VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSP #0445/01 1001954
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101954Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6680
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 000445 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, INL/LP 
BRIDGETOWN FOR NAS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2016 
TAGS: PREL SNAR KCRM TD
SUBJECT: EMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN REVIEW OF CRICKET SECURITY 
ASSISTANCE 
 
REF: PORT OF SPAIN 00171 
 
Classified By: DCM, Eugene P. Sweeney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Trinidad and Tobago is starting to 
seriously prepare for the 2007 Cricket World Cup (CWC). 
Although we would like to assist, post operates in a complex 
assistance environment.  The government is wealthy enough to 
purchase technology, but needs to invest further in its human 
resources by providing adequate training.  Additionally, T&T 
agencies can be jealous of their equipment and capabilities 
and rarely share information or resources with each other. 
Post has compiled a list of training and equipment provided 
since 2005 that can help with CWC security preparations.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) The 2007 Cricket World Cup (CWC) is just under one 
year away and security preparations in the region, and 
especially in Trinidad and Tobago, are just now gaining 
momentum.  Post has compiled a list of security assistance 
that we have given to T&T so that we, and Washington, can 
make better-informed decisions as we receive requests for 
training and equipment to augment local security capacity for 
CWC. 
 
---------------------- 
ASSISTANCE ENVIRONMENT 
---------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Post's agencies work in a complex assistance 
environment.  The Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) 
has enough oil and gas wealth to invest in big-ticket crime 
fighting and deterrence technology, and they proactively seek 
out technological assistance to fight crime.  However, the 
GOTT is less proactive about identifying training or 
instituting personnel policies that would ensure that 
officers remain in place long enough to make the best use of 
the equipment.  Possibly, this is because the GOTT is unaware 
of areas that would benefit from additional training or is 
unsure of how to best develop a dedicated cadre of 
professional law enforcement officers.  In light of this 
situation, we generally look at sustainable training programs 
or augmenting equipment purchases as the best use of our 
extremely limited funds. 
 
¶4.  (C) The Customs and Excise Division (within the Ministry 
of Finance) apparently poses a particular difficulty.  The 
new Comptroller of Customs seems to be holding the 
GOTT-funded US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advisory 
Team at arm's length as he develops his "Business Plan" for 
the division.  The Customs and Excise Comptroller has not 
assigned officers to staff a Criminal Investigation Unit, 
proposed by CBP, which would serve to investigate the Customs 
and Excise division to root out corruption.  Also, when the 
CBP team has proposed strategic plans or training initiatives 
to the Comptroller or the Minister of Finance, the GOTT 
reacts positively, but fails to assign sufficient resources 
to see the project through.  Largely, Customs and Excise 
points to staffing problems, or to a lack of adequately 
trained personnel, but this seems a thin excuse when the 
proposed training plans and strategic planning initiatives 
would rectify this problem in the long run. 
 
¶5.  (C) As Customs and Excise has partial responsibility for 
patrolling T&T waters and for compiling information on 
travelers as they arrive at the airport or seaport, they are 
a key agency within the GOTT for security efforts.  Further, 
the different divisions within the Ministry of National 
Security rarely speak to each other or share information. 
This unfortunate lack of cooperation means that agencies 
often make the same request to multiple agencies, meaning we 
must exercise care to avoid duplicating assistance given by 
others, or we might receive similar requests for equipment 
(for example, internet communications equipment) from 
different divisions within the same ministry. 
 
------------------------------- 
EXISTING CWC-RELATED ASSISTANCE 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Since 2005, the USG has provided the following 
CWC-relevant security assistance to the GOTT (See also Post's 
End Use Monitoring report (reftel) for a comprehensive 
listing of all INL-funded equipment provided to the GOTT.): 
 
- May 2005:  Anti-Kidnapping Training 
- July 2005:  Regional Contraband Training 
- September 2005:  Crisis Negotiation Course, offered to the 
Anti-Kidnapping Squad 
 
 
- March 2006:  VIP Major Event Security Management Training 
- March-April 2006:  Annual Tradewinds joint military exercise 
- April 2006:  Caribbean Regional Intelligence Conference for 
members of national defense forces 
- 2005-2006:  Canine training academy, so far has trained 12 
canines in bomb and narcotics detection and crowd management, 
one certified instructor and two assistant instructors 
- ORA-donated regional counterterrorism information sharing 
computer network and training 
- ORA counterterrorism training provided to many CWC 
participant countries in the region 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Important security assistance donated prior to 2005 
that will have an impact on CWC includes the following: 
 
- Computers and "Train the trainer" training for officers 
from both Customs and Immigrations to establish a Passenger 
Analytic Unit (PAU) at Piarco Airport.  The PAU allows GOTT 
officials to search information related to incoming 
passengers to identify targets of interest. 
- Two go-fast (1,000 horsepower) interceptor boats donated to 
the Coast Guard 
- Three shallow-draft boats donated to Customs and Excise 
 
---------------------------- 
CWC PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) We are in the planning stages, or close to 
implementing, the following trainings and projects. 
 
-  Replacing or refurbishing shallow draft boats for the 
Maritime Interdiction Unit of the TT Customs and Excise 
Division 
-  Refresher training for Passenger Analytic Unit (PAU) 
(Customs and Immigration officers) at Piarco Airport 
-  Expanding the Passenger Analytic Unit at Piarco Airport to 
track passenger flight patterns, obtain advance electronic 
passenger manifests and possibly identify terrorist threats 
-  Visa fraud detection training 
-  Training for four more law enforcement dogs, specifically 
for Tobago 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Post is also aware of the WHA-funded IOM border 
security system project.  However, IOM is in the initial 
phases of crafting the scope of the project.  It might come 
online just prior to CWC, but we should not rely on it to 
solve all of T&T's border security issues. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
ASSISTANCE REQUESTS TO BOLSTER CWC SECURITY 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (C) The GOTT has asked post for assistance in the 
following areas.  Most of them are specifically related to 
CWC, and some look more broadly at raising the competency of 
GOTT law enforcement. 
 
-  The Ministry of National Security pitched an Intelligence 
Conference to be held in London for all CWC stakeholders and 
interested parties.  The goal is to establish intelligence 
sharing protocols (as opposed  to "information sharing") 
among the participants in advance of CWC.  They estimate the 
conference will cost $100,000.  The GOTT offered to fund half 
the cost and asked the UK, Canadian, Australian and US 
Embassies to consider funding the remainder, possibly with 
one embassy as a co-sponsor. (NOTE:  Post has identified 
$20,000 for this conference.  END NOTE.) 
-  Infrastructure protection/terrorist detection training, 
specifically for the liquefied natural gas transportation 
infrastructure 
-  Event security training provided by the FBI or BATF, and 
possibly personnel to augment the police and other law 
enforcement agencies during the event. 
 
---------------- 
IDENTIFIED NEEDS 
---------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) One area that Post has already identified for 
additional assistance proposals is to automate data 
collection at ports of entry.  Currently, immigration 
officers rely on handwritten declarations and a rudimentary 
computer system that is not linked to advance passenger 
manifests.  They also lack passport readers for 
machine-readable passports, although the GOTT is soon to sign 
a contract to procure this system.  We will notify the 
Department as further critical needs are identified. 
 
AUSTIN