US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI140

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: AS, CA, CE, FR, GM, IR, JA, KS, MARR, MOPS, MY, PREL, SN, TH, Pol-Mil 
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INDIAN MPAT PLANNERS AND LIAISON 
OFFICERS TO CSF-536 AND PACOM HEADQUARTERS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador David Mulford.  Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C)  This message responds to State action request: ref 
060115Z Jan 05 SUBJECT:  REQUEST FOR COUNTRY LIAISON OFFICERS 
FOR TSUNAMI ASSISTANCE AND PACOM REQUEST. 
 
2.  (C)  Based on directions in cable (ref para 1), and 
communications between USPACOM J-5, OSD, and USDAO New Delhi, 
Ambassador today delivered a formal letter of request to 
India's Defense Secretary, India's Foreign Secretary, and 
National Security Advisor as follows: 
 
A.  That India send two military officers to work within 
CSF-536's Multi-National Planning and Augmentation Team 
(MPAT) in Utapao, Thailand, and that these MPAT planners be 
selected from a list of Indian officers who have been 
participants in TEMPEST Express and other PACOM sponsored 
MPAT exercises and conferences. 
 
B.  That India sends a Liaison officer to CSF-536 in Utapao. 
This officer will be involved in coordinating information 
about current Indian military operations in support of 
regional relief efforts and receiving the same information 
concerning US and other militaries regional relief operations. 
 
C.  That India sends a liaison officer to PACOM Headquarters 
at Camp Smith, in Honolulu, Hawaii.  This individual will be 
involved in strategic level coordination of international 
military relief operations for the affected region, and 
interact with the Joint Operations Center cell at PACOM and 
with other foreign liaison officers. 
 
D.  Letter specifies that this request takes effect 
immediately and requests the MPAT planners and the LNO to 
Utapao arrive no later than 10 Jan 2005.   The LNO to PACOM 
should arrive as soon as possible.  Currently, transportation 
to both locations would be on a self-funded/arranged basis. 
Letter stated that PACOM is working on providing 
administrative support, subsistence, and transportation for 
international liaison officers to Camp Smith.  Indian 
personnel to Utapao should be administratively 
self-sufficient, deploying with field gear and laptop 
computer. 
 
E. Ambassador's letter mentions US force lay down for Tsunami 
relief operations, CSF-536 organizational structure and 
subordinate elements, to include the Combined Support Groups 
on the ground in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. 
Ambassador pointed out that US and Indian military attaches 
and relief support personnel are already communicating and 
effectively sharing information on the ground in Sri Lanka. 
 
3.  (C)  Ambassador first mentioned this proposal today via 
phonecon with National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, and 
followed up with hard copy of letter delivered to Narayanan's 
office.  Narayanan said he would brief the Prime Minister. 
Ambassador sent a copy of the request to India's Foreign 
Secretary Saran.  (Foreign Minister Natwar Singh is in 
 
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Indonesia). 
 
4.  (C)  Because of a medical appointment, Defense Minister 
Mukherjee was unavailable.  Instead, Ambassador and DATT met 
with India's Defense Secretary A.V. Singh and handed him the 
letter of request, in additional to background information on 
the MPAT program, and MPAT Tempest Express 7 which India 
co-hosted in July-Aug 2004. Also present were MEA Joint 
Secretary (Canada and US) S. Jaishankar, and MOD Joint 
 
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Secretary G. Mukhopadhaya (International Cooperation). 
 
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5.  (C)  Singh politely accepted the Ambassador's letter and 
told the Ambassador he would study the proposal, brief 
Defense Minister Mukherjee, and would soon get back with the 
Ambassador.  Singh said that perhaps we all could meet again 
to discuss it after they studied it.  Singh then asked 
several questions about the CSF-536 organization.  Singh 
asked how this set up interacts with the UN in the relief 
efforts and how and if the UN was in the picture. 
Mukhopadhaya asked what is the relationship between the 
CSF-536 effort involving multinationals and the ASEAN Special 
Summit convened to deal with relief efforts?  Singh wondered 
aloud whether or not the best level to deal with the 
requirements for recovery-reconstruction efforts, would be at 
the local level, and whether having planners so far removed 
from the scene would be more effective.  Singh also raised a 
concern that we should take care that the local government of 
affected states not feel that they are being dictated to by 
planners removed from the sc 
ene. Mukhopadhaya asked for a list of countries that are 
participating in the CSF, LNOs, and MPAT planners.  Singh 
asked how long this effort was envisaged to last and what is 
the time scale that the planners would be planning for. 
 
6.  (C)  DATT reviewed the success of MPAT Tempest Express 7 
and reiterated that the MPAT exercise effort had trained 
military planners for exactly the kind of scenario that has 
unfolded and that India has a ready trained cadre of 
planners.  DATT review the rationale for LNOs at CSF-536 and 
PACOM Headquarters.  Ambassador reiterated that with the 
success of Indo-US military cooperation programs, we now have 
a great opportunity to operationalize the 
military-to-military relationship.  Singh thanked the 
Ambassador for having presented the letter and looked forward 
to further discussion on the proposal.  Ambassador and DATT 
departed Singh's office approximately 30 minutes prior the 
scheduled phone call to Singh from USD(P) on the same 
subjects. 
MULFORD