VZCZCXRO0396
PP RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0197/01 2131427
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311427Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5868
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0568
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1123
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHDLCNE/CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1067

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 USOSCE 000197 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC, 
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA 
JCS FOR J-5 
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) 
NSC FOR DOWLEY 
USUN FOR LEGAL, POL 
EUCOM FOR J-5 
CENTCOM FOR J-5 
UNVIE FOR AC 
GENEVA FOR CD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE RS XG
SUBJECT: FSC: END-OF ROUND WINTER-SPRING-SUMMER 2008: 
IMPASSE OVER CSBMS CONTINUES 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The 2008 winter and spring-summer rounds 
in the Forum for Security Cooperation were highlighted by 
extensive discussion of the April 20 UAV incident in Georgia 
and U.S. missile defense in Europe.  Russia pushed several 
CSBM proposals, including its rapid reaction forces 
information exchange, but the FSC adopted only the decision 
on considering national holidays when planning verification 
calendars.  Russia expects continued discussion of it naval 
CSBM and Vienna Document-related proposals in the fall. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Finland, the OSCE 2008 CiO, will chair the FSC in 
the autumn, and has announced Security Dialogue presentations 
on armed forces and human rights, SALW issues, violence and 
development, and the OSCE mission to Bosnia. Several  draft 
decisions and other proposals remain on the working group 
agenda for the autumn session including end-use certificates, 
SALW trafficking by air, and an update of the Code of Conduct 
Questionnaire. 
 
¶3. (SBU) U.S. goals were largely met, to include maintaining 
Allied cohesion in response to Russian CSBM proposals; 
arranging or U.S. presentations in the Security Dialogue that 
advance strategic objectives; and substantial progress toward 
a Best Practices Guide on UNSCR 1540.  However, on a number 
of issues the U.S. has found itself isolated or virtually so, 
sometimes because of the lateness of its interventions.  This 
has often meant that the natural leadership position of the 
U.S. has, by default, increasingly been assumed by Russia and 
Germany.  Washington, see para 35 for guidance requests.  End 
summary. 
 
CSBMs 
----- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Rapid Reaction Forces - There has been no further 
movement in the working group on the proposal made by Russia 
and Belarus for a recurring information exchange on rapid 
reaction forces (FSC.DEL/545/06), although informal 
discussions among the Russian, British, French, German, and 
U.S. delegations have raised the possibility of alternative 
language.  This subject remains of critical interest to 
France, Germany, and the UK, who have repeatedly asked for a 
U.S. response to their counter-proposal to the Russian paper. 
 Mission still awaits Washington guidance on the Russian 
reaction forces paper and Allied counter-proposal. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Naval Forces - Russia has again proposed naval 
forces CSBMs, little changed from a 1997 proposal, that would 
require prior notification of, and invitation of observers to 
certain naval activities.  The measure would also include an 
exchange of annual calendars on naval activities and allow 
for reciprocal visits to naval bases. The U.S. and others 
commented on the apparent lack of need for such a measure and 
were generally skeptical while avoiding outright rejection at 
the first discussion of the paper.  The proposal will revert 
to the working group agenda in the fall. 
 
Vienna Document 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Chair's Statement on Timelines for Requesting 
Inspections or Evaluations - Russia lobbied extensively for 
the FSC  chair's statement, made on June 18, that urges 
 
