VZCZCXRO1486
OO RUEHAG RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHSM #0505 2250645
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 130645Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4619
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; S/SRAP - KAREN HANRAHAN; SCA/A - ARIELLA 
VIEHE; EUR/RPM - AARON COPE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2010 
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS MARR AF SW
SUBJECT: FUTURE SWEDISH ISAF PARTICIPATION: TIMETABLE FOR 
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE 
 
REF: STOCKHOLM 461 
 
Classified By: Classified By: CDA Robert Silverman for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The Swedish Armed Forces will submit 
requirements to the government for the Swedish ISAF mission 
in Afghanistan by August 27, after which the Ministry of 
Defense (MOD) will initiate interagency meetings.  The MFA 
will have the pen for the draft legislation extending 
Sweden's military and civilian missions in Afghanistan 
through calendar year 2010.  The bill will be submitted to 
Parliament around October 30, after which opportunities to 
change the language will be severely limited.  Sweden 
understands the need for additional helicopters, 
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) 
capabilities and engineering assets in Afghanistan, but it is 
not clear at this point that the government is planning for 
such additions.  Also unclear is how Sweden will handle a 
proposal by Turkey to engage in PRT activities in two of the 
four provinces where Sweden already operates.  Comment: To 
best influence Swedish thinking on Afghanistan for 2010, 
September will be the most important time period for 
engagement.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Parliamentary debate on continued Swedish 
participation in ISAF will begin early this fall, after the 
Swedish Armed Forces submit to the MFA and MOD requirements 
for carrying out assigned tasks in Afghanistan, as per NATO 
OPLAN 10302, MFA ISAF Desk Officer Lisa Ljungstrom told 
Poloffs on August 11.  Those requirements are due August 27, 
according to Karin Hebert of the MOD Department for 
International and Security Affairs.  After that date, MOD 
Political Director Johan Raeder will begin chairing 
interagency meetings on Sweden's 2010 presence in 
Afghanistan.  The MFA's Security Policy Department will have 
the pen for drafting the proposed bill extending Sweden's 
Afghanistan deployment.  The critical time for the USG and 
NATO to influence decision-making on the legislation will be 
in September; inter-ministerial consultations and discussions 
will take place September 17-25, just prior to the informal 
EU defense ministerial to be held in Goteborg, Sweden on 
September 28-29.  Sweden plans to invite UN Special 
Representative Kai Eide, Sweden's Af-Pak envoy Karin 
Enestrom, and EU Special Representative Ettore Sequi to 
address EU defense ministers at that meeting.  Swedish 
interagency consultations will resume again in October to 
finalize the text, and the bill will be sent to Swedish 
Parliament by the end of the month.  Parliament is expected 
to vote by December 11. 
 
¶3. (C) Given increased violence in northern Afghanistan 
(ref), Sweden is considering possible changes to its security 
posture in Afghanistan, possibly including more armored 
vehicles, according to MFA Afghanistan Desk Director Mathias 
Otterstedt.  Sweden also understands the need for additional 
engineering, ISR and helicopter assets in Afghanistan, he 
noted, but it is not clear that the government is planning 
for such additions.  The government has already authorized 
helicopters in the previous year's bill, but the equipment 
Swedish Armed Forces intends to send has been plagued by 
delays in acquisition and modifications necessary for 
operations in Afghanistan.  The equipment is not likely to be 
available for deployment before 2011.   Swedish airborne ISR 
is a possibility and has been offered at least twice before 
but was withdrawn after unsuccessful attempts to coordinate 
logistics support. 
 
¶4. (C) Another wildcard relates to Turkey's proposal that it 
launch a PRT in Jowzjan and Sar-e Pol Provinces, two of the 
four provinces of the current Swedish-Finnish PRT. 
Otterstedt said Sweden is not clear on the details of 
Turkey's "interesting proposition," including the types of 
development and assistance activities Turkey is considering 
or the number -- if any -- of security troops it would deploy 
above and beyond what is needed for force protection. 
Whether Turkey plans to launch its own stand-alone PRT or 
operate with the Swedish PRT is also unknown.  In any case, 
Otterstedt said, a significant Turkish presence could affect 
Swedish planning for 2010 -- "though there is more than 
enough work to go around." 
 
¶5. (C) Comment:  September is the best time period for 
engagement.  Senior USG visitors may wish to take note of the 
September 28-29 informal EU Defense Ministerial in Goteborg 
for possible opportunities to engage Swedish and European 
security planners.  End Comment. 
SILVERMAN