WikiLeaks cable: Requesting additional contributions in Afghanistan - NZ
November 27, 2009 Requesting additional contributions in Afghanistan - New Zealand
date:2009-11-27T05:30:00 source:Embassy Wellington origin:09WELLINGTON307 destination:VZCZCXYZ0003 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHWL
#0307 3310530 ZNY SSSSS ZZH R 270530Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0199 INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY
CANBERRA 0042 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON classification:SECRET reference:09STATE120807 ?S E C R E T WELLINGTON 000307
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/27 TAGS: NATO, PREL, MOPS, MARR, AF SUBJECT: REQUESTING ADDI... ?S E C R E T
WELLINGTON 000307
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/27 TAGS: NATO, PREL, MOPS, MARR, AF SUBJECT: REQUESTING ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN
AFGHANISTAN - NEW ZEALAND
REF: 09 STATE 120807 DERIVED FROM: Derived from previous message.
1. (S) On November 27, the Charge delivered reftel demarche to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Deputy
Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Under Secretary equivalent) for the Middle East and Africa Peter Hamilton. Drawing heavily
on points provided in reftel, the Charge noted that President Obama would be making an announcement sometime close to
the December 3-4 NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Brussels on U.S. plans for the way forward in Afghanistan and
Pakistan and that the USG hoped that the Government of New Zealand (GNZ) would be able to provide strong public support
in the days following the announcement and additional troop and training contributions in the longer term.
2. (S) Hamilton said the GNZ had been "expecting something like this (the U.S. request)" for some time and would prepare
a statement of support for public release immediately after it had a chance to hear and analyze the President's
announcement. Hamilton stressed, however, that a substantive response to the request for additional contributions would
"take a little longer" because "in our system such a request must be the subject of a joint cabinet meeting." He noted
that there was only one more joint cabinet meeting scheduled to take place before the holiday recess begins on December
22.
3. (S) Hamilton said that he would forward our talking points to Foreign Minister Murray McCully for his review within
24 hours. McCully is currently in Trinidad attending a Commonwealth conference and is scheduled to travel from there to
Vienna and then onward to Brussels for the December 3-4 NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting. Hamilton added that he would
brief the NZ Ministry of Defense on our meeting and the request for additional contributions.
4. (SBU) Stephen Harris, Deputy Director, Middle East and Africa Division, and Eamonn O'Shaughnessy, Senior Policy
Officer, Security and Disarmament Division also participated in the meeting, while the Charge was accompanied by the
Political/Economic Counselor and the Economic Officer.
CLARKE
ENDS