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RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE PRIORITY
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RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 1319
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RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0109
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RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0136
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0512
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0239
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0483
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0184
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0492
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0325

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 USNATO 000029 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017 
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT JANUARY 17, 2007 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (S) SUMMARY: 
 
-- Afghanistan:  The NAC agreed to invite UN, EU, World Bank, 
Japan, and South Korea to January 26 Foreign Ministerial 
session on Afghanistan with troop contributors and Afghan 
Foreign Minister Spanta.  The SYG will invite Afghan Minister 
of Defense Wardak to Seville meeting of NATO Defense 
Ministers. The Chairman of the Military Committee (CMC) 
detailed the recent heavy fighting on the Pakistan border, 
highlighting the cooperation of the Pakistani military 
liaison to ISAF. 
 
-- Kosovo:  SYG met with Kosovo President Sejdiu on January 
15, and reiterated NATO,s commitment to Kosovo and the 
Ahtisaari-led process. The SYG announced that the Contact 
Group will meet on January 26, in Vienna.  KFOR increases 
operational tempo in five polling areas ahead of elections. 
 
-- UNSYG visit to NATO:  UN SYG Ban Ki Moon to visit Brussels 
January 24; address to NAC or meeting with PermReps under 
consideration. 
 
-- Darfur:  NATO awaits clarification of how AU-UN "heavy8 
and &hybrid8 packages will be deployed, and how NATO may 
assist. 
 
-- Iraq:  Joint JFC-Naples and Italy police training 
assessment mission underway in Iraq; Hungary to take over 
MALT leadership in July 2007. 
 
-- SACT Briefs NAC:  SACT General Smith briefed the NAC on 
&SACT Key Issues and Priorities for 2007.8 
 
-- NATO Special Committee:  The Special Committee's outgoing 
German Chairman presented the 2006 annual report and the 
incoming Greek Chairman presented the work program for 2007. 
 
-- AOB:  U.S. shares Middle East news with NAC as USNATO 
POLAD hands out January 16 Gulf Cooperation Council-Plus-Two 
Ministerial joint statement. 
 
End Summary. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
¶2. (C)  SYG de Hoop Scheffer sought NAC consensus to invite 
representatives from the UN, EU, World Bank, Japan, and South 
Korea to a Ministerial meeting with ISAF non-NATO troop 
contributors and Afghan FM Spanta on January 26.  France, on 
instructions, did not object to inviting Japan or the ROK, 
but noted that given the participation of international 
organizations and nations not in ISAF, the meeting could 
neither be labeled an ad hoc partners meeting (&26   N8), 
as defined at Riga, nor an ISAF meeting.  France proposed 
calling the meeting simply &A Meeting on Afghanistan.8 
Ambassador Nuland thanked France for the decision, expressed 
some bafflement at the theological underpinnings of the 
French intervention, and suggested &NAC plus Partners and 
Partner Organizations8 as an alternative.  The SYG said he 
would issue invitations, and find an acceptable title. 
PermReps also agreed to invite Afghan MOD Wardak to the 
Seville informal Defense Ministerial; the SYG will issue an 
invitation shortly. 
 
¶3. (C)  The SYG told PermReps he was looking forward to a 
report from NMAs on last week's Tripartite Commission (TPC) 
meeting, a &crucial forum for high-level military-military 
relations and confidence building.8  He noted his &useful 
discussion8 January 15 with SecDef Gates.  He thanked 
Iceland for its work in enabling the handover of operations 
at Kabul airport to the Afghan government, including the 
stationing of Icelandic advisors since February 2006.  He 
 
USNATO 00000029  002 OF 004 
 
 
told Council that both SCR Everts and General Craddock would 
attend the PermReps, coffee on January 23.  In response to a 
Belgian question on Afghan refugees in Pakistan later in the 
meeting, the SYG noted that a NATO-Pakistan political 
dialogue should discuss such topics, and proposed returning 
to the idea of establishing this dialogue at a later date. 
 
