VZCZCXRO1502
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0149/01 1421957
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221957Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0709
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 0549
RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU 0335

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARAMARIBO 000149 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR JROSHOLT; MFORTIN 
BRIDGETOWN FOR USAID JGOGGIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR SNAR MASS MOPS PREL XL NS
 
SUBJECT:  CARIBBEAN-U.S. TECHNICAL SECURITY COOPERATION MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 44630 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary.  The May 20 Caribbean-U.S. Technical Security 
Cooperation Meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname, concluded on a highly 
positive note, as U.S. and Caribbean representatives agreed to 
initiate a formal dialogue to develop and institutionalize a joint 
regional security strategy.  Caribbean participants welcomed our 
desire to ensure this "citizen safety" initiative reflects a true 
two-way partnership, co-responsibility, and a clear understanding of 
the need to address root causes as well as symptoms of the broad 
range of security challenges we face.  Delegations agreed to convene 
a working group in the coming weeks to develop a joint strategy and 
action plan for the dialogue.  The U.S. Delegation extended an offer 
to host the first formal meeting of the Caribbean-U.S. Dialogue on 
Security Cooperation in Washington, D.C. later this year.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The U.S. delegation, lead by U.S. Ambassador to Suriname 
Lisa Bobbie Schreiber Hughes and State/WHA Senior Security Advisor 
Giovanni Snidle, included robust interagency participation (State, 
DHS, AID, DOJ, OSD, SOUTHCOM, JIATF-S).  The Caribbean participants 
included senior representatives of member governments as well as 
regional security organizations:  CARICOM's Implementing Agency for 
Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Regional Security System (RSS). 
Astona Brown, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Security, 
Immigration and Foreign Affairs, St. Kitts and Nevis, co-chaired the 
meeting with Ambassador Schreiber Hughes. 
 
¶3.  (U) The U.S. delegation noted the Administration's request of an 
additional $30 million from Congress as "earnest" money in what we 
hoped would become, after consultation with Congress, a multi-year, 
multi-dimensional network of partnerships in the Caribbean to 
protect the safety of our citizens.  Following a review of regional 
threats, U.S. participants reviewed a number of existing regional 
security initiatives and noted that their acceleration would enable 
a stronger joint partnership.  The Caribbean countries provided 
several recommendations for the United States to consider for 
greater training and capacity building.  (Note:  With the addition 
of the $30 million announced by the President, the total request to 
Congress is $45 million.  End Note.) 
 
¶4.  (U) Brown responded that CARICOM is interested in 
institutionalizing the dialogue on CARICOM-U.S. security 
cooperation.  She said she was pleased the United States is talking 
to them as an equal partner, and listening to their views.  She 
thanked the United States for its contributions to the region over 
the years, as well as for this new effort to institutionalize, 
strengthen, and formalize the cooperation that already exists.  She 
agreed to the U.S. proposal to stand up a working group composed of 
the CARICOM "Bureau" of Security Ministers as well as The Bahamas, 
Dominican Republic, and the United States to define a joint regional 
security strategy.  The working group will convene on a 
to-be-determined date in June or July 2009 to define the areas of 
cooperation and to advance a joint security plan, agenda, and 
regional action plan for the Caribbean-U.S. Dialogue on Security 
Cooperation that will be held in Washington, DC, later this year. 
In addition, Brown welcomed the opportunity to use the 
Caribbean-U.S. Dialogue on Security Cooperation as a mechanism to 
engage additional partners, such as the United Kingdom, 
Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations Office on Drugs and 
Crime, and the Organization of American States, in order to broaden 
the region's security cooperation partnerships. 
 
¶5.  (U)  During the May 20 meeting, the Caribbean delegation briefed 
their strategic vision for the region.  The U.S. delegation 
emphasized the need to accelerate a number of regional initiatives, 
which will enable a stronger joint partnership.  The Caribbean 
countries provided several recommendations for the United States to 
consider for greater training and capacity building.  One identified 
goal included development of a well defined regional security 
strategy and plan, which would include efficient maritime and aerial 
responses to regional threats, strong criminal justice systems, 
effective mechanisms to counter gangs, violent crime, illegal 
trafficking in persons, firearms and drugs, and provide for justice 
sector reform.  Key strategies include the pooling of regional 
resources, holding a unified focus on shared and emerging threats, 
and standardizing levels of proficiency of human resources.  They 
suggested that enhancing U.S. cooperation with CARICOM on 
information and intelligence sharing, including integrated 
ballistics imaging (RIBIN), electronic fingerprint sharing (AFIS), 
as well as increasing opportunities for Caribbean region access to 
the U.S. international security cooperation instruments of the 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000149  002 OF 003 
 
 
Department of State and Department of Defense would be of interest 
to them.  A number of concrete projects were identified in which 
they welcomed U.S. resources or assistance. 
 
¶6.  (U) Caribbean delegations received positively U.S. delegation's 
proposal and suggested timeline for advancing this process, and our 
suggestion that the working group comprise:  the U.S., the CARICOM 
"Bureau of Security Ministers" (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and 
Barbados), The Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic.  Working group 
participants will include prosecutors and investigators charged with 
ensuring security in the region.  The Caribbean representatives 
provided detailed examples of projects already identified by the 
region and welcomed U.S. assistance in deepening this regionally 
based security cooperation, especially at the policy and technical 
levels.  Specific areas that are already targeted include regional 
training on port, airport, customs, and border security, as well as 
on forensics, counterterrorism and intelligence.  The group 
discussed ways to strengthen a dedicated Caribbean Regional Law 
Enforcement Training Institution, and one representative proposed 
that a U.S. International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) be placed 
in the region or that ILEA instructors visit the region.  Other 
suggestions included using local universities, such as the 
University of West Indies system, for computer-based or distance 
learning programs.  Another stressed the importance of the United 
States assisting CARICOM Training Centers of Excellence with 
temporary instructors rather than sending people to the United 
States due to the prohibitive costs involved. 
 
