Cablegate: Somalia: Urgent Un Request for Force Generation

VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0841 2622307
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 182307Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4968
INFO RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000841

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MOPS PHUM PREL SO UNSC
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: URGENT UN REQUEST FOR FORCE GENERATION

REF: A. SENIOR-FITZGERALD EMAIL (8/27/08)
B. USUN 791
C. USUN 689
D. USUN 668

1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4.

2. (SBU) In a hastily called September 18 meeting with UNSC
Milads and
Political officers, DPKO Military Chief of Staff Col. Ian
Sinclair (UK)
requested recommendations from capitals concerning which
miltarily capable
nations the Secretary-General should approach to lead and/or
participate in a
multinational force that would deploy into Somalia. This
request came in
response to the 4 September 08 Presidential Statement
(PRST/2008/33) that
requested the Secretary-General "urgently identify and
approach States that
might contribute the financial resources, personnel,
equipment and services
required" for potential Somalia stabilization force.

3. (SBU) Noting that Council members stated in the PRST that
each "stands ready
to support the Secretary-General in this regard," Sinclair
asked that Council
members quickly identify appropriate countries with
sufficient military
capabilities as described in the Secretariat's August 26
briefing to the SC
(Ref. A). Sinclair stressed that he was not asking members
to approach
potential contributors bilaterally, and that Council members'
suggestions would
be kept in confidence. He asked for a response no later than
Wednesday,
September 24 at 9am, in order to allow the Secretary-General
to possibly
approach potential troop contributing countries on the
margins of the upcoming
UNGA high level event.

Comment and action request:

4. (SBU) Though Sinclair told the group that his was a
"military task, not a
political task," he later admitted privately that DPKO needed
political cover
for its force generation efforts, and was making this request
in order to
ensure that UNSC members did not feel that certain countries
were
inappropriately approached or inappropriately left out. USUN
requests
Department assistance in responding to DPKO's request with a
vetted list of
potential contributing countries by close of business on
Tuesday, September 23.
Khalilzad

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