VZCZCXYZ0024
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0099/01 0361742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051742Z FEB 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1272
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000099 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO IO/UNP:JSANDAGE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC
SUBJECT: CTC DEFERS DISCUSSION ON BORDER CONTROL MEETING IN 
AFRICA 
 
REF: A. KONZET/SANDAGE EMAILS - 01/31/07 
     ¶B. STATE 458 
     ¶C. WILCOX/SANDAGE EMAIL - 02/01/07 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  BEGIN SUMMARY:  Under the new chairmanship of 
Ambassador Arias of Panama, the Counter-Terrorism Committee 
(CTC) held its 179th meeting February 1, discussing several 
topics: 1) the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive 
Directorate's (CTED) preliminary conclusions on its 2006 
visits to Kuwait and Nigeria; 2) CTED's new Technical 
Assistance Matrix;  and 3) CTED's plan for completing 
Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs) on all states' 
implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) (ref A).  The 
Chairman deferred the CTC's discussion on the proposed Fifth 
Special Meeting with international, regional, and 
sub-regional organizations on the topic of "Prevention of 
Terrorist Movement and Effective Border Security," noting 
that he was still conducting bilateral consultations (ref B). 
 The CTC agreed to post the updated Technical Assistance 
Matrix on its website so potential donors and states seeking 
assistance can access it easily.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Visits - CTED staff reported briefly the 
preliminary conclusions of CTED's visit to Kuwait, which took 
place from December 2-6, 2006.  The delegation met with 
Kuwaiti authorities from numerous relevant agencies and 
conducted on-site visits to Kuwait International Airport, 
Shuaiba Seaport, and al-Abdali land border crossing with 
Iraq.  CTED noted that the Kuwaiti authorities are preparing 
a draft counterterrorism law, which will incorporate 
specifically into Kuwaiti law the requirements of the 11 
international counterterrorism conventions and protocols to 
which Kuwait is a party.  (Note:  Kuwait is not yet a party 
to the International Convention for the Suppression of 
Terrorism Financing or the International Convention for the 
Suppression of Nuclear Terrorism, but Kuwait's Parliament is 
considering the issue.  The Ministry of Communications is 
initiating the process to lead to ratification of the 2005 
Protocols to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful 
Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and its 
Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the 
Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  CTED then reported the preliminary conclusions of 
its visit to Nigeria, which took place November 13-17, 2006. 
CTED noted that Nigeria was one of the states late in 
submitting reports to the CTC and that CTED had sought to 
achieve three primary goals through the visit: 1) 
revitalizing the CTC/CTED's dialogue with Nigeria; 2) 
collecting pertinent information from the Nigerian 
authorities; and 3) monitoring Nigeria's progress toward 
implementation of resolution 1373.  Notably, UKUN expressed 
concern that the upcoming elections may complicate Nigeria's 
efforts to adopt counterterrorism legislation currently 
before its Parliament. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Technical Assistance Matrix ) CTED briefed the 
CTC on  the new Technical Assistance Matrix and how to use 
it.  The new database permits users to search by the names of 
countries that have sought assistance, donors that have 
provided assistance, and regions and subregions seeking 
assistance.  The database provides comprehensive information 
on the priority needs that CTED, with the relevant state's 
consent, have identified, as well donor action to meet those 
needs.  The CTC agreed to post the database on the CTC's 
website so it would be accessible to donors and states 
seeking assistance. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  In an unrelated aside, Qatar took the floor to 
complain that the work of the CTC and CTED to facilitate the 
delivery of technical assistance did not reflect the 
CTC/CTED's mandate.  Qatar asserted that the CTC/CTED should 
focus on monitoring implementation of resolution 1373, and 
complained that the CTC/CTED, through state visits and work 
relating to technical assistance, have focused on states in 
the South while ignoring states in the North that have 
serious counterterrorism problems.  Chairman Arias briefly 
responded, noting that the CTC's success depends on its 
collective efforts, but  asked members to communicate such 
concerns beforehand, so others would have sufficient time to 
prepare.  CTED Executive Director Javier Ruperez affirmed 
that the main emphasis of the CTC/CTED has and continues to 
be the implementation of resolution 1373.  (Comment:  Qatar's 
unhelpful comments were typical of its repeated efforts to 
politicize the work of the CTC/CTED.  Previous experience has 
shown that efforts to respond constructively to Qatar's 
diatribes only lead to extended debates in the CTC; thus it 
was not surprising that no delegations took the floor to 
respond to Qatar.  End comment.) 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Fifth Special Meeting - Chairman Arias asked CTC 
members to defer their discussion on the CTC's Fifth Special 
Meeting with international, regional, and sub-regional 
organizations until the next meeting.  The Special Meeting is 
scheduled to be held in Nairobi from March 7-9 and would 
focus on preventing terrorist movement and border security. 
Because the African Union has not accepted the CTC's request 
to cosponsor the meeting, the CTC has not reached a decision 
on whether to proceed, and no invitations have been extended. 
 On the margins of the meeting, Chairman Arias asked for U.S. 
views as soon as possible, stressing his desire for the CTC 
to reach a decision to proceed with the meeting in Africa, 
despite the AU's decision to participate in rather than 
sponsor the meeting (ref C). 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs) - 
CTED briefed the CTC on its timetable for completing 
Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIA) on all states' 
implementation of resolution 1373 (2001).  CTED plans to 
complete all of the PIAs by the end of May 2007.  As of 
January 30, CTED had sent 44 PIAs to the CTC for its three 
sub-committees to review; it will send another 42 PIAs in 
February. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment:  Chairman Arias displayed strong 
leadership at his first CTC meeting.  Notably, he steered the 
CTC efficiently through its discussions, cutting off 
unhelpful diversions and ensuring that members remained 
focused.  End comment. 
WOLFF