Cablegate: Ambassador's Raises 7th Rotation to Iraq With

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUM #0666 2500739
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 070739Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0322
INFO RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 2439
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2225
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5217
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 0026
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0021
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/PACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000666

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR MG IZ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S RAISES 7TH ROTATION TO IRAQ WITH
PRESIDENT, SPEAKER, PM

Sensitive but unclassified -- not for Internet distribution.

1. (SBU) On September 5, Ambassador paid a farewell call on
Prime Minister Enkhbold, and on September 6 she met with
President Enkhbayar and Speaker Nyamdorj. In all the calls,
the Ambassador lauded close military-military relations, and
noted U.S. support for Mongolia's efforts to have its
military play a larger peacekeeping role. She praised
Mongolia's recent hosting, with U.S. support, of its
first-ever multinational peacekeeping training exercise,
Khaan Quest, and commented that the exercise had "put
Mongolia on the map" with its Asian neighbors and highlighted
Mongolia's peacekeeping role. She urged Mongolia to remain
committed to Coalition operations in Afghanistan and Iraq,
and asked that Mongolia's National Security Council (NSC,
comprised of the President, Speaker and Prime Minister) agree
to send a 7th rotation at roughly the 100-troop level of the
current rotation. She noted that this was not just a U.S.
desire, that Mongolia had been requested by the Government of
Iraq to send the rotation to assist its democratic
transition. In addition, the Polish Government, which has a
primary interest in Mongolia's continuing commitment, has
formally requested a full troop rotation.

2. (SBU) In their own points lauding the current good state
of Mongolia-U.S. relations, PM Enkhbold and Speaker Nyamdorj
listened closely to the Ambassador's presentation, but
neither touched either on military cooperation or on Iraq.
During the September 6 call on the President, Enkhbayar
praised close bilateral military relations and the Khaan
Quest exercise. He said he had discussed the 7th rotation
with the Prime Minister and some other members of the Cabinet
to learn why they had made a preliminary decision to
substantially reduce the number of soldiers in the 7th
rotation. The NSC would use a different mechanism to
consider the issue, he said, and would take into account the
U.S. position, and that of Poland and Iraq. The NSC would
meet to discuss the matter soon. He agreed that Mongolian
soldiers who have served in Iraq are proud of doing so, and
felt that it provided good training. The Ambassador noted
that Mongolia's request for HMMVs and other equipment for a
full 7th rotation is being worked on through appropriate
channels, and assured Enkhbayar that, per Admiral Fallon's
statement last month, the U.S. intends to meet the request.

3. (SBU) Comment: The President departs in the next few
days for the NAM summit in Havana, and the PM will be in the
U.S. for the UNGA September 17-23. With the 6th rotation
term expiring at the end of September, that suggests the NSC
should meet and decide on the 7th rotation before the
President's departure for Havana. Meanwhile, as DATT has
reported, on August 24 the Mongolian Armed Forces began to
train 120 soldiers in order to be prepared should the NSC
decide on a 7th rotation of 100 soldiers.

SLUTZ

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