VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRA #0588 3450813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110813Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6181
INFO RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS RIGA 000588 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT PASS TO RHONDA SHORE (S/CT) 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO NCTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC LG
 
SUBJECT: LATVIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM 
 
¶1. (U) Below is Embassy Riga's draft of the 2009 Latvia Country 
Reports on Terrorism.  Embassy POC is Matt Stokes 
(StokesMR@state.gov). 
 
Begin Report: 
 
In May, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an action plan for 
responding to terrorist threats and attacks on people or objects in 
Latvia's territory.  In September, Latvia established a working 
group to develop an action plan for terrorist or pirate attacks 
against Latvian ships anywhere in the world.  The Transportation 
Ministry is currently developing legislation to control hazardous 
cargo and is developing an action plan to respond to emergency 
situations related to hazardous cargo.  Latvia regularly 
participates in the European Union's Terrorism Working Group. 
 
In October, the Counterterrorism Center of the Latvian Security 
Police and the Riga International Airport organized a 
counterterrorism exercise that simulated a plane high jacking and 
hostage situation.  Representatives from the Security Police, Riga 
International Airport, Civil Aviation Agency, State Border Guards, 
State Police, State Fire and Rescue Service, Center of Emergency and 
Disaster Medicine, and the Prosecutor General's Office participated. 
 
 
As of December, Latvia was contributing 170 soldiers to support the 
International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, including an 
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT).  As a country 
participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), Latvia continued to 
comply with requirements in the VWP law related to information 
sharing and other law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation. 
This cooperation was further enhanced by the Implementing 
Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. 
 
Latvia's Financial Intelligence Unit maintained a terrorist 
financing database that it shared with local banks. Since the May 
2005 U.S. Treasury designation of two Latvian banks as institutions 
of "primary money laundering concern" under Section 311 of the 
Patriot Act, Latvian government and regulatory agencies have worked 
very closely with the United States to enhance their legislative and 
regulatory framework. There have been no further sanctions on 
Latvian banks.  In 2006, Treasury lifted the proposed sanction 
against one bank. In the case of the second institution, the issue 
is specific to the bank and its ownership structure, and does not 
reflect Latvian regulatory efforts.