VZCZCXRO5488
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0382 2171710
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051710Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8447
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3767
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0014
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 0547

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000382 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM AMBASSADOR REEKER 
DOD FOR USDP FLOURNOY, ASD VERSHBOW, AND DASD TOWNSEND 
JCS FOR THE CHAIRMAN 
STATE FOR AMB. HOLBROOKE; EUR/SCE; EUR/RPM; PM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS NATO AF MK
SUBJECT:  IMPEDIMENTS TO MACEDONIA'S DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) I request senior-level intervention to resolve bureaucratic 
impediments to the long-planned deployment of 79 Macedonian soldiers 
to Afghanistan.  This deployment will allow the Vermont National 
Guard to double its reconnaissance and police mentor teams, from 4 
to 8 of each.  Obtaining practical Macedonian participation in 
operations in Afghanistan remains a top priority for Embassy Skopje, 
on which I and my staff have engaged PM Gruevski and other top 
officials. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
¶2.  (SBU) Macedonia is committed to embed 79 troops with the Vermont 
National Guard (VTNG) deployment to Afghanistan February - November 
¶2010.  Vermont has had a vibrant State Partnership Program (SPP) 
with Macedonia since 1995.  This deployment has been long-discussed 
with the Macedonian armed forces and government, including at 
Bilateral Defense Consultations in Washington in 2007 and, more 
formally, 2008.  In October 2008, the Macedonian Defense Minister 
briefed the potential deployment to Secretary Gates, who welcomed it 
and remarked that this was a natural progression of the SPP.  In May 
2009, Macedonian Defense Minister Konjanovski wrote to me formally 
confirming the offer to deploy.  In the meantime, GoM military and 
civilian officials discussed the deployment many times with VTNG 
officials.  Finally, in July of this year, EUCOM planners visited 
Macedonia to cement the Macedonian commitment and commence concrete 
planning. 
 
SUDDEN PROBLEM 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Despite this preparation, we have now received word through 
DoD, EUCOM, and USAREUR channels that some in the bureaucracy 
believe that this deployment was not properly planned or vetted. 
Lack of formal instructions  has placed this deployment in jeopardy, 
and needs to be solved now. 
 
ACTIONS REQUIRED: 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) These are the steps needed now: 
 
-- DoD needs to formalize the Macedonian co-deployment with the 
Vermont National Guard and task the unified commands to provide all 
necessary support. 
 
-- DoS needs to request that the Macedonian soldiers (because they 
are from a non-NATO country) attend the 
Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk with VTNG from Oct. 
30-Nov 19.  Funding for travel to this training is also needed. 
 
-- VTNG will need to send a team here in late August to familiarize 
the Macedonians on U.S. TTP and U.S. crew served weapons.  USEUCOM 
needs to receive a formal request to support the co-deployment by 
providing weapons and ammunition or allowing use of Camp Bondsteel 
for weapons familiarization. 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) It is no small thing to ask a small country like Macedonia 
to increase its commitment to Afghanistan, but time and time again 
Macedonia has stepped up in Iraq and Afghanistan, taken its 
responsibilities seriously, and performed exceptionally.  Macedonian 
soldiers deploy beyond the wire and have proven their mettle in 
combat.  I personally have urged Prime Minister Gruevski, Defense 
Minister Konjanovski, and CHOD LTG Stojanovski to proceed with the 
co-deployment with the Vermont National Guard.  In addition to the 
benefits to our efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, resolving the 
bureaucratic hold-ups to this co-deployment is critical to our 
credibility in Macedonia.  Therefore I request senior-level 
intervention to issue the necessary instructions to keep  this 
deployment on track. 
 
REEKER