US embassy cable - 05ROME2734

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002734 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2015 
TAGS: MOPS, MARR, PREL, AF, IT, NATO 
SUBJECT: ITALY SEES NO NEED TO CHANGE ISAF'S UN MANDATE 
 
REF: A. STATE 146276 B. ROME 2689 
 
Classified By: Acting Pol-Mil Counselor Susanne Rose For 
Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
 1.  (C) Acting Pol-Mil Counselor and Pol-Mil Officer met 
with MFA NATO Office Director Brauzzi August 17 to discuss 
further the renewal of ISAF's UN mandate (reftels).  Brauzzi 
said he saw no need to change the mandate when it comes up 
for renewal.  The real issue, he said, is NATO's OPLAN, which 
probably will need to be revised to reflect a post-Bonn 
Agreement strategy.  He expects the war on drugs, institution 
building, and judicial reform to be the key challenges facing 
Afghanistan after the September elections, and said the 
revised plan should include an increased emphasis on fighting 
narcotics cultivation and production.  Brauzzi also said that 
the British have proposed to leave the OPLAN as it stands but 
to interpret it more robustly, a proposal that Italy could 
accept, especially since ISAF will have more capacity once 
the OEF forces have been integrated. 
 
2. (C) Brauzzi also noted that ISAF's Phase Three expansion 
will be particularly challenging, and that the Italian 
military will not be able to provide additional forces. 
(Note.  Italy, which took over ISAF command on August 4, 
recently has increased its troop presence in Afghanistan to 
over 2,000 forces.  Italy also will take command of KFOR 
(Kosovo) in September and ALTHEA (Bosnia) at the end of the 
year, further stretching an already overextended military. 
End note.) 
 
SPOGLI 
 
 
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	2005ROME02734 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL