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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 HANOI 003099 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR S/CT; INL/AAE AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER SNAR VM CTERR
SUBJECT:  VIETNAM: COUNTERTERRORISM ACTION GROUP MEETING 
HIGHLIGHTS CAPACITY BUILDING EFFORTS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Local G-8 Counter Terrorism Action Group 
(CTAG) Ambassadors were briefed by the Head of the 
Counterterrorism Department of the Ministry of Public 
Security, and later met privately with representatives from 
Australia, the European Commission and the United Nations 
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  The official message was 
that Vietnam is taking counterterrorism (CT) more seriously 
than before, and is concerned that its proximity to higher 
threat Southeast Asian countries (particularly Cambodia) 
makes it vulnerable to attack by foreign terrorists crossing 
its borders.  Vietnam now has its own home-grown CT 
strategy.  CTAG partners carry out a range of CT and related 
assistance programs.  Vietnam would welcome further 
assistance, including assistance in preparing for the 2006 
APEC Leaders' Meeting, but lacks a comprehensive assessment 
of its own assistance needs. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary Continued: For the most part, this meeting 
reaffirmed our 2004 assessment:  that Vietnam has a low risk 
of domestic indigenous terrorism, and that necessary CT 
steps will focus on identifying foreign terrorists and 
preventing possible attacks from outside Vietnam.  The one 
new wrinkle for the coming year is the APEC Summit, which 
will require close coordination to ensure that proper event 
security is maintained.  End Summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU) CTAG members in Hanoi gathered October 12 to assess 
Vietnam's CT preparedness.  In a departure from CTAG 
meetings in 2003 and 2004, the G-8 Ambassadors were invited 
to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) for a detailed 
briefing by Senior Colonel Hoang Kong Tu, Director of the 
MPS Counterterrorism Department. 
 
Meeting with MPS 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Senior Colonel Tu noted that terrorist activities 
are increasing at an alarming rate in Southeast Asia. 
Vietnam is aware that it remains vulnerable to international 
terrorism, not least due to its proximity to countries such 
as Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, he 
said.  The activities of certain overseas Vietnamese, in 
particular the "Government of Free Vietnam," are also cause 
for concern.  Tu said he is confident that Vietnam's own 
indigenous Muslim population lives peacefully, although 
those who travel on pilgrimages to Mecca or engage in 
training courses provided by Islamic organizations might 
become susceptible to terrorist influences.  MPS has drawn 
up its own CT strategy, which includes the following 
elements:  awareness raising and surveillance; information 
and intelligence sharing; new CT infrastructure (including 
the establishment of the CT Department in MPS); border 
security; CT financing and anti-money laundering; explosive 
materials; and, regional and international cooperation.  He 
emphasized that international assistance and cooperation, 
particularly from G-8 countries, have had a decisive impact 
on his country's efforts to build an effective strategy and 
response to terrorism.  Vietnam would welcome more capacity 
building in this area, Tu stated. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The G-8 participants largely agreed that Tu's 
assessment was open, frank and refreshingly free from the 
complacency that has characterized Vietnam's previous CT 
assessments.  The UK Ambassador saw it as a "forward step" 
in Vietnam's readiness to engage internationally on CT. 
Ambassador Marine said he believes that there are now other 
options for engagement (however gradual) that were not 
present 18 months ago.  The Japanese DCM noted that Senior 
Colonel Tu had been anxious to show that Vietnam was up to 
date on CT matters. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Participants agreed that the subsequent question 
and answer session was disappointing.  Senior Colonel Tu 
answered few, if any, of the G-8's specific questions. 
Ambassador Marine and the Australian Ambassador expressed 
particular concern regarding the 2006 APEC Summit.  The 
Australian Ambassador further wondered if capitals will feel 
they have the necessary assurances to be able to attend the 
summit.  The Ambassador noted that the United States hopes 
that its bilateral confidence building measures with Vietnam 
on CT will continue. 
 
