VZCZCXRO8161
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGP #1044/01 0900627
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 310627Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9390
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1617
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3841
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5312
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1265
RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SINGAPORE 001044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV EFIN KCRM SN
SUBJECT: SECRETARY CHERTOFF'S MEETINGS WITH SENIOR GOS 
LEADERS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: During Secretary Michael Chertoff's March 
29 meetings with senior GOS officials, he stressed the need 
for closer law enforcement cooperation and a Mutual Legal 
Assistance Treaty (MLAT).  The Secretary noted that Singapore 
and the United States had similar approaches to balance the 
need for security with ensuring the efficient movement of 
people and goods.  More information sharing would improve our 
understanding of the threats we faced.  Prime Minister Lee 
Hsien Loong stressed the importance of U.S. involvement in 
Southeast Asia to keep other countries committed to fight 
terrorism.  Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong argued that only 
moderate Muslims could win the long-term fight against 
radical Islam.  The Secretary discussed our success against 
the leadership of al-Qa'ida, but noted that other terrorist 
groups were capable of launching more smaller-scale attacks. 
The Secretary told the GOS leaders that the President was 
resolute that we would achieve a successful outcome in Iraq. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael 
Chertoff visited Singapore from March 28-30.  Accompanied by 
the Ambassador, he met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and Deputy Prime Minister S. 
Jayakumar on March 29.  Adam Isles, Counselor to the 
Secretary, Paul Fujimura, DHS Director for Asia/Pacific, and 
 
SIPDIS 
poloff (notetaker) also attended the meetings.  Secretary 
Chertoff's meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister 
for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng are reported septel. 
 
Law Enforcement Cooperation 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) In his meetings with the senior GOS leadership, the 
Secretary stressed the need for closer law enforcement 
 
SIPDIS 
cooperation and noted that a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty 
(MLAT) would enable us to use information provided by 
Singapore in court proceedings.  PM Lee said Singapore wanted 
to conclude an MLAT as well as a Double Taxation Agreement. 
DPM Jayakumar was similarly positive, but noted Singapore did 
not want an MLAT with the United States to set a precedent 
for its neighbors in the region who might use an MLAT to 
engage in "fishing expeditions."  The Secretary said we were 
interested in more tangible information sharing, such as 
terrorist look-out information. 
 
¶4. (SBU) At the same time, we wanted to enhance our 
anti-money laundering cooperation, which would become even 
more significant with Singapore's decision to license 
casinos.  It would be mutually beneficial to pool our 
knowledge of suspicious transactions, the Secretary added. 
DPM Jayakumar said Singapore worked closely with the 
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and would be introducing 
legislation next month to tighten its money laundering 
controls.  When DPM Jayakumar asked about concerns with 
Singapore's regulations, the Ambassador noted the strict bank 
secrecy laws and said it was important for Singapore to adopt 
a declaration system for cash couriers. 
 
Risk Management 
--------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Secretary noted that Singapore and the United 
States had similar approaches to balancing security with the 
efficient movement of people and goods.  Information and 
technology were important to improve our ability to screen 
what "we have to worry about."  Information sharing with our 
partners was also essential to understand the threats better. 
 The Secretary told PM Lee that a main focus of his trip to 
Asia was container and port security.  PM Lee said Singapore 
had a vested interest in high standards for container 
security.  Asked if other countries in the region were 
cooperating, the Secretary said that cooperation was good and 
we were seeking ways to give shippers incentives to collect 
more information, which would improve our ability to focus 
our screening more effectively. 
 
Radical Islam and the Terrorist Threat 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
SINGAPORE 00001044  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Singapore wanted the United States to stay involved 
in Southeast Asia, stressed PM Lee.  It was the only country 
with the strength and staying power to get other countries to 
keep up the fight against terrorism.  Singapore does not 
hesitate to encourage the United States on CT because "it's 
in our own self-interest," said PM Lee. 
 
