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DE RUEHPE #3136 2602253
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P 172253Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6860
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 5087
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7587
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0781
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP QUITO 1458
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1486
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RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS LIMA 003136 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PM/WRS EDWARD TRIMAKAS, PM/RSAT SARAH WOLF, WHA/AND BARBARA 
THOMAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MCAP MASS MARR AFIN AMGT PE
SUBJECT: GOP FORMALLY REQUESTS HUMANITARIAN DEMINING 
ASSISTANCE 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: On August 1, the GOP formally requested USG 
assistance for humanitarian demining efforts.  Post strongly 
supports the request and assesses that GOP interest and 
commitment to the program is high.  Demining assistance would 
contribute to the overall USG foreign policy objective of 
deepening military co-operation with Peru.  Post requests a 
Policy Assessment Visit as soon as possible to evaluate 
Peru's land mine situation and to report back to the 
inter-agency Policy Coordinating Committee.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On August 1, the MFA sent a diplomatic note requesting 
USG assistance for ongoing humanitarian demining efforts. 
The note follows a request for assistance made by the MOD's 
Director of Policy and Strategy, Ambassador Bellina, to DAS 
Coulter at the bilateral military talks held in Peru June 26. 
 Bellina repeated the request to the Embassy's military group 
commander after the Ambassador's September 7 meeting with 
Minister of Defense Wagner and assured Emboffs that the 
problems associated with the program in the past would not be 
repeated. 
 
¶3. (U) The diplomatic note reports that Peru has destroyed 
1,635 mines since demining efforts resumed one year ago. 
More than 29,000 anti-personnel mines remain in a 200,000 
meter area bordering Ecuador in the departments of the 
Amazonas and Cajamarca.  The program is managed by the 
Peruvian Anti-Personal Mine Action Center, which includes 
representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Relations, 
Defense, Interior, Education, and Health. 
 
¶4. (U) The note describes demining efforts as a "joint 
Peruvian-Ecuadorian process" and points out that during 
bilateral talks held on July 6, Peru and Ecuador signed an 
Act of Understanding creating a joint medical evacuation plan 
to support demining efforts.  (Comment: The area of 
operations is inaccessible by road from Peru; Peruvian 
demining teams enter the area through Ecuador with 
transportation provided by the Ecuadorian military.  End 
Comment) 
 
¶5. (U) Post's political/military committee, chaired by 
Ambassador McKinley, met on September 4 and strongly endorsed 
the GOP request.  The team noted that Peru has shown genuine 
interest in deepening military cooperation with the US on a 
number of issues and has significantly strengthened 
diplomatic ties with Ecuador to prevent the kind of 
cross-border disputes that caused earlier Peruvian efforts at 
demining to fail. 
 
¶6. (U) Post requests a Policy Assessment visit to travel to 
Peru as soon as possible to evaluate the landmine situation 
and to report back to the inter-agency Policy Coordination 
Committee about the potential for resuming a Humanitarian 
Demining Project.  Post accepts the responsibility for 
providing logistical assistance to the team and for offering 
administrative support for follow-on visits. 
 
¶7. (U) Post POC is Pol/Mil officer David Boyle, 511-618-2517. 
Post appreciates the assistance provided by PM/WRA's Edmund 
Trimakas in facilitating this request. 
NEALON