¶7. (SBU) France took a less positive view:  the French 
Ambassador said that Senior Colonel Tu's speech had been 
carefully scripted, and the low-level MPS representation (a 
Senior Colonel rather than the Major General we had been 
promised) reflected the relative unimportance which the 
Vietnamese attach to the subject.   The Russian Ambassador 
noted that in other countries the Ministry of Public 
Security does not usually interact with foreigners.  Thus, 
the low level of representation might be because MPS is 
"testing the water" and, if the meeting went well, they 
could raise the level in future.  A UK Poloff told Embassy 
Poloff that MPS Deputy Minister Nguyen Khanh Toan later 
spoke positively to the UK Ambassador about the CT 
discussion with the G-8, which suggests that future meetings 
might be held at a higher level. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Participants agreed that Vietnam's own assessment 
of the threat of terrorism is realistic.  While there is 
little domestic threat of terrorism in Vietnam, Vietnam is 
at risk due to its proximity to terrorist organizations in 
other countries (particularly Cambodia), who could exploit 
vulnerabilities to carry out attacks on its territory.  The 
Canadian Ambassador believes the main message that came 
through from Senior Colonel Tu's assessment was that 
Cambodia is the "weak link" in Vietnam's CT defences. 
 
CTAG Donor CT-related Training and Assistance Programs 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Participants in the CTAG meeting provided updates 
on their CT-related assistance to Vietnam as follows: 
 
Canada 
------ 
 
The Canadian Ambassador reported that the Canadian Treasury 
recently approved a USD 15 million annual CT Capacity 
Building program (CTCB), over the next few years.  Once 
fully operational, the CTCB Program will provide technical 
assistance and training to developing states, including 
those in Southeast Asia.  Canada hopes through the program 
to be more actively engaged in areas where it is seen to 
have particular value to add.  Such areas of assistance 
include first responder training; chemical incident 
recovery; fraudulent document detection; aviation safety and 
security; bomb disposal and intelligence-led policing. 
 
Vietnam-relevant activities: 
 
Completed: 
- Bioterrorism expertise supplied to the Japanese Chemical, 
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) seminar held at 
the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counterterrorism 
(SEARCCT) in July 2005. 
 
Planned (all projects/funding to be confirmed as subject to 
approval): 
- APEC International Shipping and Port Facility Security 
Code training (funding for APEC workshop); 
- CBRN International First Responder (and Policy Making) 
Training Program in Southeast Asia (minor equipment 
component: coveralls and basic detectors). First phase early 
2006; 
- Placement of an RCMP officer at the Jakarta Center for Law 
Enforcement Co-operation to deliver regional anti-terrorism 
financing training; 
- Funding to the Asian Development Bank Co-operation Fund 
for Regional Trade and Financial Security Initiative; 
- Funding to International Maritime Organization for 
technical assistance projects in Asia and the Americas; and, 
- Funding to International Civil Aviation Organization for 
technical assistance and training related to the Universal 
Security Audit Program. 
 
France 
------ 
The French Ambassador reported that France provides 
technical CT assistance to Vietnam primarily in the form of 
training.  Since 2003, France has conducted training courses 
on counterterrorism and border control.  It has also 
established a special "intervention training unit," which 
has been active over the past three years, focused on 
handling crisis situations. 
 
He noted that France hopes to convene a regional ASEAN 
seminar on counterterrorism in 2004, but that the seminar 
has not taken place due to reluctance on the part of the 
Vietnamese authorities.  Vietnam's reluctance might in part 
stem from a fear that participating in such a visible 
workshop (with Cambodia) could make Vietnam susceptible to 
becoming a terrorist target, he speculated. 
 
In 2006, France expects to finalize the establishment of a 
special intervention unit that will specialize in crisis 
negotiation.  The French Ambassador also noted that, in a 
recent discussion with the Standing Deputy Minister of 
Public Security, the latter, in citing his ministry's 
priorities for 2006, had placed counterterrorism at the top 
of MPS's agenda. 
 
Germany 
------- 
 
The German Ambassador advised that, in the eyes of German 
law enforcement and intelligence analysts, Vietnam is not a 
priority threat country for terrorism.  Germany is working 
mostly on counternarcotics and organized crime issues, and 
in that context financial crimes are often addressed.  This 
is an area where there is potential overlap with the CT 
mission, since the Vietnamese banking system is weak and 
thus vulnerable to exploitation by terrorist groups as well 
as organized crime. 
 
