[ETH] Message to the US Department of Defence

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Department of Defence of the United States of America Re: Equipment acquisition​

Secretary of Defence, We contact you once again in order to inquire about the possibility of acquiring US military equipment for the Ethiopian Armed Forces. Due to the recent improvement in our nations economic situation, we should be able to pay the full amount up front. We would be interested in acquiring the following material, if approved for export: - 72x F-16C/D Fighting Falcon - 18x Lockheed C-130H Hercules - 3x MIM-104B PAC-1 Patriot Missile System - 2x Boeing E-3 Sentry - 2x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker If some of this equipment is restricted for export, we understand and would hear alternative proposals. Finally, we would also be interested in potentially conducting a joint exercise, to fully prepare and train our personnel in the operationof the recently acquired US equipment. Respectfully,​ Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

Odinson

 

[Naio90]

Odinson

 

[Naio90]

Odinson

 

[Naio90]

In order to hasten the proposal and make the bureaucratic process easier, Ethiopia would off the US to just acquire the production rights for the specific amount of products listed and immediatly transfer the US 10% of the total production cost as compensation/payment. A quick confirmation would suffice to have the transfer sent.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )​

FROM: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

Your message that was sent to the Department of Defense was forwarded to my office. I have spoken with the President and the Secretary of Defense and they have agreed in giving preliminary approval for most of the items that you have listed. There are just a few things that we wanted addressed before official approval was given.

Firstly, why does your government desire to have such a sudden buildup of air forces? Secondly, what is the Ethiopian government's position on the non-proliferation of strategic weapons and weapons of mass destruction? Finally, what is the current geopolitical relationship between Ethiopia and Thailand? There have been numerous instances where they have been provocative or outright hostile to democracies that are smaller than them around the world, and we are deeply concerned about their intentions with other democracies in the Eastern Hemisphere.​

Best regards,

Luke Adams
Secretary of State
​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America Re: Equipment acquisition​

Secretary Adams, Thank you for your response, and for the preliminary approval of the equipment sale. Regarding your inquiries, first and foremost we want to stress that the equipment is destined to improve our defensive position. As you can see, all weapon systems are of limited range and destined for defensive purposes and deployment within our borders, such as the Patriot air defenses and the F16 as an air superiority fighter rather than a long range ground attack aircraft. Other elements are more to guarantee operability and logistical efficency within our forces. It is also here where we do have to mention out Government's concern regarding our norther neighbour Egypt, it some of their unilateral actions which we have seen as potentially threatening towards our interests and position. Specially the declaration of an "exclusion zone" basically including all of our territory and surrounding areas and the symbolic annexation of Sudan within their sphere of interest by including it in their official name. We want to be prepared if case they want to go further. Regarding the non-proliferation, Ethiopia is completely in support of the GA's attempts at limiting their development and use, so much that we contacted the Secretary General in the past, offering to adhere to the corresponding GA resolution voluntarily even though we are not a member of that international organization. Our proposal was never answered sadly. Finally, we mantain a mature bilateral relation with Thailand, same as with most other nations. Obviously our policy of neutrality prohibits any long time commitment and only focuses on bilateral agreements that can help boost our economy and commerce while at the same time mantaining our complete sovereignty and independence of action. Respectfully, Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )​

FROM: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

Thank you for answering my questions succinctly. As you can understand, some of the equipment that your government wishes to purchase include sensitive items that we do not permit export to most countries. However, with the cordial and productive relationship that the United States and Ethiopia have had, I can confirm to you that we can approve all of the purchases if your government would be willing to enter into an agreement with the United States.

While Ethiopia is not part of the Global Assembly, the United States does firmly support the freedom of navigation and innocent passage through international waters, and straits that connect international waterways. This would include the Bab-el-Mandeb strait (and the Red Sea) which Ethiopia now borders. I have attached an agreement which essentially says that Ethiopia and her armed forces will not delay, hinder, or obstruct the transit of United States armed forces through the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and the Red Sea. While we do not think that Ethiopia has any reason to obstruct the transit of American vessels or aircraft through the strait or the Red Sea, I have nevertheless been told that we will need this assurance before we can move forward with this transaction.

If your government is willing to ratify this agreement, and also agrees to never sell of transfer any of this equipment or vehicles, then we will approve the sale of the equipment.

The sale of the equipment will be in the form of a "Limited Production License" (LPL) meaning that the Ethiopia government can produce the following items with the following quantities, and no more than that:
- 72x F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
- 18x Lockheed C-130H Hercules
- 3x MIM-104B PAC-1 Patriot Missile System
- 2x Boeing E-3 Sentry
- 2x Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

Before the LPL is active, your government will need to ratify the attached agreement, and submit the following amount of money to the United States in one lump sum: $605,000,000.

I look forward to hearing back from you.​

Best regards,

Luke Adams
Secretary of State
​

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The following draft treaty was attached with Secretary Adams's message:

American-Ethiopian Agreement of Free Navigation of 2005​

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CONTEXT​

The American-Ethiopian Agreement of Free Navigation of 2005 is between the United States of America (also referred to as the United States) and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (also referred to as Ethiopia). This treaty is meant to foster a spirit of understanding between the United States and Ethiopia regarding free navigation to and from the Red Sea. Neither this treaty nor any article or item within it is meant to negate the International Law of The Sea.

ARTICLE 1
FREE NAVIGATION IN THE BAB-EL-MANDEB STRAIT​

1.1 The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (or any agents acting on Ethiopia's behalf) will not interfere, obstruct, or delay the transit of surface vessels, submarines, or aircraft that are operated by the United States military, the United States Coast Guard, the United States government, or any governmental agency or entity that is under the control of the United States government through the Bab-El-Mandeb Strait, or interfere with the United States accessing the Bab-El-Mandeb Strait.