¶4. (C)  CMC Henault told the NAC that, while ISAF had 
initially discovered the cross-border movement of a large 
body of enemy fighters into Paktika province from Pakistan on 
January 10, the ISAF ground and air operation that killed an 
estimated 150 fighters was coordinated from start to finish 
with the Pakistani military liaison to ISAF.  While noting 
that the end result was a positive one, Henault observed this 
operation is further evidence that enemy operations are 
emanating from Pakistan, and that the enemy views the border 
area as a sanctuary.  Henault also noted good progress by 
ISAF in Kandahar repatriating internally displaced persons 
after Operation Medusa.  IMS AD for OPS Fenton told the NAC 
that NATO had filled 20 of 46 Operational Mentor Liaison 
Teams, (OMLTs), and urged nations to fill remaining 
shortfalls. 
 
¶5. (C)  Ambassador Nuland asked NMAs for military thinking on 
options to address the PAK-AFG border challenges, and to 
include a stocktaking report on progress thus far that NATO 
has made in its equipment support to the ANA.  She briefed 
elements of Secretary of Defense Gates, travel to 
Afghanistan, noting she hoped to be able to provide a more 
detailed briefing the following week.  Italian Ambassador 
Moreno relayed that during the recent visit of Italian MFA 
Under Secretary Vernetti to Kabul, he had found President 
Karzai &relaxed, optimistic, and confident,8 and that 
Karzai had agreed to a judicial reform and rule of law 
conference in Rome in April, co-sponsored by Italy, 
Afghanistan, and the UN, with the active participation of the 
EU.  Moreno said that Karzai would be in Europe in 
mid-February, and suggested inviting him to the NAC.  Belgium 
and Spain asked if the TPC had discussed Pakistani proposals 
to mine the border, of particular relevance given the 
upcoming January 30 meeting of Pakistani PM Aziz with the 
NAC.  Norway criticized an ISAF press release following the 
January 10 Paktika operation that contained body counts of 
enemy fighters killed.  Both Ambassador Nuland and CMC 
Henault pushed back hard, noting that ISAF needed to stay 
ahead of the Taliban in PD efforts, and that Allies and 
Afghans needed to know about ISAF successes. 
 
Kosovo 
------ 
¶6. (SBU)  The SYG reported on his meeting with Kosovo 
President Fatmir Sejdiu on 15 January.  He reiterated NATO,s 
undiminished commitment to Kosovo and support for the 
Ahtisaari-led process.  The SYG told Sejdiu that Pristina,s 
leadership needed to continue to act with restraint and 
moderation during the upcoming Serbian election period and 
conclusion of the status process.  President Sejdiu insisted 
on full independence as the only acceptable outcome for 
regional stability and stressed the need for guarantees on 
Kosovo,s territorial integrity.  The SYG informed the NAC 
that technical discussions between NATO and the EU are 
continuing, following the most recent meeting held on 11 
January, and that the NAC will continue to receive updates. 
He announced that the Contact Group will meet on 26 January 
in Vienna, at which time Ahtisaari will share his status 
resolution proposal. 
 
¶7. (C) CMC briefed the NAC on KFOR operations in the run up 
to the Serbian elections on 21 January.  He said that KFOR 
has increased its operational tempo in five polling areas, 
including the Mitrovica area, to gain situational awareness, 
deter violence, and remain ready to support UNMIK and the 
Kosovo police.  During the elections, KFOR will work to 
ensure freedom of movement and prevent any violent reaction 
 
USNATO 00000029  003 OF 004 
 
 
following the elections.  Lastly, the SYG expressed his hope 
for discussions on Kosovo during the joint NATO-EU 
Transatlantic lunch to be held on 26 January. 
 
Darfur 
------ 
¶8. (SBU)  The SYG noted the upcoming AU summit will address 
the AU-UN &hybrid8 option, which may have relevance for 
future NATO involvement in Darfur.   He expressed concern 
that the Sudanese may link support for the &hybrid8 force 
to Sudan's candidacy for the AU Chairmanship.  The SYG said 
he would discuss the issue of NATO support today by telephone 
with UNSYG Ban Ki Moon. 
 
