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UNCLAS USNATO 000375 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR MOPS NATO PREL AF
SUBJECT: DECISIONS BY NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS REGARDING 
COUNTER-NARCOTICS EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN 
 
Classified By: Charge D'Affairs 
Walter S. Reid for Reasons 1.4(B) and (D). 
 
¶1. (SBU) On Wednesday, October 15, the NATO Secretary General 
issued a statement in regards to decisions made by NATO 
Defense Ministers at the recent meeting in Budapest. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The text of the statement follows: 
 
BEGIN STATEMENT 
 
15 October 2008   SG(2008)0770 
To : ISAF Non-NATO Troop Contributing Nations 
Cc : Permanent Representatives (Council) 
From : Secretary General 
Subject : Decisions by NATO Defence Ministers Regarding 
Counter-Narcotics Efforts in Afghanistan 
 
Please find attached, for your information, a copy of 
decisions taken at the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in 
Budapest regarding ISAF's involvement in counter-narcotics 
efforts in Afghanistan. 
 
(signed) 
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer 
 
EXCERPT FROM DECISION SHEET OF THE MEETING IN DEFENCE 
MINISTERS' SESSION WITH INVITEES 
(Budapest, 10 October 2008) 
 
Based on the Government of the Islamic Republic of 
Afghanistan request that ISAF support the Afghans in 
defeating all elements supporting the insurgency; recognizing 
the clear linkage between narcotics and traffickers, 
processing facilities and the insurgency; recognizing the 
danger these represented to ISAF, coalition and Afghan 
National Security Forces; and recognizing that under the 
appropriate United Nations Security Council resolution, 
Afghans were in the lead for counter-narcotics efforts, but 
did not yet have the capability to fully address this problem 
themselves; Ministers: 
 
- directed ISAF - upon the request by and in support of 
Afghan authorities - to take action in concert with the 
Afghans against facilities and facilitators supporting the 
insurgency as provided for in the existing operational plan; 
 
- agreed that such action would only be performed by forces 
authorized by respective nations; 
 
- agreed that in all cases, the action taken would be in 
accordance with NATO's policy to avoid civilian casualties to 
the maximum extent possible; 
 
- agreed that such action would initially begin in priority 
regions of Afghanistan as determined by ISAF; and 
 
- agreed that the results of actions taken in accordance with 
this direction would be initially assessed and reported at 
the NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Krakow. 
 
END STATEMENT 
REID