USOSCE 00000197  002 OF 008 
 
 
"strict" compliance with the timelines for requesting 
inspections or evaluations under paragraphs 85 and 112 of the 
Vienna Document 1999 (FSC/DEL/75/08/Rev.3).  Russia objects 
to the practice of pS making "early" requests, particularly 
in cases where the inspected State's quota is usually 
exhausted early in the year.  The CPC will, at Russia's 
request, compile statistics on compliance from May to 
December 2008 with the Vienna Document timelines.  Russia's 
initial attempt to address the quota race with a decision was 
resisted by delegations as requiring the Vienna Document to 
be reopened. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Quota Race Continued - Germany proposed measures to 
"alleviate" problems arising out of the race for Vienna 
Document inspection quotas on certain "countries of interest, 
i.e., Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Georgia.  These 
included dividing the inspection year into three parts, each 
with its own sub-quota, and beginning the year in April when 
weather is more conducive to military activities and 
inspections of them.  The U.S. resists these proposals as 
overly complicated and not addressing the real cause of the 
race: oversubscription of quota on a handful of countries. 
The U.S. recommended reliance instead on mutual forbearance, 
sub-regional arrangements, and bilateral measures.  Germany 
withdrew the proposal after extensive criticism in the 
working group and elsewhere.  A revised version may be 
submitted. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Russian VD99 Proposals - Russia resurrected three of 
the measures it proposed in late 2007 for "improving the 
implementation of the Vienna Document."  The decision to take 
national holidays into account when planning verification 
activities was approved (FSC.DEC/2/08), although several 
delegations including the U.S. believe the decision merely 
describes the current practice of most pS. 
¶9. (SBU) Russia has also proposed decisions on specifying the 
area of inspection under the Vienna document at 25,000 square 
kilometers (FSC.DEL/493/07/Rev.2), up from 18,000 square 
kilometers in an earlier proposal, and on requiring annual 
notification of at least one major military activity below 
the threshold for mandatory notification under paragraph 40 
of the document (FSC.DEL/495./07/Rev.3).  These proposals 
will remain on the working group agenda in the fall, having 
drawn little substantive comment to date except Denmark's 
suggestion to include a point-to-point maximum distance of 
300 kilometers.  The U.S. currently opposes the proposal to 
limit the specified area and insists that any notification of 
military activities involving NATO Allies would require prior 
consultation within NATO. 
 
Code of Conduct 
--------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The FSC adopted an uncontroversial decision on 
awareness raising and outreach for the Code of Conduct 
(FSC.DEC/1/08) that requires national replies to the 
Questionnaire be posted on the OSCE public website, at least 
one Code-related special event each year, and engagement with 
the OSCE Partners to encourage their adoption of Code 
principles. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Work on an update of the Code of Conduct 
Questionnaire, meant to use more direct questions, avoid 
 
USOSCE 00000197  003 OF 008 
 
 
duplication, and solicit clear, unambiguous responses, 
continued through 2008 with numerous informal drafting 
sessions and extensive discussion in the working group.  The 
FSC Code coordinator, Anton Eischer of Austria, has asked 
delegations to be ready to make final edits to the draft when 
they return to Vienna in September. 
 
¶12. (SBU) The latest version (FSC.DEL/98/08) has little of 
the new material earlier proposed by the sponsors (Austria, 
Switzerland, France) to reflect changes in the security 
environment of Europe since the current Questionnaire was 
drafted in the mid 1990s.  Turkey and Germany in particular 
are concerned about questions that require divulgence of 
sensitive information on defense planning and operations. 
Germany wants some reference to private military companies. 
Sweden insists that the final version of the Questionnaire 
include references to UNSCR 1325 on the participation of 
women in conflict resolution and peace-making. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Russia believes the update to be largely a waste of 
time and resists including "tangential matters" like 
democratic control of the armed forces in the update.  The 
U.S. has yet to make any specific textual edits, but its 
recommendation to make the format and instructions for 
submitting replies separate documents was accepted. 
SALW/SCA 
-------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Biennial Meeting of States and Future of SALW - A 
special working group meeting was devoted to planning the 
OSCE participation in the third Biennial Meeting of States on 
the UN Program of Action on SALW (UNPOA), held in New York 
July 14-18.  There was grudging consensus that the OSCE 
should describe its ongoing efforts at implementation of 
existing SALW norms and its field projects to eliminate 
surpluses and support better stockpile management.  Germany 
complained of the lack of normative work and proposed the 
OSCE undertake a review of its SALW work, consider 
"standardizing" SALW reporting requirements in light of the 
UNPOA, and consider merging the separate OSCE Documents on 
SALW and SCA.  The U.S. successfully resisted reference to 
the BMS in the decision on the publication of a handbook of 
Best Practice Guides on stockpiles of conventional ammunition 
(FSC.DEC/6/08). 
 
¶15. (SBU) End-User Certificates - Belarus, with heavy German 
support, has sponsored a draft decision that would require an 
exchange of exemplars of end-user certificates to be followed 
by an analysis of the submissions by the CPC.  The U.S. has 
questioned the utility of the exchange and analysis and 
challenged the rationale for them put forward by Belarus and 
Germany.  The latter has criticized the U.S. for the timing 
of its comments, although has not rebutted the U.S. 
contention that the key issue is not the design of the EUC 
but the performance of effective end-use checks 
 
¶16. (SBU) Points of Contact List - Denmark sponsored a 
decision to maintain a list of points of contact on SALW/SCA 
issues, including financing, project management, and 
technical best practices (FSC.DEC/4/08), although many 
delegations doubted the need for an additional list beyond 
that already maintained by the Conflict Prevention Center. 
 
 
USOSCE 00000197  004 OF 008 
 
 
¶17. (SBU) MANPADS - The OSCE's MANPADS export controls 
principles were updated to accord with recent amendments to 
the Wassenaar Arrangement principles in a decision initially 
sponsored by Finland (FSC.DEC/5/08).  The decision also 
includes the principles adopted in 2004. 
 
¶18. (SBU) CAT - The FSC decided to update the OSCE's 
conventional arms transfers reporting categories to accord 
with recent changes in the UN Register of Conventional Arms 
(FSC.DEC/8/08).  Germany sponsored the decision, hoping to 
encourage pS also to submit data on SALW transfers, both 
within and outside the OSCE.  The decision encourages pS to 
do this, but there is no additional requirement beyond those 
found in the OSCE decisions that established the CAT 
information exchange (FSC.DEC/13/97 and 8/98).  The U.S. has 
announced its intention to revisit the issue of redundancy in 
providing the same report on CAT in the OSCE as well as the 
UN. 
 
¶19. (SBU) Mine Action - Germany has proposed a more active 
role for the OSCE in landmine and explosive remnants of war 
abatement.  This follows the special FSC meeting on mine 
action in January that broke little new ground but featured 
repeated calls by France and others for universal accession 
to the Ottawa Convention. 
 
¶20. (SBU) Brokering - The CPC has prepared, in response to a 
request from Finland in light of several late submissions, a 
revised analysis of the national submissions to the one-off 
exchange on SALW brokering practices (FSC.DEC/11/07; 
SEC.GAL/34/08). 
 
¶21. (SBU) Illicit Air Trafficking - A French and Belgian 
proposal to adopt Wassenaar Arrangement "best practices" on 
air transfer of SALW as an OSCE document and to conduct a 
one-off information exchange of national practices regulating 
air transfer of SALW is still under negotiation as a draft 
decision (FSC.DD/98/08/Rev.3).  The U.S. proposal to endorse 
the Wassenaar principles themselves instead of an OSCE 
version of them is resisted by most delegations, who note 
that the FSC has never, except for UN "global" agreements, 
adopted an entire document from another international 
organization.  Delegations also resist changing, as proposed 
by the U.S., the phrase in operative paragraph 1 of the draft 
decision, "adopt the Best Practices", to "endorse" or 
"welcome" them.  The U.S. is effectively isolated on both 
these questions. 
 
Security Dialogue 
----------------- 
 
¶22. (SBU) The FSC Security Dialogue in 2008 has been vigorous 
and sometimes controversial, with running debates over 
missile defense, Kosovo, and military incidents in Georgia. 
Less incendiary discussions included cluster munitions; cyber 
security; mine action in Croatia, Azerbaijan, and the Baltic; 
private security companies; border security; Serbian defense 
policy; the Wassenaar Arrangement; and the Nordic EU battle 
group.  U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul McHale 
addressed "international partnerships for homeland defense 
and crisis response on July 9."  Delegations asked several 
questions on comparison between the U.S. federal-state 
partnerships and cooperation by NATO and the EU with national 
 
USOSCE 00000197  005 OF 008 
 
 
governments in civil-military emergency planning. 
 
