R 261217Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4839
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY KABUL 
USMISSION USNATO

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000075 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2019 
TAGS: FI MARR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: FINLAND: DAS MOON VISITS AS PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: (A) 08 HELSINKI 1562 
 
Classified By: CDA Michael Butler for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. At the end of 2008 the Finnish Government 
(GOF) decided to increase its military, civilian and 
development assistance to Afghanistan.  In February the GOF 
submitted to Parliament its plan to temporarily double its 
troop contribution to support security arrangements for the 
Afghan presidential elections.  While the Parliament likely 
will endorse the plan, plenary debate included considerable 
discussion about the current security situation, "failures" 
of the international community, and the need to achieve 
lasting stability through a "political dialogue" rather than 
through military power.  Much of that commentary reflects a 
skepticism within the governing parties about international 
efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, and GOF officials have 
expressed an interest in greater situational awareness to 
help them maintain and increase support for Finland's greater 
engagement.  DAS Moon visited Finland February 11-13, and 
provided briefings to officials from ministries and the 
defense forces, and to parliamentarians, and met with 
journalists.  The briefings, covering the current security 
situation, the U.S.'s comprehensive engagement, and the 
Administration's ongoing policy review, provided just the 
information GOF officials seek. We will continue to engage 
the GOF on the importance of implementing its decision to do 
more, and will look to support its efforts to maintain and 
increase support for international community efforts in 
Afghanistan.   END SUMMARY. 
 
GOF Submits Afghan election support plan to Parliament 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (U) At the end of 2008, the Finnish Government (GOF) 
decided to increase its military, civilian and development 
engagement in Afghanistan (REF A). Pursuant to legislation 
concerning military crisis management, the GOF must consult 
the Parliament. On January 29 the GOF announced its decision 
to present the Parliament one aspect of its overall plan for 
greater engagement, a report on Finland's participation in 
ISAF's support for Afghanistan's presidential elections in 
¶2009. (NOTE: The Parliament will address the GOF's "action 
plan" on the civilian and development components later in the 
current session. END NOTE.)  According to the report 
submitted to Parliament, Finland will reinforce its 
participation by sending a detachment of 100 soldiers to the 
northern command area for a period of approximately four 
months, at a cost of roughly 6 million euros.  In deciding on 
this action, the GOF noted the importance of the elections 
for Afghanistan's stability and democratic development, and 
that while Afghan security forces bear primary responsibility 
for election security, those forces needed support from ISAF. 
 
¶3. (U) The GOF submitted its plan to Parliament, which 
debated the matter in a February 12 plenary session.  In 
presenting and defending its plan, Foreign Minister Stubb 
described a "challenging" security situation, as well as a 
"comprehensive" U.S. policy (i.e., not simply military) that 
encompasses, for example, the need to fight corruption and 
the opium trade.  Pertti Salolainen, Chair of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee, launched into a grim assessment of the 
situation, pointing to "failures" such as booming opium 
trade, hostilities towards ISAF troops, and a lack of 
progress on local governance.  Salolainen and others, 
including Defense Minister Hakamies, said Afghanistan will 
not be stabilized through military power but through a 
political process, i.e., a political dialogue involving 
Afghan political leaders, tribal/ethnic leaders, "moderate 
Taliban" and leaders from neighboring countries. Following 
the plenary debate, the plan will work its way through the 
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees; the Parliament likely 
will approve the plan by the end of February. 
 
Maintaining support for increased engagement 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Reaching a consensus within the four-party governing 
coalition government meant convincing such skeptics as Trade 
and Development Minister Vayrynen, who has long doubted the 
appropriateness of governments delivering development (as 
opposed to humanitarian) assistance in failed and failing 
states.  GOF officials repeatedly state that opponents of 
increased engagement did not advocate a reduction in 
Finland's support to Afghanistan, but only maintaining 
current levels.  While support for at least maintaining 
current levels of support remains wide within the governing 
parties, that support is not universal: according to the 
advisor to Foreign Affairs Committee, while Chairman 
Salolainen will not oppose the government's policy (nor that 
of his party's (National Coalition Party) leading figures, 
who support increased engagement), his personal view 
approaches a "let's pull out entirely" position. 
 
¶5. (C) Despite having secured a consensus to do more in 
Afghanistan, GOF officials remain concerned about maintaining 
support for Finland's work in Afghanistan, in particular in 
Parliament and among the public.  (NOTE: Polls show strong 
public support for Finnish armed forces' participation in 
peacekeeping operations, while also showing a drop in support 
for Finnish participation in NATO-led operations.  It is 
unclear whether the public grasps that ISAF is NATO-led.  END 
NOTE.)  Officials complain about a lack of awareness of the 
situation in Afghanistan; they seek a clearer picture in 
order to counter negative press about the situation and to 
assist them in more clearly articulating and implementing 
their increased support. 
 
DAS Moon visits Finland 
----------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) In responding to GOF officials' interest in a briefing 
on Afghanistan (REF), DAS Moon visited Helsinki on February 
11-13 with Heidi Meyer, OSD Afghanistan Office Director.  DAS 
Moon met with representatives of the Ministries of Foreign 
Affairs, Defense, and Interior, as well as from the Finnish 
Defense Forces, and briefed extensively on the situation in 
Afghanistan and the ongoing review of U.S. policy.  Elina 
Kalkku, MFA Director General for Asia and the Americas 
emphasized Finland's commitment to increase its engagement, 
in particular through the temporary troop increase to support 
security for the upcoming elections, but also indicated that 
in the current domestic political and economic environment 
Finland would find it difficult to make additional 
contributions in the short or medium term.  In a meeting 
hosted by Chairman Salolainen, DAS Moon briefed members of 
the Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees. 
Salolainen started the meeting by listing the same problems 
and failures he saw in Afghanistan as he listed in the 
plenary session.  DAS Moon briefed not only on the current 
security situation but also the breadth of U.S. engagement, 
the Administration's interest in engaging friends and allies 
on the way forward, and its undertaking a comprehensive 
review of policy. At the end of the briefing Salolainen 
expressed his strong support for Finland's continued 
engagement in Afghanistan.  DAS Moon reached a wide audience, 
including the general public, later participating in a press 
roundtable, giving an interview to the Finnish National 
Broadcasting Company (YLE) and dining with several 
journalists and editors. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (C)  The decision to increase engagement in Afghanistan is 
a welcome one.  There is still more for the GOF to do:  The 
temporary troop increase is but one aspect of its overall 
plan; the government must fill previously promised police and 
military trainer slots and confirm a decision to increase the 
number of trainers (and fill those additional slots).  The 
visit of DAS Moon served precisely the need articulated by 
Finnish officials, helping them to justify not only remaining 
engaged in Afghanistan but increasing support 
comprehensively; several officials expressed considerable 
appreciation for the visit.  Falling as it did just as the 
Parliament took up the GOF's plan, the briefing to the 
Committees also proved useful, emphasizing as it did not 
simply the current security situation but the breadth of U.S. 
engagement its ongoing policy review.  (While a negative 
response to DAS Moon was unlikely, the skeptic Salolainen's 
unequivocal expression of Finland's continued support was 
nevertheless encouraging.)  The visit in April of a 
PAS-organized speaker on Afghanistan will provide another 
opportunity to engage GOF officials, parliamentarians and the 
public.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
BUTLER