¶9. (SBU) CMC Henault noted part of the UN &light8 force was 
now in Darfur, but increasing force levels was contingent on 
locating accommodations.  He noted that NATO had provided 
more than 100 flights lifting 17,000 troops from 8 countries. 
 The CMC mentioned a delay in airlifting of Rwandan soldiers, 
allegedly because of delays on the part of the U.S.; 
Ambassador Nuland said we would seek clarification. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The SYG said UNSYG Ban Ki Moon will be in Brussels 
January 24 and suggested a meeting with PermReps.  Ambassador 
Nuland suggested the UNSYG formally address the NAC, with a 
fallback of an informal lunch.  French Ambassador Duqu said 
he would need instructions from Paris on this issue. The SYG 
responded that if France cannot agree to this &normal8 
procedure it would create a &new and unique situation.8 
 
Iraq 
---- 
¶11. (C)  The CMC reported the assessment of police training 
in Iraq, a joint JFC- Naples and Italy mission, was currently 
underway in Iraq.  The initial report on results of the 
assessment is due to SHAPE by 31 January.  The Hungarian 
PermRep informed the NAC that Hungary will take over 
leadership of the MALT from Poland in July 2007. 
 
SACT Briefs NAC 
--------------- 
¶12. (SBU)  Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation (SACT) 
General Smith briefed the NAC on &SACT Key Issues and 
Priorities for 2007,8 outlining the Command,s process for 
translating political guidance into useful outputs for the 
Alliance.  SACT,s three top priorities are: improving the 
preparation of Forces; improving Alliance and Partner defense 
planning, interoperability and capabilities; and utilizing 
NRF and ISAF as tools for transformation. 
 
¶13. (SBU)  In response to several questions on how SACT is 
supporting Alliance efforts to implement the Comprehensive 
Approach to operations and missions as outlined at Riga, 
General Smith noted that it would support the development of 
pragmatic proposals and has been developing thoughts on the 
Effects Based Approach to Operations (EBAO). (Note: The 
French PermRep intervened to state there is no consensus on 
the EBAO concept as the way forward on Comprehensive 
Approach.)  The General also noted that ACT is already 
sharing PRT lessons learned and best practices through PRT 
training courses at Oberammergau. 
 
¶14. (SBU)  Ambassador Nuland inquired about how ACT efforts 
on the NATO Training Initiative are developing.  SACT noted 
the first step will be the training needs assessment, which 
he will present as soon as possible to the Council.  The next 
step will then be building the capacity in the NATO training 
schools, and then finally a training center would be 
established. 
 
NATO Special Committee Activities 
---------------------------- 
¶15. (S) The Special Committee's outgoing German Chairman 
presented the 2006 annual report and the incoming Greek 
 
USNATO 00000029  004 OF 004 
 
 
Chairman presented the work program for 2007.  Both 
emphasized the need for greater integration with external 
intelligence services and enhanced cooperation with partner 
services.  To promote the external service interface, the 
German external intelligence chief presented a Special 
Committee threat analysis on "Current Developments in the 
Balkans and Possible Effects on the Security Situation of the 
Region."  All twelve interventions praised the analysis and 
the incoming Chairman's commitment to provide analysis 
updates within 30 days of the NAC's request. 
 
AOB: U.S. Shares Middle East News with NAC 
------------------------------------- 
¶16. (SBU)  U.S. Political Advisor noted that Secretary Rice 
will share her impressions of her recent trip to the Middle 
East at the Transatlantic Lunch during the January 26 
Informal Ministerial.  He also provided the NAC with copies 
of the January 16 Gulf Cooperation Council-Plus-Two 
Ministerial joint statement. 
 
¶17. (SBU) Schedule Note:  The Chairman of the OSCE plans to 
address the NAC in May. 
 
 
 
NULAND