Germany has no concrete CT assistance programs for Vietnam, 
but is planning to sign a bilateral anti-organized crime 
agreement that will have a CT clause.  In the last year, 
Vietnam participated in an ASEM-related CT seminar with 
other ASEAN countries in Berlin.  Germany and Vietnam also 
co-operated on information sharing on law enforcement 
issues. 
 
Italy 
----- 
 
The Italian Ambassador noted that Italy does not have a 
separate bilateral CT assistance program with Vietnam. 
Nevertheless, Italy continues to train MPS officers on a 
yearly basis on anti-drug trafficking issues.  Italy is co- 
financing multilateral programs in related fields such as a 
UNODC anti-drug project, including training activities and a 
media campaign, for a total commitment of USD 300,000, and a 
UNICEF regional program aimed at fighting and preventing 
human trafficking (total value 5 million euros, of which USD 
800,000 is for Vietnam). 
 
Japan 
----- 
 
The Japanese DCM reported that in July 2005, Japan and 
SEARCCT held a training course on "Prevention and Crisis 
Management of Biological Terrorism," inviting officials in 
charge of counter-biological terrorism from ASEAN countries, 
China and the Republic of Korea.  Experts from Japan, the 
United States, France and WHO also participated. 
 
In January 2006, Japan plans to hold a seminar in Tokyo on 
the "Promotion of Accession to the 12 UN Counterterrorism 
Conventions and Protocols."  It has requested participating 
countries from ASEAN and APEC to submit a report prior to 
the seminar containing concrete action plans and time 
schedules for taking the necessary domestic measures to 
conclude and implement these international standards. 
 
Russia 
------ 
 
The Russian Ambassador reported that Russia provides several 
annual training courses for groups of MPS officers.  The 
Federal Service of the Russian Federation for Narcotics 
Traffic Control and Vietnam's MPS are expected in the near 
future to conclude a bilateral agreement on cooperation in 
fighting illegal traffic of narcotics, psychotropic 
substances and precursors. 
 
United States 
------------- 
 
The Ambassador reported that the United States provides CT 
assistance to Vietnam primarily by funding Vietnamese 
participation in CT-related training at the International 
Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bangkok, and through 
military-to-military exchanges with an emphasis on CT 
themes.  The USG funds Vietnamese military (and civilian) 
participation in training courses and conferences on a case- 
by-case basis. 
 
In 2005, U.S. Military CT-related events at which Senior 
Colonel-level or above Vietnamese military or civilian 
representatives attended included: 
 
- January 2005 Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies 
(APCSS) Executive Course 
- March 2005 APCSS Senior Executive Course 
- April 2005 Symposium on East Asia Security (SEAS) 
- August-September 2005 APCSS Comprehensive Security 
Responses to Terrorism Course 
- December 2005 APCSS Senior Executive Course on 
Transnational Threats 
 
The United States expects 2006 events, and Vietnamese 
participation, to follow the 2005 pattern.  The specific 
course titles (and attendees) will differ slightly. 
 
On the civilian side, USG counterterrorism-related 
assistance is mostly in the form of training Ministry of 
Public Security (MPS) and other civilian officials through 
ILEA in Bangkok.  The Ambassador said the United States 
looks forward to expanding in-country training, based on 
positive feedback from in-country sessions to date.  He 
observed that the geographic diversity of participants in 
training courses to date is an improvement over earlier 
courses where all the participants were from the major 
cities. 
 
In 2005, the ILEA schedule included eight course sessions 
with direct CT relevance: 
- Combating Transnational Terrorism (two sessions, January 
and August-September) 
- Post Blast Investigations (two sessions, June and October) 
- Complex Financial Investigations 
- Crime Scene Investigations 
- Police Executive Role in Combating Terrorism 
- Personnel and Facility Security 
 
The United States paid for between two and five Government 
officials (usually MPS or police officers from around the 
country) to attend these courses, which lasted from one to 
six weeks each. 
 
In addition to these courses, the United States also funds a 
larger-scale counter-narcotics project through the UN Office 
of Drugs and Crime to create "Joint Interdiction Task Force 
Units" in six border provinces.  These inter-agency units 
are mainly concerned with counter-narcotics activities, but 
the effect they have on border security makes them relevant 
to the counter-terrorism effort as well.  This project 
finishes in 2006. 
 
