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RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 4394
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 3054
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C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000988 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USNATO/EXEC (VNULAND) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2017 
TAGS: NATO PREL AF NO
SUBJECT: GETTING NORWAY TO DO MORE ON AFGHANISTAN: 
AMBASSADORS BREAKFAST AND EMBASSY OUTREACH 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Benson K. Whitney, Reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d) 
 
1.(C)  Summary.  On September 20 Ambassador Whitney and the 
local Dutch, Danish, Afghan and Canadian ambassadors 
participated in a key Afghanistan ally breakfast, hosted by 
UK Ambassador David Powell.  The breakfast covered ways to 
ensure a renewal (and hopefully, an expansion) of Norway's 
NATO commitment, particularly with future Operational Mentor 
and Liaison Team (OMLT) and special forces contributions. 
The ambassadors concluded that a Norwegian Telemark battalion 
contribution was unlikely.  Building on a theme long 
advocated by the Embassy, the ambassadors agreed to encourage 
ways to rally Norwegian public support of Afghanistan, 
including a possible conference hosted by a Norwegian NGO. 
The Embassy will continue to urge Afghanistan's Ambassador to 
Norway Javid Lodin to actively engage Norwegian media, who 
often do not cover the positives in Afghanistan.  End Summary. 
 
Afghan Ambassador's Debrief: "There's Only One Afghanistan" 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
2.(C)  At a September 20 breakfast of ambassadors, Ambassador 
Lodin (a former Chief of Staff of President Karzai) debriefed 
on his recent "encouraging" trip to Afghanistan, focusing 
largely on positives, while quick to point out U.S. 
assistance.  For example, he noted that due to US support 
Afghanistan is becoming self-sufficient in cereal production. 
 Additionally, the country's still high child mortality rates 
have plummeted by 30 percent. Lodin highlighted Ford Ranger 
vehicles provided by Americans, which Lodin credited as 
engendering confidence in the police, and enhancing their 
capability--all the while creating positive public support of 
the US.  He lamented that such success stories do not make 
the media. 
 
3.(C)  Lodin noted that the Afghan president was optimistic 
on improving security conditions.  The recent Loya Girga, and 
increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, were leading to 
growing collaboration between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 
Lodin pointed out that the long-awaited Taliban southern 
offensive never materialized, and that many senior Taliban 
leaders have been killed.  Even though governance was 
"mismanaged" in the past, Lodin said, a new directorate, 
under Karzai's direct leadership, will positively impact 
security given that the government is now "well represented" 
in the south.  Recognizing that Canadian colleagues "are 
still paying with their troops' lives,"  Lodin was hopeful 
that the situation in Kandahar was improving. 
 
4.(C)  Concerning "homegrown" terrorists, Lodin noted that a 
recent "incredible" UN Report on suicide bombings indicating 
that 80 percent of the bombers were foreigners, from Pakistan 
and Central Asian countries, and Chechnya.  The 20 percent of 
Afghan bombers were often malleable, impressionable drug 
addicts who didn't know that they would be used in a suicide 
attack. He believed that there was a positive feeling in the 
population, that civilian casualties were taken seriously by 
ISAF. 
 
5.(C)  Lodin also acknowledged the negatives.  He theorized 
that problems in the south and north should not be divided 
up.  He also stressed that it was crucial for allies to 
realize that "Afghanistan is one Afghanistan."  Ignoring that 
violence may spread from the south into the north was a 
mistake.  Lodin cautioned that NATO withdrawal "noise" was 
having a negative impact on the Afghan populace. 
 
Ambassadors Speak Frankly 
------------------------- 
 
6.(C)  Ambassador Whitney reinforced the US commitment to 
Afghanistan, while warning that narcotics issues could erode 
the support.  Managing the NATO alliance was the biggest 
concern facing the mission, he said. 
 
7.(C)  Canadian Ambassador Jillian Stirk summarized Canadian 
Defense Minister Peter MacKay's recent trip to Norway.  The 
Defense Minister, when meeting with his Norwegian colleague, 
Anne-Grete Stroem-Erichsen, emphasized that "we're all in 
this together".  The Canadian Chief of Defense Staff General 
Rick Hillier also relayed to Norwegian colleagues that the 
Taliban monitors public opinion in all the alliance states, 
and warned Norway not to play into the hands of the Taliban, 
who, sensing wavering public support, plan atrocities to 
further destabilize public opinion. Stirk thought the 
Norwegians' preferred OMLT participation in the future, and 
 
possibly also in the south. 
 
