imperative that there be no further delay in status talks. 
NATO-EU technical coordination talks to be held on January 
¶11.  COMKFOR proactively plans for security during and after 
the January 21 Serb elections. 
 
-- Darfur: The SYG observed that it appears that the Sudanese 
government is softening its stance regarding UN troops in 
Darfur, and noted that Khartoum is to be added as a third 
site for African Union capacity building.  With Ambassador 
Nuland,s encouragement, the SYG will again offer NATO,s 
assistance to the UN mission in Darfur. 
 
-- Iraq: SYG to invite Prime Minister Maliki to address the 
NAC on security and training issues.  The Chairman of the 
Military Committee described the new force protection 
measures at Ar-Rustimayah which have successfully prevented 
casualties and damage from continued mortar and rocket 
attacks.  Ambassador Nuland, on another topic, stated that, 
"Poland sets a strong example by extending its mission in 
Iraq, focusing its efforts on training Iraqis, and mentoring 
new NATO partners.8 
 
-- Response to Terrorism: Turkish PermRep announces that 
Russia will participate in Operation Black Sea Harmony. 
Ambassador Nuland informs the NAC on the U.S. operations in 
Somalia which are helping to prevent the establishment of 
al-Qaeda safe havens. 
 
-- Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer to lead NATO into its 
Seventh Decade as the NAC officially extended the term of the 
SYG until NATO,s 60th anniversary events in 2009. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
¶2. (C) Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer stressed that NATO 
and the international community needed to consolidate 2006 
gains in Afghanistan and do even better in 2007.  He welcomed 
Secretary Rice's initiative for a January 26 ministerial to 
 
SIPDIS 
discuss comprehensive strategy and urged Allies to use this 
and the defense ministerial February 8-9 in Seville to take 
clear political and military steps.  The SYG confirmed that 
Pakistani PM Aziz will visit NATO at the end of January, that 
military advice on NATO training support for the Afghan 
National Army (ANA) should be expected prior to Seville, and 
that NATO will send a team to Doha to address Qatari concerns 
on the legal status of NATO personnel working at the ISAF 
cell at CENTCOM,s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in 
al-Udeid. 
 
¶3. (S) In his operational brief, SHAPE J3 MG Stein attributed 
the decrease in OMF (Opposing Militant Forces) activity since 
 
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October 2006 to both ISAF successes and weather, and 
predicted that by late March, OMF will seek to increase their 
tempo of operations.  He stated that ISAF,s pan-theater 
Operation Oqab (Eagle) is transitioning to more aggressive 
Phase 2 disruption operations, and Operation Baaz Tsuka, 
comprising all Regional Command - South allies plus a French 
CIMIC team deployed to the south from Kabul, is having 
success cleaning out pockets of Taliban resistance following 
reinfiltration in Kandahar province after last year's 
Operation Medusa.  Noting the completion of the joint 
ISAF/GOA investigation into an October 24-25 ISAF air 
operation at Zangabad that killed 31 civilians along with OMF 
targets, MG Stein reiterated ISAF,s commitment to avoid 
civilian casualties and to ensure that lessons learned from 
this incident are carried forward.  Finally, he urged nations 
to fill the staffing requirements for the ISAF X composite HQ 
quickly; at present rates, the HQ will only be 65% staffed 
when it comes online on February 4. 
 
¶4. (C) Ambassador Nuland,s proposal that NATO proceed with 
issuing invitations to FM Spanta and non-NATO troop 
contributors to a meeting with NATO foreign ministers on 
January 26 met consensus; the SYG will send out the 
invitations.  A Norwegian request to invite the EU, UN, and 
World Bank will be discussed further by PermReps on January 
¶16.  Ambassador Nuland noted that the death of senior Taliban 
commander Osmani has had a considerable effect in disrupting 
Taliban operations.  She conveyed a sense from Kabul that 
hand-wringing over a Taliban &spring offensive8 was 
beginning to detract from our PD efforts, and the U.S. view 
that ISAF and the international community should take the 
initiative in the spring.  She urged NATO PD to produce 
weekly papers that will help NATO and Allied officials better 
engage the press, and assured Allies that the U.S. was 
working to fill our billets at the ISAF X composite HQ.  The 
Canadian ambassador noted his FM,s recent travel to 
Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the UK Charge said that GOA 
eradication planning is better organized than in past years. 
Lithuania announced an equipment donation to the ANA of 3.7 
million AK-47 rounds.  The SYG agreed with Ambassador Nuland 
that NATO could do better in maintaining a coherent public 
policy line. 
 
