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INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0403
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 OTTAWA 000626 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR NATO AF CA
SUBJECT: REGIONAL COMMAND - SOUTH MEETING, APRIL 28, OTTAWA 
 
REF: A. RC-S PLAN - VERSION FROM 4/17/08 
     ¶B. BRITISH DRAFT PAPER - INTEGRATING CN AND COIN 
     ¶C. DFID/WORLD BANK PAPER OF 12/17/07 - ECONOMIC 
        INCENTIVES AND DEVELOPMENT TO REDUCE 
        OPIUM PRODUCTION 
     ¶D. U.S.-UK MYTHS AND FACTS PRESS RELEASE OF MARCH 11 
     ¶E. 2008 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: On April 28 in Ottawa, Canada's Department of 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) hosted a 
DAS-level officials' meeting for countries contributing to 
NATO-ISAF Regional Command - South (RC-S).  NATO and United 
Nations Peace Keeping Operations (UNPKO) representatives also 
attended.  SCA DAS Patrick Moon headed the United States 
delegation (lists in para 19).  The agenda included breakout 
sessions on the RC-S Plan, counternarcotics, national Afghan 
issues (reconciliation and elections planning), 
communications, the rule of law, and border security. 
 
¶2. (U) RC-S Allies provided detailed input on the draft RC-S 
Plan document, and the United States will prepare a new draft 
for final approval at the Ministerial level by Canada, US, 
UK, the Netherlands, Australia, and Denmark. The goal remains 
to produce a counterinsurgency-oriented plan that addresses 
issues specific to RC-S and that is consistent with broader 
NATO efforts. 
 
¶3. (U) INL will lead a "virtual community" on Rule of Law and 
Canada will lead a similar group on the police.  The 
Netherlands offered to host the next RC-South meeting; dates 
are still to be determined.  End Summary. 
 
Plenary: Reflection on Bucharest 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade (DFAIT) meeting organizer and Director General for 
Afghanistan Kerry Buck called on delegates to build on the 
success of previous RC-S officials' meetings and the NATO 
Leaders Summit in Bucharest.  She said that Prime Minister 
Harper was happy with the outcomes of Bucharest, the Canadian 
public had responded well, and Canada's critical Summit 
objectives were met -- helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, 
and a combat capable partner in Kandahar.  The NATO Vision 
Statement and Comprehensive Strategic Political-Military Plan 
(CSPMP) for Afghanistan offered a useful strategic way 
forward, she observed. The job of RC-S officials in Ottawa, 
Buck said, was to build upon this direction in practical ways 
with particular focus on the RC-S Plan, justice, rule of law, 
and reconciliation. 
 
RC-S Plan Working Group and Head of Delegation Lunch 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) RC-S Plan: SCA DAS Patrick Moon briefed about the 
ongoing discussion with RC-S allies and partners about the 
draft RC-S Plan, and U.S. thinking on the matter (ref A). 
DAS Moon argued that, to be worthwhile, the Plan should: 
-- be based on successes in RC-E, applying those to RC-S; 
-- include counterinsurgency (COIN) in substance and word; 
-- be an action plan; and, 
-- not be a formal NATO paper, but remain consistent with 
NATO strategies and plans. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Shifting from their previous opposition to any 
explicit COIN reference, the Dutch and others agreed to 
include both the term and the concept.  They also sought a 
reference to "comprehensive approach," as another concept 
that brings together civilian and military elements.  Allies 
Qthat brings together civilian and military elements.  Allies 
called for a particular focus on the civilian aspects of 
counterinsurgency, and suggested that problems specific to 
RC-S -- poor governance, lack of reconciliation, and the need 
to strengthen UNAMA and NGOs -- ought to figure prominently 
in the Plan.  Canada questioned why RC-S Allies and partners 
should draft a non-NATO paper of this type, noting that RC-S 
commanders report up the NATO chain of command and that 
conflicting guidance would be counterproductive. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Acknowledging the Dutch and Canadian concerns, DAS 
Moon and reiterated the need to ensure that, if the parties 
decided to complete it, the Plan should be consistent with 
the NATO Vision Statement, CSPMP, and ISAF and RC-S 
 
OTTAWA 00000626  002 OF 007 
 
 
Operations Plan (OPLAN).  As such, the Plan could serve as a 
"common national agreement" guiding military and civilian 
efforts.  Australia reminded the group that RC-S defense 
ministers had tasked the Plan, and stated that Australia 
would be willing to support a more high-level document that 
included specific references to COIN.  Picking up from the 
Australians, the UK said the Plan should be consistent with 
the RC-S OPLAN, focus on COIN and counternarcotics (CN), and 
be viewed as both national guidance and a tool for monitoring 
progress within RC-S. 
 
