US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA1497

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 001497 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2015 
TAGS: MARR, AF, CA, NATO 
SUBJECT: NATO-AFGHANISTAN: CIVILIAN COMPONENTS OF PRTS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 82968 
 
Classified By: POL M/C Brian Flora. Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Post delivered ref demarche to Foreign Affairs Canada 
on May 5; however, it is only recently that we have been able 
to reach officers in the North American and Euro-Atlantic 
Security and Defence Relations Division (IDR). Our key 
contacts have been unavailable due to a convergence of 
travel, training and the PMO's directive to stand up a robust 
"Darfur policy." 
 
2. (C) Acting IDR Director Isabelle Poupart told polmiloff on 
May 17 that the GOC blueprint for its upcoming PRT is very 
much in line with the government's "3-D" approach to foreign 
policy; the approach integrates "diplomacy, defence and 
development" into execution of policy objectives.  Thus, 
Poupart asserted, Canada already operates from the premise 
that close coordination among the military and civilian 
components of a PRT is a "must" for success.  She said that 
the Kandahar PRT would reflect this highly collaborative 
approach. 
 
3. (C) Poupart acknowledged, however, that "not everyone" had 
the same philosophy, and the GOC would be willing to look at 
the concept of regular reporting (to NATO) on aspects of the 
civilian components of PRTs.  But the government would need 
greater detail regarding a) the type of information to be 
provided and b) the mechanism to achieve information sharing. 
 Poupart didn't quite understand, for example, why the NATO 
Steering Committee couldn't serve as central repository of 
information rather than an "individual", as floated in our 
demarche.  Polmiloff agreed to try and obtain additional 
background to facilitate Canadian government deliberations. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
DICKSON