VZCZCXRO4884
OO RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHC #3852/01 2642242
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 212228Z SEP 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 7804
INFO ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 133852 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CA PTER KCRM PGOV PINR PINS PREL
SUBJECT: U.S.-CANADA BILATERAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP (BCG) 
MEETING IN WASHINGTON: PROPOSED U.S. DATES AND AGENDA 
ITEMS 
 
REF: 2006 OTTAWA 03184 
 
(U) Upcoming U.S.-Canada Bilateral Consultative Group 
(BCG) Meeting in Washington: Proposed U.S. Dates and 
Agenda Items 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action message, please see paragraph 7. 
 
¶2.  (U) Ambassador Dell L. Dailey, U.S. Counterterrorism 
Coordinator, looks forward to hosting the U.S.-Canada 
Bilateral Consultative Group (BCG) meeting this fall in 
Washington.  This cable outlines our proposals for the BCG 
agenda and notional dates for discussion with the 
Government of Canada. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Last year's BCG meeting generated productive 
follow-on activity, particularly in the research and 
development and bioterrorism fields.  This year, we would 
like to capitalize on those successes, re-engage on 
outstanding proposals, and move forward on several new CT 
areas of common interest.  We have outlined a notional 
agenda in paragraph 5 and have proposed dates at paragraph 
¶6.  We ask Embassy Ottawa to share these agenda items and 
possible dates with the GOC for their initial feedback, 
and solicit their input on any topics they would like to 
include. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) As agreed to at last year's BCG, we would like 
to set a firm goal for concluding an updated version of 
the 1988 Joint Declaration on Counterterrorism.  The U.S. 
has updated the 1988 text and the USG interagency 
community is currently reviewing it.  We will forward this 
text to Embassy Ottawa as soon as possible so it can be 
shared with appropriate GOC officials in anticipation of 
the upcoming BCG discussions.  Moreover, we would like to 
discuss with the Canadians the possibility of having this 
Declaration signed later by the Secretary of State and 
Foreign Minister, as then-U.S. Secretary of State George 
Shultz and Canadian Foreign Minister Joe Clark did for the 
original 1988 Declaration. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Notional Agenda for US-Canada BCG (in no 
particular order): 
 
-- Threat Assessment/Intelligence Briefing 
 
-- Follow-up discussions on outstanding proposals from 
last year's BCG 
 
-- Follow-up on Bioterrorism Engagement: 
(a) Results of May 2007 Briefing on Threats to the Food 
Supply 
(b) Results of June 2007 Technical Roundtable to Share 
Collaborative Public Health-Law Enforcement Investigation 
Strategies 
(c) Future engagement 
 
-- Cooperative Counterterrorism Research and Development 
(R&D): 
 
(a) Status update on negotiations for the U.S.-Canada 
Memorandum of Understanding on CT Research and Development 
(R&D) 
(b) Review ongoing activities of the Quadrilateral (U.S., 
Canada, UK, and Australia) on Chemical, Biological, and 
Radiological Counterterrorism efforts (Note:  The 
Quadrilateral group will have just met in Canberra October 
31-November 2) 
(c) Possible breakout presentation on recent CT R&D 
successes 
(d) Takeaway Document: Canada's 10-year progress review 
booklet "Science Combating Terrorism: A Canada-U.S. 
Success Story" and 
(e) Sharing relevant technologies with Western Hemisphere 
partners, particularly Mexico 
 
-- U.S.-Canada Border Security: 
 
(a) Information Exchange, including use and privacy 
concerns 
(b) Biometrics/Screening Tools: Each side to provide 
updates on national efforts to improve and use biometrics 
and screening tools.  Specifically we would be interested 
in learning more about Canada's biometric collection 
efforts and how can we share biometric information with 
 
STATE 00133852  002 OF 002 
 
SUBJECT: U.S.-CANADA BILATERAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP (BCG) 
MEETING IN WASHINGTON: PROPOSED U.S. DATES AND AGENDA 
ITE 
each other 
(d) Next steps regarding "harmonization" of visa issuance 
policies for subjects of countries of special interest 
 
-- Cooperation on Counter Terrorist Finance Training and 
Technical Assistance for Key Partner Nations, including 
participation by Canadian experts in CTF training and 
needs assessments, financial regulatory training and 
training on bulk cash smuggling 
 
-- TOPOFF 4: Exchange of views on the completed exercise 
 
-- Briefing on the USG Regional Strategic Initiative (RSI) 
 
-- A briefing by Canada on the reorganization resulting in 
Public Safety Canada 
 
-- Radicalization and Outreach: 
 
(a) Discussion of ongoing programs "outreach" efforts to 
populations that may feel "targeted" by law enforcement 
and CT efforts 
(b) Discussion about possible efforts to conduct 
university and private sector research in these areas, and 
of organizing visits to both nations by influential third 
country public leaders and local decision makers 
 
-- U.S.-Canadian cooperation to promote capacity building 
and assistance programs in multilateral forums such as the 
UN, G-8 and CTAG, OSCE, OAS and CICTE, APEC, and ARF and 
coordinated approaches to supporting the AU Center, taking 
action on AQIM, working within the FATA, and containing 
Syria and Iran. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) We propose the following dates: January 16-17 or 
January 23-24.  Like last year's BCG, we propose to begin 
on the afternoon of the first day with a heads of 
delegation meeting to discuss the Joint Declaration and to 
receive the threat assessment/intelligence briefing.  We 
would follow this with a full day plenary session, 
starting with possible breakout discussions on how to move 
forward on outstanding proposals from last year's BCG.  We 
are still considering representational functions and 
venue. 
 
Action Request 
 
¶7.  (U) The Department would appreciate Embassy Ottawa's 
assistance in reaching out to the appropriate contacts 
within the GOC soon to share the U.S. preliminary agenda 
and notional dates, and to gather any feedback from the 
GOC on these items, as well as solicit any topics the GOC 
would propose for the BCG draft agenda. 
 
¶8.  (U) S/CT points of contact for the BCG are Kevin 
O'Reilly and Hillary Batjer Johnson. 
RICE