Kosovo 
------ 
¶5. (SBU) The SYG announced that he will meet with Kosovo 
President Fatmir Sejdiu on 15 January to discuss NATO,s 
current and future political and operational commitment to 
Kosovo.  He will stress to President Sejdiu the importance of 
a constructive, responsible, and fully cooperative role by 
Kosovo leadership in the next stage of the status process. 
The SYG also announced that another round of NATO-EU 
technical coordination talks will take place on 11 January 
that will focus on the planning for future roles in Kosovo. 
Lastly, the SYG mentioned that during a telephone discussion 
on 9 January, UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari reiterated to him 
that there should be no further delay in the Kosovo status 
process. 
 
¶6. (C) The Chairman of the Military Committee (CMC) provided 
an operational and security update to the NAC, stating that 
while a few low-intensity incidents occurred during the 
holiday period, overall the security situation remains 
peaceful.  He further said that COMKFOR has developed a 
proactive plan for maintaining security in Kosovo during and 
after the Serbian parliamentary elections on 21 January.  The 
plan includes close coordination with UNMIK and maintaining 
KFOR,s over-the-horizon reserve force readiness. 
 
Darfur 
------ 
¶7. (SBU) The SYG said it appears the Sudanese government is 
softening its stance on UN troops in Darfur; however, the 
&true intent8 of the GoS regarding facilitation of the UN 
 
USNATO 00000015  003 OF 004 
 
 
force is still unclear.  He noted a NATO document currently 
under silence to add Khartoum, (in addition to Addis Ababa 
and El Fasher), as a site for staff capacity building and 
lessons learned training.  The SYG said African Union PSC 
Chairman Djinnit is likely to address the NAC in mid-February. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Ambassador Nuland asked whether the SYG had 
contacted new UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to offer NATO 
assistance to the UN mission in Darfur.  The SYG replied that 
in November 2006 he had offered such support to DPKO U/SYG 
Guehenno as well as the Deputy Secretary General, and that he 
would reiterate this offer. 
 
Iraq 
---- 
¶9. (C) The SYG announced he intends to invite Iraqi Prime 
Minister Maliki to brief the NAC on the security situation in 
Iraq and training needs for the Iraqi security forces.  CMC 
reported that the Ar-Rustimayah Force Protection Report was 
released on December 18.  The next force protection report 
will be given in conjunction with SHAPE input to the spring 
2007 Periodic Mission Review in mid-February.  Further mortar 
and rocket attacks occurred at Ar-Rustimayah during the 
second half of December.  The fact that no casualties or 
significant damage had been sustained was attributed to force 
protection measures.  Since the New Year, the number of 
indirect fire attacks at Ar-Rustimayah has decreased.  CMC 
also noted that an Italian scoping mission for gendarmerie 
training will be in Iraq from January 11-18.  He highlighted 
that this mission had been coordinated with SHAPE, NTM-I, and 
the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. 
 
¶10. (U) The Polish PermRep noted his government's decision to 
extend its mission in Iraq until the end of 2007.  Poland 
also will continue to command the Multi-National Division 
South, whose main goals are training and mentoring Iraqis 
comprising the 8th Iraqi Army Division, police, and border 
guards.  He noted that there are 13 nations, seven of which 
are Allies, participating in this effort.  He also made 
special mention of Bosnia and Herzegovina's contribution of 
an EOD team that joined the effort in November.  Lastly, he 
confirmed that Poland will assume leadership of the 11-man 
MALT team in February. 
 
¶11. (U) Ambassador Nuland thanked Poland for its continued 
strong commitment and courageous political decisions.  She 
applauded Poland's model of focusing on training and putting 
Iraqis in front.  She also lauded Poland's example of 
mentoring new partners in facing the security challenges of 
the 21st century. 
 
Response to Terrorism 
--------------------- 
¶12. (SBU) The Turkish PermRep announced that on December 27, 
Russia told Turkey that it will begin to formally participate 
in future Black Sea Harmony operations. 
 
¶13. (C) U.S. Counterterrorism Actions in Somalia:  Ambassador 
Nuland confirmed to the Council that the U.S. was taking 
action to prevent the establishment of Al-Qaeda safe havens 
in southern Somalia. 
 
Secretary-General to Lead NATO into its Seventh Decade 
 
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--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶14. (SBU) Thanking him for his excellent leadership of the 
Alliance as it prepares to enter its seventh decade of 
existence, the NAC officially extended Secretary General de 
Hoop Scheffer,s term in order for him to prepare and preside 
over NATO,s 60th anniversary events.  Under the terms of the 
extension, laid out by the Council's Dean, (the Polish 
PermRep), in 2008 the next Dean will have the responsibility 
of informing the Secretary General in writing, after informal 
consultations, the exact date of his departure and presiding 
over the selection process for his successor.  The Secretary 
 
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General thanked the Council for its endorsement and noted it 
was both a privilege and a pleasure to accept the terms of 
the extension. 
 
NULAND