8.(C)  Dutch Ambassador Ronald van Roeden described how the 
Netherlands would soon determine what will happen once its 
mandate ends in August 2008.  He noted that public opinion 
has plummeted following Dutch casualties and that the Dutch 
were extremely disturbed by the narcotics situation.  The 
Dutch emphasized a need for a third partner in Afghanistan, 
and continue to look to Norway.  The Dutch and Norwegian 
Development ministers maintain a special relationship, Van 
Roeden said, and share the same concern for development, 
economy and health issues. 
 
9.(C)  Danish Ambassador Theis Truelsen bluntly stated that 
Danish support in Afghanistan was not in doubt, and a huge 
parliamentary majority supports Afghan involvement. 
Following the Iraq withdrawal, he said, Danish troops were 
reassigned to Afghanistan and the south.  The Danish 
Ambassador also recalled a tense meeting between Danish 
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller and Norwegian Foreign 
Minister Stoere, when the Danish minister said talk of 
"Nordic cooperation" means that Norway should help "in tough 
spots," and not "just in cultural issues."  According to the 
ambassador, Stoere "didn't like" the message, but noted that 
Norway would consider resending special forces to the south 
(Note: Norwegian special forces are currently in Kabul but 
will be imminently rotated out of the country). 
 
Moving Forward 
-------------- 
 
10.(C)  The ambassadors agreed that Norway should be 
encouraged to get the word out on reconstruction efforts. 
The Norwegian media is providing very negative, one-sided 
Afghanistan coverage, focusing only on security issues.  The 
ambassadors believed that presenting a story collectively, to 
NGOs and the media, would be helpful to the Norwegian 
government.  All continued to be dismayed that 
Afghanistan--which receives the second highest amount of very 
generous Norwegian development assistance--is never showcased 
by the GON.  While the Afghan ambassador speculated that 
perhaps "Norwegian modesty" accounted for the silence, he 
agreed it would be helpful to open up the debate.  He noted 
that Development Minster Solheim will soon visit Afghanistan, 
and, departing from previous Norwegian governmental 
traditions, will bring journalists--which all ambassadors 
agreed was a positive (if small) step.  The ambassadors 
supported trying to persuade the Norwegian Foreign Minister 
to state for the record that Norway's NATO engagement in 
Afghanistan is important.  Finally, Ambassador Whitney's call 
for "having Afghanistan speak for Afghanistan" was welcomed. 
 
11.(C)  Regarding renewing Norway's NATO mandate, and 
bringing in the Telemark battalion, the ambassadors thought 
the priority is to encourage NATO to submit a request for 
OMLT and special forces.  Although many present (most 
particularly Ambassador Whitney) thought Norway should 
provide a Telemark battalion, the consensus was that Norway 
would be unlikely to support such a move, given that the 
vocal junior member of the ruling coalition government, 
Socialist Left (SV), had suffered dramatic losses (50%) in 
recent local elections.  Several Ambassadors also noted that 
even if engaged, the Telemark battalion had such a short-term 
stay (6 months) that its utility would be limited to a 
symbolic role. 
 
12.(C)  The importance of Norway as a "swing country" in 
defense issues was also noted. Despite its small size, when 
Norway participates in security actions, other countries are 
encouraged to join in, and find it helpful.  The Dutch 
Ambassador stated that what Norway does militarily is 
"crucial." 
 
13.(C)  The ambassadors also plan to rally the support and 
involvement of NGOs, commentators and media outlets.  A 
possible conference hosted by the Norwegian Institute of 
Foreign Affairs (NUPI), inviting high-level Norwegian 
governmental officials, was supported.  Rallying Norwegian 
support is crucial, particularly because the military will, 
in its upcoming internal review, determine whether to focus 
on home defense versus expeditionary forces. 
 
14.(C)  Comment.  Norway's continued, and expanded, 
involvement in Afghanistan is viewed as increasingly 
important.  The Dutch and Canadians, in particular, see 
Norway as a key ally, and potential source of assistance in 
the south.  We will continue to advocate that Afghan 
Ambassador Lodin reach out to local media and bring a higher 
profile to Afghanistan.  Alliance ambassadors at the 
breakfast remain uniformly committed to ensuring Norway 
remain in Afghanistan--and hopefully extend their presence 
through OMLTs and special forces.  Opposition to remaining in 
Afghanistan has historically been most notable from the 
Socialist Left party.  With its crushing defeat in recent 
local elections, its future course is uncertain, but the 
party clearly will hinder a greater military commitment to 
Afghanistan.  Although all the ambassadors hoped that Norway 
would also commit the Telemark battalion, the Danish 
ambassador summed up the realistic appraisal, stating "it 
isn't Christmas yet."  End Comment. 
 
 
WHITNEY