VZCZCXRO1370
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHRL #2676/01 2560715
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 130715Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5205
RUEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 002676 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/CT, EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, EUR/ERA, INL AND L 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL KHLS EAID GM EU
SUBJECT: S/CT AMB. CRUMPTON'S MEETING WITH EU CT 
COORDINATOR DE VRIES 
 
 
Classified By: DCM John M. Koenig for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Coordinator for Counterterrorism Henry 
Crumpton, meeting EU Counterterrorism Coordinator Gijs de 
Vries September 6 in Berlin, stated the need for the U.S. and 
EU to incorporate all the tools at their disposal -- social, 
commercial, economic, and diplomatic tools -- in the fight 
against terrorism.  De Vries noted EU surprise in learning 
DHS Secretary Chertoff wants to expand aspects of the U.S.-EU 
PNR agreement, rather than simply renewing the substance of 
the agreement disallowed by the European Court of Justice. 
De Vries noted the EU's focus on combating radicalization and 
recruitment and he and Amb. Crumpton also discussed EU and 
U.S. CT efforts in third countries.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
AN INTEGRATED COUNTERTERRORISM APPROACH 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador Crumpton stressed the critical need in 
counterterrorism policy of engaging the public; it is the 
terrorists' target.  The U.S. and EU should use all tools of 
statecraft -- military, diplomatic, economic -- and also the 
private sector to counter the efforts of terrorists.  The 
U.S. and EU should harness their huge economic power in the 
global war on terrorism.  Aid and investment are critical 
tools, as is the provision of electric power, including via 
solar and wind, to improve lives and undercut terrorists' 
recruitment efforts.  Some places, like tribal areas in 
Pakistan, are neglected and only the UAE has contributed, 
Crumpton said.  De Vries agreed a holistic approach is needed 
and noted the EU is focusing on radicalization and 
recruitment both within the EU and abroad; that is priority 
one.  Second is targeting aid to improve security, borders, 
ports, airports, and police work.  The challenge is to 
encourage a democratic agenda, civil liberties, and human 
rights; and to find more ways for the U.S. and EU to 
cooperate outside the EU.  De Vries said the EU is concerned 
about unresponsive governments and the EU has tried to look 
at its own messages to determine what is the EU narrative to 
counter that of the terrorists.  There needs to be a common 
agenda across all religions that espouses freedom of religion 
and the sanctity of life, de Vries said. 
 
¶3. (C) Concerning the UN, Amb. Crumpton said it is useful for 
giving legitimacy for collective actions and UNSCR 1373 set 
out important obligations for all countries, including 
regarding safehavens.  De Vries responded UNSCR 1373 is 
open-ended; it did not make clear who should carry out which 
measures, and where. 
 
---------------------------- 
PASSENGER NAME RECORDS (PNR) 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) The EU is surprised Homeland Security Secretary 
Chertoff wants to renegotiate the agreement, de Vries said. 
He said the EU had not heard from other parts of the USG on 
renegotiating the text, but is at the same time aware of 
Congressional concerns over PNR and travel to the U.S.  The 
EU would have preferred advance warning of the DHS stance, 
according to de Vries.  In the wake of the European Court of 
Justice ruling, the EU's legal basis needs to be changed, but 
both sides had agreed on the substance.  The EU continues to 
hope to have a deal in place on time.  Twenty five different 
PNR rules and 25 different data protection provisions would 
suit no one and would also break up the EU's internal market 
and bring back bilateralism, said de Vries.  Concerning the 
Container Security Initiative (CSI), de Vries continued, 
after some back and forth the two sides reached an agreement. 
 The U.S. and EU also created the High Level Dialogue on 
Border and Transport Security to exchange views and prevent 
surprises.  De Vries wants to re-energize it.  Amb. Crumpton 
said he would bring De Vries' message back to Washington, but 
noted the EU should avoid a "lowest common denominator" 
solution. 
 
----------------------------- 
SITUATIONS IN THIRD COUNTRIES 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) De Vries and Amb. Crumpton shared views on threats and 
responses in many parts of the world. 
 
