VZCZCXRO5111
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHC #2937/01 3242033
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 192026Z NOV 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA IMMEDIATE 8703
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON IMMEDIATE 7746
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 122937 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID MARR MOPS ASEAN ARF RP
SUBJECT: ARF DISASTER RELIEF EXERCISE GUIDANCE AND ACTION 
REQUESTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 112442 B. STATE 106079 
 
 
¶1. (U) This is an ACTION REQUEST for Embassies BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 
BANGKOK, BEIJING, CANBERRA, COLOMBO, DHAKA, DILI, HANOI, ISLAMABAD, 
JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, MOSCOW, NEW DELHI, OTTAWA, PHNOM PENH, PORT 
MORESBY, SEOUL, SINGAPORE, TOKYO, ULAANBAATAR, USEU BRUSSELS, 
VIENTIANE, and WELLINGTON.  Embassies MANILA and RANGOON are info. 
Please slug for POL and relevant Department of Defense and USAID 
offices in embassies. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In order to advance a number of regional security objectives 
in East Asia, the United States is closely supporting the Philippines 
in its role as host of the first ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Disaster 
Relief Exercise, set to take place May 4-8, 2009 in the Philippines. 
All 27 ARF members will be invited to participate in the exercise, 
termed a Voluntary Demonstration of Response (VDR).  Initially and up 
through the May 2009 exercise, embassies are asked to engage in a 
sustained effort with host government officials to ensure strong and 
appropriate participation.  (Note: The Philippines has distributed a 
list of civil-military capabilities requested from ARF governments.) 
At post's discretion or if requested per para 4, posts should 
approach host governments at a senior level regarding their 
participation.  Background on U.S. strategic objectives, the exercise 
concept, timeline, funding assistance and human rights vetting issues 
are outlined below.  END SUMMARY. 
 
OBJECTIVES 
---------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Department requests the embassies in para 1 to pursue 
the following objectives.  Please complete these actions by December 
2 in order to support VDR timelines and the success of the activity: 
 
--Identify and report on a working-level POC at post to coordinate 
embassy engagement with host governments on their participation in 
the VDR and associated planning meetings through May 2009. 
 
--Contact the local Philippines embassy in the host country 
(ULAANBAATAR excepted) to gain insight into their own bilateral 
discussions with host governments regarding the Philippines-issued 
invitations to the VDR.  If feasible, posts are encouraged to 
coordinate future host government interactions on the VDR with 
Philippines' embassy officials. 
 
--Inquire with appropriate host government officials about their 
government's notional level and type of participation in the VDR and 
express USG support for host government participation. 
 
--Inform appropriate host government officials that U.S. and 
Philippines' VDR exercise planners will be available to further 
discuss the VDR and ARF members' participation at the upcoming 
December 4-6 ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting (ISM) on Disaster Relief in 
Banda Aceh, Indonesia. 
 
--Inform host government officials from eligible developing countries 
that funding requests, if requested by the embassy and host 
government officials, for participating civil and military agencies 
may be available in accordance with the procedures explained in para 
¶11. 
 
--(If Asked) Inform host governments that Leahy Vetting is not 
required by the USG for VDR participants. (see para 12 for details). 
 
--(For TOKYO and CANBERRA only) Request that host governments 
identify any potential funding assistance they may offer to 
developing countries as discussed in the Trilateral Strategic 
Dialogue (see para 14). 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Department requests embassies in para 1 to pursue the 
following objectives by December 31 and, if necessary, beyond this 
date: 
 
--Maintain active engagement with host government interagency in 
order to maximize prospects for their participation in and knowledge 
about the VDR. 
 
--Work with host government officials to identify specific niche, 
civil-military capabilities host governments wish to offer as their 
 
STATE 00122937  002 OF 003 
 
 
contribution to the VDR and  which they would discuss at the January 
19-23 ARF Multinational VDR Planning Conference in Manila. 
 
