VZCZCXRO5665
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0341 1161802
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261802Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9718
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE PRIORITY 0034
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA PRIORITY 0022
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000341 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, AF/W 
EUCOM FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR POL -- R. BELL 
PARIS FOR POL - AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2011 
TAGS: PREL MARR KPAO EWWT EFIS PINR MOPS EAID SENV
SL 
SUBJECT: USS CARR VISIT TO FREETOWN -- FRUITFUL EXCHANGES, 
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES 
 
REF: A. MONROVIA 514 
     ¶B. KINSHASA 499 
     ¶C. 04 FREETOWN 1110 
 
Classified By: CHARGE JAMES A. STEWART FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D. 
 
¶1. (C) The USS Carr called on Freetown April 22-24 as part of 
its ongoing mission to strengthen partnerships in the Gulf of 
Guinea.  The Navy wants to keep tabs on maritime activity 
connected to trafficking in drugs, trafficking in persons, 
illegal fisheries, and pollution, Task Force Commodore (Navy) 
Captain Thomas Rowden explained to the Charge.  Rowden added 
that the Sixth Fleet, to which the ship is attached, intends 
to have a ship in the Gulf of Guinea at least 10 months each 
year.  Also high on the agenda is Navy or Marine Corps 
training which could come with the next ship visit envisioned 
for September or October. 
 
¶2. (U) To help monitor ship traffic off Sierra Leone's coast, 
Rowden suggested installing the Automated Identification 
System (AIS) at the embassy once the mission has moved into 
the new facility in August.  Information on the identities, 
locations, characteristics, and cargoes of ships over 300 
tons could easily be shared with the Government with the 
installation of an unclassified laptop (ref A) .  When Rowden 
presented the idea during a shipboard visit, Deputy Defense 
Minister Joe Blell expressed enthusiasm for having such 
information to further the modernization of the maritime wing 
of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.  (Note: The 
maritime wing consists only of the recently donated Chinese 
Shanghai patrol boat.  The crew is still in training.  The 
three smaller 10-meter patrol boats the US is donating are 
scheduled to arrive April 28, with Navy and Coast Guard 
training to follow.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (C) Blell was also enthusiastic about the potential for 
future maritime training offered by the US (beyond what is 
schedule for the patrol boats).  Commodore Rowden noted that 
the next ship visit which is likely in September or October 
would provide such an opportunity.  He foresees an amphibious 
assault ship carrying Marines who could cooperate in training 
for Sierra Leonean land and maritime forces.  Rowden had the 
occasion to discuss the training potential with UK Brigadier 
Barry Le Grys, Commander of the UK-led International Military 
Advisory Training Team (IMATT) and IMATT Maritime Advisor 
Commander Danny Yarker (UK).  They saw great potential for 
cooperation in offering training.  There were earlier plans 
for the USS Mt. Whitney to put in at Freetown in May, but 
Rowden informed CDA that she will not visit, being too large 
(more than four times the tonnage of the Carr) and difficult 
to maneuver for Freetown's port facilities and infrastructure. 
 
¶4. (U) The PAO organized visits aboard the Carr over the 
weekend for the local press and independent television. 
Besides touring the ship, print and electronic journalists 
interviewed Commodore Rowden and Captain Lang.  The Navy 
officers told the media about the three patrol boats the USG 
is donating and about the Carr's observation and photos of 
illegal fishing inside Sierra Leoneans exclusive economic 
zone (EEZ).  Several local stories covered the Carr's visit, 
but there has yet to be any editorial notice of the first US 
Navy ship calling at Freetown in more than three years. 
 
¶5. (C) Comment:  Post warmly welcomed the USS Carr to show 
the flag and US commitment to Sierra Leone in its struggle to 
rebuild.  Visits to the ship and representational events were 
highly useful for further contact building and partnership 
development.  In addition, there were good initial 
discussions with the Deputy Minister of Defense and with the 
UK IMATT commander about future Navy and Marine Corps 
training.  Training can help upgrade local armed forces 
capacity and contribute to solving the maritime problems. 
Post hopes those discussions bear fruit with the next ship 
visit proffered for September or October.  It seems to us 
that the Navy's stated Gulf of Guinea mission identifies the 
correct major concerns as ships like the Carr can gather and 
relay invaluable information and thus encourage Sierra 
Leoneans to enforce their own laws.  In that vein, we recall 
that in December 2004, a patrolling British Royal Navy ship 
spotted illegal fishing (by US shrimpers) and notified Sierra 
Leonean authorities who dispatched a boat to detain the 
offending fishing vessels (ref C).  End Comment. 
STEWART