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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000771 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL KDEM KISL AF SW
SUBJECT: SWEDES INCREASE AID TO AFGHANISTAN BUT CONTINUE TO 
DEBATE CIVILIAN-MILITARY COOPERATION 
 
REF: A. STOCKHOLM 752 
     ¶B. STOCKHOLM 750 
 
¶1.  Summary: On November 13, Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for 
International Development Cooperation, announced that a new 
Afghanistan development cooperation bill had been introduced 
to Parliament that will: 
 
-- Focus on promoting democracy, providing education with an 
emphasis on increasing opportunities for females, and 
starting businesses. 
 
-- Increase regular development cooperation from $38.5 
million to $64.1 million over the next three-year strategy 
period. 
 
-- Direct 20-25 percent of its total development assistance 
to the four Northern provinces for which the Swedish PRT is 
responsible.  This is up from 15-20 percent in 2008. 
 
Participants at a recent Swedish seminar on 
civilian-military cooperation in Afghanistan and the 
relationship between security and development agreed that: 
 
-- Sweden's civilian presence and assistance must be expanded. 
 
-- Aid must be long term, sustainable and based on a common 
strategy. 
 
-- Swedish military troops should provide security and not 
conduct aid efforts. 
 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. On November 12, Emboffs attended a seminar arranged by 
Society and Defense, the Green, Social Democrat and Left 
parties to discuss Swedish civilian-military cooperation in 
Afghanistan   Participants included representatives from the 
ruling Alliance, key opposition parties, the Swedish 
International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the 
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Swedish-led PRT in 
Mazar-e-Sharif, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SAC), 
and the Swedish National Defense College.  Lars Ekman, 
Secretary-General, Society and Defense, commented that 
without security, there is no development, and without 
development, there is no security.  Ambassador Oljelund, 
Ambassador at Large in the Swedish MFA, traveled to 
Afghanistan in early 2008 to review Swedish military and 
civilian efforts stated that PRTs should not have their own 
assistance funds, but should instead provide ideas and advice 
to civilian development professionals. 
 
¶3. Colonel Torbjorn Larsson, Commanding Officer of the 
Swedish-led PRT, told participants that the primary military 
task is to provide security, so that development 
professionals can work safely in the PRT's four provinces. 
Larsson commented that while his troops are not trained to 
provide assistance, they know the regions and have 
established valuable relationships with the local 
populations.  SIDA representative Sara Gustafsson agreed with 
Larsson, adding that Afghans must receive assistance from the 
Government of Afghanistan (GOA).  She also stated that there 
must be a clear separation between military and civilian 
assistance workers, even though they need to cooperate and 
rely on each other. 
 
New Afghanistan Assistance Strategy 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. On November 13, the new Afghanistan ISAF assistance bill 
was introduced that will increase regular development 
cooperation from $38.5 million to $64.1 million over the next 
three-year strategy period.  Sweden will continue its support 
to ISAF and further strengthen its military commitment by 
increasing troops from 366 to approximately 500 and raising 
the number of troops available for deployment from 600 to 855 
(see Septel).  The new bill also calls for Sweden to direct 
20-25 percent of its total development assistance to the four 
Northern provinces for which the Swedish PRT is responsible, 
up from 15-20 percent in 2008. According to Carlsson, the 
bill will focus on three areas: promoting democracy, 
providing education with an emphasis on increasing 
opportunities for females, and starting businesses.  The 
government has tasked SIDA with drafting a proposal for 
 
STOCKHOLM 00000771  002 OF 002 
 
 
development cooperation in Afghanistan for the period July 1, 
2009 to December 31, 2013. 
 
 
Politics, Politics and More Politics 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. Representatives from the Social Democratic, Green, Left 
and Moderate parties debated the various aspects of 
civilian-military cooperation and Sweden's role in 
Afghanistan.  Although the Social Democrats are divided on 
the issue, they support the ISAF bill that will increase 
Swedish troops and increase humanitarian assistance 
significantly.  Moderate Party representatives stressed that 
the ruling Alliance seeks to establish a joint organization 
similar to the Danish model to coordinate and improve control 
over Swedish assistance to Afghanistan. 
 
¶6. Representatives from the Left and Green parties have 
called for Sweden to withdraw its troops and focus on 
humanitarian assistance, adding that Sweden has clearly 
"chosen sides" instead of playing its traditional role of 
peace-keeper.  Left Party leader Lars Ohly stated "it is 
essential to keep U.S. war-making separate from UN 
peace-keeping efforts in Afghanistan."  Green Party Member of 
Parliament (MP) Peter Radberg questioned the very purpose of 
PRTs, stating that "the situation has only deteriorated, and 
we should be increasing our civilian presence and assistance 
instead."  Social Democrat MP suggested that PRTs should be 
called Provincial Security Teams (PSTs) instead.  He cited 
Governor Atta's recent comment in an interview when asked 
about the Swedish PRT: "Thanks for the security. Now where's 
the reconstruction?"  Harstedt opined that the military is 
being criticized for not providing reconstruction, which is 
something it has never been trained to provide.  He advocated 
assembling all PRT actors - the UN, NGOs, SIDA advisors, the 
military, and MFA representatives - prior to deployment to 
train, plan and learn to work together. 
 
¶7. Comment: All participants agreed on the need to increase 
Swedish civilian presence and assistance in Afghanistan, but 
could not agree on how to achieve the proper balance between 
providing security and achieving long term, sustainable 
development.  Aside from suggesting training and planning 
together prior to deployment, no one addressed the unspoken 
question: Now that we have a consensus, where do we go from 
here? 
WOOD