--(BANGKOK, BEIJING, CANBERRA, NEW DELHI, TOKYO, SEOUL, and SINGAPORE 
only) Encourage, at a senior level, strong host government 
civil-military participation in the VDR given their experience and 
capacity as major assisting nations in regional humanitarian relief 
operations. 
 
REPORTING DEADLINE, POC, and BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. (U) Posts are requested to report back on initial actions taken by 
December 2 and subsequently as necessary throughout the exercise 
planning process.  POCs for any questions, additional background are: 
 
--State EAP/RSP Kevin Sheives (sheiveskw@state.gov, 202-647-1217) 
--PACOM J71 Steve Mellinger (steve.mellinger@pacom.mil, 808-477-8238) 
--USAID/OFDA Jeff Hensel (jeff.hensel@ofda.gov, 808-477-9641) 
 
¶6. (SBU) Copies of the exercise supporting documents with further 
background have been distributed by State Department country desks. 
They can also be accessed via the State Department Intranet website: 
http://eap.state.gov/EAPOffices/RSP/ARF.cfm.  These documents for 
embassy background only include: 
--a brief for USG interagency officials only, 
--list of ARF meeting participants that received an October 9, 2008 
brief on the exercise 
--the October 9, 2008 brief on the exercise given to all countries in 
ARF 
--a copy of the official Philippines-issued invitation and 
information paper 
 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) STRATEGIC U.S. OBJECTIVES: As a co-sponsor for the VDR, the 
U.S. hopes to accomplish a variety of regional security objectives 
through this exercise and the broad participation of ARF members. 
These strategic objectives are to: 
 
--Provide a major deliverable for strengthening ARF to become a more 
relevant, credible, and action-oriented institution. 
 
--Build regional and Philippines' humanitarian assistance capacity 
and civil-military interoperability for major, multinational relief 
operations. 
 
--Highlight major power military cooperation in Southeast Asia to 
dampen the perception of a zero-sum competition for influence in the 
region. 
 
--Provide actual care to local populations in the Philippines either 
affected by a recent disaster or in underdeveloped areas. 
 
¶8. (U) EXERCISE CONCEPT: Following remarks by Secretary Rice and 
Philippines Foreign Secretary Romulo at the July 24, 2008 ARF 
Ministerial, ARF Foreign Ministers agreed to conduct an ARF 
multinational disaster relief exercise, termed Voluntary 
Demonstration of Response (VDR).  As host nation, the Philippines in 
mid-November, 2008 sent invitations to the remaining 26 members of 
ARF.  Through USPACOM, OFDA, and State Department, the United States 
is heavily supporting the Philippines and ARF in the VDR's conceptual 
development, planning, funding, and execution.  In coordination with 
the Philippines as host nation, participating countries will provide 
niche, civil-military capabilities to deploy during the May 4-8 
exercise in response to the natural disaster scenario in Central 
Luzon described by the supporting exercise documents (see para 6). 
ARF countries should try to identify which specific capabilities they 
may be able to deploy for the VDR.  For some ARF countries, observer 
status may correspond to their level of interest or capacity. 
 
¶9. (U) EMBASSY ROLES:  As laid out in the Philippines-issued 
invitations, the specific capabilities that each ARF nation provides 
will be approved and de-conflicted bilaterally between each 
participating nation and the Philippines in advance of and during the 
VDR planning conferences.  Identification by host governments of 
specific capabilities prior to the January 19-23 multinational 
planning conference will be critical to the success of the process, 
including de-conflicting those capabilities with those offered by 
other participants.  The identification of planning requirements and 
the availability of these capabilities may be difficult for some 
countries.  Embassies are requested to assist host governments in 
identifying these requirements and facilitate host government 
participation in the VDR. 
 
