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RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0529
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RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY 0353
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000152 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2017 
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT MARCH 7, 2007 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: 
 
-- Afghanistan:  PermReps and SYG discussed apparent failure 
to pre-brief the NAC on Operation Achilles, launch with many 
parties expressing frustration and disappointment.  SYG 
promised to take this issue of poor communication up with 
SACEUR.  The SHAPE Operations Director MG Stein detailed 
Operation Achilles which is now COMISAF,s main tactical 
effort.  A French CIMIC team will go south for Achilles; 
Spanish and Italian (RC-W) forces will help as well.  The UK 
and U.S. announced a March 28 joint brief to the NAC on 
counternarcotics.  Germany questions USAID absence from ISAF 
press conference on Achilles/Kajaki dam and Ambassador Nuland 
explained why USAID did not participate. 
 
-- Kosovo:  ASYG Pardew updated NAC on status process and 
NATO-EU technical talks.  Ambassador Nuland briefed on A/S 
Fried,s visit to Belgrade. 
 
-- Periodic Mission Review (PMR) Reform:  SYG noted broad 
support by PermReps for proposals to reform the Periodic 
Mission Review (PMR) process and said he would reissue the 
proposals soon for NAC approval. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
¶2. (C) Preempting the NAC, SYG de Hoop Scheffer kicked off 
discussion on Afghanistan by expressing concern that NMAs had 
not adequately briefed him or the Council prior to the 
high-profile March 6 press conference announcing the launch 
of  ISAF,s Operation Achilles in Helmand province. 
Specifically, the SYG felt he had not been adequately 
informed as to when the operation would begin.  He stated he 
would raise with SACEUR the need to find the right balance in 
communication between NMAs and the NAC.  Many PermReps made 
clear they felt ISAF,s public announcement of Achilles had 
blindsided them.  The French PermRep (who told us he was 
speaking on instruction from Paris) again brought up MOD 
Alliot-Marie,s intervention at Seville calling for greater 
political oversight of military operations.  Spain, Germany, 
Norway, and Belgium piled on, though all agreed the NAC 
should not µmanage8 ISAF operations.  The UK 
cautiously concurred, respecting the need to balance info 
sharing with operational security.  Ambassador Nuland 
regretted that NMAs had not worked with the NAC to enable 
Ambassadors to serve as force multipliers with capitals and 
press; all the same, Operation Achilles had received good 
coverage in U.S. papers. 
 
¶3. (C) The SYG reminded Ambassadors that on March 12 he would 
host a coffee for Afghan Parliament Speaker Qanuni, and that 
the March 13 PermReps, lunch discussion would focus on 
Afghanistan.  He had also spoken to the Qatari Crown Prince 
over the weekend, and Qatar had decided to allow the ISAF 
cell at USCENTCOM,s combined air operations center in Doha 
to remain in-country an additional ninety days while 
negotiations continued. 
 
¶4. (C) In his ops brief, SHAPE J3 MG Stein stated that 
Operation Achilles was now COMISAF,s main tactical effort. 
Achilles aims to disrupt insurgent activity in Helmand 
between Gereshk and Kajaki, setting enduring conditions for 
the sustained development of the Kajaki dam and in support of 
the GOA.  The ISAF theater task force, long a CJSOR shortfall 
and now filled by the U.S., became fully operational on March 
1 and is seeing action.  Italian and Spanish forces in RC-W 
are part of the operation, and the French CIMIC unit will 
soon deploy to RC-S in support of Achilles.  Stein assured 
PermReps that COMISAF had factored in lessons from last 
year,s Operation Medusa, and was working to implement a 
comprehensive approach to ensure stability following kinetic 
 
USNATO 00000152  002 OF 003 
 
 
operations; 1000 ANP and 800 auxiliary police have been 
factored into planning, and NATO was taking great care to 
avoid civilian casualties, including through information ops 
such as leaflet drops.  MG Stein stressed that Op Achilles is 
but one tactical set out of several that will comprise the 
pan-theater Operation Now Ruz (briefed several times to the 
NAC).  Taking Ambassadors, comments on board about 
information flow between SHAPE and the NAC, he reminded that 
COMISAF does not have an ironclad schedule by which he 
launches these tactical sets and that the decision to launch 
is based on constantly evolving factors. 
 
