VZCZCXRO3618
OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHSM #0585 2541426
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 111426Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0104
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4716
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000585
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2019
TAGS: PREL MOPS AF SW
SUBJECT: SWEDISH DEFENSE MINISTER INVITATION TO GEN. MCCHRYSTAL
Classified By: DCM Robert J. Silverman for reasons 1.4 (B) & (D).
1. (C) Summary: Swedish Minister of Defense Tolgfors very much hopes ISAF Commander General McChrystal will be able to
attend a working dinner in Mazar-e Sharif on September 15, according to senior MOD officials. EU Special Representative
to Afghanistan Sequi will attend the dinner, and UN Special Representative Kai Eide has also been invited. The Swedish
MOD assesses that a dinner meeting of senior Swedish/EU, U.S./ISAF, possibly UN representatives would be very helpful in
Sweden's efforts to build EU support for ISAF. Sweden wants the EU to generate more civilian resources, and ultimately
more troops, for Afghanistan. End Summary.
Sweden Trying to Push EU to Do More in Afghanistan --------------------------------------------- -----
2. (C) Sweden is leading European efforts to draft a new EU Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategy that will emphasize a "whole
of government" approach to success, Swedish MOD Policy Director Peter Gothe to Pol Counselor late on September 10. The
security, development and political sides all need to be aligned and reinforce each other, he said, and so Sweden
believes EU defense ministers and foreign ministers need to be "closely involved." Building public understanding and
support for the international mission in Afghanistan will be key, and to do that EU Member States must first increase
their civilian presence, especially through "an expanded EU presence in the provinces." After that, it will be easier to
gain acceptance for increased military commitments, Gothe stated. In Sweden's case, the Ministry of Defense has proposed
a increase in troop levels from the current 500 to 565 next year, and to 630 by 2011. It will be easier to sell these
increases to the Swedish public if there is first an increase in the number of Swedish civilians in Afghanistan, he
said.
EU Defense Ministerial 28-29 September
--------------------------------------
3. (C) On 28-29 September, the EU defense ministers will meet informally in Gothenburg, Sweden to discuss the EU
Afghanistan strategy and "how it can be most helpful to ISAF," Gothe said. Sweden will use that meeting to "show
solidarity" on the ISAF mission and to expand an EU-wide understanding that a holistic approach is vital to a successful
outcome in Afghanistan. This approach is also vital to Sweden's goal of seeing an increased EU military commitment to
Afghanistan, Gothe reiterated. To "justify" increases in troops, EU defense ministers will need to point to increases in
civilian experts.
Dinner Invitation
-----------------
4. (C) Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors will be in Mazar-e Sharif September 15-16 to visit the Swedish PRT and
attend the hand-over of command ceremony for Regional Command-North. He understands that GEN McChrystal will also attend
the ceremony and has invited him, along with EU Special Representative to Afghanistan Sequi, to attend a working dinner
at Camp Northern Lights on September 15. UN Special Representative Kai Eide has also been invited but may not be able to
attend. The Swedes assess that a meeting of senior Swedish/EU, U.S./ISAF, and possibly UN representatives--with press
coverage--would be very helpful to Sweden's efforts to get the EU to generate more civilian resources, and ultimately
more troops, for Afghanistan.
Comment
-------
5. (C) This proposed dinner meeting might well help Sweden's efforts within the EU. It would certainly help Swedish
Defense Minister Tolgfors and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt in their efforts to expand Sweden's military and civilian
presence in an increasingly violent area of Afghanistan. We agree with what Swedish Chief of Defense General Sverker
Goranson recently told Defense Attache, that consultations with key U.S. actors earn Swedish leaders public credibility
in their message of supporting the U.S. in Afghanistan. BARZUN