 
STATE 00122937  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶10. (U) VDR TIMELINE: 
--October 9, 2008: All ARF countries received a briefing by the 
Philippines on major exercise details during an ARF Inter-Sessional 
Group Meeting (ref A).  (Note: List of meeting participants and 
sample brief found via para 6.) 
--Mid-November, 2008: Through diplomatic correspondence, the 
Philippines invited all 27 ARF members to the VDR and associated 
planning meetings. 
--December 5-6, 2008: U.S. and Philippines exercise planners will be 
available on the margins of the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting (ISM) on 
Disaster Relief in Banda Aceh, Indonesia to answer questions and 
discuss ARF nations' participation. 
--January 19-28, 2009: Multinational Initial Planning Conference 
(Manila) and Initial Site Survey (Central Luzon). 
--March 9-18, 2009: Multinational Final Planning Conference (Manila) 
and Final Site Survey (Central Luzon) 
--May 4-8, 2009: Multinational ARF VDR Exercise (Central Luzon). 
 
¶11. (SBU) FUNDING PROCESS: The exercise will be self-funded by each 
participating country.  USPACOM has requested Combatant Commander 
Initiative Funds (CCIF) (under $1 million) which could cover military 
assistance for Title Ten-eligible developing countries participating 
in the VDR.  In addition, State EAP has set aside limited funds 
(roughly $50k of Economic Support Funds (ESF)) for assistance for 
civilian participation  from ESF-eligible developing countries (Note: 
Please contact EAP/RSP POC if you have questions regarding the 
eligibility of your countries).   If host governments would like to 
request CCIF or ESF funding, they need to inform USEMB staff 
(Political and military assistance sections) of their request and 
expected needs.  For funding and travel assistance for their 
participation in the (what do we mean by required? January and March 
planning conferences (which participants are expected to attend), 
USEMB staff should inform the para 5 POCs by December 19, 2008 of the 
request.  For funding and travel assistance for the May 4-8, 2009 VDR 
exercise itself, USEMB staff should inform the para 5 POCs by 
February 27, 2009. (Note: The United States is also discussing with 
Japan and Australia their possible funding assistance to developing 
countries.  See para 14) 
 
¶12. (U) VETTING: Security force participants in the various VDR 
planning and exercise activities do not need to be vetted under 
applicable DOD or State Leahy vetting requirements.  The VDR and 
planning meetings leading up to it are multilateral exercise 
activities rather than training events. As the VDR is a multilateral 
exercise and not training, military participants (self-funded or 
funded through CCIF) do not require vetting under DoD Leahy 
requirements, and do not trigger State Leahy vetting requirements. 
State ESF funds will not be used to support either military or law 
enforcement participants and thus participants who benefit from State 
funding do not fall under applicable vetting requirements for the use 
of foreign assistance funds. 
 
¶13. (SBU) LEGAL AND POLICY ISSUES:  The Philippines, as host, has 
issued invitations to Burma and DPRK as they did to other ARF 
countries.  These countries will work out their participation 
bilaterally with the Philippines.  The Philippine government is aware 
of U.S. policy concerns regarding the participation of Burma and the 
DPRK.  We expect that Burma and DPRK, if they choose to participate, 
will join the exercise as observers.  In addition, the U.S. has legal 
concerns in regards to China's military participation.  The United 
States will work bilaterally with China to ensure the military 
capabilities provided by China are consistent with Department of 
Defense policy. 
 
¶14. (U) (TOKYO and CANBERRA only): Through the Trilateral Strategic 
Dialogue (TSD), the United States has encouraged both Japan and 
Australia to offer a robust contribution to the ARF exercise to 
enable their participation in the exercise.  We hope Australia and 
Japan would be able to determine potential funding assistance by 
mid-December (ref B).  If Australia and Japan are able to provide 
assistance, the United States will refer funding requests to them as 
needs are made known to U.S. embassies.  We would then ask Japan or 
Australia to coordinate bilaterally with the requesting countries. 
 
¶15. (U) Department greatly appreciates posts' assistance in this 
matter. 
RICE