VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0322 2740147
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 300147Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5454
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0067
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0085

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000322 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP AND SCA/A TOM REOTT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2018 
TAGS: MARR PREL AF NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND AND ANA EXPANSION 
 
REF: STATE 97592 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Margaret McKean; Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  On September 18, A/DCM met with Wayne Higgins, 
Director for the Ministry of Defense International Relations 
Division, MOD defense policy and planning analyst Greg 
Mitchell, Ron Logan, MOD staff officer to the Chief of 
Defense Force, and Richard Prendergast from the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs and Trade International Security and 
Disarmament Division policy officer for NATO.  A/DCM noted 
that the Afghan National Army's proposed expansion plan will 
require additional international support and financing; the 
USG is currently discussing financial contributions with 
other NATO allies and partners to assist the Afghan 
government meet its national security challenges.  She 
thanked the GNZ for its contribution in Bamiyan province and 
the ongoing work of the New Zealand Defense Force PRT there. 
She also noted that the USG would defer making a specific 
request to the GNZ until after New Zealand's national 
elections in early November. 
 
¶2. (C)  GNZ officials expressed strong support for the 
planned ANA expansion, characterizing the 134,000-strong 
force as a "positive development."  Higgins added that the 
"more the Afghans do, the less we have to do."  Higgins 
noted, however, that even with a change in government in New 
Zealand, the GNZ's potential financial contribution would be 
a question mark.  GNZ support for Afghanistan totals roughly 
NZD 21 million but none of the money goes to the Afghan 
National Army; rather, it goes to development efforts based 
on the needs outlined at the Paris donors' meetings.  Higgins 
questioned how Afghanistan could afford the military 
expansion over the longer term when it's GDP is less than 9 
billion per year -- the military alone currently requires 
$5-6 billion per year, said Higgins. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Higgins and the other officials observed that any 
request for new funding submitted to the GNZ would be 
assessed against other competing GNZ needs at a time when the 
country is technically in recession. 
KEEGAN