¶7. (SBU) In the long term, the battle against radical Islam 
could be won only by moderate Muslims, argued SM Goh. 
Religious leaders had to be encouraged to teach the correct 
interpretation of the Koran.  In Indonesia, Jemaah Islamiya 
leader Abu Bakir Bashir indoctrinated many people who became 
terrorists.  We "must neuter these people."  In the Middle 
East, the democracy message was not well received, advised SM 
Goh, since many of the region's leaders were not democratic. 
It would be more effective to focus on economic development 
and education.  The Secretary responded that it was not easy 
to implement democratic government, but democracy combined 
with the rule of law helped create barriers to terrorism.  SM 
Goh urged the United States to reach out more to moderate 
Muslims in the Middle East.  The Secretary noted that the 
Rice-Chertoff Initiative was an important element in our 
effort to do that, in part by welcoming more students from 
the Middle East to come to the United States. 
 
¶8. (SBU) We have inflicted significant damage to the top 
leadership of al-Qa'ida, but haven't completely eliminated 
their operational abilities, noted the Secretary.  Groups 
affiliated or sympathetic to al-Qa'ida were also emerging. 
The ability of al-Qa'ida and other groups to launch large 
scale attacks has diminished, but we could see the 
multiplication of smaller scale attacks, which posed a new 
set of challenges, the Secretary observed.  The USG was 
concerned about the radicalization of Islam and the emergence 
of "clear skin" terrorists who had no prior links to 
terrorist organizations.  This was more of a problem in 
Europe than the United States, but would require a change in 
our security practices, which were geared more toward known 
terrorists. 
 
After an Attack 
--------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) In the case of SARS or the terrorist threat, it was 
important to tell the public the bad news beforehand and even 
"exaggerate a bit" to prepare them for the worst, stated PM 
Lee.  Then, the government could focus the public's attention 
on how to deal with the problem.  In London, the initial 
response by the authorities to the bombings last July was 
very good, but racial tensions did emerge.  The Prime 
Minister said he was worried about the impact a terrorist 
attack would have on Singapore's multi-racial and 
multi-religious society and its 15 percent Muslim minority. 
The GOS was encouraging the development of a network of 
community leaders who could mitigate any religious or racial 
strife and mistrust that would occur. 
 
Iraq 
---- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The GOS leaders expressed their support for U.S. 
efforts in Iraq.  The Secretary said the President was 
resolute that we would achieve a successful outcome: a stable 
and secure Iraq.  The majority of people in Iraq wanted a 
democratic and peaceful society despite the violent attacks 
by a minority.  If we fail, it would embolden terrorists. 
 
Regional Developments 
--------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Turning to the terrorist threat in Southeast Asia, 
DPM Jayakumar said Singapore was confident of Malaysia's 
ability to control the problem.  Indonesia had been in denial 
mode for several years, but was now moving in the right 
direction.  The GOI was politically committed to doing more 
on CT, but madrassas were still "churning out more cohorts" 
of terrorists.  The GOS attributed the violence in southern 
Thailand to local grievances against Bangkok.  It was not a 
jihadist problem, but if the situation continued to 
 
SINGAPORE 00001044  003 OF 003 
 
 
deteriorate, it could attract foreign elements, warned DPM 
Jayakumar.  The Philippines government was not strong and the 
leadership was too wrapped up in its own problems to focus on 
the terrorist threat. 
 
¶12. (SBU) In Indonesia and Malaysia, a long-term trend toward 
an Islamic state existed, warned SM Goh.  Both societies were 
becoming more religious and conservative.  Another worrying 
development was the injection of religion into the political 
debate during the last general election in Malaysia.  Asked 
if religious radicals could intimidate the governments of 
Singapore's neighbors, SM Goh said they would not succeed. 
The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) was a secular force that 
would not allow that and the Malaysian government was alert 
to the activity of radicals. 
 
¶13. (U) The Secretary's party has cleared this message. 
HERBOLD