P 182146Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY ABUJA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BAMAKO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NIAMEY PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD-ISA-AF// PRIORITY
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE// PRIORITY
CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE// PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 028385 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER XA XI
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER: 2008 TSCTP CONFERENCE 
 
REF: A. 07 TUNIS 1345 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 5 
     ¶C. NDJAMENA 13 
     ¶D. NOUAKCHOTT 115 
     ¶E. NOUAKCHOTT 119 
     ¶F. NOUAKCHOTT 309 
     ¶G. 07 STATE 170853 
     ¶H. STATE 12543 
     ¶I. 07 STATE 167865 
 
Classified By: AF/RSA Director Louis Mazel; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) The 2008 Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership 
(TSCTP) is scheduled for 24-27 March in Garmisch Germany. 
TSCTP was formed by an interagency Deputies Committee (DC) in 
 
SIPDIS 
2005 to facilitate a more effective regional response to 
terrorism and extremism in West and North Africa.  TSCTP is a 
multi-year commitment focused on improving individual country 
and regional capabilities to defeat terrorist organizations 
and facilitation networks, disrupt efforts to recruit and 
train new terrorist fighters, particularly from the young, 
counter efforts to establish safe havens for domestic and 
outside extremist groups, and disrupt foreign fighter 
networks that attempt to operate in the region, the Middle 
East, and Europe.  The program draws expertise and resources 
from military, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, 
development and public diplomacy components. TSCTP mobilizes 
resources to respond to unique challenges faced in each 
partner country, but also directs programming to promote 
increased multilateral cooperation and interoperability 
across the region. 
 
---------- 
The Budget 
---------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) TSCTP resources are intended to supplement 
individual country and regional allocations in order to 
promote the program's counter-terrorism and counter-extremism 
objectives.  Programmed resources do not replace other 
country or regional allocations, but activities may support a 
wide range of objectives identified in Mission Strategic 
Plans (MSPs) and other planning documents while targeting 
funds to implement TSCTP objectives.  The overall TSCTP 
budget in fiscal year 2007 was approximately $149 million. 
The core budget included: (1) $81.7 million in Department of 
Defense (DOD) Title 10 funding; (2) $13.75 in Department of 
State (DOS) Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) funding; (3) $8.9 
million in USAID Development Assistance (DA); (4) $7.2 
million in DOS Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and 
Related Programs (NADR) funds; and (5) $6 million in DOS 
Economic Support Funds (ESF). 
 
¶3. (SBU) The core TSCTP budget was augmented by $17 million 
from FY 2007 Section 1206. (Note: FY 2006 and FY 2007 
National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) authorized the 
Defense Department to use up to $200 million and $300 
million, respectively, to address emergent threats or 
opportunities by building the capacity of a foreign country's 
military force to conduct counter-terrorism operations or 
participate in or support military and stability operations 
in which U.S. forces are a participant. The authority was 
renewed in 2008 at $300 million. End Note). TSCTP programming 
was also supported by $15 million from FY 2007 Section 1207 
funds. (Note: Section 1207 of the FY 2006 National Defense 
Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes the Secretary of Defense 
to transfer up to $100 million to the Secretary of State for 
reconstruction, security and stabilization activities. A 
similar authority designated Section 1210 exists in FY 2008 
although it is unclear whether FY 08 resources will support 
TSCTP programming. End Note). 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶4. (SBU) The budget outlook for FY 2008 is unsettled.  The 
Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) approved the OEF-TS Phase II 
 
SIPDIS 
Execute Order (EXORD), on 10 March 2006, and OEF-TS became a 
funded, Program of Record in December 2006. To fund OEF-TS 
activities, EUCOM received $81.7 million in FY 2007 Title 10 
funds and will receive roughly $100 million per annum from 
FY08-FY13.  NADR funding levels will stay at $7.2 million in 
FY 2008, but will likely increase to $10 million in FY 2009, 
covering AF and NEA priorities. However, reflecting overall 
cuts in available resources, ESF, DA, and PKO will likely be 
funded at substantially lower levels. TSCTP programming may 
receive additional support in FY 2008 from section 1206 and 
section 1210 resources, but allocations from those sources 
are currently under review. Missions are encouraged to 
continue project development and submissions in order to 
allow planners to match proposals with resources that become 
available during the fiscal year. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The FY 2009 budget process is ongoing. The program's 
emphasis on long-term capacity-building to support 
counter-terrorism and counter-extremism objectives will 
continue.  TSCTP planners, however, have identified several 
points of emphasis for the year. First, there must be 
sufficient non-DOD funding to support so-called 'soft-side' 
programming. Second, additional resources will be identified 
for North Africa programming and flexibility will be built 
into current funding streams facilitate allocations to all 
TSCTP countries. Third, more emphasis will be placed on 
 
