EL SALVADOR: WILLING GLOBAL PEACE OPS INITIATIVE (GPOI) PARTNER

id: 36690

date: 7/15/2005 18:30

refid:
05SANSALVADOR2033

origin: Embassy San
Salvador

classification:
UNCLASSIFIED

destination:
04SANSALVADOR3247|05STATE127981

header:

This record is a
partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is
not available.

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header ends ----------------

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR
002033

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR:
WHA/PPC (JEFF BISCHOFF), PM/PPA (MATTHEW

HARDIMAN)

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPKO, MARR,
MASS, PREL, ES, UNGA

SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR:
WILLING GLOBAL PEACE OPS INITIATIVE

(GPOI) PARTNER

REF: A. STATE 127981

     B. 2004 SAN SALVADOR 3247

1. (SBU) Reftel
demarche was delivered to Foreign Minister by

Ambassador and to
Minister of Defense (MOD) by MILGP

Commander on July
13.  On July 14, Ambassador also hand

delivered to FM, who
is in Washington with Ambassador for the

Saca/Bush meeting, a
non-paper summarizing Ref B background

on GPOI and Ref A
demarche information.  During July 13

conversation, MOD informed
MILGP Commander that the GOES

fully agrees with the
CFAC plan and supports a GPOI

partnership.  Additionally, the Salvadoran Chief of Defense

(CHOD) reported to
MILGP Commander that on July 13 CFAC CHODs

met in Guatemala and
agreed that each country would provide

an independent and
self-sufficient company size unit (150

troops) to form the
600-person CFAC PSO battalion, and that

the unit would train
at the Coban Regional Peacekeeping

Training Center in
Guatemala.

2. (SBU) Embassy
considers El Salvador to be an ideal partner

for the GPOI due to a
well-organized and professional

military that has
recent battalion-sized deployment and

operations experience
in Iraq and familiarity with PSOs

gained from the
deployment of UN-Accredited Military

Observers in Liberia,
Western Sahara, the Ivory Coast, and

Sudan, and GOES
Salvadoran Military support of WARMINCA in

Guatemala.  During the past two years El Salvador has

deployed four
consecutive rotations of 360-380 personnel in

support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom.  These battalions have

provided humanitarian
support and reconstruction assistance

and have contributed
significantly to stability and security

within their area of
operations.  Additionally, the GOES

expressed a
willingness to deploy a company size unit in

support of MINUSTAH in
Haiti (Ref B) and has expressed a

willingness to deploy
military personnel in support of UN

peacekeeping
operations worldwide.

3. (SBU) As further
evidence of El Salvador's commitment to

global peacekeeping,
the Salvadoran Military has actively

worked to provide
peacekeeping training at the national

level.  The Salvadoran Military is building a
curriculum to

provide observer and
basic peacekeeping operations training

at their National
Peacekeeping Operations School.  The
School

is also developing
stand-alone courses to fulfill UN DPKO

deployment
requirements.  Embassy is currently
working with

the Center for Civil
Military Relations (CCMR) on the

execution of Phase 1
of the Enhanced International

Peacekeeping
Capabilities Fund.  A team from CCMR will

accomplish an
assessment this fall to help determine training

and equipment needs
based on existing capabilities at the

National PKO School.

4. (SBU) El Salvador
has submitted the individual equipment

list to the Embassy
and CFAC officials.  The Armed Forces

will be able to
competently use any funds that become

available either
through the FMS system or any other option

State/DoD makes
available.  In order to execute GPOI
funds

expeditiously, Embassy
recommends that State PM facilitate

pertinent
authorizations to allow Embassy GSO procurement

offices to execute
funds without normal ICASS procedural

restrictions.

Silverman

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