VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLO #2498 2761220
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021220Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9961
INFO RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 0073
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0412
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 3293
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1258
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1288
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 002498
SIPDIS NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2018
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC MOPS SO UK
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: UK CONFUSED BY USG POLICY ON PEACEKEEPING IN SOMALIA
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1.(C/NF) Summary. Various elements of the Foreign Office have expressed confusion about USG policy on a potential
peacekeeping operation in Somalia. According to their account, the USG, in various fora, have advocated for the United
Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to survey options for potential participants in a multinational
force, for maritime escorts for World Food Program (WFP) humanitarian shipments as part of a larger PKO, and for a "blue
hatted" maritime mission that incorporates security responsibilities on land. The UK sees these various initiatives as
uncoordinated and disjointed. HMG would like a more wholistic approach to a Somalia PKO. That said, the UK does not have
its own clear position on the way forward on peacekeeping operations in Somalia. Internal HMG discussions generally
focus on priorities. End Summary.
UK MOD: CTF-150 is a CT Operation ---------------------------------
2.(C/NF) From the Ministry of Defense's perspective, CTF-150 is designed and resourced to be a counter-terrorism
operation, and the mission's primary focus should remain that way. CTF-150, however, is also the framework through which
the UK will contribute to counter-piracy operations. WFP escorts are a lower priority, as HMG has no spare capacity to
support other missions, but will encourage other countries to resource it. HMG is concerned about coordination and
effective use of resources in the various maritime operations being proposed. The UK is less than enthusiastic about an
ESDP mission and wants to ensure a maritime mission is coordinated with CTF-150. In addition, HMG finds it unlikely that
CTF-150 enlargement will help counter piracy, as the mission is focused on CT. The UK is also aware of the European
preference to use existing national assets to take on pirates and is pressing in the EU for more military analysis of
the available options.
FCO: Prefer Land Over Sea -------------------------
3.(C/F) From the FCO Somalia Desk and Peacekeeping Team's perspective, the priority is a land peacekeeping operation
over a maritime one. They are keen to support the Djibouti Agreement, but question if there is enough peace to keep,
wonder where the contributions will come from, and question how responsible it is to put potentially unprepared forces
in such an insecure environment. In their opinion, a land PKO will have to have a very defined mandate and resources to
match those strategic aims, given the size of Somalia and the complexity of the problems on the ground. They look
forward to seeing the options that DPKO should be putting together for the Security Council and think that blue-hatting
AMISOM should remain on the table as a potential way forward.
4.(C/NF) While the HMG priority remains a land PKO, FCO officials say the UK would not block creation of a maritime
operation, as it sees piracy as a very serious problem, but HMG would not be in a position to offer any resources for
it. FCO officials say they want to be realistic about both types of operations, especially as there are no TCCs apparent
for a land operation. In any operation, land or maritime, the UK would like to see how the forces already in place
(including AMISOM, CTF-150, and the maritime force being discussed by NATO/EU) will work together and dovetail with any
proposed UN PKOs, where the troops and resources will come from, and what legal authorities these missions will have,
especially for interdiction of pirates. Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX TUTTLE