SIPDIS 
identifying resources to support non-military security sector 
professionalization and basic policing.  Fourth, planners 
will continue to look for opportunities to support efforts to 
promote increased regional and sub-regional cooperation and 
interoperability. 
 
---------------------- 
Program Implementation 
---------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) A number of recommendations in various fora emerged 
regarding TSCTP program implementation.  In addition to 
communications produced at the initiative of individual 
Missions (REFTEL A, B, C,D, E, F), individuals, or 
Washington-based and European-based agencies, TSCTP planning 
benefits from several specific activities.  A monthly 
classified video conference linking DOD, State Department, 
and USAID action officers facilitates interagency 
coordination and short and medium-term planning. The annual 
TSCTP conference enables action officers from the major USG 
 
SIPDIS 
stakeholders in Washington, Africa, and Europe to establish 
contact, develop program priorities, and identify strategies 
to address gaps in planning and implementation.  The Regional 
Security Initiative (RSI) provides a forum for TSCTP Chiefs 
of Mission and USG principals to develop policy 
recommendations. (REFTEL G). Significant issues and 
recommendations emerged during the past year. 
 
¶7. (C) Greater emphasis on 'soft-side' programming:  Military 
spending is appropriately funded but represents a higher 
percentage of overall TSCTP resourcing than envisioned by the 
2005 Deputies Committee that authorized the program, and 
building up soft-side programming has been an important 
priority. Like all TSCTP programming, the composition and 
pace of soft-side assistance will reflect Mission 
requirements, results from interagency assessments, and the 
availability of resources. 'Soft-side' assistance is designed 
to assist partner country efforts to deny support for 
extremists and terrorist recruiters and deny sanctuary to 
terrorist organizations. Relatively modest investments are 
maximized by identifying at-risk populations and regions 
which would benefit from specific inputs.  Recurring USAID 
programming has focused on targeted education/vocational 
training for at-risk youth, local government 
capacity-building and community stabilization in 
difficult-to-govern areas, conflict mitigation, and community 
radio and moderate communicator capacity-building. DOD public 
diplomacy, humanitarian and civil/military activities 
actively support these initiatives using Title 10 resource. 
During the past year, planners have focused substantial 
attention on strengthening support for public diplomacy 
programming. About $2.6 million was set aside specifically to 
support public diplomacy projects. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Law enforcement/non-military security sector 
capacity-building: State's Diplomatic Security Bureau (DS) 
has offered a range of counter-terrorism courses in TSCTP 
countries during the past year and will continue programming 
in FY 08 and beyond using NADR funding. State's Bureau for 
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) is 
examining possible engagement opportunities and International 
Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funds were 
requested for FY 2009 and FY 2010 to cover programming in the 
Sahel and the Maghreb. DS and INL Representatives will carry 
out assessments in four TSCTP countries in 2008. 
 
