WikiLeaks cable: NZ releases documents on US Afghan troop request
July 9, 2009 New Zealand Releases Documents on US Afghan Troop Request
date:2009-07-09T06:31:00 source:Embassy Wellington origin:09WELLINGTON209 destination:VZCZCXYZ0008 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHWL
#0209 1900629 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 090631Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0062 INFO
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 0004 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0008 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0012
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0014 RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0003 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
classification:CONFIDENTIAL reference:09WELLINGTON179 ?C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000209
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/07/09 TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MARR, OPRC, NZ, US SUBJECT: New Zealan... ?C O N F I D E N T I A L
WELLINGTON 000209
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/07/09 TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MARR, OPRC, NZ, US SUBJECT: New Zealand Releases Documents on US Afghan
Troop Request REF: WELLINGTON 179
CLASSIFIED BY: DJKeegan, CDA, DOS, Embassy Wellington; REASON: 1.4(B), (D)
1. (SBU) Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported July 8 that it had obtained New Zealand Government documents that showed that
the U.S. Government had put "constant pressure" on the GNZ to increase its military commitment to Afghanistan. Embassy
contacted NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) who confirmed that it had provided documents to RNZ in
response to an "Official Information Act (OIA) request" and provided the documents to the Embassy (emailed to EAP/ANP).
The documents show no evidence of pressure, but concerns about New Zealand's possible additional military commitment to
Afghanistan will likely cause increasing media scrutiny.
2. (SBU) MFAT Americas Division Director David Taylor told the Embassy that MFAT had received the RNZ request three
months ago and had just released the material in response. He noted that MFAT had exceeded the statutory 21 day limit
for responding to OIA requests. The heavily redacted documents released include a series of fourteen diplomatic cables,
most between MFAT and the NZ Embassy in Washington, dated from 11 February to 9 April as well as three MFAT press
releases and the transcript of a media interview. The cables report that the US side on several occasions expressed
appreciation for NZ military capabilities, including particularly the NZ PRT and the SAS. The cables also report that
the U.S. Embassy in Wellington conveyed a USG request for comment on a series of topics as the U.S. prepared to review
its own policy in Afghanistan and that MFAT responded with comments. In the cables and in the media pieces, the GNZ,
Foreign Minister Murray McCully, and Defence Minister Wayne Mapp state that they are looking at what they might be able
to do to help in Afghanistan, while noting that the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is stretched thin by current
commitments. They note that the GNZ is undertaking a review of its own posture in Afghanistan and any decision on
military commitments will be made after the conclusion of that review.
3. (U) Radio New Zealand's report based on the OIA documents was a very brief factual report on its main morning news
program, Morning Report, saying that they had asked for and received the papers which showed, they said, that the U.S.
had constantly pressured GNZ for an increased commitment to Afghanistan. The story and papers have not yet received
extensive coverage elsewhere.
4. (C) ChargC) noted to Taylor that the Embassy and the USG should have been informed before any documents were shared
regarding meetings with USG officials. Taylor said that MFAT had made a mistake in not consulting with the U.S. side,
apologized, and promised to convey ChargC)'s objections. He assured me that he would do everything possible to ensure
that this does not occur again. He confirmed that the documents provided to RNZ would also be provided to any news
organization which requested them. The Embassy DAO has contacted NZ Ministry of Defence which reports that they have not
received any OIA requests along these lines. If they did they would respond by providing the same documents already
released by MFAT.
5. (C) Comment. Having reviewed the documents released, we find nothing to support an allegation of U.S. pressure on New
Zealand. Instead, the dominant themes are U.S. respect and appreciation for NZ military capabilities and contributions.
Even though there is no smoking gun, we anticipate that the NZ media will continue to question whether the GNZ is
justified in considering possible additional military deployments to Afghanistan. As Green Party Member of Parliament
Kennedy Graham demonstrated in his questions to the Foreign Minister in Parliament (reftel), there is a continuing
undercurrent of suspicion toward the U.S. and doubt about whether U.S. and NATO actions in Afghanistan are in keeping
with New Zealand's tradition of strong adherence to the letter of UN limitations on the use of force. In addition, there
are NZ reporters and columnists who are looking for a way to show that either the Key Government is not fully in control
of its agenda or too willing to listen to requests from the USG. I would anticipate that one or more of them will obtain
these documents and try to tease out of this thin gruel something more intriguing than RNZ has yet produced.
KEEGAN
ENDS