VZCZCXRO4739
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0399/01 0941641
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041641Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4483
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1669
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
RUEHCV/USDAO CARACAS VE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 000399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR, F, PM 
SOUTHCOM FOR J5/SA 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC MARR PGOV PINR PREL SNAR BB ST VC XL
SUBJECT:  REQUEST TO REPROGRAM FMF FUNDS IN FY 08 
 
REF:  BRIDGETOWN 397 
 
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST 
-------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action request.  See paras 11 and 12. 
 
¶2.  (U) Embassy Bridgetown has registered in reftel its concerns 
regarding the State Department's decision to eliminate FY 08 Foreign 
Military Financing (FMF) for the Eastern Caribbean.  While we 
strongly urge the Department to reverse this decision and restore 
FMF funding for the Eastern Caribbean, we propose as a stopgap 
measure to reprogram FMF funds in the Barbados and St. 
Vincent/Grenadines FMF accounts held in abeyance since these 
countries fell under American Service-Members' Protection Act (ASPA) 
sanctions in July 2003.  Post requests the Department's approval for 
these funds to be utilized to fill the potential FMF gap in FY 08, 
specifically to fund the Eastern Caribbean Technical Assistance 
Field Team (TAFT). 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The TAFT was born of the necessity to help the Eastern 
Caribbean countries develop a maritime security capability in the 
aftermath of the upheaval in Grenada in 1983, and subsequent events 
throughout the region in the mid-1980's.  Since then, overall USG 
support has included the transfer of Excess Defense Article (EDA) 
patrol boats; training through Joint Combined Education and Training 
(JCETs), Mobile Training Teams (MTTs), International Military 
Education and Training (IMET), and other sources; and annual block 
grants of FMF executed by the TAFT for the Regional Security System 
(RSS) member-states.  In its capacity, the TAFT supports 
non-sanctioned RSS maritime units on all engineering-related 
requirements, including vessel/base assessments, technical 
consulting on readiness and engineering casualties, and the 
procurement of items and services to improve performance. 
 
¶4.  (U) TAFT personnel also conduct site visits and inspections, 
develop dry dock work lists and contracts, evaluate shipboard 
equipment and machinery, perform component failure analysis, and do 
the necessary market research for repairs and parts replacement.  In 
FY 06, using a USD 100,000 contracting warrant and two Government 
Purchase Cards (GPC) accounts, TAFT accomplished the following: 
 
-- Awarded 392 contracts totaling USD 743,379.62; 
 
-- Executed 81 purchases via GPC totaling USD 47,963.63; 
 
-- Wrote the statements of work, solicited, awarded, and executed 4 
dry-dock contracts totaling USD 342,987.96, to include on-site 
quality assurance of work standards at the dry dock facility; 
 
-- Managed 24 FMF lines of accounting totaling USD 3,968,319.05; 
 
-- Processed 302 Shipping & Customs clearances. 
 
These actions along with the functions listed above required the 
full-time employment of the one officer and two petty officers that 
comprise the TAFT. 
 
¶5.  (U) TAFT functions have progressed from hands-on maintenance 
actions in the early years to filling the gap in program management 
capabilities, which are lacking in the Eastern Caribbean 
microstates.  TAFT manages and executes RSS countries' FMF that is 
designated for support of maritime forces via Military 
Interdepartmental Purchase Requests (MIPRs) issued by the Navy 
International Programs Office (NIPO) from the countries' respective 
Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). 
 
¶6.  (U) The TAFT is completely funded via annual Security Assistance 
appropriations.  U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters (USCG/G-CI) requires 
that manpower costs be reimbursed in the FY for which services are 
rendered, preferably in advance or as early in the FY as possible. 
In lieu of the pending FMF cut-off in FY 08, G-CI has mandated that 
we execute the FY 08 transfer at the end of FY 07. 
 
