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DE RUEHRL #0176/01 0421512
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 111512Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6532
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/HQ USEUCOM LO WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCXONI/ONI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BERLIN 000176 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR, SCA, S/SRAP, S/CT, L, S/GC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2020 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV MARR AFDB AFIN GM
SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER VIEWS ON TFTP, AFGHANISTAN 
POLICE, COUNTERTERRORISM 
 
REF: A. BERLIN 138 
     ¶B. BERLIN 128 
     ¶C. BERLIN 38 
 
Classified By: Greg T. Delawie, Deputy Chief of Mission, for Reasons 1. 
4 (b and d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  Federal Interior Minister de Maiziere told 
the Ambassador that the Chancellor and he were personally 
contacting German European Parliamentarians to obtain their 
support for the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) 
interim agreement in the run up to the February 11 EP vote. 
The Ambassador expressed appreciation for Germany's 
contributions to civilian police training efforts in 
Afghanistan, highlighted a number of problem areas, and asked 
de Maiziere to encourage Germany's federal states - which 
supply the majority of trainers - to reward service in 
Afghanistan.   Regarding our bilateral (Pruem-like) agreement 
to prevent and combat serious crime, de Maiziere indicated 
that an official USG letter signaling U.S. willingness to 
discuss data privacy concerns should suffice to allow 
implementation to move forward.  De Maiziere promised a 
response on the Guantanamo detainee resettlement before the 
end of February.  End Summary 
 
 
¶2. (C)  Ambassador Murphy, accompanied by DCM, met with 
German Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on 
February 8 to review a range of key security and 
counterterrorism issues.  De Maiziere, who assumed his 
position in October 2009 after serving as Chancellor Merkel's 
Chief of Staff, has so far proven to be a reliable partner 
and ally on these issues. 
 
 
Afghanistan Police Training 
--------------------------- 
 
 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador shared his impressions of Germany's 
armed forces and civilian police trainers following his 
recent five-day visit to northern Afghanistan and Kabul (Ref 
A).  The Ambassador complimented de Maiziere on the 
dedication, professionalism and competence of the German 
soldiers and police he met on his trip and expressed 
appreciation for de Maiziere's efforts to boost Germany's 
contributions to train Afghan police (see Ref C).  However, 
the Ambassador highlighted three issues that require further 
attention.  The first concerns the lack of incentives for 
voluntary service in Afghanistan for police coming from 
Germany's 16 federal states.  During the Ambassador's visit 
to Afghanistan, some state police indicated that service in 
Afghanistan actually hindered their careers and reduced their 
opportunities for promotion.  The Ambassador encouraged de 
Maiziere to look into this issue, which the Minister promised 
to do.  Secondly, the Ambassador acknowledged Germany's 
important contributions to the Focused Police District 
Development (FPDD) program and highlighted the importance of 
partnering with Afghan security forces and embedding 
international mentors within Afghan forces in order to 
protect civilian populations.  The Ambassador noted that 
moving more German police trainers into the field, as FPDD 
does, requires Bundeswehr force protection and corresponding 
coordination, manpower and security challenges.  Lastly, the 
Ambassador drew attention to the difficulty faced by the 
Afghan Gendarmerie (formerly Afghan National Civil Order 
Police) who are tasked with policing in FPDD program 
districts during the eight-week period that local district 
forces are away at one of Germany's police training centers. 
The Afghan Gendarmerie who provide this "back fill" service 
are moved from one FPDD district to another which results in 
long absences from their homes/families and is unfortunately 
contributing to high dissatisfaction and attrition within the 
Gendarmerie.  De Maiziere promised to examine these issues 
 
BERLIN 00000176  002 OF 003 
 
 
further and welcomed the opportunity to continue a dialogue 
with the Ambassador on Afghanistan. 
 
 
Terrorist Finance Tracking Program 
---------------------------------- 
 
 
¶4. (C) The Ambassador stressed how important it is for the 
German federal government to lobby German European Parliament 
members on the usefulness of the TFTP.  Although USG 
representatives are making many calls to German MEPs, MEPs 
need to hear directly from their own government.  De Maiziere 
replied that the Chancellor and he are indeed personally 
contacting German MEPs to obtain their support for the TFTP 
interim agreement.  However, de Maiziere cautioned that the 
U.S. should avoid any messages that appear to "threaten" the 
Parliament/Europe with consequences if the European 
Parliament vote does not go as we wish as this would likely 
spur a backlash.  The Minister indicated that if the issue 
comes to a vote it could be a close one, but the issue is by 
no means "lost". 
 
 
¶5. (C) De Maiziere identified two individuals with influence 
with whom we might wish to engage: Bavarian Manfred Weber, 
who is the Deputy Chair of the European People's Party 
(Christian Democrats), and Spanish Interior Minister 
Rubalcaba.  De Maiziere described Weber, who had previously 
expressed skepticism about TFTP in the press, as a "fence 
sitter" who might be persuaded to come out in support of the 
interim agreement.  (Note: Subsequently, Consulate General 
Munich and the Ambassador reached out to Weber.)  De Maiziere 
described Rubalcaba as someone who understands the importance 
of TFTP, and given Spain's EU Presidency plus Rubalcaba's 
socialist party credentials, he could be particularly 
effective in changing minds within the socialist MEP block. 
 
 
Pruem-like Agreement to Prevent and Combat Serious Crime 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
 
¶6. (C) In response to the Ambassador's query, de Maiziere 
recommended the USG respond to his December 12 letter 
(written jointly with Justice Minister 
Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger) to DHS Secretary Napolitano and 
AG Holder with a message that expressed a willingness to 
discuss the concerns raised by federal states in the 
Bundesrat.  De Maiziere made the point that all parties 
recognize that the agreement itself is signed and sealed.  He 
explained that no one is asking for a re-negotiation.  Rather 
de Maiziere said he needs a U.S. signal that we are open to 
address the concerns, raised principally by Hamburg state, in 
the "framework of an implementation arrangement".  De 
Maiziere indicated that he had spoken with Hamburg Mayor 
Beust, who promised that such a message from the U.S. would 
suffice to assuage the Hamburg concerns. 
 
 
¶7. (C) De Maiziere noted that there is an internal discussion 
occurring within the EU Commission's legal division on 
whether the U.S.-EU Passenger Name Records (PNR) agreement 
requires ratification by all 27 member states.  De Maiziere 
hoped that ratification by all EU member states would not be 
needed, as it would add delays and possibly other 
complexities to the situation. 
 
 
Resettling Guantanamo Detainees 
------------------------------- 
 
 
¶8. (C) The Ambassador inquired if the Minister had any news 
 
BERLIN 00000176  003 OF 003 
 
 
regarding the U.S. request for German assistance in 
resettling Guantanamo detainees.  De Maiziere replied that 
the U.S. request is still being reviewed, the ministry is 
having productive internal meetings on the issue and he 
expects to give us an answer by the end of February. 
 
 
De Maiziere to visit Washington 
------------------------------- 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) De Maiziere indicated that he would be in Washington 
on April 28 and 29 and noted that he might approach us for 
assistance in scheduling meetings with U.S. officials. 
Murphy