The Ambassador reported that in 2006 the United States hopes 
to be able to provide event security and VIP protection- 
related assistance to help with counter-terrorism efforts 
specific to the 2006 APEC Summit. 
 
The United States is also exploring the possibility of a 
maritime security assistance program to be carried out in 
2006 by the U.S. Pacific Command in the context of U.S. 
counter-narcotics assistance to Vietnam.  The implementing 
agency would the Joint Interagency Task Force - West (JIATF 
West). 
 
Australia 
--------- 
 
The Australian Ambassador reported that Australia's own 
experience as the victim of terrorism in the region means 
that it places top priority on developing cooperative CT 
arrangements in Southeast Asia, with a special focus on 
Indonesia and the Philippines.  The threat level in Vietnam 
is low by comparison, but terrorists are adept at exploiting 
opportunities in unexpected places, and Vietnam's border 
with Cambodia in particular could allow relatively easy 
entry for terrorists.  Vietnam's hosting of APEC in 2006 
will focus global attention on Vietnam, which might raise 
its profile for regional terrorist networks looking for high- 
profile targets over the coming year. 
 
Australia's CT efforts with connection to Vietnam are as 
follows: 
- Follow-up to the February 2004 Bali Regional Ministerial 
Meeting on Counterterrorism; 
- Facilitating Vietnamese attendance at tailored courses at 
the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC); 
- Engagement via MFA and Ministry of Justice participation 
in the Legal Issues Working Group (LIWG) activity focused on 
improving CT legislation and compliance with UN instruments; 
- Engagement via Counterterrorism Department of the MPS 
participation in the Law Enforcement Working Group (LEWG) 
stream, focused on improving regional CT-related law 
enforcement cooperation and information sharing. 
- Closer engagement with the Counterterrorism Department of 
the MPS as Vietnam's national CT coordinating body; 
- Observing Australia's national CT Exercise MERCURY' 05 
this October; 
- Engagement in the context of Vietnam's CT-related security 
preparations for hosting APEC 2006, including offering 
capacity-building assistance; 
- Border integrity and entry-exit controls activity, 
including: 
     - English-language courses and capacity building (such 
     as fraud detection training) for MPS Immigration/ 
     Vietnam Airlines/MND Border Guards staff; 
     - Provision of document fraud laboratories for Hanoi 
     and HCMC airports; and, 
     - Assistance with APEC Advanced Passenger Information 
     feasibility study, and other border assessment program 
     discussions; 
- Ongoing discussion of assistance for dedicated CT units of 
the Ministry of National Defense; and, 
- Intelligence exchange. 
 
European Commission 
------------------- 
 
The EC reported that there is currently no EC assistance to 
Vietnam in CT-related areas at bilateral level. 
 
At the regional level, an EC-ASEAN border management program 
is under preparation.  A feasibility study for this program 
has been launched in consultation with the ASEAN 
Secretariat; its results will be available in early 2006. 
 
SIPDIS 
The ASEAN Secretariat has proposed three regional centers: 
the Jakarta Law Enforcement Center (JCLEC), the Southeast 
Asia Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism in Malaysia 
(SEACCT) and the International Law Enforcement Academy in 
Bangkok (ILEA) as potential beneficiaries.  The EC is 
already supporting JCLEC under its bilateral co-operation 
with Indonesia. 
 
The EC representative noted that CT cooperation is also 
discussed in the ASEM context.  The Third ASEM Conference on 
Counterterrorism will take place on November 14-15, 2005 in 
Indonesia.  It will provide another opportunity for further 
developing counterterrorism cooperation between Europe and 
Asia. 
 
UNODC 
----- 
 
The UNODC Resident Representative reported on UNODC's 
continuing support to Vietnam on ratification and 
implementation of all 12 international instruments against 
terrorism, as well as the provision of technical assistance 
to address other legal gaps. 
 
UNODC-Vienna, through its Terrorism Prevention Branch, is 
currently conducting a comparative study on "Anti-Terrorism 
Legislative Developments in Seven Asian and Pacific 
Countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, 
Philippines, Vietnam and Timor-Leste)," an examination of 
the current status of anti-terrorist legal provisions, 
focusing on existing gaps in laws and national practices of 
ratification and implementation of the 12 CT conventions and 
protocols.  The study will support the implementation of the 
decisions made at the Bali Ministerial Meeting, and will be 
used as a background document for the second regional anti- 
terrorism workshop planned in Tokyo in early 2006. 
 
