VZCZCXRO2388
RR RUEHAG RUEHBZ RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHDL #0532 1841348
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031348Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8410
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000532 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC MASS SU EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND TO CONSIDER DARFUR HYBRID OPERATION 
CONTRIBUTION 
 
REF: STATE 90022 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Ireland will discuss the possibility of 
contributing personnel to the UN/AU Hybrid Operation for 
Darfur at a July 19 inter-agency meeting involving the 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of 
Defense, the Department of Justice, and the Irish Police, 
according to Eamonn McKee, DFA Director for Conflict 
Resolution, to whom Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche 
on July 2.  McKee committed to advise the Embassy on the 
outcome of the meeting and on the possible need for follow-up 
senior-level Washington interventions.  He noted that Sudan 
was a priority issue for Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern, who 
visited Darfur and Khartoum in July 2006 and who has 
regularly highlighted his concerns about the region in 
official EU discussions. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In terms of available personnel, McKee pointed out 
that roughly 200 Irish troops had finished their mission in 
UNMIL in Liberia in June, but would need time for retraining 
and equipment upgrades.  (Before the UNMIL mission ended, 
there were more than 800 Irish troops overseas, close to the 
policy target ceiling of 850 for foreign assignments.)  He 
added that a chief concern for the Irish Government in 
considering participation in the Hybrid Operation would be 
the stability of funding for AMIS, which is to provide 
logistical support for the follow-on UN/AU force.  (Comment: 
Post is reasonably optimistic that Ireland will contribute 
personnel to the Hybrid Operation; the issues will be the 
amount of time needed to redeploy the former UNMIL troops and 
coordination with Irish commitments to Kosovo and the EU 
Battle Groups.) 
FOLEY