Wikileaks - MXI

Sunday, 04 September, Year 3 d.Tr. | Author: Mircea Popescu

147551 3/27/2008 21:54 08STATE31944 Secretary of State UNCLASSIFIED 08STATE31896 VZCZCXRO6708 PP RUEHAST RUEHBW RUEHMJ DE RUEHC #1944/01 0872200 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 272154Z MAR 08 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0478 RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY PRIORITY 2230 RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 5402 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3611 RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT PRIORITY 9350 RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY 9325 RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 8927 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 2633 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 6992 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU PRIORITY 6211 RUEHBD/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN PRIORITY 7210 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0405 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 3023 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 3820 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK PRIORITY 2582 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA PRIORITY 7334 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 9663 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 8638 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST PRIORITY 3459 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 3551 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0709 RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU PRIORITY 8768 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 3167 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 8255 RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 3479 RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA PRIORITY 9114 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN PRIORITY 8948 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE PRIORITY 0582 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 9824 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 3106 RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT PRIORITY 3280 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV PRIORITY 5764 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 5501 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 4842 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 6003 RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 9395 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG PRIORITY 4550 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 8257 RUEHMJ/AMEMBASSY MAJURO PRIORITY 6204 RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA PRIORITY 4262 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 5738 RUEHBE/AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN PRIORITY 1713 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 031944

SIPDIS

SIPDIS BERN FOR LIECHTENSTEIN

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP, MNUC, PARM, PREL SUBJECT: PSI: TALKING POINTS FOR FEBRUARY 2008 LONDON, OPERATIONAL EXPERTS GROUP (OEG) MEETING

REF: A. STATE 031896

B. STATE 031939

SUMMARY

1. REFTELS A or B (different address groups) reported on the latest Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Operational Experts Group (OEG) meeting hosted by the Government of the United Kingdom on February 4-6, 2008 in London. Although participation in these meetings is limited (currently 20 countries) to hold streamlined discussions, the work of these meetings is undertaken on behalf of all PSI participants (i.e., the more than 85 countries that have endorsed the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles). Therefore, we would like to continue to share key insights from the latest meeting with those countries that have endorsed the PSI, do not have the opportunity to attend the Operational Experts Group (OEG) meetings, and with which we want to deepen our operational cooperation.

2. Posts are requested to provide a summary of the February 2008 OEG meeting results to host government officials from relevant agencies such as Ministries of Defense, Law Enforcement Agencies (including Customs, Border Guards, etc.), and Intelligence Agencies.

END SUMMARY

OBJECTIVE

3. To inform PSI-endorsing states of the latest developments in PSI resulting from the February 4-6, 2008 PSI OEG meeting held in London, United Kingdom. Post may draw from the background paragraph, which may be left as a nonpaper. Additional meeting materials for posts' reference only can be provided by State/ISN/CPI (Carlos Guzman) upon request (GuzmanCS@state.gov).

REPORTING DEADLINE: Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

4. BEGIN NON-PAPER ON THE FEBRUARY 2008 PSI OEG MEETING HOSTED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM:

-- The Government of the United Kingdom hosted the sixteenth

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PSI Operational Experts Group (OEG) meeting on February 4-6, 2008. These meetings currently include delegates from 20 PSI partner countries that are establishing a PSI exercise program and developing operational concepts in support of the Initiative and on behalf of the more than 85 PSI participants.

-- This meeting covered a broad range of topics, including reviewing the first five years of PSI and identifying challenges for the future; outreach to non-OEG PSI partners; and enhancing the operational momentum of PSI. The agenda also included presentations and discussions the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) amendment process, an update on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), industry outreach, the U.S.-hosted PSI fifth anniversary event planned for May 28-29 in Washington, and PSI exercises.

-- THE OEG PROCESS 2005 SUA PROTOCOLS. OEG participants heard a UK presentation on its experience establishing a Competent Authority for obtaining flag-state consent for at-sea boarding's under the SUA Protocol, including the parallels with the system already in place for granting boarding consent under counternarcotics legislation.

-- ICAO AMENDMENTS. Australia provided an update on the progress made by ICAO on the proposal to create a new transport offense for the transport of WMD and related materials by air. A draft text was being considered by a special sub-committee at an ICAO meeting in Montreal in mid-February.

-- NATIONAL COUNTERPROLIFERATION STRUCTURES. Canada provided an update on its national counterproliferation coordination structure. Turkey briefed on the establishment of a national Naval CBRN detection team, which would be used to augment maritime boarding teams. Singapore briefed on the changes to their Strategic Goods (Control) Act which came into effect in January 2008 to allow all items controlled under the four international export control regimes to be covered in its national legislation.

-- OUTREACH. In a Tour de Table, delegations briefed on the outreach activities they had undertaken recently, and their future plans.

-- PROLIFERATION FINANCE. The UK provided an update on the work being undertaken by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Proliferation Finance, including an effort to develop a typology for Proliferation Finance, which was due to be finalized in June 2008; this would form the starting

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point for future guidance. In the longer term, FATF would undertake work on broad-based prohibitions, which would be informed by the conclusion of the work on typologies. Furthermore, the Plenary meeting of FATF in February 2008 would discuss adding Proliferation Finance to the Task Force's regular mandate.

-- PSI MODEL NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN. New Zealand distributed final copies of the Model PSI National Response Plan that can be used to help PSI countries assess how they can organize themselves, what they need to improve their internal capabilities to implement PSI and conduct interdictions, or what issues they would have to address in order to contribute to PSI activities.

-- PSI EXERCISES. The UK introduced the lessons database that would be used to document the PSI Exercise Program and help guide and prioritize focus areas of future exercises. The US introduced incorporation of PSI into existing exercises to efficiently strengthen non-proliferation, national capacity and promote outreach. Australia gave a presentation on the use of table top exercises. NZ gave a presentation on their forthcoming exercise MARU to be held in Auckland from 15-19 September 2008. Japan and Poland debriefed their recent exercises Pacific Shield and Eastern Shield.

-- INDUSTRY OUTREACH. Poland, Norway and Denmark gave presentations on their recent activities in outreach to their national industries. Representatives from three industry organizations ) Lloyds Maritime Intelligence Unit, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Hutchinson Ports (UK) LTD - provided insights into their respective organizations in an effort to build understanding and trust between PSI-endorsing governments and industry organizations.

-- France will host the next PSI OEG meeting in Paris on September 24-26, 2008.

-- The U.S. gave a presentation on the forthcoming 5th Anniversary meeting of PSI in Washington on May 28 and 29, 2008. The first day will be a substantive conference for all PSI-endorsing states, with participation at the deputy foreign minister level. The second day will comprise a PSI outreach workshop for PSI-endorsing and non-endorsing states at the expert level.

END NON-PAPER ON THE FEBRUARY 2008 PSI OEG MEETING HOSTED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM.

POINTS OF CONTACT

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5. Please slug responses for OSD GSA (Beth Flores) and State/ISN/CPI (Carlos Guzman). USG POC for PSI Operational Experts Group issues is Beth Flores, OSD/GSA. USG POC for operational legal matters is Chip Wedan, DOD/OGC. USG POC for PSI policy issues is Carlos Guzman, State/ISN/CPI. RICE

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