VZCZCXRO7515
RR RUEHPT
DE RUEHBY #0034/01 0140249
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 140249Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2520
INFO RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 6901
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 5165
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 5172
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 CANBERRA 000034 
 
SENSITIVE 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/ANP, EEB/TRA/OTP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2020 
TAGS: ECON EAIR PTER PREL AS
SUBJECT: DHS DEPUTY SECRETARY LUTE VISIT TO AUSTRALIA 
 
REF: CANBERRA 21 
 
Classified By: Classified by: Political-Economic Counselor Edgard Kagan 
, Reasons 1.4 (b)(d). 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  In January 10 meetings with Australian 
Transportation Minister Albanese and National Security 
Advisor Lewis, DHS Deputy Secretary Lute stressed the need 
for global cooperation to strengthen security on 
international flights following the attempted Christmas Day 
terrorist attack.  D/S Lute outlined four areas of further 
work to enhance security:  improving information sharing; 
enhancing technology; targeting resources to strengthen weak 
parts of the system; and developing mechanisms for more 
international cooperation.  D/S Lute proposed a multilateral 
ministerial in the June-July timeframe, with location to be 
determined.  National Security Advisor (NSA) Lewis suggested 
multilateral endorsement by the G-20, which would then enable 
most international cooperation to be carried out by regional 
bodies.  Transport Minister Albanese said the 
recently-released National Aviation Security White Paper 
explicitly recognized the need for increased global 
consultation.  As a direct-result of the attempted Christm 
as-day attack, Prime Minister Rudd tasked NSA Lewis to 
conduct a comprehensive review to ensure the Australian 
intelligence community can "connect the dots."  Noting the 
success of U.S.-Australia cooperation on aviation security, 
D/S Lute stressed the importance of meeting with Australian 
officials on her global trip.  This cable has been cleared by 
D/S Lute's senior staff.  End Summary. 
 
Meeting Participants 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy 
Secretary Jane Holl Lute met with Australian Minister of 
Transport Anthony Albanese and National Security Advisor 
Duncan Lewis on January 10.  Other Australian participants 
included:  Minister Albanese's Chief of Staff, Michael 
Choueifate; Office of Transport Security (OTS) Deputy 
Secretary Andrew Wilson; and OTS Executive Director Paul 
Retter.  Other U.S. participants included:  Charge d' Affairs 
Dan Clune; DHS Deputy Secretary Chief of Staff David 
Pressman; DHS Office of Policy Assistant Secretary David 
Heyman; DHS Office of General Counsel Brad Kieserman; DHS 
Office of International Affairs (Asia/Pacific) Matt Mooney; 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Director of 
International Operations Robert Rottman; and TSA 
Representative to Australia, New Zealand and the South 
Pacific Jill Drury.  D/S Lute's delegation also met 
separately with officials from the Australian Department of 
Immigration and Citizenship(DIAC), which has overall 
responsibility 
for Australia's immigration program, including screening and 
immigration clearance of inbound and outbound passengers. 
Background and Agenda 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Following the attempted Christmas Day terrorist 
attack on Northwest Flight 253, TSA issued directives for 
additional security measures for international flights to the 
United States, such as increased passenger pat-downs and bag 
searches.  The DHS Deputy Secretary's delegation visited 
Australia as part of a two-week, 9-country, international 
outreach tour to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and 
South America.  Discussion in meetings with Australian 
counterparts focused on U.S. findings regarding the attempted 
Christmas Day terrorist attack and the resulting need for 
QChristmas Day terrorist attack and the resulting need for 
global cooperation to strengthen security on international 
flights. 
 
Preaching to the Converted 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C/NF) The Australians fundamentally agreed with D/S 
Lute's proposition that the terrorist threat is not directed 
at a single country and must, therefore, be addressed on a 
global basis.  To that end, they agreed on the need for 
governments to work together.  Minister Albanese welcomed the 
opportunity for an ongoing dialogue on aviation security 
because it is a "never-ending mission that must respond to an 
evolving threat."  Minister Albanese made similar statements 
to the press on the importance of international cooperation 
for what is an international problem.  At least three 
national newspapers published articles on the meeting. 
 
CANBERRA 00000034  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
December 25 Incident 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (S/NF) D/S Lute said the international community has been 
forced to react to terrorist incidents and that terrorists 
are putting their best minds on finding ways to attack us. 
In response, she said we must collectively employ our best 
minds in governments, airports and airlines to counter them 
and break the cycle of reaction.  D/S Lute provided 
background on the December 25 incident, beginning with the 
fact that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was largely unknown and 
that his first contact with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula 
occurred just five months prior to the incident. 
Nevertheless, D/S Lute said there was enough information that 
U.S. authorities should have done a better job "connecting 
the dots" in what she described as multiple system failures. 
Though the nature of Abdulmutallab's recruitment is under 
investigation, it appears he became motivated to 
self-radicalize.  She added the incident demonstrates 
terrorists' capacity to bypass security measures in one 
location, which can place the entire globa 
l aviation system at risk. 
 
