US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1008

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 001008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, MASS, IZ, EZ 
SUBJECT: CZECH MOD STAFF CONFIRM PLANS FOR EXTENSION OF 
IRAQ DEPLOYMENT 
 
REF: A. PRAGUE 948 
 
     B. STATE 111082 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Mike Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d. 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  Czech MOD senior officials offered 
assurances that plans for extension of the Czech military 
police trainers currently in Iraq are continuing, and that 
the contingent would remain in its current status, i.e., part 
of MNF-I, but with the hope that they would "eventually" be 
moved under the NATO Training Mission.  Czech planning is 
based on extension of UNSCR 1546.  End summary. 
 
2.  (C) ADCM and DATT met June 29 with Czech MOD Director of 
Security Policy Zdenek Borkovec to follow-up on Ambassador's 
June 21 meeting with DefMin Kuehnl (ref A).  During that 
meeting, Kuehnl had expressed reservations about Czech troops 
remaining in Iraq if they remained part of MNF-I.  Borkovec 
stated clearly that the Czech Army and MOD staff are 
proceeding on the assumption that the deployment of 95 
military police near Basra will be extended through 2006, and 
will remain in its current form.  Borkovec shared a copy of 
the draft bill authorizing 2006 deployments, which uses the 
exact same language as the most recent extension in Jan 2005. 
 Specifically, the troops will serve in Iraq with the 
expectation that they will "eventually" become part of the 
NATO Training Mission. 
 
3. (C)  Borkovec noted that the question of whether the Czech 
trainers are under MNF-I or NTM-I was, for him, purely a 
political one.  As Minister Kuehnl noted, and as is well 
understood by all involved in the debate, some Czech 
politicians continue to question the MNF-I's mandate, and it 
would therefore be politically expedient if there concerns 
were addressed by moving the Czech contingent firmly under 
MNF-I.  However, there is broad expectation that the 
deployment extension will receive support from the opposition 
ODS (a stance that all of our ODS contacts regularly 
confirm), so that a few abstentions or even defections from 
the ruling coalition would not doom the extension. 
 
4. (C) Borkovec added that the deployment legislation is 
predicated on UNSCR 1546, i.e., that it will be extended 
beyond December 2005 or there will be a "suitable 
replacement." 
 
5. (C) Borkovec confirmed that the few Czech surgeons at a 
British military hospital in Iraq would not be extended next 
year. 
 
6. (C) Turning back to the USG proposals on the future of the 
Iraq coalition (ref B), Borkovec inquired about the specific 
plans for coalition "transition teams," in particular whether 
they would be involved in combat operations.  We referred MOD 
staff to the President's 28 June speech at Fort Bragg for the 
latest thinking.  Borkovec said the Czechs would have to 
"consider" whether and how to engage in such transition 
teams, and looked forward to continuing the discussion as 
planning evolves. 
 
7. (C) Comment:  Based on several discussions with MOD and 
MFA staff in recent weeks, it appears that Minister Kuehnl's 
hesitation about MNF-I does not reflect a shift in GOCR 
views.  Nonetheless, given the fluid political situation 
here, we will continue to monitor the 2006 deployment plan as 
it makes its way forward.  We note as well concern about 
UNSCR 1546, which the MFA has stressed will be an important 
part of any debate over Iraq deployment. 
CABANISS