¶5. (C) On NATO training teams for the ANA (OMLTs), of 69 
needed, 17 are fielded and three are in the pipeline.  In 
response to a question from Ambassador Nuland, MG Stein noted 
that SHAPE is working on an initiative that will seek to make 
fielding training teams less burdensome for Allies.  On 
NATO,s equipment support to the ANA, Stein noted that a 
large portion of the ANA,s small arms and ammo needs for the 
year have been met, but key shortfalls included armored 
personnel vehicles and funds to transport pending donations 
from Europe to Afghanistan. 
 
¶6. (C) During discussion, the UK and U.S. noted our intent to 
brief the NAC on counternarcotics on March 28.  In light of 
the UNODC,s recent winter survey on poppy cultivation in 
Afghanistan, UK Ambassador Eldon pointed to some positive 
indicators: twelve provinces are expected to be poppy-free in 
2007; eradication is active in thirteen provinces; and with 
several weeks left, current efforts are showing more progress 
already than aggregate 2006 results. 
 
¶7. (C) Ambassador Nuland praised the participation of French, 
Italian, and Spanish units in Operation Achilles, and 
encouraged the SYG to have his Senior Civilian Rep in Kabul 
provide the NAC with information on reconstruction and 
development, plus political elements of Operations Achilles 
and Now Ruz.  The German PermRep questioned the last-minute 
withdrawal of USAID from an ISAF press conference 
highlighting Operation Achilles, goal to provide security 
for the Kajaki dam project.  Ambassador Nuland noted that the 
USG had believed that raising Afghans, expectations in the 
short-term over a project that will take years to develop was 
a tactical error, and had made the decision to cancel USAID 
participation in this particular event.  (Comment: Some 
Allies, without all the facts, likely viewed this as U.S. 
failure to support the &comprehensive approach8 Secretary 
Rice unveiled at NATO HQ on January 26.  To address this 
concern we are circulating an excellent fact sheet on US 
Assistance to Afghanistan provided by Embassy Kabul. End 
Comment.) 
 
Kosovo 
------ 
¶8. (C) ASYG Pardew updated the NAC on the status process and 
his participation in high-level talks between parties on the 
security aspects of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari,s proposal. 
He said the final round of consultations with both parties 
has been completed.  There will be a high level meeting on 
March 10 so both parties can present final comments on the 
proposal.  On the security aspects, Pristina, while unhappy 
with the &disbanding8 of the KPC, largely accepted the 
proposal, while the Serbs opposed anything but a completely 
demilitarized Kosovo. 
 
¶9. (SBU) ASYG Pardew then gave an update on the status of the 
ongoing technical discussions between NATO and the EU, 
including the most recent March 2 meeting.  Pardew said that 
both organizations continue their work on the draft technical 
agreement documents and are planning to shift to a joint 
drafting session next week.  The drafts should be completed 
and ready for review by the end of March.  One item that has 
been identified that will require further work is NATO,s 
coordinating relationship with the international civilian 
representative (ICR), specifically KFOR support to the ICR 
 
USNATO 00000152  003 OF 003 
 
 
during extreme national emergencies.  In response to the 
SYG,s inquiry on NAC input into the process, Pardew 
responded that once both organizations at the staff level 
feel the draft documents are in an mutually acceptable form, 
they will be presented for NAC consideration and approval. 
The French PermRep noted that, as the EU ESDP mission was 
dependent on a UNSCR, there should be no exchange of letters 
between the NATO SYG and EU High Representative before 
passage of a UNSCR.  Ambassador Nuland urged the SYG and 
SACEUR to continue to take up with the EU High Representative 
the issue of force levels and ensuring no security gap 
between UNMIK and the ESDP mission. 
 
¶10. (C) Ambassador Nuland briefed PermReps on Assistant 
Secretary Fried,s March 5-6 visit to Belgrade, stating that 
 
SIPDIS 
the purpose was to focus Serbia beyond Kosovo and onto a path 
to a NATO-EU future.  During his meeting with President Tadic 
and Prime Minister Kostunica, A/S Fried urged them to go to 
Vienna with practical amendments. 
 
Periodic Mission Review (PMR) Reform 
------------------------------------ 
¶11. (SBU) The SYG noted that at the March 6 coffee, proposals 
for reform of the PMR process had received broad support from 
PermReps in principle, but that some PermReps still required 
further consultations with their capitals.  The SYG will 
consult further with delegations and reissue the proposals, 
incorporating additional ideas, under a new document for NAC 
approval. 
NULAND