¶9. (C) Third-country engagement: French and American experts 
met in Washington January 30 to work toward closer counter 
terrorism cooperation in North and West Africa. (REFTEL H). 
French and USG assessments of the Al Qaida in the Lands of 
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) threat were similar, with the 
French particularly concerned about threats to their 
nationals in Mauritania and Algeria. The French do not have a 
structure that mirrors TSCTP, although they expressed 
interest in a more holistic CT approach. They are in the 
midst of an inter-ministerial review that may significantly 
alter their engagement strategy in the region.  French 
training efforts focus on the gendarmerie, as well as 
terrorist financing, trafficking and other illicit 
activities, but their investments to address financial sector 
and border vulnerabilities are not clear. The French 
delegation head Daniel Ratier, Director of the MFA's Security 
Department, identified three French security priorities in 
the region: (1) Trafficking (drugs, arms, people); (2) 
Insurgencies; and (3) the AQIM ("the most important threat in 
the Maghreb and the Sahel"). The French officials assessed 
that their interests and nationals were particularly 
threatened in Algeria and Mauritania.  They predicted that 
AQIM in Algeria will (1) likely carry out other 'big or symbolic 
attacks; (2) continue to use AQ-style media strategies; and 
(3) increasingly target French and other foreigners. The 
French stated that the Western Sahel would likely continue to 
serve primarily as a safe-haven and logistical platform for 
the AQIM and that AQIM members would continue to be regarded 
by moderate local populations as Arab outsiders.  They noted, 
however, that Mauritania represented an exception to that 
dynamic given its significant Arab orientation.  The French 
highlighted concern about the ability of terrorists to 
support themselves through smuggling and money laundering. 
 
10 (C) The French have generally focused their resources on 
law enforcement/gendarmerie and strong law enforcement 
and judiciary capacity-building, while the USG is more 
focused on mil/mil and USAID/PAO-led counter-radicalization. 
 The French highlighted particularly good cooperation with 
Algerian and Nigerian Gendarmerie. They conduct several 
counter-radicalization programs similar to those run by 
USAID, including initiatives to increase access to the 
internet and other educational and exchange programs, but 
they do not label them as 'deradicalization' projects. They 
were particularly interested in USG discussion regarding 
prison outreach programming in the Maghreb (USAID mentioned 
that there is an ongoing program in Morocco related to prison 
outreach and deradicalization). The French delegation 
suggested that France and the U.S. might cooperate to help 
address poor coordination and often outright rivalry between 
security organs in several countries. Further USG-French 
consultations will likely occur following France Africa 
policy review in the Spring. 
 
11.(C) New membership: TSCTP member countries agreed that the 
time was right to invite Libya into the program in 2008. 
(REFTEL I). Each partner country was demarched in December 
2007 and there was a clear consensus that Libya's incremental 
integration into TSCTP was appropriate and it could play an 
important role in efforts to combat terrorism and extremism 
in North and West Africa. We anticipate that Libya will be 
formally invited to join TSCTP following consultations with 
Congress, but will not publicly discuss the issue before 
issuing that invitation. It is unlikely that any additional 
new members will be added to TSCTP during the next several 
years. 
 
12.(C) Country Action Plans (CAPs): Managing and resourcing 
assets to support the full range of activities promoting 
TSCTP objectives has been a significant challenge for many 
 
SIPDIS 
Missions in TSCTP countries. Ongoing high-level discussions 
between DOD and the State Department regarding the stand-up 
of AFRICOM are intended to address many of the challenges 
identified by interagency stakeholders. In addition, Special 
Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) planners are developing 
Country Action Plans to better synchronize proposed military 
activities with Mission objectives and host country 
requirements and absorptive capacity. The process will 
provide country teams with detailed information regarding the 
scope, timing and objectives of planned military engagements 
in the host country during the upcoming year. At the same 
time, military planners will benefit from clear guidance from 
the Chief of Missions and the country teams regarding 
appropriate levels of engagement that the Mission and the 
host country are likely to accept during the time frame. 
Embassy Niamey hosted a 2-5 October meeting with 
representatives from DOD, State and USAID to review the draft 
CAP for Niger and discuss more generally how to improve 
coordination of USG activities with the country teams. The 
next CAP exercise will likely take place in Mauritania during 
Spring 2008. 
 
 
¶13. (C) OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM-TRANS SAHARA (OEF-TS): 
OEF-TS) is USEUCOM/USAFRICOM's Regional War on Terrorism 
Regional Plan for North and West Africa. Completed or planned 
FY07/08 OEF-TS activities include: 
 
A.TRAIN, ADVICE, AND ASSIST- INTELLIGENCE CAPACITY BUILDING 
 
- Build three new light infantry companies in Mali, with 
equipment and training required to sustain operations to 
provide border security and help control the vast,ungoverned 
spaces of Northern Mali.  Equipment focuses on new vehicles 
and radios to provide increased mobility and secure 
communications for the area. Uniforms and personal equipment 
are provided to sustain military personnel for extended 
periods in an austere environment. EUCOM provides the 
training and assistance to build a professional unit that has 
been vetted by the U.S. Country Team. 
 