¶23. (SBU) Missile Defense - The U.S. assertively countered 
Russian complaints that U.S. missile defense installations 
planned for the Czech Republic and Poland threaten the 
stability of European security by repeating offers to consult 
with Russia over the MD deployments and share information on 
the likely missile threats to Europe from Iran.  The U.S. 
also repeated the offer to work with Russia and NATO to 
develop regional missile defense architecture. 
 
¶24. (SBU) Cyber Security - Estonia led a discussion of cyber 
security that included presentations by official from Estonia 
and Finland.  Estonia has proposed an information exchange on 
cyber security national experiences and best practices to be 
followed by a workshop. 
 
¶25. (SBU) Georgia - Russia shot down a Georgian UAV on April 
20 over Abkhazia.  Georgia subsequently invoked the Vienna 
Document Chapter III conflict resolution mechanism to discuss 
the incident and related developments in a joint 
FSC-Permanent Council (PC) meeting.  Georgia had earlier 
invoked the "Bucharest mechanism" (MC.DEC/3/01) and requested 
a full OSCE investigation of the incident but Russia refused 
to accede to it.  The findings of experts from the U.S., the 
Baltic states, and UNOMIG who investigated the incident were 
presented during the discussion.  These concluded the 
Georgian UAV was likely shot down by a Russian fighter.  At 
the FSC-PC Georgia presented a video recording taken by the 
UAV camera before the drone was destroyed by a missile 
launched from a Russian fighter and radar tracks from 
Georgia's air traffic control system.  Russia claimed it 
lacked all relevant evidence and refused to participate in 
further discussion until it received the "missing evidence." 
 
¶26. (SBU) Georgia consulted extensively with the U.S. in 
preparation for these meetings, in all of which the U.S 
actively participated.  At the beginning of the crisis when 
many Allies were skeptical that Russia had actually downed 
the UAV, the U.S., inter alia, exhibited and discussed 
photographs of the Russian aircraft and missiles mentioned by 
the investigators, but did not per se accuse Russia.  This 
eliminated the confusion and uncertainty in the minds of many 
delegations.  The U.S. prepared a terrain analysis showing 
the area where the UAV was shot down.  The U.S., in response 
to uncertainty and confusion expressed by delegations, 
actively participated at the FSC-PC by The U.S. repeatedly 
called on all parties to the incident and larger conflict to 
exercise restraint and not escalate the situation by 
deploying additional military forces into the region. 
 
¶27. (SBU) Kosovo - Russia accused the U.S. of contravention 
of UN resolutions against supplying arms to Kosovo after the 
Presidential finding that Kosovo was eligible for U.S> 
security assistance.  The U.S. responded that the arms 
embargo had been lifted and any U.S. assistance would be in 
line with the Ahtisaari plan that would support civilian 
controlled military forces that would provide for national 
and regional defense and could participate in humanitarian 
missions. 
 
¶28. (SBU) Autumn Session Topics - Finland will chair the FSC 
in the autumn round.  It anticipates the Security Dialogue 
 
USOSCE 00000197  006 OF 008 
 
 
presentations on human rights in the armed forces, the 
Biennial Meeting of States on the UNPOA on SALW, naval CSBMs, 
and UNSCR 1540.  Finland has solicited U.S. presentations on 
the Proliferation Security Initiative, the Defense 
Department's new Africa Command, and pandemic illnesses. 
Mission is currently arranging a  presentations on maritime 
security  by the U.S. Coast Guard commandant and on the new 
National Defense Strategy. 
 
ASRC 
---- 
 
¶29. (SBU) Key addresses at the July 2008 Annual Security 
Review Conference (ASRC) arms control and CSBM working 
session focused on the state of arms control and prospects 
for the future pointed to the globalization of the security 
agendas as the underlying cause of the current CFE impasse. 
Recommendations included a return to European-centered 
security and shaping future agreements to include "principles 
of modern arms control" void of limits based on outdated 
numerical balance of forces.  The U.S. and allies exchanged 
positions with Russia on the causes of, and actions required 
to resolve, the impasse over CFE. 
 
