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DE RUEHBH #0398/01 1421818
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211818Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5469
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 3605
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 2900
INFO RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 5674
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 8593
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 4761
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0177
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0089
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0081
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0583
RUEHDG/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL//D/DRE/DR//
RUCOWCV/COGARD AIRSTA CLEARWATER FL
RHMFISS/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-ACO-I//
RUCOWCZ/COMLANTAREA COGARD PORTSMOUTH VA//A/AOOI//
RUEABND/DEA DISTRICT OFFICE FT LAUDERDALE
RUEABND/DEA DIVISION OFFICE MIAMI FL
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHINGTON DC//PASS TO USCG//
RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HQ USNORTHCOM
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUWDQAC/US INTERDICTION COORD WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEAORD/USCS AIRBRANCH MIAMI FL
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC 0106
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0087

UNCLAS NASSAU 000398 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
INL/LP FOR KEVIN BROWN 
WHA/CAR FOR JOSEPH TILGHMAN AND TIM RYAN 
WHA/CAR PLEASE PASS TO USOAS 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL TK UK BF DR HA
SUBJ: SECOND TRIPARTITE CONFERENCE DISCUSSES DRUG AND MIGRANT 
TRAFFICKING AND ASSISTANCE FOR HAITI 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) On May 9, the Ambassador hosted the Second Tripartite 
Conference between representatives of the governments of The Bahamas 
(GCOB), Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) along with representatives 
from Embassies Nassau, Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince.  The 
conference followed  a December 11, 2007 meeting in Turks and Caicos 
(Reftel) and continued discussions on how best to coordinate each 
countries' law enforcement efforts to interdict drug and migrant 
traffickers in the region, intelligence sharing and  assisting the 
government of Haiti.  The conference heard presentations from law 
enforcement officials from Embassies Port-au-Prince and Santo 
Domingo on drug and migrant trafficking in Haiti and the Dominican 
Republic, along with suggestions about how The Bahamas and Turks and 
Caicos might best assist Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  The 
Bahamian Commissioner of Police raised the idea of expanding 
Operations Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) to include Haiti and the 
Dominican Republic.  It remains to be seen whether or not The 
Bahamas will formally ask to enlarge OPBAT.  The Governor of TCI 
suggested expanding the scope of OPBAT to include migrant smuggling 
in addition to drug trafficking.  A working group was empowered to 
follow-up on issues raised during the conference.  The GCOB offered 
to host the next Tripartite Conference in September.  End Summary. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
A REGIONAL APPROACH TO REGIONAL PROBLEMS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶2. (U) The Second Tripartite Conference, hosted by the Ambassador in 
Nassau on May 9, 2008 included a delegation from the government of 
The Bahamas led by Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest, a 
delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) led by Governor 
Richard Tauwhare and Minister of Home Affairs, Gelmo Williams. 
(Note: TCI is a British territory headed by a Governor appointed by 
the Queen.  The British are responsible for internal and external 
security, international obligations and foreign policy.  The local 
government raises revenue and maintains responsibility for other 
governing matters.  End Note).  Rear Admiral Steve Branham from USCG 
District-Seven, as well as the DEA Country Attach and Coast Guard 
Liaison Officer (CGLO) from Embassy Santo Domingo, the Narcotics 
Affairs Director from Embassy Port-au-Prince along with the British 
Ambassador to Haiti and the Dominican Republic participated in the 
conference. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) After brief introductory remarks by delegation heads, 
Governor Tauwhare discussed TCI's three-pronged approach to stopping 
illegal migration from Haiti.  This includes efforts to assist the 
 
