VZCZCXRO0169
OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBY #0129 0532056
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 222056Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2692
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE IMMEDIATE 6995
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH IMMEDIATE 5262
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY IMMEDIATE 5275

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000129 
 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
SCA/A FOR ANTHONY RUSH AND EUR/RPM FOR RAPHAEL CARLAND AND 
AARON COPE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2020 
TAGS: MASS PREL NATO
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA TO CONTRIBUTE ADDITIONAL ANSF TRAINERS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 143366 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Edgard D. Kagan for reasons 1.4(b)(d) 
 
Australia Considering How to Contribute 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (C/NF)  Deputy National Security Advisor Angus Campbell 
confirmed that Australia is considering how to increase its 
contribution to the training mission in Afghanistan while 
still maintaining current troop levels.  It is possible that 
additional trainers will be sent as part of Australia's embed 
program and would not count against their publicly stated 
1550 troop limit.  PolEconCouns stressed that we are not 
asking Australia to increase its overall troop numbers and 
that this demarche is in line with previous statements, most 
recently by Deputy Secretary of Defense Lynn last week, that 
we would not ask for more troops.  Campbell said that he 
would make sure the context of the request was conveyed. 
 
Additional Trainers Consistent with Plan 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C/NF) Campbell was unaware of additional trainers that 
had already been pledged through NATO channels, but that this 
seemed in line with Australia's thinking.  Reports from the 
U.S. Mission to NATO that Australia had promised additional 
trainers to the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe 
seemed correct to Campbell.  While he admitted that we were 
"one step ahead of him" and that he had not yet seen that 
cable, he confirmed that the numbers, 10 trainers with as 
many as 22 to follow, fit with Australia's plan. 
 
BLEICH