US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA1410

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001410 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN, EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, AF, CA, NATO, FAC 
SUBJECT: CANADA ON ISAF CAVEATS 
 
REF: A) OTTAWA 1022 B) STATE 60862 
 
Classified By: POL M/C BRIAN FLORA.  REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) Though Canada has not/not provided a formal response 
to ref b demarche, the GOC's position on ISAF-related caveats 
was discussed on the margins of the April 27 US-Canada polmil 
talks.  Paul Chapin, Director General for Security Policy at 
Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) explained that the caveats 
relating to Canadian operations in Kabul were a reflection of 
"anxiety" at the ministerial (i.e. political) level.  Rear 
Admiral Drew Robertson, Director General of International 
Security Policy at National Defence (DND), added that the 
geographic limitations on the Canadian deployment were due to 
the way that ISAF had evolved.  He stated that Chief of 
Defence Staff Lt. General Hillier was of the view that the 
legal basis for the Canadian Forces' deployment to 
Afghanistan should be adequate to cover operations in any 
part of the country.  At the same time, there were other 
constraints that made it difficult to change the mandate for 
Kabul at this stage.  Robertson asserted that the issue would 
"go away" in the next phase of Canada's involvement in 
Afghanistan (Kandahar). 
 
2. (C) On rules of engagement, FAC Defence and Security 
Relations (IDR) officer Eric Laporte reiterated comments 
reported in ref A, that Canadian Forces (CF) had limited 
training in crowd control techniques.  At the same time, he 
said, there was recognition within the government that as 
ISAF operations expanded, requirements for civil disturbance 
control may occur more frequently.  Laporte noted that a 
review is underway regarding the introduction of crowd 
control techniques into CF training.   Robertson added that 
the government wanted to avoid a situation where Canadian 
Forces would be the "default" crowd control mechanism in lieu 
of a constabulary force. Thus training would likely focus on 
providing a capability for "in extremis" situations. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
DICKSON