UNODC and The World Bank co-finance an anti-money laundering 
advisor for Indochina (based at the UNODC Office in Hanoi, 
covering Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam), and UNODC hopes to 
provide varying other money laundering assistance to 
Vietnam, including: 
  -    Providing AML/CFT advice; 
-    Training and technical assistance to support the 
establishment, development and implementation of AML/CFT 
systems, including the development of a national strategy 
for effective implementation of Decree No.74/2005; 
-    Establishing of a financial intelligence unit ("Anti- 
Money Laundering Information Center"); and, 
-    Improving capacities of the agencies concerned e.g. 
police and prosecution. 
 
United Kingdom 
-------------- 
 
The British Ambassador reported that in 2005, the United 
Kingdom carried out the following CT-related assistance 
programs: 
- January 2005: One week Regional Crisis Management Course 
at the Southeast Asia Center on Counterterrorism in Kuala 
Lumpur to upgrade Vietnam' CT capacity in a regional 
setting.  Four senior level operational commanders from the 
MPS CT Unit attended. 
- April 2005: Two week Police Crisis management Course on CT 
in the UK.  Three senior-level commanders from MPS CT Unit 
attended. 
- June 2005: Visit to UK by Deputy Director of the General 
Department of Police Major General Tran Van Thao and five 
officers in conjunction with UNODC.  The main theme was 
police cooperation, but the visit also touched on CT work. 
- October 2005: Three officers from MPS CT Unit attended a 
"border management in the context of CT" course in 
Singapore. 
- Ongoing: English language training courses for MPS 
officers. Over 75 officers trained so far. 
 
Overlapping Assistance and Necessary Program Changes 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Participants agreed that where programs might 
overlap (such as English training), the concerned parties 
should coordinate closely to ensure that assistance is not 
duplicated.  Overall, however, duplication of efforts is not 
considered a problem.  There remains more need than donor 
capacity, though a clearer idea of Vietnam's CT requirements 
would help target assistance more effectively, and create 
new opportunities for donors to cooperate with Vietnam. 
 
Assessment of Vietnam's CT Needs 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) The group agreed that strengthening Vietnam's 
legal framework, law enforcement and border management 
remain key targets for continued and enhanced CT assistance. 
Other areas include:  enhanced inter-ministry/agency co- 
ordination; terrorist financing legislation and 
implementation; and event security. 
 
Participants shared the view that an effective assistance 
strategy requires a formal assessment of Vietnam's needs. 
Such an assessment has not yet been undertaken. 
 
Agreement on Future Action 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Local CTAG members agreed that the UK Presidency, 
in thanking the MPS for their presentation, should invite 
MPS to consider drawing up a matrix of CT assistance needs 
and a strategy for how to address them.  This letter should 
also underline the importance of starting to prepare for 
APEC 2006 promptly and the willingness of certain G-8 
members to provide assistance in this area. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Comment: Despite the fact that Vietnam is 
unanimously considered at low risk of terrorist attack 
compared to its neighbors, all of our CTAG interlocutors are 
closely engaged on the issue.  We were not as concerned with 
the level of MPS representation as France was, and agree 
with the UK view that the MPS decision to send anyone to 
brief the CTAG ambassadors was a good step forward. 
Combined with regular contact between our security officers 
and political officers, these high-level meetings serve to 
maintain a consultation network on CT issues.  For the most 
part, this meeting reaffirmed our 2004 assessment:  that 
Vietnam has a low risk of domestic indigenous terrorism, and 
that necessary CT steps will focus on identifying foreign 
terrorists and preventing possible attacks from outside 
Vietnam.  Current USG assistance efforts in the 
counternarcotics field, such as the Joint Task Force Units 
operating in six border provinces, created with USG funding 
and UNODC training, will increase Vietnamese security 
forces' capacity in counterterrorism as well.  The one new 
wrinkle for the coming year is the APEC Summit, which will 
require close coordination to ensure that proper event 
security is maintained.  End Comment. 
 
MARINE