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### Viewing cable 07STATE18563, DEMARCHE REQUEST ON ICELANDIC PEACEKEEPERS IN PRT

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
07STATE18563 | 2007-02-14 19:37 | 2011-04-28 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Secretary of State

`

    VZCZCXYZ0003
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHC #8563 0451944
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    O 141937Z FEB 07
    FM SECSTATE WASHDC
    TO RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE 0000
    INFO RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE 0000
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0000

` `

    UNCLAS STATE 018563

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE
    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: MARR PREL PGOV IC AF LH DA HR UK CA NATO
    SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON ICELANDIC PEACEKEEPERS IN PRT
    CHAGHCHARAN

    REF: A. A) KABUL 5855 (NOTAL)
         ¶B. B) REYKJAVIK 431 (NOTAL)

    ¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified, protect accordingly.

    SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST
    ---------------------------------------------

    ¶2.  (SBU)  Department requests that addressee embassies
    demarche host governments requesting that they urge Iceland
    to keep its mobile patrol team in PRT Chaghcharan beyond
    April 2007.   Please report host government reaction by
    February 20.  End summary and action request.

    GOAL
    ----
    ¶3.  (SBU)  The USG's ultimate goal is to convince the
    Government of Iceland (GOI) to reverse its decision to
    withdraw its mobile patrol team of civilian peacekeepers from
    PRT Chaghcharan in April 2007.  To that end, we seek to
    enlist the other countries whose forces make up PRT
    Chaghcharan (Lithuania, Croatia and Denmark) as well as
    Afghanistan, Canada and the UK in demarching Iceland.  We
    would expect the three governments contributing forces to the
    PRT to be receptive to this idea, as PRT leaders are very
    concerned about losing the unique capabilities their
    Icelandic colleagues bring to their operations.  Afghanistan
    has an obvious stake in the effectiveness of the PRT.  Canada
    and the UK would also be useful and credible voices in the
    demarche, both because of their own major contributions in
    Afghanistan and because Iceland seeks increased defense and
    security cooperation with them (and with Denmark) in the wake
    of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iceland this year.
    Embassy Reykjavik has already informally raised this issue
    with the GOI.  Following demarches by the PRT members and
    others, Department expects to ask Embassy Reykjavik to
    present a more formal demarche to reinforce the message.

    BACKGROUND
    ----------

    ¶4.  (U)  The GOI intends to withdraw the Icelandic mobile
    patrol team (Mobile Liaison Observation Team/MLOT) from
    Afghanistan at the end of April 2007 (Ref A).  This decision
    reflects an effort by the GOI, which has no military, to
    steer its peacekeeping contributions away from activities
    that are controversial with the Icelandic public,
    particularly from roles where Icelandic peacekeepers are
    armed or wear military-type uniforms (Ref B).  Posts may draw
    from the following background information in requesting host
    governments to demarche the GOI:

    --The Government of Iceland intends to withdraw its civilian
    peacekeeping personnel from the Lithuania-led PRT in
    Chaghcharan in April 2007. Iceland's contribution to the PRT
    currently consists of a Mobile Liaison Observation Team
    (MLOT) totaling 13 persons.  The withdrawal of the Icelandic
    MLOT would be a serious loss for the PRT.

    --Because of its make-up, special equipment, and experience
    driving in the kind of harsh terrain found in Ghor Province,
    the Icelandic team has been especially effective in
    conducting patrols.  Moreover, through its reliability,
    efforts to pass on skills to other patrol units, and unique
    rescue capability, the Icelanders have made the PRT as a
    whole much more effective.

    --The Icelandic MLOT is unique in the resources and skills it
    brings to its designated patrols in PRT Chaghcharan.  A major
    problem for all the other patrols is lack of experience at
    driving in the harsh mountain conditions of Ghor Province.
    The Icelandic team is used to off-road driving up steep
    inclines and fording rivers - including at night.  The
    Icelanders, and only the Icelanders, have truly all-weather
    vehicles (Nissan Patrols) and the appropriate tires for
    handling the extremely rough and mountainous terrain of often
    snow-bound Ghor province (there are no paved roads).
    --The makeup of the Icelandic team of civilian specialists --
    two counter-terrorism policemen, a search and rescue worker,
    skilled drivers, a paramedic, and a mechanic (who
    participates in the patrols) - has resulted in remarkable
    reliability for the team's missions, and particularly
    valuable and insightful reporting.  Even if Iceland were to
    turn over its vehicles to other PRT elements at the end of
    April, it would waste much of the major investment Iceland
    has made in bringing the vehicles to Afghanistan because,
    without the corresponding special driving skills and
    ride-along mechanic, the vehicles would soon become as
    vulnerable to problems as the rest of the PRT's vehicle
    fleet.

    --Beyond the value they add through their own patrols, the
    Icelanders contribute by making every effort to pass on to
    the other elements their special driving skills.  Moreover,
    this winter the Icelanders have already had occasion to
    rescue other units' stranded vehicles, and they have been
    paired up with other units as a safeguard.

    --We understand that the Icelandic Government's policy on
    peacekeeping, as stated by Foreign Minister Sverrisdottir
    October 19, is to take on purely civilian missions where
    Iceland has particular niche capabilities to contribute,
    while gradually increasing the number of peacekeepers
    deployed overseas at any one time.  Although the Icelandic
    team's mission in PRT Chaghcharan involves real danger and
    close cooperation with military forces, it is still a
    civilian mission and a perfect example of an Icelandic niche
    capability.  The team's rules of engagement do not allow it
    to participate in combat except in self-defense, its members
    are not part of the PRT's quick response force, and they do
    not perform guard duty.

    --The core mission of PRT Chaghcharan is performing patrols,
    and the Icelandic MLOT does this uniquely well and makes an
    all-but-irreplaceable contribution to enabling the other
    elements to perform their roles effectively.  The team's
    withdrawal just a couple of months from now would be a
    serious loss to the PRT.  We urge you to join us in
    approaching the Government of Iceland, asking that it
    reconsider this decision.
    RICE

`