US embassy cable - 05PARIS5608

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005608 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2015 
TAGS: AF, MARR, PREL, FR, NATO, UNSC 
SUBJECT: GOF: ISAF U.N. MANDATE STRONG ENOUGH AS IS; 
PREPARING FOR KABUL 
 
REF: SECSTATE 146276 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for Reaso 
ns 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) On August 9 poloff spoke with MFA Afghanistan Desk 
Officer, Cyril Gerardon, who said that the MFA was still 
studying the mandate in conjunction with MOD officials to 
determine what changes, if any, would need to be made.  On 
August 18 poloff met with Alexandra Novosseloff of the MOD 
office for Peacekeeping Operations and Crisis Management. 
Novosseloff said that the MOD had looked at the mandate in 
the context of CFC-A and ISAF integration envisioned by SHAPE 
and concluded that the mandate would not need to be changed. 
She said that the mandate, in allowing ISAF to create a 
"secure environment," is sufficiently broad to cover 
integration.  Furthermore, she added, counter-terrorism 
activities, while not mentioned in the mandate itself, are 
explicitly addressed in UNSCR 1368. 
 
2.  (C) Novosseloff, adding historical context, explained 
that the GoF had been reluctant to support the integration of 
ISAF and OEF, mostly due to its fear that the U.S. would use 
the merger to draw down its forces in Afghanistan.  She said 
that while the French have since recognized the utility of 
integration, they still harbor concerns that the U.S. could 
one day make the determination that ISAF is sufficient to 
deal with hostilities and radically downsize its troop 
strength in the country. The GoF would not feel comfortable 
with ISAF being forced to expand to fill that void. 
 
 
Preparing for New Responsibilities in Kabul 
------------------------------------------- 
 
3.  (U) Novosseloff said that the French are examining all of 
the elements involved in taking responsibility for Kabul and 
will be ready to assume command of that area as scheduled 
next summer.  She said that France would be asking other 
countries to provide support for the mission (a medical 
services unit, for example).  Also, the French continue to 
talk with the Turks who, she said, have proved themselves a 
reliable and competent partner in Afghanistan.  She said that 
the French envision that they will need to augment their 
forces to approximately 1,000 in advance of taking 
responsibility for Kabul, which they are prepared to do. 
Hofmann