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DE RUEHRL #2172/01 3391723
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051723Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9965
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS BE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BERLIN 002172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PREL MARR NATO EUN GM AF SU KV BK LE GG ET
SUBJECT: German Out-Of-Area Deployment Update 
 
REF:  Berlin 1822 
 
¶1. (SBU) As of December 2, Germany had 7,173 military personnel in 
out-of-area deployments (compared to 6,737 in late October), plus 
3,100 on stand-by for the NATO Response Force (NRF).  All military 
out-of-area (OOA) deployments, with the exception of those in 
support of UN observer missions, require parliamentary approval.  A 
law regulates the parliamentary process, allowing expedited 
procedures only for non-controversial deployments.  What follows is 
a brief run-down on Germany's current OOA deployments.  (Note: OOA 
deployments are defined as deployments outside the territory of the 
NATO member states. End Note.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Bundeswehr currently has 3,176 military personnel 
operating under ISAF in Afghanistan based on a one-year combined 
mandate approved by the Bundestag October 12.  This combined mandate 
includes deployment of six Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, which 
were previously covered by a separate mandate first approved in 
March 2007.  The troop ceiling for the mandate is 3,500, which 
combines the previously separate troop ceilings for ISAF (3,000) and 
the Tornados (500).  Because the Tornados only require about 200 
troops, the merger automatically created additional headroom for 
Germany to take on additional tasks. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The German government has announced its intention to use 
this additional troop capacity to boost the Bundeswehr's involvement 
in the training of the Afghan National Army (ANA).  Some ideas under 
consideration include expanding a drivers and mechanics school in 
Kabul into a logisticians' training center, setting up a combat 
engineer school in Kabul and establishing an infantry training 
center in Mazar-e-Sharif. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Germany currently provides an Operational Mentoring and 
Liaison Team (OMLT) for a maneuver battalion based in Kunduz.  It 
also contributes to two multinational OMLTs -- one for the HQ of the 
209th Corps and the other for the HQ of the 1st Brigade of the 209th 
Corps.  Both HQs are located in Mazar-E-Sharif.  Germany plans to 
provide an additional OMLT temporarily for a second maneuver 
battalion based in Mazar-E-Sharif, beginning in early 2008.  This 
German OMLT will remain in place until Latvia is ready to take 
responsibility for it in fall 2008.  A new ANA brigade -- 2nd 
Brigade, 209th Corps -- is scheduled to be stood up in Kunduz in the 
fall of 2008.  Germany plans to contribute four of the seven OMLTs 
required for this brigade.  Germany also plans to build garrisons 
for the new brigade in the north. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Germany has been active in ISAF since the operation's 
creation in January 2002, and was the first country to volunteer to 
lead an ISAF Provincial Reconstruction Team outside of Kabul. 
Germany currently commands ISAF's northern region (RC-North), where 
it leads two of the five PRTs (Kunduz and Feyzabad) as well as the 
Forward Support Base in Mazar-E-Sharif.  Norway has announced that 
it will cease providing the company-sized Quick Reaction Force (QRF) 
for RC-North in June 2008.  In the absence of any other capable or 
willing countries, Germany appears likely to take on this role. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The ISAF mandate limits normal Bundeswehr operations to 
Kabul and RC-North, but allows temporary, limited deployments to 
other parts of the country on a case-by-case basis.  In early May, 
at the request of ISAF, Defense Minister Jung approved the temporary 
deployment (three to four weeks) of a three-man psychological 
operations team to southern Afghanistan.  German radio operators 
have also been deployed temporarily to provide communication support 
to Regional Command South in Kandahar.  However, MOD has thus far 
not allowed German OMLTs to accompany their ANA units on deployments 
outside the north.  Meanwhile, the ISAF mandate allows the 
reconnaissance aircraft to operate throughout Afghanistan, but 
restricts the distribution of the resulting information outside of 
ISAF channels.  The information can only be passed to OEF in 
instances where doing so directly supports ISAF operations. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The parliamentary mandate for OEF was extended for one year 
on November 15.  It allows for the deployment of up to 1,400 
personnel.  Currently, there are 246 German sailors and one frigate 
under OEF, operating around the Horn of Africa.  The mandate 
authorizes the deployment of up to 100 German Special Forces (KSK) 
in Afghanistan.  Reportedly, no KSK have been deployed to 
Afghanistan under OEF in more than two years, which led some 
politicians to question the utility of maintaining this part of the 
mandate during the recent debate over its renewal. 
 
BERLIN 00002172  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Despite parliamentary approval, OEF remains unpopular in 
Germany due to misperceptions of the mission as a strictly combat 
operation and its association with civilian casualties.  OEF is an 
especially divisive issue within the Social Democratic Party (SDP), 
the junior party in the Grand Coalition government.  Some 42 SPD 
parliamentarians -- about 20% of the caucus -- voted against 
extending the OEF mandate this year.  While significantly higher 
than last year, when only 13 opposed OEF, the number of defections 
is significantly below what the SPD suffered in March, when 69 voted 
against the original deployment of Tornado reconnaissance aircraft 
to Afghanistan. 
 