¶7.  (U) Another area of cooperation addressed was instituting and/or 
upgrading regional information sharing mechanisms.  They highlighted 
the importance of upgrading the advance passenger information system 
(APIS) and advance cargo information system (ACIS).  Several 
remarked that U.S. assistance in setting up a Regional Integrated 
Ballistics Network (RIBIN) as well as an integrated criminal records 
system would be of use.  One delegate proposed that the region move 
beyond eTrace to RIBIN. 
 
¶8.  (U) The Caribbean representatives provided a number of examples 
of how the United States could augment existing plans to expand the 
region's law enforcement capabilities.  Representatives listed 
justice protection and improved management of high risk witnesses as 
one of their priorities.  They noted deficiencies in nations' 
investigative and forensic capacities, and said they planned to set 
up regional homicide and kidnapping investigative units as well as 
regional forensic units to fill this gap.  As systemic corruption in 
some nations' security forces is a concern, they also discussed the 
establishment of a regional polygraph team that could be deployed to 
member states.  Reduction of homicides and firearm related injuries 
is also a priority.  Delegates touched upon the importance of 
enhancing anti-money laundering activities through financial 
information sharing and civil forfeitures.  They expressed interest 
in U.S. technical assistance in harmonizing regional legislation, 
including setting up extradition treaties, civil forfeiture, 
wiretap, counterterrorism, cyber security legislation, and examining 
enhancements to criminal procedure codes.  The Caribbean delegates 
also raised the issue of criminal deportees, suggesting a regional 
deportation coordination strategy.  The Barbados delegate cited 
CARICOM-sponsored study by Jamaican official Anne-Marie Barnes 
entitled, ""Beyond Boundaries: A Comparative Study on Criminal 
Deportation"; a recent academic paper that claimed a direct link 
between the rising crime and increased numbers of criminal 
deportations to the region.  (Note:  Embassy Port of Spain received 
five copies of the 100+ page report and will send to Washington for 
further dissemination.  End Note.) 
 
¶9. (U) USAID proposed complementary and well-funded programs for a 
range of crime prevention actions, primarily through a concentrated 
focus on at-risk youth, to include remedial education, early 
anti-gang interventions and first-time offender diversion programs, 
workforce development and job-training, along with reform and 
restructuring of the justice systems, especially that dealing with 
juveniles and rehabilitation efforts with ex-offenders.  The 
Caribbean participants responded very positively to the U.S. side's 
vision of a balanced approach to crime and security that highlights 
prevention, rehabilitation, and justice sector reform as one that 
offers the best likelihood of long-term sustainability through 
addressing a critical aspect of spiraling crime and violence, that 
being disaffected and alienated youth. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENTS:  The meeting was an important step forward in 
response to President Obama's call at the 5th Summit of the Americas 
(Port of Spain, April 2009) for initiatives to address common 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000149  003 OF 003 
 
 
development and security concerns in the region.  U.S. delegation 
was struck by the high degree of preparation for the talks by the 
Caribbean delegation, and by their uniformly positive and 
constructive approach.  As they discussed a broad spectrum of law 
enforcement, defense, and development concerns, Caribbean 
participants avoided exaggerated focus on contentious issues (e.g. 
criminal deportations) that in the past have hindered security 
conversations.  This suggests a new appreciation of the importance 
of establishing long-term security consultations and an efficient 
partnership with the U.S. that can strengthen countries' ability, in 
real time, to address pressing issues of citizen safety. 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  (Comment-continued)  This new tone would seem to augur 
well for efforts by U.S. agencies that, in years past, attempted 
unsuccessfully to reach common ground on a variety of issues with 
Caribbean counterparts.  Our receptivity to key Caribbean concerns 
could substantially widen a moment of opportunity that has been 
created, and leverage a degree of common cause we have found elusive 
in the past.  One of the most effective ways of doing so would be 
development of a new arrangement on deportees, consistent with U.S. 
policy and practice and the parameters set by the CARICOM Heads of 
Government April 4-5 Communiqu.  A proactive approach would be 
unexpected, and positively received, effectively steering this issue 
in a more pragmatic direction.  It would also pay big 
confidence-building dividends as we contemplate some of the most 
far-reaching cooperation ever with the Caribbean. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  (Comment - continued) The U.S. interagency community 
should consider responding expeditiously to Caribbean requests for 
training and technical assistance through existing interagency 
programs currently planned or available.  In defining the 
President's $45 million request to Congress for the Caribbean, we 
should closely respond to legitimate Caribbean requests made at the 
meeting on training, technical assistance, and law enforcement and 
defense assistance. 
 
¶13.  (U) (Ambassador's Comment.)  The Government of Suriname showed 
its commitment to the Caribbean-U.S. Dialogue on Security 
Cooperation by hosting the May 20 meeting.  As this interagency 
initiative progresses, we look forward to contributing to the 
process and encourage the interagency security community to ensure 
that the Dialogue's first host nation, Suriname, be afforded all 
appropriate opportunities offered by this new initiative.  If 
possible, we suggest offering Suriname a place on the working group. 
 As CARICOM Secretary General Carrington noted during the May 21 
meeting of the Council of Ministers Responsible for National 
Security and Law Enforcement, (Suriname) ... "became a member of the 
Community later than most but has certainly been one of the most 
active and committed member states of CARICOM."  (End Ambassador's 
Comment.)  Certainly this is the case with respect to security 
initiatives.  End Comments. 
 
¶14. (U) The delegation cleared on this cable. 
 
SCHREIBER HUGHES