US embassy cable - 04VILNIUS1411

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 001411 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB AND EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2014 
TAGS: MOPS, MASS, PGOV, PREL, LH, HT11 
SUBJECT: LITHUANIAN DEFMIN CRITICIZES NATO MEMBERS' 
RECALCITRANCE OVER IRAQ TRAINING MISSION 
 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON OFFICER TREVOR BOYD 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (U) Lithuanian Defense Minister Linas Linkevicius, in an 
interview with the Baltic News Service on November 15, 
criticized the decision by ten NATO allies not to send 
instructors to the armed forces training mission in Iraq. 
Linkevicius remarked that he did not believe this decision, 
although a departure from the conclusions of the Istanbul 
summit, presaged a split in the alliance.  Echoing public 
comments by NATO SACEUR James Jones, the DefMin said that 
such "exceptions should not be tolerated, because they make 
it difficult for the alliance's military commanders to plan 
operations."  Linkevicius noted there had been similar 
difficulties generating a rotation schedule for the now 
successful Baltic air-policing mission. 
 
2. (C) The MFA's Kestutis Jankauskas, Director of Security 
Policy, told us that Foreign Minister Antanas Valionas had 
cautioned (in a statement BNS chose not to run) against too 
quickly criticizing all ten NATO members who chose not to 
send instructors to Iraq.  Jankauskas noted that, had 
Lithuania already met their troop authorization ceiling for 
Iraq, they would have had to seek special authorization from 
Parliament to send the three officers they've now dedicated 
to the training mission.  While acknowledging that one or two 
NATO partners will predictably diverge from the fold, 
Jankauskas thought that logistical obstacles rather than 
political objections had prevented some NATO countries from 
sending participants. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment.  Linkevicius's public statement reflects 
the government's commitment to active membership in NATO and 
its staunch and reliable partnership in the Coalition. 
MULL