TAFT CRITICAL TO U.S. INTERESTS 
------------------------------- 
 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000399  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) TAFT functions as a direct link between Embassy 
Bridgetown's Military Liaison Office (MLO) and the coast guards in 
the Eastern Caribbean countries.  As such, they conduct their 
activities in direct support of the Embassy's Mission Strategic Plan 
Goal 2:  Combating International Crime and Drugs; Goal 3: 
Bolstering Counterterrorism Efforts; and Goal 4:  Responding to 
Emergencies with Humanitarian Assistance. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) These goals are in concert with USSOUTHERN COMMAND's 
Theater Strategic Cooperation Plan objectives of providing regional 
capabilities for Counterterrorism, Combating Weapons of Mass 
Destruction, Stabilization Operations and Security Sector Reform, 
Counternarcotics, and Transnational Crime.  TAFT also provides 
advice on operational, manpower, diplomatic, and administrative 
issues to the Eastern Caribbean coast guards, MLO, USSOUTHERN 
COMMAND (SOUTHCOM), and other entities.  TAFT is the technical 
expert for all of SOUTHCOM's Tradewinds Exercise planning that 
incorporates afloat assets of the RSS countries into exercise 
scenarios.  They conduct post-exercise evaluations and submit 
lessons learned to SOUTHCOM.  TAFT is SOUTHCOM's primary engagement 
tool for maritime issues in the Eastern Caribbean, as well as the 
primary vehicle for end use monitoring (EUM) for assets remitted to 
the Eastern Caribbean countries. 
 
¶9.  (U) RSS coast guards have also proved their importance during 
the Cricket World Cup, the third largest sporting event in the 
world, which is currently underway in the Caribbean.  Their patrol 
vessels have been employed at various locations for security at 
Cricket World Cup games.  Two of these patrol vessels, one from St. 
Kitts/Nevis and one from Antigua/Barbuda, recently provided escort 
service for Ambassador Ourisman's 20-minute ride on a contracted 
ferry to the USS CARNEY, which was anchored in the port at St. 
Johns, Antigua.  These actions were only possible due to the 
seaworthy condition of the vessels and the training of their crews, 
thanks in large part to TAFT's efforts and success at performing its 
functions.  Many of the region's patrol vessels are approaching or 
are already beyond their design service lives.  The prospective 
termination of the TAFT could not therefore come at a more 
inopportune time. 
 
RECOMMENDATION AND ACTION REQUEST 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) Embassy Bridgetown and SOUTHCOM are in agreement that the 
TAFT should not be disbanded.  However, the elimination of FMF 
funding for the Eastern Caribbean in FY 08 will mean exactly 
that--the end of TAFT.  It is highly unlikely that the TAFT could be 
reinstated if and when FMF is reactivated for the Eastern Caribbean. 
 In light of this bleak scenario, Embassy Bridgetown strongly urges 
the Department to reinstate FY 08 FMF funding for the Eastern 
Caribbean, so that the TAFT can continue its mission, which is vital 
to the survival and growth of the Eastern Caribbean maritime 
security units. 
 
¶11. (U) While the Department considers this request, the Embassy is 
also proposing to secure TAFT's continued operations by 
reprogramming FMF funds in the Barbados and St. Vincent/Grenadines 
FMF accounts held in abeyance since these countries fell under ASPA 
sanctions in July 2003.  Both countries are party to the Rome 
Statute that created the International Criminal Court, and both have 
consistently--and vocally--opposed signing Article 98 agreements 
with the United States.  It is the Embassy's view that Barbados and 
St. Vincent/Grenadines will not sign Article 98 agreements in the 
near future.  Consequently, the Embassy proposes to reprogram the 
balance in the Barbados FMF account ($254,731.71) and the balance in 
the St. Vincent/Grenadines FMF account ($282,873.91) to St. Lucia 
for the purpose of providing support to the Eastern Caribbean TAFT. 
Additionally, the Embassy requests that the balance in FMF cases 
BB-P-RAL and VC-P-RAL also be reprogrammed to St. Lucia.  The 
Embassy requests that these funds be transferred as expeditiously as 
possible to sustain the TAFT through FY 08. 
 
OURISMAN