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Viewing cable 08USUNNEWYORK1035, UPDATE ON AIRLIFT AND MISSING ASSETS FOR UNAMID

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08USUNNEWYORK1035 2008-11-07 15:40 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL USUN New York
VZCZCXRO5918
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #1035 3121540
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 071540Z NOV 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5308
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 1813
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1019
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 1306
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1123
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 9081
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2018 
TAGS: AF PGOV PREL SU NSC UNSC KPKO MOPS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON AIRLIFT AND MISSING ASSETS FOR UNAMID 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Rosemary A. DiCarlo for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: USUN Military Staff Committee (MSC) Political 
Officer and Senior advisor for Special Envoy's office spoke 
with UN Secretariat Staff regarding the US airlift offers and 
the Ethiopian helicopter pledge. UN officials told USUN (1) 
60% deployment by year end is contingent upon US airlift and 
(2) Ethiopian helicopters can not be used in Darfur unless 
they are upgraded with night flying capabilities. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) U.S. AIRLIFT 
In a meeting with Lt Col Tim House of UN Force Generation 
Services, US reps (political officer, military advisor and 
Senior advisor for Special Envoy's office) discussed the 
status of UNAMID's deployment following a Friends of UNAMID 
meeting with U/SYG Malcorra on 10/30 (Septel). 
 
3.(C) The FGS officer said the outstanding U.S. offer of 
airlift is "vital" and that the UN objective of 60 percent 
UNAMID deployment by the end of 2008 will not be met without 
the U.S. provision of airlift. He was referring to the offers 
to airlift the backlog of containers of equipment from El 
Obeid into Darfur. He reiterated that the request was made of 
the United States to provide reimbursable airlift because of 
the ability of the United States to provide political 
pressure on TCCs and the GOS and expedite the deployment. 
 
4. (C) The FGS officer argued that some discussions about 
UNAMID's deployment have irresponsibly focused on troop 
numbers as opposed to operational capacity. The U.S. airlift 
of equipment (Rwandan equipment and containers from El Obeid) 
will ensure that incoming peacekeepers are not just added 
boots on the ground -- it will expedite the provision of 
equipment necessary to improve the mission's capabilities. 
 
 
5. (C) HELICOPTERS: A STEP FORWARD ON ETHIOPIAN ATTACK HELO 
The missing assets for UNAMID were also addressed by the FGS 
officer, who said the key priority is Ethiopia's pledge of 
five attack helicopters. This pledge has not yet translated 
into a concrete offer due to the need for night vision 
modifications. 
 
6. (C) FGS responded favorably to a suggestion that the 
United States could send an assessment mission to Addis with 
a representative from a partner country to determine the 
scope of the night vision modifications necessary prior to 
deployment. USUN MilAd again raised this issue with likely 
contributors in a Friends of UNAMID informal discussion on 
11/6. The UKUN mil ad responded that the UK is interested in 
contributing 1 million (pounds) toward Ethiopian 
modifications and would like to proceed with an assessment 
mission to Addis to determine the scope, cost and timeline 
for modifications. UN representatives at the Friends of 
UNAMID meeting asked to be included on this assessment trip 
if and when it occurs. USUN/MSC is prepared to send a 
representative on such a visit and recommends action be taken 
quickly in order to secure the UK contribution, which must be 
obligated by the end of 2008. 
Khalilzad