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courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09LJUBLJANA114, SLOVENIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ON AFGHANISTAN, GUANTANAMO, AND

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09LJUBLJANA114 2009-04-22 12:28 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Ljubljana
VZCZCXRO6046
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLJ #0114/01 1121228
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221228Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7270
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LJUBLJANA 000114 
 
DEPT FOR CA/P/IP, EUR/CE 
DHS FOR OFFICES OF POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
DOJ FOR CRIMINAL DIVISION, OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.12958: DECL: 04/22/2019 
TAGS: PREL KDRG KCRM NATO CVIS ASEC PHUM PTER PINR SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ON AFGHANISTAN, GUANTANAMO, AND 
HSPD-6 
 
State 31102, Ljubljana 93 
 
Classified By: CDA B. Freden, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
1. (C) In an April 20 courtesy call on Interior Minister Katarina 
Kresal, CDA discussed several current issues in the U.S. - Slovenian 
relationship.  CDA pressed Kresal to move forward with HSPD-6 and 
PCSC agreements, in order to satisfy requirements to remain on the 
visa waiver program.  He raised the request of a Police Mentoring 
Group for Afghanistan (ref A), stressing that the U.S. is hoping to 
muster support from allies to build stability in the region.  On 
Guantanamo detainees, Kresal explained that Slovenia would follow the 
EU's lead.  If there is a common EU position, Slovenia would 
individually review each detainee who requested resettlement in 
Slovenia and might accept "one or two."  End summary. 
 
HSPD-6 
------ 
2. (SBU) CDA stressed that completing HSPD-6 and PCSC was essential 
to Slovenia remaining on the visa waiver program, and that we 
intended to follow soon with a diplomatic note and proposed text for 
beginning discussions.  Kresal echoed CDA's call for agreements to be 
reached this year.  (Note: Though a CA team visited Slovenia in 
October 2008 to discuss Slovenian accession to Homeland Security 
Presidential Directive 6 (HSPD-6), the issue was left in the air due 
to the fact that Slovenia was between governments at that time. 
Since that time, repeated efforts to re-engage with the Slovenes have 
been met with silence.  The Ministry of Interior only recently 
notified post that Slovenia will require "formal" notification and a 
proposed text to begin the process.  Though not specifically 
discussed, the Ministry also notified post that an agreement on 
Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC) would have to follow 
along similar lines.  End Note.) 
 
AFGHANISTAN POLICE MONITORING TEAM 
---------------------------------- 
3.  (C) CDA briefed Kresal on the U.S. request for a potential 
Slovenian Police Mentoring Team for Afghanistan, noting that we have 
already discussed the issue with MOD and MFA (ref B).  Kresal stated 
that she was aware of the request, and that Slovenia is in the 
process of developing a national strategy on its international 
cooperation projects, including Afghanistan.  She noted that she had 
already sent a MOI proposal to the MFA, and that when asked by MOD 
when a police team could be ready, she replied "they already are." 
She also mentioned an Austrian proposal to train the police units 
outside of Afghanistan as a possible alternative. 
 
GUANTANAMO RESETTLEMENT 
----------------------- 
4.  (C) Anticipating the next item on the agenda, Kresal raised the 
issue of accepting former Guantanamo detainees, explaining that 
Slovenia is waiting for the EU's final decision before moving ahead. 
She stressed that the process would have to be addressed on a 
case-by-case basis, and that the detainee would have to have 
requested resettlement in Slovenia.  She worried that any detainee 
resettled in Slovenia would have a very difficult time remaining 
anonymous and assimilating  into Slovenian society.  Thinking aloud, 
she speculated that "perhaps a couple" of detainees would be accepted 
under the best circumstances. 
 
THE ERASED 
---------- 
5.  (SBU) In a sidebar, CDA praised Kresal for tackling the 
long-standing problem of the "erased" and surviving a no-confidence 
vote in parliament.  Kresal flashed her eyes and said that the 
process was now moving forward and could not be stopped, speculating 
that it could be completely resolved in the next few months. 
 
COMMENT:  A PICTURE OF KRESAL 
----------------------------- 
6.  Post's first formal meeting with Kresal confirmed that she is a 
businesslike interlocutor who avoids small talk.  She confidently 
engaged on the issues that were at hand, but would not move beyond 
the papers in front of her to extrapolate on her views.  MOI is the 
largest ministry in Slovenia, and its competencies range from the 
police and border control to immigration policy and the 
administrative units found in each town in Slovenia.  Kresal is 
widely respected by her employees, and one recent interlocutor noted 
that when she first arrived, there was concern that the 36 year-old 
attorney lacked substantive and management experience.  Our contact 
 
LJUBLJANA 00000114  002 OF 002 
 
 
then noted that everyone is now confident that Kresal is on top of 
the issues and knows how the game is played politically; this 
combination has enabled her to push ahead on tough initiatives, such 
as the issue of the "erased." 
FREDEN