ARTICLE 2
FREE NAVIGATION OF THE RED SEA
​

2.1 The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (or any agents acting on Ethiopia's behalf) will not interfere, obstruct, or delay the transit of surface vessels, submarines, or aircraft that are operated by the United States military, the United States Coast Guard, the United States government, or any governmental agency or entity that is under the control of the United States government through the Red Sea, or interfere with the United States accessing the Red Sea.

ARTICLE 3
FREE NAVIGATION OF THE GULF OF ADEN
​

3.1 The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (or any agents acting on Ethiopia's behalf) will not interfere, obstruct, or delay the transit of surface vessels, submarines, or aircraft that are operated by the United States military, the United States Coast Guard, the United States government, or any governmental agency or entity that is under the control of the United States government through the Gulf of Aden, or interfere with the United States accessing the Gulf of Aden.



Signed for the United States of America,


President of the United States



Signed for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,


President of Ethiopia

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America Re: Equipment acquisition​

Secretary Adams, We agree on the submited draft proposal, albeit as you mention there should be no reason for Ethiopia to interfere with US innocent passage through the mentioned seaways. Ethiopia lists maritime open trade as one of its pillars for development and international commerce, even currently actively patrolling the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to provide security to vessels operating in the area and to prevent pirate activity. We are delighted to hear that our request has been approved and will transfer the indicated amount shortly. Would it be possible to also include in the pacakge a lot of 48x Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II? This will significantly boost our defensive capabilities against ground invasions. Respectfully, Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

Ethiopia would subscribe the mentioned agreement. Private.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )​

FROM: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

Unfortunately, I cannot authorize the sale of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, or a limited production license either, at this time. However, I am happy that we were able to assist you with the purchase that we discussed.

Since Ethiopia's peaceful discussions with Eritrea and your government's request to have us mediate, the United States has felt that Ethiopia has the potential to be a significant American partner in Africa, however that may evolve. The Pentagon is interested in sending a limited number of Navy vessels to the Red Sea for the purpose of conducting joint anti-piracy operations with the Ethiopian Navy. Is this something that your government would be interested in having our navies do together?​

Best regards,

Luke Adams
Secretary of State
​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America Re: Equipment acquisition​

Secretary Adams, We understand your reservations. In that case, would the US be able to offer any alternative that could serve the role of ground support aircraft? Either fixed or rotary wing. Regarding your other affair, we are proud to hear that our efforts to achieve our goals by means of diplomacy and dialogue are being recognized. Currently we have active patrolling operations active in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, but we would be more than happy to improve our capacities and operational readiness of our crews through a joint anti-piracy operation. Of course logistical support can be provided by our Naval Base on the Red Sea. Do you have more details of the size of our planned deployment, timeframe, etc.? Respectfully, Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )
FROM: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

I have spoken with the President and members of the National Security Council in Washington. There are a number of routes that we can take, however there is a proposal that we have decided on.

The United States Coast Guard is primarily responsible for conducting a number of national security missions off the coast of the United States. However, despite popular belief, the Coast Guard also has the ability to deploy around the world in support of the Navy, or on its own missions. The planning for this mission is still preliminary and still in its propositional stages, of course, but what we propose is that we send a United States Navy destroyer and two United States Coast Guard cutters. In addition to that, we could send one to two of our Maritime Security Response Teams who are trained to conduct anti-terrorism and anti-piracy missions - they could conduct joint training operations with Ethiopian forces.

Do any of these proposals sound potentially interesting to your government?​

Best regards,

Luke Adams
Secretary of State
​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America Re: Equipment acquisition​

Secretary Adams, Ths proposed composition sounds coherent to us and could be easily integrated into our current ongoing operations, which include vessels of similar classes. Furthermore, we could enhance their capabilities throuh aerial support in addiiton to the obvious logistical requirements, all based around our Assab Naval Base, right on the shores of the Red Sea. Do you have an estimate of how long you wish to have the vessels deployed in the area, and when your authorities wish to commence? Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Abraham Belay, Minister of Defense of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( Naio90 )
FROM: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America

Minister Belay,

We could potentially deploy the vessels December of this year. Let me know if this timeframe would be acceptable to your government. The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security look forward to our forces working together for the international good of anti-piracy operations. In the meantime, if there is any other information that you need, feel free to let me know. While our vessels are in the area, we would need to know where they will be able to dock and replenish.​

Best regards,

Luke Adams
Secretary of State
​

 

[Naio90]

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ Message from the Ministry of Defence _________________________________________________________________________​

Status: Private To: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America Re: Equipment acquisition​

Secretary Adams, All operations and vessels would be based at the Assab Naval Base, our logistics team will share with your designated liaison all relevan and required information for planning purposes. I can confirm that we will be reserving a sector of the base US naval operations. This will include docking spaces, crew accomodations, maintainance and workshops. If you also require, we can provide food supplies and fuel. We can have everything ready with about 2 weeks notice. Finally, I would like to make a new request to our main defence equipment provider. Would the Unitd States be able to authorize the DPL of 2x RC-134V/W Rivet Join SIGINT aircraft? Ethiopia is willing to pay up to 50% of the total production value in licensing fees. To continue our relationship of mutual trust and understanding, I can formally inform you that said aircrafts will be destined to aerial monitoring operations within ethiopian airspace, according to international law. In adition, we can also offer to share relevant intelligence reports with the US regarding the regional geopolitical situation. Abraham Belay Minister of Defense Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Addis Ababa​

Odinson