Enhancing Security 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (S) D/S Lute outlined four areas for further work to 
enhance security: 
 
-- Information Sharing:  Many nations are doing a good job of 
this bilaterally, but there is room for improvement.  She 
cited the lack of common standards for passenger name 
recognition (PNR) data as an example. 
 
-- Technology:  DHS will leverage other departments, such as 
Defense and Energy, to accelerate development of new 
technology.  She warned, however, that technology is not 
foolproof.  Even the newest body scanners have an 
unimpressive "hit rate" on home-made explosives.  DHS will 
evaluate the use of currently-deployed technology to ensure 
the U.S. is using it to its full potential and look at ways 
to strengthen the human interface. 
 
-- Strengthening weak parts of the system through resource 
allocation:  DHS will address identified shortcomings by 
targeting more resources to less capable parts of the 
security system. 
 
-- International cooperation:  DHS recognizes the need to 
improve international consultation and collaboration and is 
seeking to identify mechanisms to further cooperation. 
 
Multilateral Ministerial Proposal 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (S/NF) To find common cause and identify the way ahead, 
D/S Lute proposed a multilateral ministerial in the June-July 
timeframe, with location to be determined.  Transport 
Minister Albanese was supportive of the idea as a way to 
reassure the public that governments are proactively working 
to get out in front of the terrorist threat and suggested 
that concrete deliverables for such an event should be 
identified and developed.  OTS Executive Director Paul Retter 
suggested a regional approach, perhaps using the APEC 
aviation security working group or the Quadrilateral Working 
Group (QUAD; Australia, U.S., Canada, EU), suggesting a QUAD 
"plus" (with others as appropriate).  He noted that in order 
to succeed, this effort must address national regulators, 
airports and airlines if it is to ensure the necessary 
capacity to implement and enforce aviation security 
standards.  D/S Lute thought such regional meetings could 
help support the multilateral ministerial meeting. 
 
Australian Initiatives 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. (S/NF) Transport Minister Albanese mentioned that on 
Q8. (S/NF) Transport Minister Albanese mentioned that on 
December 16, the GOA issued a National Aviation Security 
White Paper, which provided a comprehensive review of 
aviation security.  The paper, which recommended loosening of 
some security requirements, is being reexamined in the 
aftermath of December 25.  The White Paper explicitly 
recognized the need for increased global consultation. 
Albanese said Australia has good regional cooperation, and 
 
CANBERRA 00000034  003 OF 003 
 
 
mentioned Indonesia as a good example of this, but conceded 
that the GOA needed to do more about points-of-entry 
airports, such as Bali's Denpasar Airport.  OTS Deputy 
Secretary Andrew Wilson, noting there have been two incidents 
of security concern since December 25, where passengers have 
"slipped through" the system, remarked that system failure is 
not just a problem in the developing world.  National 
Security Advisor (NSA) Duncan Lewis reinforced the issue of 
improving security at last ports of call. 
 
¶9. (S/NF) NSA Lewis noted the close and long-standing 
relationships between U.S. and Australian security agencies, 
and suggested both countries leverage existing links to full 
capacity before adding new coordination mechanisms.  In 
response to NSA Lewis' suggestion that the G-20 could serve 
as a forum for the Ministerial, D/S Lute stressed the need to 
ensure that the organization chosen for the work be a 
"load-bearing instrument".  D/S Lute opined that this effort 
would benefit from a Sherpa process to ensure that what 
happens at the ministerial will be of substance. 
 
¶10. (S/NF) NSA Lewis noted that, as a direct-result of the 
attempted Christmas-day attack, Prime Minister Rudd tasked 
him to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure the 
Australian intelligence community can "connect the dots." 
(Note:  NSA Lewis also fills the role of integrating efforts 
within the Australian intelligence community -- roughly 
equivalent to DNI in the U.S.  End Note.)  He must report 
back to PM Rudd within the next two weeks and was clearly 
interested in obtaining the results of the U.S. review to 
inform his work.  His office also intends to issue a national 
Counterterrorism White Paper in the January/February 
timeframe. 
 
¶11. (S/NF) Comment:  D/S Lute's visit was extremely 
well-received by Minister Albanese and the other Australian 
officials.  They said that it demonstrated that the U.S. was 
consulting with them on an issue important to the Australian 
public and gave them the opportunity to show the public they 
were doing something about the problem.  National Security 
Advisor Lewis posited to Charge Clune after the meetings that 
the G-20 could, by endorsing this effort in very general 
terms at the multilateral level, enable regional bodies like 
the APEC aviation security working group and the association 
of Asia Pacific airports to carry out working-level functions 
and achieve more substantive cooperation, along the lines of 
the regional bodies of the Financial Action Taskforce 
launched by the G-8. 
 
BLEICH