US embassy cable - 05PARIS357

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000357 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, AF, FR, NATO 
SUBJECT: NATO/AFGHANISTAN: FRENCH UNDECIDED ON STAGE II 
CONTRIBUTION 
 
REF: A) STATE 2743 B) PARIS 293 C) 2004 PARIS 8650 
     (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASON 1 
.4 B AND D 
 
1. (C) Summary: Responding to Ref A demarche for building on 
NATO foreign minister's meeting, French officials have 
reiterated their reservations on Provisional Reconstruction 
Teams (PRT) and are holding off on taking a decision to 
contribute a quick response force (QRF) for Stage II Forward 
Support Base.  The French cite existing worldwide demands on 
their military, as well as budgetary constraints, for their 
go slow approach.  Defense Minister Alliot-Marie informed the 
Ambassador that after the Afghan legislative elections in the 
summer, France would revisit its potential participation in 
both the PRTs and the QRF.  MOD and MFA officials also 
emphasized that France believes that allies need to encourage 
the Afghan government to engage on an effective 
counternarcotics plan.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) We presented ref A points on Afghanistan January 6 to 
MOD diplomatic advisor Bertrand Besancenot and to the MFA's 
NATO deskoff Xavier Chatel. (Note: DAS-equivalent director 
Francois Carrel-Billiard was out of the country.)  In a 
separate meeting with Defense Minister Alliot-Marie on 
January 12, the Ambassador also conveyed our appreciation for 
French ISAF contributions and inquired whether France would 
participate in the Stage II western expansion through a 
contribution to the QRF.  French reactions, especially as 
expressed by the defense minister (ref B), were that France 
was not prepared at this time to expand its operations beyond 
its planned contribution to parliamentary elections security 
of six combat aircraft with support personnel.  MOD and MFA 
officials emphasized that Afghanistan was important for 
France, but that at present the French military was stretched 
thinly through its commitments in the Balkans, Africa (Ivory 
Coast), tsunami relief, and in Afghanistan to the OEF, Afghan 
army training and ISAF.  Besancenot indicated that a final 
decision on French planning for stage II expansion had not 
been made, but that France would reconsider its actions after 
the legislative elections.  He added that France shared 
SACEUR's concern that adequate means should be found to meet 
this western expansion requirement of ISAF.  (Comment: We 
note that deliberations are ongoing as Chatel contacted us on 
19 January seeking additional clarifications on our 
demarche.) 
 
3. (C) MOD and MFA officials citing our earlier paper on 
broadening NATO's approach in Afghanistan in 2005, as well as 
our recent demarche on Stage II expansion, emphasized that 
the drug trade represented a major threat to security and 
democracy in Afghanistan.  They believe the Karzai government 
is insufficiently engaged on this problem and that it is 
essential that we assist the Afghans, in addition to what 
ISAF is already doing.  (Note: the MFA's Carrel-Billiard said 
he had spoken with EUR/RPM director in Brussels last December 
and conveyed to him some French thoughts on next steps in 
Afghanistan.) 
 
4. (U) Minimize considered. 
Wolff