- Build new light infantry, Camel Corps Company in 
Mauritania, with equipment and training required for sustain 
operations to provide border security and help control the 
vast, ungoverned spaces of Northern Mauritania. 
 
- Intelligence Capacity Building provides Mobile Training 
Teams to teach the International Military Intelligence (MI) 
Officers Basic Course to the nine partner nations within 
Trans Sahara Africa. Training helps build professional 
intelligence officers and helps to establish a regional MI 
working group to build future relationships and develop 
future leaders with a positive outlook on the United States 
and other Partner Nations. 
 
- Upgrade two light infantry companies in Chad, with 
equipment and training required to sustain operations to 
provide border security and help control the vast, ungoverned 
spaces of Chad. (Pending increased stability in Chad). 
 
¶B. EXERCISES AND BI-LATERAL ENGAGEMENTS 
 
- FLINTLOCK conducted a biennial Special Operations Exercise 
focused on training with Counter-Terrorist (CT) and other 
select units in the TSCTP nations with the purpose of 
enhancing partner nation CT capacity, regional relationships 
and synchronization across the Trans-Sahara national 
militaries.  During Phase II (19 August-11 September), a 
functioning Multinational Coordination Cell (MCC) was 
established by eight TSCTP Nations and three European nations 
(France, UK, and Netherlands). The MCC shared intelligence 
and information and planned synchronized operations focused 
on a regional terrorist threat.  SOCEUR stood up and linked a 
Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) Joint 
Operations Center (JOC) to the MCC in order to conduct a 
Command Post Exercise (CPX) from 2 SEP to 7 SEP 07.  During 
the CPX, an exercise control group, consisting of U.S. and 
Partner Nation (PN) personnel, executed a single overarching 
scenario by replicating US/PN,s higher headquarters and 
government agencies. This scenario drove the need for 
multinational coordination and synchronization in order to 
adequately counter and defeat regional terrorist threats. 
Ultimately, the CPX validated the ability for all PN,s to 
conduct multinational coordination in support of CT 
operations. SILENT WARRIOR is the companion exercise 
conducted in even years and is planned for FY 2008. 
 
- Twenty-two Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) and 
bi-lateral engagement events will be conducted in all TSCTP 
countries to provide specialized training opportunities to 
partner nation militaries foster communications and cultural 
exchanges between military counterparts. 
 
¶C. COUNTERING EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY/CIVIL MILITARY SUPPORT 
 
- Military Information Support Teams (MISTs) provided a 
Counter Extremist Ideology message and military support to 
Embassy Public Diplomacy Officer in Chad, Mali, Mauritania, 
Niger, and Nigeria. In Nigeria for example, the MIST spent 
over $363,500 on various programs, made over 25 visits to 
various Northern Nigerian cities in order to further our 
programs, donated 7,524 books to 38 schools, funded two Hausa 
Home Movies, funded one Special Edition of Crossroads/ Magama 
Magazine, conducted a 13 day area assessment of four Northern 
Nigerian cities (Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Jos), conducted a 3 
day internet assessment in Kaduna, garnered multiple local 
and national, print, radio, and internet press for the U.S. 
Embassy (BBC World, VOA Hausa, Daily Trust, etc). The team 
worked in conjunction with PAS, USAID, POL-ECON, ODC, DAO and 
various NGOs. (Inter-Faith Mediation Center, Iyan Tama 
Multimedia, etc.). 
 
- Civil Military Support Elements (CMSE,s) provided 
civil-military support in Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and 
Nigeria. CMSE,s helped implement $3.2 million in 
Humanitarian Assistance (HA), Humanitarian Civic Action 
(HCA), and additional capacity building projects.  CMSE,s 
are also gaining access to additional EUCOM/AFRICOM provided 
HA/HCA funding that will be available in late FY 2808. 
 
- Coalition Development was furthered by providing 
staff-level Military Intelligence Training and continuing 
intelligence sharing and support to build basic military 
intelligence staff officer skills and by conducting Chief of 
Defense and Director of Military Intelligence conferences. 
 
RICE