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RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0896
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 5392
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0407

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000348 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2017 
TAGS: NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL READOUT MAY 30 2007 
 
REF: SECSTATE 73696 
 
Classified By: DCM Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: 
 
-- Afghanistan:   The Deputy Chairman of the Military 
Committee (D/CMC) reported that Operation &Adalat8 in 
northern Kandahar has been delayed and that the Theater Task 
Force has been redeployed to Operation Achilles to maintain 
security in the Sangin area.  Ambassador Nuland pointed out 
this was a consequence of continued troop shortfalls in RC-S; 
D/CMC concurred.  The Spanish PermRep called for a debate on 
ISAF strategy at the upcoming Defense Ministerial.  D/CMC 
highlighted the recent PRT conference in Kabul and made note 
of a number of Afghanistan National Police (ANP) issues. 
 
-- Balkans:  D/CMC provided an update on the security 
situation.  The Turkish PermRep informed the NAC that Turkey 
had assumed command of Multi-National Task Force South for 
the next year. 
 
-- Somalia:  African Union (AU) officially requests NATO 
airlift support for its mission in Somalia.  Several PermReps 
asked for rapid provision of military advice, with some 
supporting a quick, positive response to the AU.  The French 
PermRep opposed a NATO role in coordinating airlift, while 
the German PermRep expressed concerns about the security 
situation in Somalia and noted that, unlike AMIS, this was 
not a joint NATO-EU mission. 
 
-- Darfur:  Ambassador Nuland briefed the NAC on the new U.S. 
sanctions against Sudan. 
 
-- Response to Terrorism:  D/CMC reported that a Ukrainian 
ship is currently deployed in Operation Active Endeavor. 
Turkish PermRep pointed to instability in Iraq as 
contributing to terrorist attacks in Turkey and calls for 
NATO states solidarity in combating terrorism. 
 
-- NATO Public Diplomacy Strategy:  ASG for PD Jean Fournet 
briefed the NAC on the PD Division,s strategy for 2007. 
Ambassador Nuland urged PDD to redouble its efforts to 
rebrand the Alliance as a global security provider and also 
encouraged more PD support for operations, especially ISAF. 
 
-- CNAD and NC3B Meetings:  The Assistant Secretary General 
(A/SYG) for Defense Investment Peter Flory briefed the NAC on 
the CNAD Meeting held on 25 April and the NC3B Meeting held 
on 23 May. 
 
-- AOB:  The SYG noted on-going negotiations on the status of 
NATO personnel at the Combined Air Operations Center.  The 
Slovenian PermRep detailed the Proliferation Security 
Initiative. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
¶2. (C) D/CMC LTG Eikenberry stated that PermReps will receive 
detailed briefings at SHAPE on June 4 on Afghanistan 
operations and ISAF-OEF coordination.  He also said that the 
decisive phase of Operation Adalat in northern Kandahar 
province has been delayed until at least June 2 (ground 
conditions dependent), and that the Theater Task Force (TTF) 
has been redeployed in support of Operation Achilles, 
specifically to maintain security in the Sangin area. 
 
USNATO 00000348  002 OF 005 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) D/CMC noted the recent PRT conference in Kabul had 
included representatives from all 25 PRTs, as well as the GoA 
and the international community.  The conference focused on 
implementing the Afghan National Development Plan, and more 
specifically on the areas of health, education and 
agriculture.  The Tripartite Commission also met in Kabul, 
and focused on increasing coordination between Pakistan and 
Afghanistan along their border.  The Pakistan military 
continues to investigate the incident in Kurram Agency that 
resulted in the death of an ISAF soldier.  D/CMC noted that 
more than 60,000 Afghan police have been trained to date, and 
that, over the last year, 320 have been killed in action.  He 
said much of the Afghan populace continues to mistrust the 
ANP; however, the quality and quantity of the force is 
increasing. 
 
¶4. (C) The Spanish PermRep suggested the need for a debate on 
ISAF strategy at the upcoming Defense Ministerial.  He urged 
that the position of UN representative to Afghanistan be 
strengthened, in part to improve coordination between the 
international actors, and also called for better coordination 
between ISAF and OEF. 
 
