VZCZCXYZ0024
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #1868/01 2651606
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221606Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9006
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC

UNCLAS PANAMA 001868 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN 
WHA/PPC 
OIG FOR MR. KRONGARD AND AMBASSADOR MALLOY 
INL 
PM 
DRL 
INR 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AADP MARR MASS SNAR PINS PREL PHUM PINR PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA'S LEAHY HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING PROCEDURES 
 
REF: A. 03 STATE 34981 
     ¶B. 05 STATE 21314 
     ¶C. 05 STATE 131486 
     ¶D. MANAGUA 00590 
 
¶1.  Embassy Panama's Political Section has developed a system 
to coordinate Leahy Amendment vetting.  All candidates for 
USG-funded travel, training (military or civilian), or 
material assistance -- in-country or in the United States -- 
must be vetted on human rights, corruption, narcotics, or 
criminal grounds.  Vetting is required to ensure that, to the 
Embassy's best knowledge, the USG does not fund travel, 
training, or material assistance to individuals (or groups of 
individuals) who have engaged in gross violations of human 
rights or other disqualifying activities.  The legal or 
policy requirements governing vetting vary depending on the 
activity in question, and the source of funds financing the 
activity. 
 
¶2.  The Political Section coordinates vetting under the 
supervision of the Political Section Chief.  The POL OMS will 
be the primary point of contact (POC). The Political Section 
will retain paper files (and electronic if applicable) on all 
vetting.  Post has established a system for documenting the 
paper trail to demonstrate that we have conducted vettings 
and followed up on any derogatory findings.  Post will retain 
the records for at least 3 years and ensure that human rights 
abuses involving security force units are cabled to the 
Department and entered into the Abuse Case Evaluation System 
(ACES) database. 
 
-------------------- 
Vetting Requirements 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  Vetting requirements vary by source of funding and 
whether the training is for a unit or an individual.  The 
Panamanian equivalent of all military and police units must 
be vetted at Post and by the Department to be eligible for 
USG assistance.  For Department of Defense (DOD) funded 
training, all individuals must be vetted at Post and by the 
Department.  For Department of State (including International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)) or other 
USG-funded training, members of the police and the military 
must be vetted individually at Post to be eligible for the 
training.  Although not legally required by the Leahy 
Amendment, Post policy is to request Department concurrence. 
However, in some instances, this may not be possible. 
Civilians do not need to be vetted, although as a matter of 
policy, Post will vet former military and police personnel as 
well as public servants, both civilian and military, who 
participate in USG sponsored training. 
 
----------------------------- 
Standard Operating Procedures 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  Embassy Panama's SOP are as follows: 
 
Step 1:  The requesting agency sends the vetting request to 
the POL POC via email or memo.  The responisble office 
provides information on the type of training, dates of 
training, and names and identifying information of 
participants. 
 
Step 2:  POL POC prepares a memo and returns it back to 
originating office for distribution.  Originator circulates 
the names of attendees proposed for the training to CONS, 
DHS, DAO, DEA, LEGATT, RSA, RSO, NAS, and NCIS.  The 
originating office is responsible for the follow-up to ensure 
that Post sections have completed and responded to the 
vetting request. 
 
Step 3:  Relevant post sections review paper and electronic, 
classified and unclassified files (including search of ACES 
database) for credible evidence of gross human rights 
violations perpetrated by unit(s) or individuals proposed for 
training. 
 
Step 4:  Sections respond in writing, within five work days, 
to the originating office, with the results of their file 
search, verifying their results with their signature on the 
provided form.  This five work day timeframe must be adhered 
to in order to provide enough turn around time for Washington 
to clear before the training begins. 
 
If credible derogatory information is found, this individual 
or unit will be struck from the list sent to Washington for 
clearance.  Information about the nature of the offense will 
be entered in to the ACES database by the POL section and 
sent by cable to Washington. 
 
Step 5:  Upon receipt of the completed checks performed at 
Post, POL POC sends an unclassified (or classified, if 
required) cable of the list of names on whom no derogatory 
information was found to Western Hemisphere Affairs/Central 
America (WHA/CEN), and requests clearance.  Post will try to 
ensure that the Department has at least ten working days to 
conduct name checks and reply to Post. Vettings for DOD 
funded training are valid for a period of twelve months. 
Vettings for other USG funded training must be repeated each 
time training is planned for a unit or individual. 
 
Step 6:  If Department vetting identifies no derogatory 
information, WHA/CEN transmits a cable to Post indicating 
that the training/assistance may proceed.  The POC notifies 
the requesting office that the candidates have been cleared 
and the training or assistance may proceed. 
ARREAGA