 
GOH with trade and investment opportunities, warning Haitians who 
might consider trying to migrate of the dangers associated with 
illegal migration and engaging in dialogue with Haitian officials 
about how best to deter migration.  He noted that a delegation from 
TCI had been scheduled to visit Haiti to sign a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) related to these issues, but the recent unrest 
and forced resignation of the Prime Minister and his government 
caused postponement of the trip.  Tauwhare indicated that TCI has 
tightened its laws against illegal migration to insure that illegal 
migrants can not find employment on the local economy.  He mentioned 
the recent ban on wooden-hulled commercial sailing sloops from TCI 
ports, noting that the government hoped to expand this ban to cover 
all of TCI's territorial waters.  He reported that a contract had 
been signed to install a land-based radar system that would be able 
to track vessels at sea as far away as fifteen miles from the shore. 
 He hoped the radar would be fully operational by year's end.  The 
Governor stated that TCI was in the process of reorganizing its 
police branch and would soon be hiring someone from the outside to 
oversee the revamped police force. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Governor Tauwhare stated that he hoped the Tripartite 
Conference would allow for operational exchanges of information 
between the parties and more joint exercises.  He noted that more 
needed to be done to identify the leaders of drug and migrant 
trafficking organizations.  He hoped TCI authorities could work more 
closely with the Haitian National Police (HNP).  He proposed 
expanding the scope of Operations Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) 
to include migrant trafficking along with its current emphasis on 
drug trafficking.  He asked the U.S. Coast Guard to negotiate a 
Comprehensive Maritime Agreement (CMA) similar to the one now 
existing between the U.S. and The Bahamas. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Santo Domingo DEA Country Attach gave a grim view of 
the drug problems facing the Dominican Republic.  He noted that even 
when air and maritime trafficking is identified, the GODR lacks the 
air and sea assets required to interdict traffickers.  He stated 
that a regional strategy to combat drug trafficking had the greatest 
potential for success.  NAS Port-au-Prince noted that all of the 
challenges faced by the DR were also true in Haiti, but often 
multiplied due to the level of poverty and GOH capacity.  She 
reviewed the current situation in Haiti and remarked that combating 
drug trafficking is a priority for President Preval.  While noting 
that Haiti had taken a step back in recent weeks, it was making 
strides.  She opined that CARICOM had a bigger role to play in Haiti 
and encouraged the GCOB to use its influence in CARICOM on behalf of 
Haiti.  She suggested three strategies for Haiti: interdiction of 
drugs and migrants so as to make clear that these avenues do not 
pay; assistance to improve living conditions in Haiti focusing on 
agriculture and tourism; and capacity building and increasing 
resources for the HNP. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Rear Admiral Branham noted that all of the participants 
were committed to take action against drug and migrant traffickers. 
He stated that the USCG strategy was to maintain a persistent 
presence in the region.  He remarked that upgrading the 
infrastructure in Great Inagua would allow the Coast Guard to better 
maintain its presence in the Windward Passage.  (Note: Great Inagua 
(G.I.) is the southeastern most island in The Bahamas chain.  It 
houses one of the three OPBAT bases and under Bahamian law, vessels 
traveling from the south into The Bahamas are required to stop and 
clear customs and immigration in G.I.  End Note).  He encouraged 
strategic communications to spread the word about the risks of 
migration and the downside of the drug culture.  He pledged to 
continue joint operations with Bahamian and TCI maritime law 
enforcement and looked forward to making progress in the sharing of 
intelligence.  He noted that the USG would be donating five vessels 
and returning a sixth refurbished GOH vessel (a joint NAS, DOD, USCG 
project) to the Haitian Coast Guard in the coming weeks and hoped 
these assets would be supplemented with additional assets in the 
future.  In response to the RBPF, he mentioned that law enforcement 
needed to demonstrate that it was fully utilizing existing resources 
before asking for additional ones. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Minister Turnquest noted that the RBPF Training College 
had provided mid-level training for eight HNP members over the past 
few years.  He pledged to continue training the HNP and offered 
additional training slots to members of the Royal Turks and Caicos 
Island Police Force.  RBPF Commissioner Ferguson raised the 
possibility of expanding OPBAT into the Dominican Republic and 
Haiti.  He warned against establishing parallel organizations, 
noting that with the resources of Joint Interagency Task Force-South 
(JIATF-S) and the OPBAT Operations Center in the Embassy in Nassau a 
framework existed that could be expanded.  He mentioned the 
importance of CARICOM in working with Haiti.  NAS Port-au-Prince 
agreed with the Commissioner, noting that CARICOM can work with 
Haiti in ways the U.S. can not.  The Commissioner asked about the 
mechanism for sharing intelligence, agreeing that we all need to 
work closer together. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Ambassador agreed that expanding OPBAT would be a 
great idea, noting that if we do not consolidate our assets and use 
them more efficiently, we could lose them.  After a brief discussion 
about the mechanism for enlarging OPBAT, the parties agreed that the 
governments of The Bahamas and TCI would discuss expansion 
internally and, if a consensus developed, make a written request 
asking to renegotiate the OPBAT agreement to the Embassy.  Governor 
Tauwhare echoed his earlier remarks calling for expanding OPBAT to 
include migrant interdiction and pledged to provide a written 
request to do so.  He asked if OPBAT could somehow share information 
with the UN forces currently in Haiti as well as with the HNP and 
Haitian Coast Guard.  The parties agreed to have a working group 
follow-up on these issues. 
 
