VZCZCXYZ0020
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGT #0773/01 1712222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 192222Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5572
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0045

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000773 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO PM/DTCC- BLUE LANTERN COORDNIATOR 
TEL AVIV FOR M. KEAYS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC IS GT
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO BLUE LANTERN PRE-LICENSE CHECK 
050107086 
 
REF: STATE 63028 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Post has confirmed that the reftel arms 
purchase was ordered by the International Commission Against 
Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) for the purpose of establishing 
an internal security force capable of providing protection 
for CICIG staff and investigators.  Due to the high profile 
and sensitive nature of CICIG,s mandate, the organization 
has decided to create a 45-man security organization 
comprised of non-Guatemalan security professionals and donor 
country police officers.  CICIG has a U.S.-standard storage 
facility for the weapons and is implementing a sensitive 
items inventory control regime modeled on the U.N. Security 
Office in New York.  Local authorities responsible for 
weapons importation and control are aware of the planned 
shipment and will provide all documentation required.  Post 
supports the approval of license 050107086 as soon as CICIG 
provides host country import approval documentation.  End 
Summary. 
 
CICIG,s Plan to Create a Security Force 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Due to the general crime situation and the very real 
threat of reprisals by organized crime groups against the 
UN-led International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala 
(CICIG) investigators, CICIG  has decided to create a force 
of 45 non-Guatemalan agents that will work in concert with 
local police to provide physical security to CICIG employees. 
 The security force is being created along the same lines as 
a traditional U.N. security force, with training and 
instruction provided by U.N. trainers, and will have weapon 
inventory and control protocols adopted from the New York 
Office of the U.N.  The CICIG office occupies the former 
residence of the U.S. Marine Security Detachment, and as such 
contains a weapons room and gun safe that meet U.S. military 
specifications. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Joe Leal, an AMCIT career U.N. security officer on 
loan to CICIG from U.N. New York, stated that he has been 
interviewing candidates for some time and hopes to have the 
unit up and running by the end of the year.  He added that 
the two criteria he is focusing on are that applicants speak 
Spanish and have relevant international work experience (many 
of the unit members are coming from other UN missions, or 
have served as security contractors in Iraq or Afghanistan). 
He added that about half of the 45-man force will probably 
end up being members of donor countries' national police 
forces seconded to CICIG.   He listed Chile, Uruguay, and 
Peru as countries that have already agreed to send security 
personnel for extended TDY assignments. 
 
CICIG Confirms Plans to Import Weapons 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Leal stated that he decided to import the weapons 
needed to arm the new security force due to the high local 
cost of firearms and the fact that 9mm Glocks (the standard 
issue weapon for U. N. security personnel) are not legally 
obtainable on the local market.  He is focusing on recruiting 
current and former UN security personnel, who will expect to 
be armed with the same service weapons normally issued by the 
U.N.  Leal readily admitted that when he started the process 
to import the reftel weapons he did not fully understand how 
the process worked, but has since discussed the process with 
the Guatemalan agency responsible for the importation and 
registration of weapons (DECAM) and Poloff.  He now 
understands the steps he will need to follow to complete the 
process.  Leal has received the proper forms from DECAM and 
Qprocess.  Leal has received the proper forms from DECAM and 
stated that as soon as he receives the serial numbers of the 
weapons in question he will submit the import request to 
DECAM.  Leal is familiar with U.S. non-transfer and resale 
provisions, and added that he also must abide by U.N. 
regulations regarding the transfer of weapons that in most 
cases mirror U.S. laws. 
 
ISDS's Involvement in the Transaction 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) Leal stated that he has known the owner of 
International Security & Defense Systems (ISDS), Leo Glesier, 
for several years, but this is the first commercial 
transaction he has had with ISDS.  He added that ISDS was the 
company recommended to him by the procurement officer for the 
U.N. New York office, and that ISDS has provided arms for 
other U.N. security offices.  According to Leal, the U.N. 
maintains a list of acceptable arms import/export companies 
and that the U.N. has no derogatory information regarding 
 
ISDS. 
 
¶6. (SBU) ISDS does not have an office or representation in 
Guatemala and at no time would take possession of the weapons 
after they entered the country, according to Leal.  Upon 
arrival in Guatemala the weapons would be transferred from 
Customs to DECAM, who would perform the required ballistic 
testing.  DECAM would then turn the weapons directly over to 
CICIG.  Leal stressed that he has no plans to arm any 
Guatemalans, rather the weapons would be used by 
international security staff hired by CICIG and third country 
police seconded to CICIG by donor countries. 
 
DECAM Confirms Knowledge of Transaction 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) On June 18, Poloff met with DECAM director Col. 
David Barrientos, who confirmed knowledge of CICIG,s intent 
to import weapons.  He stated that DECAM had already approved 
a CICIG license request to purchase ten handguns locally, to 
allow CICIG,s security officers to operate until the reftel 
shipment arrives in country.  He added that CICIG would need 
to follow the normal importation requirements and that his 
office had yet to receive the completed arms importation 
request.  He stated that his office had provided the 
necessary paperwork to CICIG and had offered instruction on 
how to complete the process.  CICIG will need two importation 
licenses to cover the weapons in question, one approved by 
DECAM to cover the 30 pistols and one approved by both DECAM 
and the Ministry of Defense to cover the six automatic 
rifles.  Barrientos stated that once the paperwork was 
submitted it would be approved "in under two weeks," adding 
that he had been asked by the Minister of Defense to assist 
CICIG in any way possible.  (NOTE:  Barrientos stressed that 
the import license would be approved as soon as possible, but 
he wants to make sure that the proper procedures are 
followed.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT:  The USG is the single largest donor to 
CICIG, and the Embassy has made every effort to ensure that 
it will succeed in its mission to combat organized crime and 
impunity in Guatemala.  The proposed weapons sale will help 
CICIG provide needed security for its investigators, and as 
such will strengthen the organization's ability to fulfill 
its mandate.  Post has every confidence that this is a 
legitimate transaction and recommends immediate approval of 
the export license as soon as CICIG provides host country 
import license for the reftel weapons. 
Derham