¶9. (SBU) During the parliamentary debate on OEF, FM Steinmeier 
called for evaluating whether OEF could be mandated in the future 
through a UNSCR, rather than continuing to rely on the self-defense 
provisions of Article 51 of the UN Charter.  He also called for 
examining the possibility of transferring the ANA training mission 
from OEF to ISAF, thereby continuing the trend toward an ever larger 
ISAF and smaller OEF.  Finally, he proposed holding an international 
conference in the coming months to take stock of progress in 
achieving the goals of the Afghanistan Compact. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Renewal of the OEF mandate could be even more challenging 
next year, in the run-up to the 2009 national parliamentary 
election, given that popular support for the mission remains low. 
 
------------------- 
Kosovo Force (KFOR) 
------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Germany currently has 2,792 military personnel (compared 
to 2,218 in October) in KFOR, far below that allowed under the 
parliamentary mandate (8,500).  The increase compared to October 
reflects the deployment of the German Operational Reserve Force 
(ORF) battalion to Kosovo on November 16.  The battalion is expected 
to re-deploy back to Germany on December 16.  The mandate is 
extended automatically each year unless there is a change to the 
UNSC Resolution framework for the Kosovo Force.  While it remains 
unclear whether a new parliamentary mandate will be required in the 
event of a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo, all 
political parties agree that the international military presence, 
including German forces, must remain in place. 
 
----------------------------------- 
European Union Force (EUFOR) Bosnia 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Germany currently has 269 soldiers (compared to 316 in 
October) in Bosnia as part of the EU's Operation ALTHEA.  Most of 
the German soldiers are deployed as liaison and observer teams.  The 
mandate, amended December 1, allows the deployment of up to 2,400 
military personnel.  This operation extends automatically unless 
there is a change to its underlying UNSC resolution.  Over the last 
several months, the German government has been slowly reducing its 
military presence in coordination with other allies, but that 
process has been suspended recently in light of current problems in 
implementing reform measures mandated by the Dayton Peace 
agreement. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Germany leads UNIFIL's naval component and has 631 
military personnel deployed (compared to 805 in October).  The 
current mandate, authorizing up to 1,400 military personnel, expires 
on September 12, 2008.  The German MOD has announced its intention 
to hand over leadership of UNIFIL's naval component in February 
¶2008. 
 
------------------------------ 
Sudan (UNAMID, UNMIS and AMIS) 
------------------------------ 
 
¶14. (SBU) Germany currently has 42 military observers (compared to 
37 in September) in the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), monitoring the 
implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.  The parliament 
imposed a caveat barring military observers from going to Darfur 
without prior consultation with the Bundestag Foreign Relations 
Committee's chairman and ranking members.  The mandate, which was 
extended for an additional year on November 15, allows for the 
participation of up to 75 German military observers. 
 
¶15. (SBU) While there is parliamentary mandate for the Bundeswehr to 
deploy transport aircraft and up to 200 troops in support of the 
African (Union) Mission in Sudan (AMIS), this mandate has gone 
practically unused in the last year, with the AU requesting only 
 
BERLIN 00002172  003 OF 003 
 
 
sporadic assistance from Germany.  The current six-month AMIS 
mandate expires December 14. 
 
¶16. (SBU) The Bundestag approved a new mandate in support of the 
UN/AU hybrid mission in Darfur (UN Assistance Mission in Darfur, 
UNAMID) on November 15.  The new UNAMID mandate authorizes the 
Bundeswehr to draw on the same assets provided for in the AMIS 
mandate. 
 
---------------- 
Georgia (UNOMIG) 
---------------- 
 
¶17. (SBU) Germany has been part of the UN Observer Mission in 
Georgia (UNOMIG) since 1998 and currently has 12 personnel (no 
change since October) stationed there, most of whom are medical 
personnel and military observers.  To meet a UN request for 
additional medical personnel, the German cabinet decided August 8 to 
raise the personnel ceiling for this mission from 13 to 20. 
 
----------------------- 
Other minor deployments 
----------------------- 
 
¶18. (SBU) Two military observers serve in the United Nations Mission 
in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).  One German military observer is 
seconded to the United Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan 
(UNAMA).  The Bundeswehr has seconded 41 military personnel to 
Strategic Medical Evacuation (STRATAIRMEDEVAC), for which no 
parliamentary mandate is required, since it is not an armed 
deployment and the stand-by aircraft are stationed in Germany. 
 
----------------------- 
Other force commitments 
----------------------- 
 
¶19. (SBU) The Bundeswehr currently has 3,100 soldiers committed for 
the ninth rotation of the NATO Response Force (NRF). 
 
------------------------- 
Bundeswehr transformation 
------------------------- 
 
¶20. (SBU) The Bundeswehr is currently undergoing a transformation 
process, the goal of which is to be able to send up to 14,000 
soldiers to as many as five different theaters for stabilization 
missions by 2010.  The Bundeswehr will be reduced from its 
pre-transformation level of 270,000 to a final strength of 250,000 
(162,300 Army, 62,700 Air Force and 25,000 Navy).  The new 
Bundeswehr will be composed of three different groups: 35,000 for 
intervention forces, 70,000 for stabilization forces and 147,000 for 
support forces.  Part of the Bundeswehr's transformation is a 
comprehensive rebasing program, which is also intended to be 
completed by 2010.  Moreover, transformation includes the 
procurement of new equipment to fill capability gaps, mainly in the 
fields of strategic air lift, network centric warfare and armored 
vehicles.  Due to limited funding (Germany spends just 1.2 percent 
of its GDP on defense, with few prospects of significant increases 
in the future), the equipping side of transformation is behind 
schedule. 
 
TIMKEN