WikiLeaks cable: Delivering on NATO's promise to Afghanistan

Photo / Mark Mitchell

November 21, 2006
Delivering on NATO's promise to Afghanistan

date:2006-11-21T03:02:00
source:Embassy Wellington
origin:06WELLINGTON911
destination:VZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHWL #0911 3250302 ZNY CCCCC
ZZH O 210302Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
IMMEDIATE 3507 INFO RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
IMMEDIATE
classification:CONFIDENTIAL
reference:06SECSTATE186256
?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000911

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR D (FRITZ), EAP/FO, EUR/RPM, AND EAP/ANP

NSC FOR VICTOR CHA

SECDEF...

?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000911

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR D (FRITZ), EAP/FO, EUR/RPM, AND EAP/ANP
NSC FOR VICTOR CHA
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISD JESSICA POWERS
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, PINS, NZ
SUBJECT: DELIVERING ON NATO'S PROMISE TO AFGHANISTAN
REF: SECSTATE 186256

Classified By: DCM David Keegan, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

1. (C) Pol-Econ Couns shared reftel points with Michael Swain, Deputy Director of the Security Policy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). Swain expressed sympathy with our frustrations over caveats (NZDF force personnel operate without caveats in Afghanistan) andsaid NZ remains appreciative of US support of NZDF operations.

2. (C) Swain also said that GNZ Ministers will over the coming months be considering options for a future NZDF role in Afghanistan, as the current deployment is only scheduled through September 2007. GNZ takes its commitment seriously, but Ministers have made it clear that NZDF must be able to cover all contingencies in the region, where New Zealand and Australia are the first and last resort. Troops are in
Solomons and Timor and now also Tonga, and events in Fiji remain worrisome, said Swain.

3. (C) Comment: Post will continue to monitor closely GNZ's review of its Afghanistan commitments and encourage a continued, meaningful NZDF presence. Higher level expressions of encouragement from senior USG officials meeting with GNZ counterparts would also be useful here.

McCormick