 
¶9.  (SBU) NAS Port-au-Prince noted that Haiti has an Intelligence 
Sharing Center and Embassy Port-au-Prince would explore the 
possibility of the Center sharing information with OPBAT.  She 
indicated that Embassy Port-au-Prince would encourage the GOH to 
sign the pending MOU with TCI, if that was deemed useful.  She 
encouraged the GCOB to consider banning wooden-hulled sailing sloops 
from Bahamian waters and the GTCI to extend the port ban on these 
vessels to include all its territorial waters.  She noted that these 
vessels are a hazard to migrants who use them as well as a threat to 
the region and any measures that would keep them from international 
waters should be supported.  Director of Bahamian Immigration 
Burrows responded that the Bahamian government was reviewing draft 
legislation that would effectively ban wooden-hulled sailing sloops 
from Bahamian waters. 
 
¶10. (SBU) CGLO Santo Domingo shared information on the biometric 
identification methods employed by USCG vessels in the Mona Passage. 
 This information allows the Coast Guard to identify passengers and 
crew on suspected migrant smuggling vessels stopped in the Mona 
Passage and has succeeded in identifying a number of criminals 
wanted in the U.S. as well as those suspected of arranging these 
illegal voyages.  Both the GCOB and GTCI expressed interest in 
having biometric identification information available to their law 
enforcement agencies to enhance enforcement efforts in this region. 
Rear Admiral Branham indicated the success of the biometric 
initiative in the Mona Passage has resulted in District Seven 
expanding these efforts to the Florida Straits and Windward Passage. 
District Seven cutters are gradually being outfitted with the 
necessary equipment to carry this out. 
 
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CONCLUSIONS 
----------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) In concluding the meeting, the parties agreed to empower 
the Working Group created at the December 11, 2007 meeting to 
continued discussions concerning coordinating available assets and 
sharing intelligence, standing-up an Operations Center in TCI, 
planning for future joint operations, determining how to share 
intelligence/information with the Haitian and Dominican Intelligence 
Centers and the UN in Haiti, improving security at sea and airports 
and following-up on the draft legislation that would ban 
wooden-hulled commercial freighters in The Bahamas and from the 
territorial waters of TCI.  The parties agreed that the Working 
Group be expanded to include representatives from Embassies Santo 
Domingo and Port-au-Prince.  Finally, Embassy Nassau indicated that 
it would await formal requests from the GCOB and GTCI to expand 
OPBAT before taking any further steps.  The GCOB offered to host the 
next Tripartite Meeting in September 2008. 
 
 
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COMMENTS 
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¶12.  (SBU) The Second Tripartite Meeting continued the momentum 
generated by the first meeting last December in Grand Turk.  The 
parties were pleased to hear the perspective of officials from the 
U.S. and British Embassies in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 
Absent a commitment of significant additional USG resources to 
OPBAT, it is unlikely that the GCOB will seriously push to expand 
it.  The RBPF Commissioner's proposed expansion of OPBAT appeared to 
be off the cuff and not a result of internal discussions within the 
GCOB.  Governor Tauwhare's idea to expand OPBAT to include migrant 
interdiction is more likely to result in a formal request for 
consideration from the GTCI.  Should the USG decide to move forward 
with a "Mini Merida" for the Caribbean, expanding OPBAT to Haiti and 
the Dominican Republic and upgrading the infrastructure in Great 
Inagua would be excellent uses for additional funding.  Post will 
discuss septel the requirements and benefits of upgrading Great 
Inagua.  End Comment. 
 
¶13.  (U) Embassies Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince cleared this 
cable. 
 
Elmo