Cablegate: Iir 6 815 0002 05/Dutch and Uk Support For

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

id: 22339
date: 11/2/2004 15:44
refid: 04OTTAWA2931
origin: Embassy Ottawa
classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002931
SIPDIS
CONFIDENTIAL NOFORN
SIPDIS
SERIAL: (U) IIR 6 815 0002 05.
COUNTRY: (U) CANADA (CA); NETHERLANDS (NL); UNITED KINGDOM (UK).
IPSP: (U) IFC1512; IFC1517; IFC2610.
TAGS: DOD NATO
SUBJECT: IIR 6 815 0002 05/DUTCH AND UK SUPPORT FOR
CANADIAN CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF ASSUMING CHAIRMANSHIP OF
NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE (U)
WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT IS CLASSIFIED C O N F I D E N
T I A L/NOFORN.
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
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DOI: (U) 20041028.
REQS: (U) DHCD127058; DHCD172046; DHCD172008;
D-IAC-2610-047-01.
SOURCE: A. (C) //6 815 0337//DUTCH DEFENSE OFFICIAL WHO HAS
ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL DUTIES.
PREVIOUS REPORTING HAS BEEN RELIABLE.
B. (C) //6 815 0180//UNITED KINGDOM DEFENSE
OFFICIAL WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION IN THE COURSE OF
NORMAL DUTIES. PREVIOUS REPORTING HAS BEEN RELIABLE.
SUMMARY: (C) CANADA,S CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, GENERAL RAY
((HENAULT)) HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE NATO
MILITARY COMMITTEE. DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO CANADA HAS STRONGLY
SUPPORTED THE NOMINATION. UK HIGH COMMISSIONER TO CANADA MAY
BE LESS SUPPORTIVE.
TEXT: 1. (C) CANADA,S CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF (CDS/CHOD),
GENERAL RAY ((HENAULT)), HAS BEEN NOMINATED AS ONE OF TWO
CANDIDATES FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE MILITARY COMMITTEE (CMC) AT
NATO, REPLACING CURRENT CHAIRMAN, GENERAL HARARLD ((KUJAT)).
HE HAS BEEN QUIETLY BUT CONTINUOUSLY LOBBYING FOR THE
POSITION SINCE THE END OF CY2003.
2. (C) ACCORDING TO SOURCE A, DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO CANADA
J.G.S.T.M. ((VAN HELLENBERG HUBAR)) IS SENDING A CABLE TO THE
HAGUE STRONGLY SUPPORTING THE NOMINATION OF GENERAL HENAULT
AS CMC. AMBASSADOR VAN HELLENBERG HUBAR IS ALSO REPORTEDLY
CALLING NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JAAP ((DE HOOP SCHEFFER)) TO
COMMUNICATE HIS SUPPORT FOR HENAULT DIRECTLY TO SECGEN. VAN
HELLENBERG HUBAR SUPPORTS HENAULT BECAUSE HE BELIEVES
SELECTING HENAULT WOULD BE THE BEST MOVE TO PROMOTE
TRANSATLANTICISM AND TO ENSURE THAT INTERESTS &EXTERNAL TO
THE EU8 REMAIN IN FOCUS.
3. (C) ACCORDING TO SOURCE B, THE UNITED KINGDOM HIGH
COMMISSIONER TO CANADA IS LIKELY TO BE INFLUENCED TO SHOW
LESS THAN VIGOROUS SUPPPORT FOR HENAULT. HENAULT IS SEEN BY
MANY UK OBSERVERS AS PERHAPS TOO POLITICALLY SENSITIVE AND AS
NOT BEING VOCAL ENOUGH IN CALLING FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR
CANADIAN FORCES. WHILE POLITICAL SKILLS ARE CERTAINLY
REQUIRED FOR THE CMC POSITION, SOURCE B BELIEVES HENAULT
LACKS &THE BACKBONE8 FOR TOUGH ENGAGEMENT ON ISSUES FACING
THE ALLIANCE SUCH AS TRAINING AND EQUIPPING THE NEW IRAQI
ARMY. IN THE LAST MEETING BETWEEN HENAULT AND UK CHOD GENERAL
SIR MICHAEL ((WALKER)), WALKER WAS REPORTEDLY VERY DIRECT IN
A NO-NONSENSE REQUEST FOR CANADIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ONGOING
NATO, UN, AND COALITION MISSIONS. HENAULT WAS APPARENTLY
FLUSTERED IN THAT MEETING AND RESPONDED THAT HE COULD ONLY
WORK WITH RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA.
COMMENTS: 1. (C) FIELD COMMENTS. SOME CANADIAN SOURCES HAVE
COMMUNICATED THAT CANADA WOULD WITHDRAW HENAULT,S NOMINATION
IF HE IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. RO BELIEVES THIS IS
UNLIKELY AND A HOLLOW MEANS OF ATTEMPTING TO FORCE SUPPORT
SINCE THERE IS SECRET BALLOTING INVOLVED.
2. (C/NF) FIELD COMMENTS. WHILE CANADA MAY NOT BE LEADING
IN NATO CONTRIBUTIONS, RO BELIEVES THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT
FOR THE U.S. TO SUPPORT HENAULT,S CANDIDACY FOR THE POST OF
CMC. HENAULT IS VERY PRO-U.S., AND IS VERY POLITICALLY
SAVVY. HE IS ALSO SOLIDLY BEHIND EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM
NATO,S MILITARY FORCES INTO AN EFFECTIVE EXPEDITIONARY
FORCE. AS CMC, HENAULT COULD BE RELIED UPON TO ADVANCE U.S.
MILTARY AND POLITICAL AGENDAS WITHIN NATO.
3. (U) SOURCES REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER EXPLOITATION.
4. (C) THIS REPORTING SUPPORTS PARAGRAPHS 1E, 3C, AND 3E OF
THE DAO OTTAWA OPERATING DIRECTIVE.
5. (U) DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS IIR TO DHO-1 AT
STU III (703) 907-0541, OR GRAY 981-7892.
COLL: (U) AB; AH; MM.
INSTR: (U) US NO.
PREP: (U) 6-03048.
ACQ: (U) CANADA, OTTAWA (20041028).
DISSEM: (U) FIELD: AMEMB OTTAWA.
WARNING: (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED
C O N F I D E N T I A L/NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS.
SIPDIS
DRV FROM: DO HUMINT SCG SEP 2003
DECL ON: X1
=======================CABLE ENDS============================

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