Iraq / Afghanistan / Pakistan: De Vries said the democratic 
process in Afghanistan and Iraq is encouraging, despite the 
security problems.  There is a yearning for liberty and 
 
BERLIN 00002676  002 OF 002 
 
 
democratic accountability.  Pakistan is difficult, said de 
Vries; it is unhelpful on the UN Convention's definition of 
terrorism, and the EU is ready to oppose Pakistan's efforts 
in those discussions more vigorously.  Amb. Crumpton said 
President Musharaf reluctantly concluded the military is not 
the solution; he has to work with society, tribes, and tribal 
leaders.  Al-Qaida has killed hundreds of tribal leaders in 
order to subvert their rule.  There needs to be an economic 
dimension to the dismantling of the terrorist safehavens 
along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. 
 
Indonesia: De Vries said Aceh is instructive.  The EU is 
pleased with what is happening there; former fighters are 
being rehabilitated.  The EU countries responded positively 
to calls for peacekeeping troops.  The EU and ASEAN are 
working together in Aceh; previously, there had been no UN or 
international role.  As a result, the EU public has come to 
understand the EU's peacekeeping role in Asia and Asians have 
come to understand the EU as more than an economic group. 
 
Algeria/Morocco: De Vries said the EU tied aid to their CT 
efforts, after incorporating EU and UN assessments of the two 
countries' counterterrorism regimes.  But the EU can only go 
where it is welcome. 
 
Saudi Arabia: De Vries said he is concerned about Saudi 
financial support to Islamist groups worldwide, including in 
the EU.  Saudi leaders respond politely, but are not 
committed to the fight against terrorism, de Vries said; 
there are phases of commitment and phases of "relaxation." 
 
Philippines: Amb. Crumpton said the southern Philippines is a 
terrorist safehaven.  De Vries replied the EU has tried 
economic incentives there, but they did not work.  De Vries 
is not sure the Philippines wants to solve the problems of 
Mindanao.  Amb. Crumpton said USAID had success in some areas 
creating jobs and spurring economic growth. 
 
Africa: Amb. Crumpton said Sub-Saharan Africa is a 
proto-safehaven: al-Qaida is not there yet but it is trying 
to gain a foothold.  De Vries responded corruption obstructed 
progress in Kenya; the EU is not sure where their money ends 
up. 
 
Middle East: De Vries said the EU tried to aid the 
Palestinians, but its funds are wasted when buildings are 
destroyed in fighting between the Palestinians and Israelis. 
The EU is prepared to help local authorities provide social 
services if the government is committed to be peaceful.  In 
Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is providing better social 
services than the government -- like Hizballah in Lebanon, de 
Vries said. 
 
---------------------------- 
SPEECH TO GERMAN AMBASSADORS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Amb. Crumpton and de Vries discussed their upcoming 
speeches on a panel at the German Ambassador's conference 
later that day.  De Vries is encouraged by Spain and the UK 
in the aftermath of their terror attacks -- while there was 
huge pressure for an overreaction, in the end the UK and 
Spanish governments did not overreact.  After 9/11 and some 
EU changes to address terrorism, the Madrid and London 
bombing revitalized the EU's initiative and resulted in the 
Action Plan, which is largely implemented, de Vries 
continued.  The EU has hardened targets, improved passports, 
secured borders, targeted terrorists' finances, broken up 
cells, offered assistance after attacks and engaged in 
chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear event planning.  The 
EU also cooperates with the U.S., which is a positive story 
German Ambassadors need to reflect in their work, de Vries 
said.  Amb. Crumpton said his speech focused on the 
non-military aspects of the war on terror; Muslim communities 
are the targets of terrorist subversion, which the U.S. and 
EU need to counter.  He said he would also stress 
interdependence and the need for a global community to fight 
terrorism.  Amb. Crumpton said he wanted to use in his speech 
a quote from de Vries that terrorism changed the global 
agenda. 
 
¶7. (U) Septel reports on meetings between Amb. Crumpton and 
senior German officials.  This cable has not been cleared by 
Ambassador Crumpton (in accordance with his request). 
TIMKEN JR