AIAM 
---- 
 
¶30. (SBU) At the March 2008 Annual Implementation and 
Assessment Meeting delegations restricted themselves to broad 
recommendations meant for detailed development in the FSC 
working groups.  Russia did not engage in its usual practice 
of berating pS for "lack of progress" in adopting its various 
CSBM proposals.  Among topics discussed were the Vienna 
Document "quota race," improving the timeliness of defense 
planning and budget submissions, and reporting "significant" 
military activities.  Several NATO Allies opposed linking the 
impasse over CFE to continuing work in the FSC on Vienna 
Document implementation and other CSBMs, but did not actually 
endorse any specific proposal, including Russian ones. 
 
HOV 
--- 
 
¶31. (SBU) At the Heads of Verification Meeting held the day 
before the AIAM, discussion anticipated the AIAM agenda and 
included the Vienna Document "quota race," a Schengen visa 
for non-Schengen inspecting states, a best practices guide 
for conducting air base and military facilities visit and new 
equipment demonstrations, and the role of OSCE "assistants" 
in the Article IV (Dayton Peace Accords) verification regime. 
 Unlike 2007, the verifications officials did not stray into 
policy recommendations and specifically did not attempt to 
coordinate Vienna Document inspection schedules. 
 
Best Practice Guides 
-------------------- 
 
¶32. (SBU) The FSC approved the publication of a handbook of 
Best Practice Guides on stockpiles of conventional 
ammunition. And two additional guides, on ammunition 
destruction and stockpile security, were endorsed for 
inclusion in the handbook. 
 
 
USOSCE 00000197  007 OF 008 
 
 
¶33. (SBU) Best Practice Guides on UNSCR 1540 are currently 
being developed by the U.S. and Canada.  The U.S. guide, on 
expert controls and transshipment, is near completion, after 
extensive revision based on EU comments.  Canada is preparing 
a revision of its draft guide on physical security. 
 
U.S. Tactics 
------------ 
 
¶34. (SBU) COMMENT:  Largely because of the lateness of U.S. 
interventions, the U.S. delegation has been isolated or in a 
corner with a country like Belarus on several proposals under 
consideration in the FSC.  Although the substance of U.S. 
interventions is not always immediately well-received, 
earlier intervention would allow the U.S. delegation time to 
lobby other delegations and influence the course on 
negotiations in the working groups.  As it is, many 
delegations reject out of hand U.S. proposals as "too little 
and too late."  Russia and, increasingly, Germany have 
inserted themselves into the leadership vacuum resulting from 
U.S. silence and inactivity. END COMMENT. 
 
Requests for Guidance 
-------------------- 
 
¶35. (SBU) Mission requests guidance on the following draft 
decisions and other proposals under consideration in the FSC 
at the close of the 2008 spring-summer session that will be 
taken up again in September: 
 
-- Food-for-thought paper on an information exchange on 
multinational rapid reaction forces (FSC.DEL/545/06) and 
Germany's  counter-proposal (seen only by France, the UK, and 
the U.S.) 
 
-- Food-for thought paper on naval CSBMs (FSC.DEL/120/08) 
 
-- Proposal for a draft decision on the dimensions of the 
(Vienna Document) "specified area" of inspection 
(FSC.DEL/493/07/Rev.2) 
 
-- Proposal for a draft decision on (Vienna Document) prior 
notification of major military activities 
(FSC.DEL/495/07/Rev.3) 
 
-- Draft decision on end-user certificate information 
exchange (FSC.DEL/108/08) 
 
-- Draft decision on best practices and questionnaire on 
preventing destabilizing transfers of SALW through air 
transport (FSC.DD/10/08) 
 
-- Proposal for a draft decision on Code of Conduct 
Questionnaire update (FSC.DEL/98/08/Rev.3) 
 
-- Food-for-thought paper on a more active OSCE rile in 
addressing landmines and explosive remnants of war 
(FSC.DEL/126/08) 
 
-- Proposal for a draft decision for a cyber security 
information exchange and workshop (FSC.DEL/125/08) 
 
Next Meeting 
 
USOSCE 00000197  008 OF 008 
 
 
------------ 
 
¶36. (U) The first FSC plenary meeting of the autumn session 
will be on September 10; the first working group meetings 
will be on September 17. 
SCOTT