¶5. (C) Ambassador Nuland noted that the Afghan delegation to 
the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, in a meeting with U.S. 
counterparts, was very supportive of the ISAF presence.  The 
Afghans suggested that ISAF carry out more operations in 
coordination with the ANA, and expressed concern that, rather 
than staying too long in Afghanistan, ISAF might leave too 
soon.  Ambassador Nuland asked whether the Operation Adalat 
delay, because the Theater Task Force was still needed for Op 
Achilles, indicated that insufficient forces are deployed in 
RC-S.  D/CMC said it was clear that increased maneuver forces 
in RC-S would increase the likelihood of success for 
Achilles, while also allowing Adalat to proceed. 
 
Balkans 
------- 
¶6. (C) Kosovo: SYG noted the intense diplomatic activity in 
the U.N. Security Council on Kosovo.  D/CMC provided an 
update on the security situation in Kosovo, reporting that 
the frequency of inter-ethnic tensions has decreased, but 
that COMKFOR continues to review contingency planning.  The 
Turkish PermRep informed the NAC that Turkey has taken 
command of Multi-National Task Force South for a period of 
one year.  He noted that the Turkish contingent would 
increase its complement of personnel by 300 troops (to 750 
total) and assign three additional UH-1 helicopters to 
MNTF-S. 
 
Somalia 
------- 
¶7. (C) The SYG noted the AU,s May 22 Note Verbale request to 
NATO for airlift support for its mission in Somalia (AMISOM). 
 He pointed out that NATO has considerable relevant 
experience through its support to AMIS over the previous two 
years, and that no NATO troops would need to be on the ground 
in Mogadishu in order to carry out this mission.  He stressed 
that NATO needed to act quickly in order to support Burundi 
troop and equipment movements soon (as requested in the Note 
Verbale). 
 
¶8. (SBU) D/CMC said the proposed airlift would require 
minimal resources from the NATO command structure.  He 
suggested as a possible arrangement that the Air Mobility 
Coordination Center in SHAPE first solicit support from 
nations, after which air movements could be coordinated 
 
USNATO 00000348  003 OF 005 
 
 
through the NATO liaison team in Addis Ababa.  From a 
military perspective, he said, there would be no need for a 
new mission order. 
 
¶9. (C) The Danish PermRep called for a &swift, positive8 
response to the AU request.  The UK and Canada supported the 
Danish position.  The German PermRep expressed concern about 
the security situation in Somalia, adding that the AU request 
differs from the AMIS arrangement in that it would not be a 
joint action with the EU.  He said military advice was 
needed, concluding that Germany was not yet able to commit to 
this mission.  The French PermRep said France has &no 
objection to allies providing strategic support8 and said 
that France intends to provide 500,000 euros bilaterally to 
Burundi to transport all or part of its contingent.  He 
suggested that the AU prefers that assistance be provided 
directly to troop contributors, rather than thorough AU HQ; 
therefore, he concluded that any coordinating structure in 
NATO would ¬ be useful.8 
 
¶10. (C) The UK PermRep said that despite the lack of clarity 
in the AU,s request, the need on the ground was &clear and 
urgent.8  He called for military advice to be provided 
quickly and be focused solely on the needs of the potential 
mission, rather than a broad assessment of the situation in 
Somalia.  Ambassador Nuland agreed that the AU,s request was 
important, and urged PermReps to first seek military advice 
before prejudging what NATO might coordinate.  The SYG 
pointed out that the Note Verbale was addressed to NATO, not 
to individual countries, and therefore required a NATO 
response.  He urged military authorities to provide advice 
rapidly. 
 
Darfur 
------ 
¶11. (SBU) Ambassador Nuland briefed on new U.S. sanctions 
against Sudan outlined May 29 by President Bush (reftel). 
She explained these sanctions were in response to Sudanese 
intransigence on allowing the AU-UN &hybrid8 force to 
deploy, as well as Government of Sudan attacks in Darfur and 
support for the janjaweed militias.  She said the U.S. will 
seek to &multilateralize8 these sanctions in the UNSC, 
beginning later this week, and that the U.S. would distribute 
details of the sanctions to delegations. 
 
Terrorism 
--------- 
¶12. (C) D/CMC noted that the Ukrainian ship was fully 
certified and has been operating under NATO command in 
Operation Active Endeavor since May 25.  The next Russian 
ship will deploy August 1 for training and certification, and 
the next Ukrainian ship will deploy in the October-November 
timeframe. 
 