¶8. (U) DAS Moon relayed the intent to provide a revised draft 
reflecting previously received input on April 23 and the 
meeting discussions within 10-14 days. 
 
Counternarcotics Working Group 
------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (SBU) Counternarcotics: The UK chair opened by referring 
to the UK draft paper entitled "Integrating CN and COIN" and 
emphasized the "intertwined" nature of the two in Afghanistan 
(ref B).  The insurgency provided a favorable environment for 
the opposition militant forces (OMF) to persist, she said, by 
fueling insurgents, crime, corruption, and disillusionment 
with the government.  INL/AP Director Thomas Williams 
stressed the need to integrate CN into COIN at all levels by 
all military and civilian players.  He pointed to the need 
for ISAF to support the efforts of the Poppy Eradication 
Force, and highlighted U.S. concerns about offering amnesty 
to members of drug trafficking organizations.  The Dutch 
agreed that amnesty was problematic, but noted that The Hague 
worried that the Good Performers Fund risked creating 
"perverse incentives."  The Australians, meanwhile, expressed 
agreement with the U.S. call to back Afghan CN efforts, and 
urged RC-S partners to empower personnel down-range to make 
calls regarding the right mix of incentives and deterrents. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The second part of the CN session focused on a 
DFID-World Bank paper entitled "Economic Incentives and 
Development Initiatives to Reduce Opium Production" (ref C). 
INL's Williams took issue with elements of the report, noting 
that it was too limited in scope and perpetuated unhelpful 
myths about why most Afghan farmers grew poppy.  Furthermore, 
the report offered no useful prescriptions for pursuing 
development in insecure areas, particularly the South, where 
75 percent of Afghanistan's poppy is grown.  After discussing 
the work, participants highlighted the fact that the RC-S 
OPLAN CN Annex established the COIN-CN nexus articulated in 
the report.  To be successful, they agreed, the execution of 
CN strategy would require a differentiated approach based on 
the security environment, force protection, political buy-in, 
proper sequencing, and the participation of broad-based CN 
advisory task forces. 
 
National Afghan Issues - RC-S Perspectives Working Group 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶11. (SBU) Elections:  The NATO representative observed that 
the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission (AIEC) had called 
for international support.  It had done so despite the fact 
that Afghan authorities had not yet begun to consider the 
logistical and security requirements of the 2009 and 2010 
elections.  RC-S members agreed that their governments should 
Qelections.  RC-S members agreed that their governments should 
discreetly press Afghan authorities to energize their 
registration and election planning processes.  The Dutch 
chair expressed concern about the possible need for more ISAF 
troops to ensure security during the elections;   "where 
would they come from?" he asked. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Reconciliation:  Participants focused on the 
Program Takhim-E-Sol (PTS).  Most participants agreed that 
PTS was "good on paper" but not performing well, and yielded 
only "small fish" so far.  All nonetheless conceded that PTS 
should be supported and strengthened as the main vehicle for 
reconciliation, and that reconciliation must be an Afghan-led 
process.  DAS Moon noted that PTS would benefit from better 
management, and that President Karzai could help to 
reinvigorate it.  Participants also discussed the Independent 
Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) Afghanistan Social 
Outreach Program (ASOP).  It was noted that ASOP is related 
to (but not a substitute for) reconciliation in that ASOP 
politically empowers and provides economic support to local 
communities, in exchange for an agreement for responsible 
 
OTTAWA 00000626  003 OF 007 
 
 
action (much as reconciliation provides protections to 
individuals who lay down their arms and acknowledge the 
government's authority).  The Working Group agreed that, 
despite its potential faults, the ASOP also merits continued 
support.  DAS Moon observed that providing transitional 
justice would be an even tougher problem, and it will take 
some time for the Afghans to figure out how to address it. 
We should not pressure them, he said, and the UN delegate 
agreed. 
 
Communications Working Group 
---------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Communications:  The UK chair began with his 
assessment that strategic communications ought to strike a 
balance between home and Afghan audiences, and that the 
Interim Government Media Center in Kabul should open by June 
¶2008.  The British asked, and those present agreed, whether 
they should invite an Afghan embassy official to the regular 
meetings of the informal RC-S Communications Working Group in 
London.  The UK distributed draft talking points on 
reconciliation, and proposed drafting a counternarcotics 
communications plan based on the U.S.-UK myths and facts 
press release (ref D).  The Danes conveyed the importance of 
getting messages to partners when major news events of 
civilian casualties are imminent, in order to help mitigate 
negative domestic reactions.  The U.S. representative shared 
a draft communication plan for the run-up to the Paris 
conference in June, which should be discussed at the next 
regular meeting of the Communications Working Group in 
London.  Finally, the NATO International Staff and the Danish 
representatives described the recent, somewhat premature, 
launch of the "NATO TV" site.  While up and running, NATO TV 
still has to work out issues of editorial control. 
 
