VZCZCXRO3480
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPG #0401/01 1780653
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260653Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0445
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0098

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000401 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DOD PASS TO GETZ AND OSD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MASS NATO AF EZ EUN
SUBJECT: DASD GETZ VISIT TO PRAGUE 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On June 9 2008, Acting Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense Colleen Getz visited Prague for meetings 
with Czech MoD and MFA officials to discuss ongoing and 
future Czech contributions to coalitions in Afghanistan and 
Iraq.  The meeting provided a good opportunity to review the 
Czech deployments, progress of the Logar PRT, and future 
plans.  The Czechs also discussed with A/DASD Getz a number 
of measures they are considering to address the deteriorating 
security situation in Afghanistan's Logar Province.  End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Discussion with MoD on Afghanistan and Iraq 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During meetings at Czech MoD, A/DASD Getz met with 
first Deputy Minister of Defense Bartak, Chief of Czech 
Military Intelligence and Special Operations Forces MG 
Palenik, Czech General Staff J3 BG Balint, and MoD Policy and 
Strategy Division Deputy Director Jahoda.  The Czechs 
provided a survey of current and planned contributions to 
Afghanistan stressing their intention to concentrate Czech 
resources on two missions:  the Czech PRT in Logar and the 
SOF deployment under OEF.  Bartak noted that the 100-person 
Czech military field hospital located at the Kabul 
International Airport (KAIA) would redeploy by the end of 
2008, while a small Czech Operational Mentoring and Liaison 
Team (OMLT) working with the Afghanistan Air Corps and a 
small national support element and NBC monitoring team will 
remain based at KAIA.  Repeated deployments by some units 
like the Czech military hospital had stressed many low 
density Military Occupational Specialties and would pose a 
limiting factor in the future.  Turning to 2009, Bartak noted 
the Czechs intended to deploy three Mi-171 helicopters to 
Regional Command-East (RC-E), but stated that securing pilots 
with the appropriate pre-deployment training as well as 
performing the required technical upgrades on the helicopters 
to be deployed was proving to be a sizable challenge. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Bartak briefed A/DASD Getz on Czech concerns over 
the deteriorating security situation in the Logar Province. 
Bartak emphasized that following the recent deaths of two 
Czech soldiers, and the wounding of several others, the Czech 
government must show that is taking measures to adjust and 
improve the security of the PRT.  The government,s concerns 
are prompting the Czechs to deploy more combat forces to the 
province including the imminent planned deployment of a 
20-man special MP unit that will be moved from Helmand to 
Logar and, by early 2009, an airborne company.  The Czechs 
noted that they would require U.S. theater airlift support to 
transport this unit from Helmand to KAIA for onward ground 
transfer to Logar.  Bartak also inquired about how best to 
move forward with the re-deployment of Czech civilian police 
trainers from the north to Logar, specifically requesting 
assistance in determining what kind of technical support 
agreement would be required to allow the reimbursement by 
EUPOL to RC-E for life support costs at Logar. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Citing a greatly increased IED threat in Logar and 
a slew of mechanical problems with their recently acquired 
fleet of 26 M1114 up-armored Humvees, the Czechs are 
grappling with determining what vehicles would be best suited 
for use by the Czech PRT.  The Czech Government has approved 
an accelerated acquisition effort to identify and purchase 
new MRAP-like vehicles, but in the near term the Czechs have 
requested U.S. assistance in providing better protection to 
their personnel.  Any new Czech armored vehicles, once 
acquired, will require U.S.-compatible radios and other 
equipment, which the Czechs are willing to purchase 
commercially, but may need U.S. assistance in this process. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) A/DASD Getz welcomed the Czech,s intentions to 
deploy more forces but noted that as Czech deployments 
increase so would the coordination and planning challenges 
they would face.  Getz emphasized the need for a systematic 
and disciplined approach to communication, coordination, and 
issue tracking.  She also noted that due to high demand there 
were no quick solutions with regard to purchasing U.S. 
tactical radios.  However, A/DASD Getz suggested that the 
Czech Senior National Representative (SNR) in Tampa should 
maintain an active dialogue with the appropriate CENTCOM 
staff elements regarding their perceived equipment 
shortfalls. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Concerning Iraq, the Czechs noted that they are in 
the process of re-deploying 100 soldiers from Basra back to 
the Czech Republic, while at the same time sending a 
detachment of T-72 trainers to assist in the training of 
 
PRAGUE 00000401  002 OF 002 
 
 
Iraqi military personnel at Taji under MNSTC-I.  Deputy 
Minister Bartak noted that there is a possibility that the 
Czechs would offer to expand the size of their training 
mission at Taji in 2009. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
MFA Focuses on Afghanistan PRT 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) A/DASD Getz also met with the Deputy Director of 
the Security Policy Department at the Czech MFA, Petr 
Chalupecky.  Chalupecky and the MFA,s PRT senior 
coordinator, Ester Lauferova, briefed Getz on current 
reconstruction activities.  According to Lauferova, the Logar 
PRT has been able to achieve a number of successes, despite 
the increased security challenges that are hindering the 
ability of the Czech PRT to leave its Forward Operating Base. 
 The PRT,s original plans of conducting at least three 
missions per day have been revised downward given the 
worsening security environment.  For the same reason, the 
Czechs have delayed plans to deploy two additional civilian 
reconstruction experts.  Nevertheless, in its three months of 
operation, the Czech PRT conducted visits to all of Logar 
province,s seven districts, including the remote and 
mountainous district of Azara.  The Czech PRT is working on 
increasing ties with an Afghanistan National Army unit 
recently deployed to Logar.  They also look forward to the 
deployment of the Czech EUPOL team in order to strengthen 
their outreach to the districts, police units. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Chalupecky and Lauferova noted that the Czech PRT 
is focusing on three key areas:  education, public health, 
and irrigation.  In all their projects, the Czechs want to 
ensure a maximum level of local Afghanistan ownership through 
the district shura rather than the provincial government. 
Instead of building new facilities, the Czechs are working to 
make existing facilities more effective.  They have initially 
partnered with seven schools, but recently, two girls, 
schools receiving western aid in Logar have been destroyed by 
arson attacks.  The PRT is also implementing an aquifer 
management project that leverages local tribal methods to 
increase efficiency. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The Czech Republic has only recently 
stepped into the role of a &lead-nation8 with its 
deployment of the Czech PRT to Logar in March 2008.  That 
effort has thus far been successful.  However, as the 
willingness of the Czechs to deploy more forces to 
Afghanistan has increased, so too have the coordination and 
planning challenges they face.  The Czechs are relatively new 
to this and are still learning.  Visits such as the one of 
A/DASD Getz can help the Czechs navigate the coordination 
processes in place and, in the process, become more effective 
partners for the United States.  The Czechs, success as a 
PRT leader would prepare them for other missions in the 
future.  Therefore, any assistance the USG can provide the 
Czechs in this mission is an investment that will likely pay 
off in future missions.  End comment. 
Graber