US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN1579

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 001579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2014 
TAGS: EU, MARR, MCAP, MOPS, PGOV, PINS, PREL, UN 
SUBJECT: IRELAND/EU: UNSYG ANNAN RENEWS CALL FOR UN-EU 
CRISIS COOPERATION 
 
Classified By: DCM Jonathan Benton, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary: In an October 14 speech in Dublin, UNSYG 
Kofi Annan called for effective multilateralism to address 
global challenges and, in particular, increased UN-EU 
cooperation on crisis management.  He welcomed the EU 
battlegroup initiative as a potential model for UN-EU 
collaboration on conflict prevention.  In introductory 
remarks, Irish Foreign Minister Ahern emphasized Ireland's 
support for collective approaches to security, while 
highlighting Ireland's traditional military neutrality. 
Department of Foreign Affairs officials saw UNSYG Annan's 
speech as an opportunity to educate the Irish public that 
participation in UN-EU crisis management cooperation would 
not erode Ireland's neutrality.  Foreign Affairs and Defense 
officials confirm that GOI participation in EU battlegroups 
is under intensive review, in preparation for the EU's 
Capabilities Commitments Conference in November.  End summary. 
 
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Annan's speech: Effective Multilateralism 
and UN-EU Cooperation 
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2.  (U) In an October 14 speech to the National Forum of 
Europe in Dublin, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for 
increased UN-EU cooperation to fulfill the goals of the 2003 
UN-EU Declaration on Crisis Management.  UNSYG Annan 
commended Ireland's efforts during its EU Presidency to make 
such cooperation more structured, substantive, and 
broad-based.  He welcomed, in particular, the development of 
EU "capabilities" in the context of the European Security and 
Defense Policy (a reference to the EU battlegroups 
initiative, whereby Member States would establish 10 
divisions of 1,500 troops within three years for rapid 
deployment to conflict zones).  Citing the French-led Artemis 
Operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2003 as a 
model for UN-EU cooperation, UNSYG Annan noted that the EU 
could address crisis situations with speedier deployments and 
more specialized skills than typical UN peace-keepers.  He 
cautioned that these strengthened EU capabilities should not 
lead Member States to diminish their troop contributions to 
UN blue-helmet missions, and he lauded Ireland's decades-long 
participation in UN peace-keeping operations.  Continuing the 
theme of effective multilateralism, UNSYG Annan urged 
collective action to address other international challenges, 
such as HIV/AIDS, economic development, and the Darfur crisis. 
 
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Irish Comments: Differing Views on 
Neutrality 
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3.  (U) In remarks introducing UNSYG Annan, Foreign Minister 
Dermot Ahern emphasized that the UN was the "ultimate 
guarantor" of Ireland's freedom and safety.  He cited 
Ireland's view that unilateral action by any country or 
regional group could not resolve challenges facing the 
international community.  Ireland thus supported collective 
approaches to security and had made UN-EU cooperation in 
crisis management a central focus of its EU presidency.  FM 
Ahern emphasized that joint UN-EU efforts on conflict 
prevention spanned beyond military capabilities to include 
diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian instruments.  He 
pointed out that the GOI would not allow Ireland's stance of 
military neutrality to be eroded.  Rather, the "triple-lock" 
policy would remain: Ireland would only undertake overseas 
military action with UN, Cabinet, and Dail (Parliament) 
authorization.  Like UNSYG Annan, Ahern also called for 
effective multilateralism on issues like economic 
development, and he promised that Ireland would meet its 
Millennium goal of allocating 0.7 percent of GNP to 
development aid. 
 
4.  (U) Immediate reaction from the audience of several 
hundred included comments from opposition party Fine Gael 
leader Enda Kenny that Ireland was not neutral, but merely 
unaligned.  Kenny commended UNSYG Annan for re-energizing the 
UN, and he urged Annan to build a collective will among UNSC 
members.  A Fine Gael colleague, Gay Mitchell, called for an 
end to Ireland's triple-lock policy, which he described as 
"nonsense."  Mitchell recommended that Ireland should instead 
decide to take part in overseas military missions on a 
case-by-case basis.  A member of the Sinn Fein party observed 
that the UN should have its own force, adding that 
"outsourcing" to the EU or the United States would not solve 
the world's problems and could make the UN redundant. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
DFA Reaction: An Opportunity for Public Education; 
Government Decision on Battlegroups Not Yet Ready 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
5.  (C) In a separate conversation with emboff, the GOI 
welcomed UNSYG Annan's speech as an opportunity to educate 
the Irish public on the legitimacy of Irish participation in 
UN-EU crisis management cooperation.  According to Julian 
Clare, Department of Foreign Affairs First Secretary for UN 
Affairs, Irish citizens are confused as to whether Ireland 
might be drifting away from its traditional military 
neutrality, having recently participated in NATO-led 
operations in Bosnia (SFOR) and Kosovo (KFOR).  Proposals for 
Ireland to join up with EU battlegroups contributed to the 
sense of drift.  UNSYG Annan's address, said Clare, made 
clear that joint UN-EU crisis management was consistent with 
the collective approach to international security that had 
long characterized Ireland's military/foreign policy  -- a 
point that Foreign Minister Ahern had stressed in his 
introductory remarks about the maintenance of Ireland's 
neutrality.  Clare recalled that the synergies involved in 
UN-EU crisis cooperation had featured prominently in a 
January 2004 discussion between UNSYG Annan and then Foreign 
Minister Cowen.  He added that the discussion had kicked off 
a concerted Irish effort during its EU presidency to shore up 
modalities for implementing the 2003 UN-EU Declaration on 
Crisis Management. 
 
6.  (C) The issue of Irish participation in battlegroups is 
still under consideration, with new ministers for defense and 
foreign affairs appointed only in late September.  DFA 
officials have said privately that they favor Irish 
participation, both on the merits and because they believe 
overall Irish weight in the EU would be helped by their 
ability to contribute to the EU's defense ambitions. 
Meanwhile, Irish Defense Forces are exploring the modalities 
of Irish participation, including whether to contribute niche 
forces that could latch onto any battlegroup or to commit 
troops to one specific battlegroup.  Officials note that the 
GOI does not view the EU's November 22 Capabilities 
Commitments Conference as a deadline for making specific 
commitments to the battlegroups, but recognize that they need 
to bring some indication of their intentions to the table. 
One contact said Ireland does not see UNSYG Annan's choice of 
Dublin for a speech on UN-EU crisis management cooperation as 
an attempt to pressure the GOI to contribute personnel to the 
battlegroups.  Rather, the Dublin venue helps to emphasize 
the collectivist model for UN-EU cooperation, as embodied in 
long-standing Irish participation in UN-sanctioned 
peace-keeping operations. 
KENNY