VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDR #0814/01 1581140
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 071140Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6260
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 3197
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 0324
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 3021
RUEHLG/AMEMBASSY LILONGWE PRIORITY 5427
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0672
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 3493
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA PRIORITY 0068
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T DAR ES SALAAM 000814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT S/CT FOR BPHIPPS AND FVOGEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PINS PBTS PINR SNAR KFRD TZ XW
SUBJECT: PISCES AND THE IMPERATIVE OF TANZANIA'S BORDER 
SECURITY 
 
REF: DAR ES SALAAM 1936 
 
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires, D. Purnell Delly, for reason 1.4 (b a 
nd d). 
 
 ¶1. (S) SUMMARY. This is an action request (see para 7). It 
would be a major mistake to cut off funding for Tanzania's 
Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation 
System (PISCES), which serves as an important border 
management tool for both Tanzania and the U.S.  In a country 
with porous borders and turbulent neighbors, PISCES enables 
the Government of Tanzania (GOT) to capture data on 95 
percent of the travelers passing through its key entry 
points.  In this respect, we see PISCES as a vital part of 
the Secretary's Regional Security Initiative (RSI) and our 
MSP counterterorrism (CT) goal.  On a weekly basis, PISCES 
enables Post to use data which has been obtained from the 
system for CT tracking purposes.  Thus, Post is concerned 
that funding has not been forthcoming for connecting and 
expanding PISCES, and is even more concerned that funding for 
PISCES has been cut off entirely for Tanzania.  Without U.S. 
assistance, Tanzania does not have the resources or technical 
ability to sustain and maintain the system.   END SUMMARY. 
 
Tanzania Using PISCES at 5 Key Border Points 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶2.  (C) Bordering eight countries and with a 1,500 kilometer 
coastline, Tanzania's ability to protect and manage its 
borders is vital to U.S. counterterrorism (CT) efforts in the 
region.  In 2002, the U.S. began partnering with Tanzania's 
Immigration Department to launch PISCES at key points of 
entry such as the Dar es Salaam International Airport (DIA) 
and the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).  By 2005, 
U.S. assistance trained 180 immigration officers and 
successfully installed PISCES at Tanzania's five major border 
posts: DIA, KIA, Dar es Salaam Port, Namanga (Kenya/Tanzania 
land border crossing), and Zanzibar International Airport. 
 
PISCES Benefits Border Management and CT Tracking 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶3.  (C) According to a 2005 survey by the International 
Organization on Migration, PISCES was being used to screen 95 
percent of all travelers passing through the five major 
border crossings in Tanzania.  The system captures data on 
the movement of persons across key border points and checks 
individuals against the Tanzanian Immigration Department's 
Prohibited Immigrants (PI) list.  Head of Immigration, Kinemo 
Kihomano, has told RSO Anne Brunn that PISCES has 
significantly enhanced the GOT's ability to keep out unwanted 
travelers including narco-traffickers. 
 
¶4.  (S) Information from PISCES has also enhanced the U.S.' 
ability to monitor and assess patterns of certain travelers 
entering Tanzania.  In its interaction with Tanzanian 
intelligence authorities, GRPO obtains information captured 
by PISCES at least once per week for counterterrorism 
tracking purposes.  PISCES has also enabled GRPO to develop 
closer ties with Tanzanian intelligence and law enforcement 
officials, improving our partnership with the GOT on CT. 
Over time, our aim is to pursue the regional exchange of 
names and data among East African countries under the 
Regional Security Initiative (RSI). 
 
Installation Complete: What About Phase Two and Three? 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶5.  (C) When launched in 2002, the PISCES implementation plan 
comprised three main phases: (i) installation; (ii) 
connection; and (iii) expansion.  With PISCES installed at 
five major border crossings, phase one is now complete in 
Tanzania.  However, Tanzania has yet to receive assistance 
for phase two and three to connect its systems or to expand 
to new border points.  While Tanzania is currently using 
PISCES quite effectively as a border management tool, PISCES 
could be significantly more effective as a counterterrorism 
tool if the systems were connected and if there was a central 
unit installed.  This would greatly increase the sharing of 
information including names of prohibited travelers between 
border points and among law enforcement agencies. 
 
¶6.  (C) Laurence Smith, the PISCES contractor based in 
Nairobi, told PolCons on June 5 that Tanzania has been using 
the PISCES system at five border posts, "more than many other 
 
PISCES countries I have worked with."  As an implementer of 
the project, Smith concurred that Phase I has been successful 
in Tanzania and that expansion of the PISCES program 
including the interconnection of posts would allow the 
Tanzanians to use PISCES to its full potential for both 
border control and CT purposes. 
 
Tanzania's Request: Please Don't Abandon PISCES 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶7. (SBU) In a letter to the Embassy dated May 11, Director of 
Immigration P. Mgonja expressed his concern that the U.S. had 
not allocated funds for PISCES in 2007.  Mgonja referenced 
his conversation with Darin Olson, Managing Director of 
Griffin International (a former USG contractor providing 
support and maintenance on PISCES).  He requested official 
notification to confirm if the USG had, in fact, made the 
decision to stop funding PISCES.  "We humbly request an 
official note from the Embassy regarding this abrupt 
decision." 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Action Request: Post requests clarification on FY 
2007 and FY 2008 funding allocations for PISCES in Tanzania 
so that Post can inform Tanzania's Department of Immigration 
on the USG's plan of support for PISCES. 
 
 
Mission's Request: Please Connect and Expand PISCES 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶9.  (S) Over the past several years, the Mission has 
consistently identified PISCES as a key component of its 
counterterrorism strategy.  In Post's FY 2007 Mission 
Performance Plan, (MPP), FY 2008 MPP, FY 2007 Operational 
Plan, and FY 2009 Mission Strategic Plan (MSP), all stressed 
the importance of PISCES and increased border security for 
the Mission's CT goal.  In its FY 2008 MPP, Post outlined its 
aim to achieve phase two and three of PISCES implementation 
(connection and expansion) by FY 2009.  While benefits of 
PISCES are evident from installation and screening at five 
border points, there is widespread recognition that 
connectivity would translate into crucial gains for CT 
tracking.  Expansion is also important as GRPO has expressed 
particular interest in the triangle of travel between 
Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Tanga. 
 
Comment: Let's Realize the Full Potential of PISCES 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶10.  (C) The USG has made a wise investment to date with 
PISCES in Tanzania.  To gain the most from this investment, 
however, we must continue with phase two and three of 
implementation.  The Mission agrees that Tanzanian 
authorities are already using PISCES consistently but that 
benefits could be amplified for CT purposes if the systems 
were connected and eventually expanded to other critical 
border points including Tanga and Zanzibar port.  In short, 
Post is seriously concerned that assistance for the PISCES 
program in Tanzania has been cut.  The GOT lacks resources to 
sustain the system.  Thus, without additional support to 
maintain and upgrade software and connect the systems, it is 
likely that the U.S. investment in PISCES will have gone to 
waste.  Post would appreciate learning the next steps forward 
to ensure that both the USG and GOT are able to realize the 
full potential of PISCES as a border management and CT tool. 
END COMMENT. 
DELLY