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DE RUEHNO #0186 0811428
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O 221428Z MAR 07
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0657
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C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000186 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017 
TAGS: NATO PREF PTER PREL AF IT
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: RELEASE OF TALIBAN PRISONERS 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 36204 B. USNATO 183 

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland, for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY.  Anticipating reftel A, Ambassador Nuland, 
during the March 21 North Atlantic Council meeting, joined 
the UK in criticizing the evident Taliban-for-hostage 
exchange in the release of kidnapped Italian journalist 
Mastrogiacomo.  She also raised the issue separately with SYG 
de Hoop Scheffer, who will address it with PermReps in a more 
restricted forum, but is leaning toward pushing for an 
Alliance-wide hostage policy.  USNATO believes NATO consensus 
on a common policy will be hard to achieve, but the subject 
is worth discussing to raise awareness.  END SUMMARY. 

¶2.  (C) During the March 21 NAC meeting, Ambassador Nuland 
reinforced criticism by the UK Charge and noted strongly the 
intrinsic dangers of bargaining with terrorists, plus concern 
for all Allies if the Taliban thought that hostage taking was 
a route to future prisoner exchanges (ref B).  She and the UK 
Charge also asked the Secretary General and Chairman of the 
Military Committee if ISAF had been consulted over the 
process of Mastrogiacomo's release.  Both committed to 
investigate.  The Italian Charge declined to comment on how 
the journalist was freed without more details from capital, 
but expressed the Italian government's gratitude to Karzai 
for his help. 
 
¶3.  (C) SYG de Hoop Scheffer told PermReps during the March 
21 NAC that he intends to raise this issue at an informal 
lunch or coffee gathering of PermReps in the near future.  In 
a separate conversation with Ambassador Nuland, he said he is 
leaning toward pushing for an Alliance-wide hostage policy. 
 
¶4.  (C) COMMENT: Raising awareness on this issue among NATO 
Allies is important and necessary, with the goal of reaching 
agreed guidelines.  However, achieving consensus on a binding 
NATO hostage policy, similar to NSPD 12, for example, will be 
very difficult.  Few Allies are likely to want a discussion 
like this which they consider sovereign to be collectively 
decided.  END COMMENT. 
NULAND