VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPU #0152/01 0402130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 092129Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0340
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0116
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000152 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC EFIN PGOV SNAR SOCI KJUS XL HA
SUBJECT: MINUSTAH Police Contingent Update and Action Request 
 
REF: PORT AU PRINCE 132 
 
¶1.       (SBU) SUMMARY: NAS is working to rebuild contact with the 
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) following 
the loss of much of the organization's civilian, military, and 
police leadership in the January 12 earthquake.  Coordination will 
remain a challenge as personnel are replaced and as MINUSTAH is 
restructured for crisis response and long term Haitian National 
Police (HNP) rebuilding efforts.  NAS requests assistance with a 
number of MINUSTAH requests for the HNP; see paragraph 11.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
Crisis Reorganization and Mandate 
 
 
 
¶2.       (U) On February 4, NAS met with Jaime Francisco Vigil 
Recinos, Director of Haitian National Police (HNP) Recovery for the 
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).  Vigil 
noted that MINUSTAH's mandate was revised under United Nations 
Resolution 1908 of 2010, which provided for the continuance of 
MINUSTAH's mission, but with an additional humanitarian role and 
with increased numbers of military and police. 
 
 
 
¶3.       (SBU) Vigil explained that the UN Police (UNPOL) 
Contingent is now organized into two main divisions  under 
newly-arrived UNPOL Commissioner Major General Gerardo Chaumont. 
The first division provides operational support to the Police 
Contingent.  The second division, headed by Vigil, was formally 
known as "HNP Development," but is now renamed "HNP Recovery."  The 
pre-earthquake HNP Development staff level of 350 personnel has 
been reduced to 48 staff, including five Americans, under the new 
HNP Recovery office.  Vigil emphasized that this drastic reduction 
was necessary due to a mandate to increase the UNPOL street 
presence with personnel from other sections. 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU) According to Vigil, the UN dispatched a temporary 
emergency team from the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy, to 
coordinate UNPOL crisis response.  The emergency team reports 
directly to General Chaumont and is in charge of Advising, 
Planning, and Policy Coordination.  Vigil described the team as a 
self-contained cell with the rough equivalents of the U.S. 
Department of Defense's (DOD) J3 Operations, J4 Logistics, and J5 
Plans and Programs offices.  Vigil was uncertain if the team had a 
capacity similar to DOD's J2 Intel function. 
 
 
 
Staffing 
 
 
 
¶5.       (U) MINUSTAH is still recovering from the devastating loss 
of 92 of its personnel, including much of its leadership, in the 
earthquake.  Seven MINUSTAH staff remain missing and 30 are 
injured.  While it is working to fill vacant leadership roles with 
permanent or temporary staff, the UN has also mandated that all 
permanent staff take a rest break of two weeks. 
 
 
 
¶6.       (SBU) Vigil acknowledged that MINUSTAH is still working to 
establish the timelines for deployment, as well as the locations 
and duties, of new Formed Police Units (FPUs) pledged to MINUSTAH 
since the earthquake.  NAS Director Platt outlined USG plans to 
increase the U.S. UNPOL contingent by twenty officers, including 
five corrections officers.  Vigil commented that the timeline for 
the acceptance of new UNPOLs was still in development, given 
constraints on MINUSTAH's ability to absorb and support new staff. 
Vigil noted that some UNPOLs based in regions outside 
Port-au-Prince have been forced to return to Port-au-Prince for 
banking services, as many rural banks have yet to reopen. 
 
 
 
Haitian National Police Recovery 
 
 
 
¶7.       (SBU) According to Vigil, General Chaumont holds daily 
meetings with HNP Director General Mario Andresol.  Vigil outlined 
several project proposals under development for the HNP, including 
 
plans for the construction of a new HNP Director General 
headquarters building.  (NOTE: Canada has already pledged funding 
for this project.  END NOTE.)  In addition, MINUSTAH is 
prioritizing the construction of a new police commissariat to 
replace the one destroyed at Delmas 33.  Vigil inquired whether NAS 
would have sufficient funding to support the reconstruction of 
Delmas 33, but was not yet able to project estimated costs. 
MINUSTAH agreed to forward to NAS all project proposals related to 
HNP recovery and development upon completion. 
 
 
 
¶8.       (U) Vigil requested that NAS investigate the possibility 
of feeding new recruits at the HNP National Police Academy once 
training resumes.  Vigil lamented that the centralization of the 
HNP budget process makes it difficult for the Academy to maintain 
enough budgetary flexibility to support new recruits.  MINUSTAH 
will provide NAS with a cost estimate for daily meals for the next 
recruit class. 
 
 
 
¶9.       (U) Vigil also reiterated that the lack of firearms 
training, weapons, and ammunition for Academy classes remains an 
ongoing concern which must be addressed in order to develop the 
capacity of the HNP.  NAS Director Platt described restrictions on 
the INCLE account for the provision of lethal weapons.  Vigil 
suggested that perhaps NAS could fund a Firearms Training Simulator 
(FATS) as a last resort. 
 
 
 
¶10.   (U) Finally, Vigil requested info about any USG plans to 
provide aid to the Haitian Coast Guard (HCG) Base at Killick. 
Vigil cautioned that both Canada and the European Union have 
expressed interest in assisting with reconstruction and development 
at Killick, but that MINUSTAH wants to ensure that there is 
coordination among donors.  NAS agreed to coordinate with U.S. 
entities to ensure that information about ongoing or planned USG 
assistance to the HCG, whether focused on Killick or elsewhere in 
Haiti, is forwarded to MINUSTAH.  (NOTE: U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 
has provided tents and food to the HCG since the earthquake, as 
well as limited maintenance support for their vessels.  NAS and MLO 
will work together to develop a plan to redevelop Killick, and will 
coordinate at post with MINUSTAH and other donors.  END NOTE.) 
 
 
 
¶11.   (SBU) ACTION REQUESTS: NAS reiterates REFTEL request for INL 
and L's final determination as to whether FY10 INCLE funds may now 
be used for the procurement of weapons and ammunition.  Barring 
this possibility, NAS requests INL guidance to determine whether 
the provision of a FATS would be possible with INCLE funds.  In 
addition, NAS requests that INL prepare to assist with the 
reconstruction of Delmas 33 and for the provision of meals at the 
National Police Academy, should MINUSTAH's proposals be feasible. 
 
 
 
HNP Airport Commissariat in Port-au-Prince 
 
 
 
¶12.   (SBU) While Haiti's National Aviation Authority (AAN) has 
always had the lead on airport security, the HNP also maintain a 
presence at Port-au-Prince's airport.  According to MINUSTAH, the 
HNP Airport Commissariat currently numbers 154 officers, although 
only approximately half are armed.  Since the Haitian national 
government moved into the airport following the earthquake, much of 
the commissariat has been operating out of tents.  MINUSTAH 
describes the unit as well led under Marc Justin, who has had both 
counternarcotics and counterterrorism training.  However, funding 
for the unit is so uneven that a BLTS (counternarcotics unit) 
office within the commissariat was forced to obtain their two K-9 
drug detection dogs and training from American Airlines. 
 
 
 
¶13.   (U) Currently AAN, the HNP, MINUSTAH, and the U.S. Army are 
closely coordinating on security at the airport.  Joint Task 
Force-Haiti reports excellent cooperation between the U.S. Army's 
Military Police and the HNP.  While limited in scope, this close 
cooperation is illustrative of the type of HNP capacity development 
that can continue despite the current donor focus on crisis 
response. 
LINDWALL