Rule of Law Working Group 
------------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Rule of Law:  Members of the Working Group agreed 
that the Focused District Development (FDD) program was off 
to a good start, and acknowledged the need to coordinate 
governance and reconstruction efforts with FDD's police 
training component.  All agreed that the EUPOL mission has 
gotten off to a weak start, but the group was generally 
supportive of trying to turn EUPOL into a success.  The Dutch 
delegate expressed concern about a projected reduction in the 
number of authorized Afghan National Police (ANP) in Uruzgan. 
 (Note: This draw-down is part of a revised "tashkil," 
approved by the Ministry of Interior to rebalance the ANP, 
based on population and threat, and to eliminate the ANAP.) 
All delegates agreed that the Law and Order Trust Fund 
(LOTFA) deserved continued support.  Several delegates noted 
concern about security for prosecutors and judges.  There was 
general recognition that justice efforts must be Afghan-led. 
At the closing plenary, INL/AP's Williams agreed to lead an 
email discussion "virtual community" on Rule of Law and 
Canadian Director General Buck agreed to lead a similar group 
on the police. 
 
Border Security Working Group 
----------------------------- 
 
¶15. (SBU) Border Security:  As chair for the group, DAS Moon 
opened with an explanation of U.S. efforts and concerns 
regarding the Pakistan and Iranian borders.  The Canadians 
briefed their Dubai Border Workshop for Afghanistan and 
Qbriefed their Dubai Border Workshop for Afghanistan and 
Pakistan security, defense, and foreign affairs officials, 
and asked that donors consider funding elements of the action 
plan that the two countries are set to sign in June.  There 
was consensus that refugees were not yet a significant issue 
in RC-S because the closure of the long-established camps on 
the Pakistan side of the border in Baluchistan had not yet 
been scheduled. 
 
¶16. (SBU) The discussion that ensued focused almost entirely 
on Afghanistan's eastern border and led to general agreement 
that the border presented huge challenges that must be 
addressed in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that border 
police capacity and border security are critically important. 
 The one, sustained discordant note came from the British 
delegate, who insisted that resources would be better spent 
on domestic police training than on beefing up Afghanistan's 
border police.  The current political situation in Pakistan 
 
OTTAWA 00000626  004 OF 007 
 
 
further complicated engagement on the border and on advancing 
the cross-border Peace Jirga process with Islamabad.  That 
said, allies agreed upon the need to continue to press border 
issues, OMF sanctuaries, and our desire to engage Pakistani 
officials along the border and in Islamabad at all levels. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶17. (SBU) The RC-S group continues to meet informally at 
various levels from working level to ministers, and serves as 
a caucus-like body of Allies and partners dealing with a 
similar set of challenges in the Regional Command - South 
area of operations.  The Dutch, who will provide the next 
RC-S commander, offered to host the next RC-S meeting, dates 
TBD.  The United States will continue to steer these RC-S 
forums toward addressing operational issues while keeping the 
Allies and partners in sync with the broader NATO efforts. 
End comment. 
 
¶18.  (U) DAS Moon has cleared this cable. 
 
¶19.  (U) ATTENDEE LIST 
 
AUSTRALIA 
 
Mr. Paul Robilliard (HoD) 
Assistant Secretary 
Afghanistan and Iraq Branch 
Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade 
 
Mr. Andrew Chandler 
Assistant Secretary 
Central Asia Middle East and Africa Branch 
Department of Defence 
 
Ms. Sheridan Kearnan 
Director 
Afghanistan Section 
Department of Defence 
 
Mr. Alan March 
Senior Adviser 
Humanitarian and Reconstruction 
Australian Agency for International Development 
 
Mr. Dave Vosen 
Director 
Iraq Middle East Afghanistan and Pakistan Section, 
Australian Agency for International Aid 
 
Brigadier General Andrew Smith 
Director-General Plans, 
Joint Operations Command 
Department of Defence 
 
Lieutenant Colonel Byron Cocksedge 
Staff Officer Grade 1 
Military Strategic Commitments 
Department of Defence 
 
Lieutenant Colonel Lyndon Anderson 
Defence Adviser 
Australian High Commission, Ottawa 
 
Mr. Ben Burdon 
Counsellor 
Australian Embassy, Washington 
 
CANADA 
 
Ms Kerry Buck (HoD) 
Director General 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 
BGen Peter Atkinson 
Director General - Operations 
Strategic Joint Staff 
Department of National Defence 
 
Mr. Don Sinclair 
Director General 
 
OTTAWA 00000626  005 OF 007 
 
 
International Security Bureau 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 
Mr. Richard Arbeiter 
Director, Policy and Advocacy Division 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 
Mr. Michael Elliott 
Senior Policy Analyst 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Privy Council Office 
 
