VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPO #0565/01 2991826
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261826Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9764

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000565 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - JACQUELYN ROSHOLT 
DEPT FOR PM/WRA - MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MARK 
ADAMS AND SHO MORIMOTO 
DEPT FOR WHA/PPC - MICHAEL BORDERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS PREL NS
SUBJECT: DISPOSAL OF EXCESS WEAPONS 
STOCKPILES: DIPNOTE TO CONCLUDE PROJECT 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  The U.S. government 
provided assistance to the Government of 
Suriname for the disposal of small arms, 
light weapons and explosive materials 
through a contract with the Ronco 
Corporation.  The contracted work was 
completed by the Ronco Corporation on 
October 22, 2007.  Post plans to send a 
DIPNOTE to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
to inform the Government of Suriname of the 
completion of the project and to advise them 
of three outstanding issues related to the 
project.  This cable includes an action 
request in paragraph 8.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The U.S. government assisted the 
Government of Suriname in the disposal of 
small arms, light weapons and explosive 
materials.  The purpose of this assistance 
was to contribute to regional security and 
counterterrorism efforts due to the 
potential for misuse of excess weapons 
stockpiles.  The Ronco Corporation, 
contracted for this project, completed work 
on October 22, 2007. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On October 23, 2007, RSO and Ronco 
contractor visited the burn and demolition 
sites and mapped the GPS locations.  During 
the visit, they found the sites to be 
completely unsecured.  While remnants of 
items destroyed were found on the ground, 
nothing appeared unexploded or dangerous. 
(Note: GPS and photo documentation of this 
visit will be forwarded to the Department: 
WHA/CAR Suriname Desk by email and by 
pouch.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) The burn site had been dug into by 
scavengers looking for brass and other items 
to sell to scrap dealers.  Near the burn 
site, the RSO found a pile of several 
hundred .50 Cal bullets that had been 
unearthed.  (Note: The local press has 
reported that some locals were arrested 
selling weapons parts that were later 
discovered to have come from a disposal 
project.  The press article did not make any 
reference to the U.S. government.  The 
contractor told us that he heard that the 
scavenging was started by the soldiers 
assigned to work with him in the demolition, 
and that it is rumored that one soldier made 
10,000 Surinamese Dollars (roughly 335 USD) 
profit from selling the scrap metal.  End 
Note.)  The burn site covered an area of 
approximately 2.5 acres.  The GPS 
coordinates of the four corners of the site 
were: +-05 degrees26/17.5, 
055degrees13/23.2; +05degrees26/17.9, - 
055degrees13/21.5; +05degrees26/14.0,- 
055degrees13/21.7; +05degrees26/15.4,- 
055degrees13/20.3. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The demolition site did not appear 
to have been disturbed.  The demolition site 
covered approximately 1.78 acres.  The GPS 
coordinates of the four corners of the site 
were: +05degrees25/18.1,055degrees14/48.8; 
+05degrees25/17.2,-055degrees14/47.6; 
+05degrees25/15.4,- 
055degrees14/49.4;+05degrees25/16.2,- 
055degrees14/50.6. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The following items were destroyed 
by burning or demolition: 
 
Rockets, Signal, Slap Flares: 791 
90mm, HE, HEAT: 297 
90mm, TPI: 1352 
81mm Mortar, HE: 4000 
2" Mortar, HE: 1781 
57mm, HE, HEAT: 1693 
75mm, HE: 58 
Mines, AP, M-969: 154 
37mm Rocket, HE: 1584 
Hand Grenade, HE: 651 
 
3.5 Bazooka, HE: 60 
20mm, HE: 768 
Cos por bomba: 2399 
Cos por bomba, fuze: 1640 
Trip flare: 1 
Hand Grenade, MK1, Offensive: 31 
Rocket Fuzes: 1584 
Bomb Fuze, Aerial: 50 
Hand Grenade, Incendiary: 1384 
Seiamic Explosive (lbs): 550 
Blasting caps, unserviceable: 10,000 
Powergel (lbs): 800 
Fireworks (cases): 807 
Hand Grenade, CS: 21 
Bomb Ignitors, WP: 30 
90mm, WP, fixed: 190 
2.75 Rocket, WP: 477 
50 Cal. Ball: 724,740 
Incendiary Powder (drums): 5 
26.5 Flare Carts: 1200 
37mm, HE: 40,000 
Hand Grenade, Smoke: 2528 
2" Mortar, Illumination: 342 
303 Cal. Ball: 200,000 
30 Cal. Blanks: 199,925 
 
¶7. (SBU) At the completion of the project, 
there are three issues Post should address 
with the Government of Suriname: 1) the 
securing of the site since people are 
digging up the pits, 2) the Ministry of 
Defense removal from the list of some items 
scheduled for disposal, and 3) the need for 
reimbursement to Ronco Corporation for 
importation fees levied. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Action Request.  In order to 
address the issues noted above in paragraph 
7, Embassy requests Department cable 
clearance on the following DIPNOTE text for 
release to the Government of Suriname: 
 
The Embassy of the United States of America 
presents its compliments to the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Suriname. 
Endeavoring to contribute to the regional 
security and counterterrorism efforts and 
recognizing the potential for misuse of 
excess weapons stockpiles around the world, 
at the request of the Republic of Suriname, 
the Embassy agreed to assist in the disposal 
of Small Arms, Light Weapons and Explosive 
Materials in Suriname, through a contract 
with the Ronco Corporation.  We are pleased 
to inform you that the Ronco Corporation 
project was completed on 22 October 2007. 
 
During the course of the contracted 
disposal, a total of 1, 201, 893 items were 
disposed of by demolition or burning and 
then buried in pits on Government of 
Suriname property.  We wish to advise the 
Government of Suriname that the remnants of 
the items remain hazardous materials and the 
pits should not be reopened.  We encourage 
the Government of Suriname to secure the 
site and remind the Government that the 
Embassy of the United States of America is 
not responsible for the safety or security 
of the site. 
 
Due to the potential for misuse of excess 
weapons stockpiles, the Embassy also wishes 
to inform the Ministry that the following 
items were removed from the original 
disposal list by the Ministry of Defense: 
 
90mm, HE, HEAT (quantity:  458) 
90mm, TPI (quantity:  102) 
81mm Mortar, HE (quantity:  1000) 
57mm, HE, HEAT (quantity:  40) 
75mm, HE (quantity:  50) 
2.75 Rocket, HE (quantity:  689) 
40mm, HE (quantity:  18,000) 
50 Cal. Ball (quantity:  2, 275,260) 
Weapons (quantity:  1064) 
 
The Embassy wishes to inform the Ministry 
that the following items could not be 
located for disposal: 
 
20mm, HE (quantity:  4232) 
26.5 Flare Carts (quantity:  718) 
 
There were importation fees charged to the 
contractor, Ronco Corporation, by the 
Government of Suriname during the course of 
this project; the Embassy requests these 
fees be reimbursed. 
 
The Embassy of the United States avails 
itself of this opportunity to renew the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs the assurances 
of its highest consideration. 
 
Embassy of the United States of America 
Paramaribo, Suriname, XX October 2007 
 
SCHREIBER HUGHES