¶13. (C) The Turkish PermRep thanked the SYG once again for 
the May 22 statement condemning the terrorist attack in 
Ankara.  He provided further details of the investigation, 
including alleged PKK links of the suicide bomber.  More 
generally, he stated that terrorists in Turkey were 
benefiting from instability in Iraq, including in particular 
the ability to more easily obtain explosives and small arms. 
He called on NATO states to demonstrate solidarity in 
fighting terrorism that goes beyond statements made after a 
terrorist attack; for example, in implementing UNSCRs on 
combating financial and logistical support for terrorism. 
Public Diplomacy Strategy 
------------------------- 
¶14. (SBU) ASG for PD Jean Fournet briefed the NAC on the PD 
 
USNATO 00000348  004 OF 005 
 
 
Division,s strategy for 2007.  Fournet highlighted the 
division,s three main priorities for 2007: NATO,s mission 
in Afghanistan, the western Balkans, and Russia.  Providing 
few details, he touched lightly on a number of ongoing 
programs, including visitor programs (nearly 12,000 visitors 
to HQ), flagship events at the Riga summit, programs to reach 
opinion makers in the MedD/ICI and EAPC countries.  He also 
highlighted the division,s trend to move from old 
technologies to new, moving resources from printed products 
to on-line, providing media with more video materials (he 
mentioned a video team in Afghanistan that would emphasize 
&NATO as a security enabler8), and updating the NATO,s 
internet website to carry more video streaming. 
 
¶15. (SBU) A lively discussion followed, with 20 PermReps 
intervening.  Most thanked Fournet for his 4 years of service 
(he leaves in Sept.), and supported the division,s move from 
old media to new.  The Polish and Hungarian PermReps called 
for making Ukraine a higher priority in the strategy. 
Several PermReps, (Lithuania, The Netherlands, Canada, UK), 
called for PDD to come up with an action plan to provide NATO 
and ISAF with a strategic communications capability. 
PermReps from Belgium, Lithuania, and Portugal chided PDD for 
not doing enough with NATO,s main NGO partners, the Atlantic 
Treaty Associations (ATA) in alliance states.  The 
Netherlands PermRep, supported by several other ambassadors, 
also questioned the focus of efforts in non-Alliance states, 
rather than in NATO countries themselves, saying that, 
&...survival of our Alliance depends not on what Omanis and 
Algerians think, but on what our own publics think.8 
 
¶16. (SBU) In her intervention, Ambassador Nuland thanked 
Fournet for putting NATO,s public diplomacy priorities on a 
better track, but added that PDD must redouble its efforts to 
rebrand the Alliance as a global security provider and to 
bring NATO issues &from the summit table to the kitchen 
table.8  She also stressed increased support for operations, 
especially ISAF, and urged PDD to provide a funding plan for 
a strategic communications effort, particularly a satellite 
uplink capability, a more interactive, real-time website, and 
a 24/7 Media Ops Center.  She agreed that HQ should do more 
with ATAs and their youth branches (YATA).  Finally, she 
called on PDD to be more transparent with nations on its 
budget plans, and called for a top-to-bottom review of PDD,s 
budget to ensure that its programs reflected the changing 
political priorities of the Alliance. 
 
CNAD and NC3B Meetings 
---------------------- 
¶17. (SBU) Assistant Secretary General Peter Flory briefed the 
NAC on the outcome of recent meetings of the Conference of 
National Armaments Directors (CNAD) and the NATO 
Consultation, Command and Control Board (NC3B).  He 
highlighted principal focus areas of both committees, 
including their contributions to NATO military operations, 
particularly ISAF, and their support for military 
transformation through Defense Against Terrorism (DAT) 
initiatives and the development of a NATO Network Enabled 
Capability (NNEC).  Other key CNAD and NC3B work addressed by 
Flory includes efforts to resolve missile defense technology 
issues; defense of NATO and national information systems 
against cyber attack; and key issues of concern to NATO 
regarding military radio frequency allocations, which will be 
addressed at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 
2007 (WRC-07).  Flory urged nations to continue their active 
involvement in these important CNAD and NC3B activities. 
 
AOB 
 
USNATO 00000348  005 OF 005 
 
 
--- 
¶18. (C) The SYG noted that DASG Bob Simmons was currently in 
Qatar to carry out negotiations on the status of NATO 
personnel at the Combined Air Operations Center.  The 
Slovenian PermRep reported that a Proliferation Security 
Initiative exercise took place off the coast of Slovenia.  In 
addition to eleven Allies, Bosnia, Croatia and Montenegro 
participated. 
 
 
OLSON