Mr. Geoffrey Dean 
Director Strategic Communications 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 
Mr. Kevin Rex 
Director Peace and Security Policy 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Canadian International Development Agency 
 
Ms. Mieke Bos 
Deputy Director 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Department of National Defence 
 
Ms. Marina Laker 
Director Peace Support Operations 
Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 
Ms. Rebecca Netley 
First Secretary, Political 
Embassy of Canada, Washington 
 
Mr. Christopher Gibbins 
Deputy Director, Policy and Advocacy Division 
Afghanistan Task Force 
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada 
 
DENMARK 
 
Amb. Carsten Nilaus Pederson (HOD) 
Under Secretary for Bilateral Co-operation 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
Mr. Peter Alexa 
Head of Department 
Ministry of Defence 
 
ESTONIA 
 
Mr. Margus Kolga (HoD) 
Director General 
Political Department. 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
Mr. Christian-Marc Liflnder 
Director of the Policy Planning Department 
Ministry of Defence 
 
Mr. Taimar Peterkop 
Counsellor 
Embassy of Estonia, Washington 
 
Mr. Rasmus Lumi 
Charg d'Affaires 
Embassy of Estonia, Ottawa 
 
NATO 
 
Mr. Gordon Brett (HoD) 
Acting Head, Operations Section 
Operations Division 
NATO HQ 
 
Mrs. Delphine Mauss 
Officer, Crisis Management Policy Section 
Operations Division 
NATO HQ 
 
 
OTTAWA 00000626  006 OF 007 
 
 
Mr. Erik Povel 
Afghanistan Media Operations Center (MOC) 
Public Diplomacy Division 
NATO HQ 
 
NETHERLANDS 
 
H.E. Mr. Karel de Beer 
Ambassador to Canada 
 
Mr. Robert de Groot (HoD) 
Director Security Policy Department 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
Mr. Koen Davidse 
Director Peacebuilding and Fragility Unit 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
Mr. Hidde Baars 
Policy officer 
South Asia Division 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
Mr. Matthijs Veenendaal 
Senior policy Advisor 
Department for General Policy Affairs 
Ministry of Defence 
 
Ms. Cynthia de Ligt 
Policy officer 
Security Policy Department 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
 
ROMANIA 
 
Mr. Daniel Ene (HoD) 
Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, 
Embassy of Romania, Ottawa 
 
UNITED KINGDOM 
 
Mr. Matthew Lodge (HoD) 
Head of Afghanistan Group 
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
 
Mrs. Rachel Brass 
Team Leader (Strategic Communications) 
Afghanistan Group 
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
 
Mr. Peter O'Rourke 
Team Leader (Pol/Mil) 
Afghanistan Group 
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
 
Ms. Katharine Hammond 
Team Leader (Rule of Law) 
Afghan Drugs Interdepartmental Unit 
UK High Commission 
 
BGen. Gordon Messenger 
Director Joint Commitments 
Ministry of Defence 
 
Col. Gerhard Wheeler 
DTIO 
Ministry of Defence 
 
Ms. Emily Travis 
Team Leader 
Afghanistan Team 
Department for International Development 
 
Ms. Jessica Irvine, 
Head of ADIDU 
Afghan Drugs Interdepartmental Unit 
 
UNITED NATIONS 
 
Ms. Radha Day (HoD) 
UNAMA desk 
OO - AMED 
Department of Peace Keeping Operations 
 
OTTAWA 00000626  007 OF 007 
 
 
United Nations Headquarters, New York 
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
Mr. Patrick Moon (HoD) 
Afghanistan Coordinator 
Deputy Assistant Secretary 
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs 
Department of State 
 
Mr. Robert Newberry 
Principal Director 
Europe and NATO Policy 
Office of the Secretary of Defense 
 
Mr. Thomas Williams 
Office Director 
Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Office for 
Afghanistan and Pakistan Programs 
Department of State 
 
Ms. Kathleen McInnis 
Director 
NATO ISAF Operations 
Europe and NATO Policy 
Office of the Secretary of Defense 
 
Mr. Ian Rainey 
Afghanistan Country Director 
Asian and Pacific Security Affairs 
Office of the Secretary of Defense 
 
Captain James Hirst 
NATO Division Chief 
Joint Staff, J5 
Department of Defense 
 
Mr. Peter Shea 
NATO-Afghanistan 
Action Officer 
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Regional Security 
and Arms Transfers 
Department of State 
 
Ms. Nisha Singh 
Foreign Affairs Officer 
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Office for 
Afghanistan 
Department of State 
 
Mr. Brett Mattei 
First Secretary for Political Affairs 
United Sates Embassy, Ottawa 
 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
BREESE