US embassy cable - 05GUATEMALA392

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, IO/PHO, AF/RA, AND PM/DTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO, PREL, MOPS, ETTC, GT, HA, CG, DA, AR, CI, UN 
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: PKO UPDATE 
 
REF: 2004 GUATEMALA 3163 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  The Guatemalan military continues its 
preparations for a March 2005 deployment of an Army Kaibil 
(Special Forces) company to the UN Peacekeeping Operations 
Mission in the Congo (MONUC).  Plans to also deploy a 
Military Police company for MONUC duty are pending a final UN 
decision; the Guatemalan military reports that Denmark has 
offered $500,000 to equip the military police mission.  To 
support efforts to establish a regional peacekeeping 
operations training center in Guatemala, USMILGP Guatemala 
has requested $1 million in Global Peacekeeping Operations 
Initiative (GPOI) funding over two years, and the Guatemalan 
Army is sending instructors from its PKO school on a U.S. 
Southcom-funded visit to peacekeeping schools in Argentina 
and Chile to study the facilities and infrastructure at these 
Southern Cone schools.  A high-level GOG delegation will make 
a 13-18 February U.S. Southcom-funded visit to UN/DPKO and 
the MINUSTAH mission in Haiti, respectively, for an 
orientation on UN Peacekeeping Operations.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) The Guatemalan military has a 15 March target date 
for deployment of a Kaibil company (100 troops) to MONUC, but 
this date is likely to slip as the unit is being equipped 
through commercial purchases, which raises funding issues and 
includes a requirement for USG export license approval for 
communications equipment.  Guatemalan Army staff personnel 
report that Denmark has offered half a million dollars to 
equip a military police company for the MONUC deployment. 
The Guatemalans had originally told us that the military 
police company deployment had received final approval but we 
are now hearing that no decision has been reached by UN/DPKO. 
 Guatemala is apparently the only country that has so far 
volunteered to provide a contingent for this MONUC military 
police tasking. 
 
3.  (U) Guatemalan military ambitions for a regional 
peacekeeping training center include upgrade of its existing 
PKO school in Coban as well as creation of a new 
civil-military PKO training center in Guatemala City.  The 
request for $1 million from FY04 and FY05 GPOI funds would be 
divided between the Coban facility and the planned center in 
the capital.  Three Guatemalan Army officers will make a 
17-22 April visit to PKO training centers in Argentina and 
Chile to study the facilities and infrastructure and learn 
more about interaction with the UN on PKO issues. 
 
4.  (SBU) At Guatemalan military initiative, a 13-18 February 
U.S. Southcom-sponsored trip of Guatemalan military officers 
to UN/DPKO offices and Haiti has been upgraded to include the 
Vice Minister of Defense and one of the Vice Foreign 
Ministers, and civilian officials from the Finance Ministry 
and Presidential staff.  The 13-15 February orientation by 
DPKO and subsequent visit to the Guatemalan contingent in 
Port Au Prince is intended to build civilian support for 
Guatemalan PKO participation.  (The military has gained 
strong support from the Foreign Ministry but has had less 
success with the Finance Ministry.) 
 
5.  (SBU) Comment:  The Guatemalan Armed Forces leadership 
has eagerly embraced PKO participation, viewing it as A) a 
new, politically legitimate mission that supports military 
modernization; B) a funding source through UN reimbursement; 
and, C) a medium for enhancing military professionalization 
through interchange with other military forces.  We should 
encourage these efforts politically and support them 
logistically whenever possible, including through expeditious 
approval of export licenses for equipment to support 
Guatemalan PKO deployments. 
 
HAMILTON