CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): CTFS AND GREG

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002854 SIPDIS STATE FOR AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S SECDEF FOR OSD/ISC JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN) NSC FOR CHUPA WINPAC FOR LIEPMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL CWC SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): CTFS AND GREG LINDEN This is CWC-120-03. Action request in para 3. ¶1. On November 10, U.S. Delegation to the OPCW representatives Pete Ito and Betsy Sanders met with Greg Linden, Chief of Information Systems Branch (C/ISB) of the OPCW Technical Secretariat (TS) to discuss TS plans for data automation (two reports, FAXed back to AC/CB) and the upcoming Security Audit-IV. Linden expressed appreciation for the U.S. efforts on the English and foreign language versions of the CTFS, and provided testing reports done by two software developers (faxed to AC/CB). Linden asked that work not begin on the Arabic or Chinese versions until the assessment of the CTFS is complete. He estimated that he would have a more definitive answer on these latter two versions by early to mid-December 2003. ¶2. Linden also provided ISB's testing report on the CTFS tool releases 0.5.1 and 0.5.24, which presents the views of two software developers (faxed to AC/CB). Basic concerns were expressed on inconsistencies of data across forms, inoperability of certain buttons, inflexibility of the date field (U.S. format only),and inability of exiting certain forms without filling in data fields. Linden reported that the U.S. developers promised to provide the source codes, but ISB had not received the foreign language source codes and had received some but not all of the source code of the English version. Action Request: Del requests that the source codes for English and foreign language versions of the CTFS be provided for passage to Linden to better enable ISB decisions regarding how best to include the CTFS in its Verification Information System (VIS) Components Architecture. ¶3. Linden also provided a report entitled "User Requirements Document Reflecting Declaration Branch Needs for the Enhanced VIS." This document presents ISB plans to better support Declaration Branch requirements. Linden noted that this was the first time that the software developers met with the eventual software users to determine what reports were needed and what core capabilities were required by the users. On this basis, ISB developed a target IT architecture. Linden provided a schematic of the current IT system structure, a schematic of the target IT system, and a schematic depicting the VIS Architecture. Both the target system and the VIS include the CFTS as a key component. ¶4. Finally, Linden briefly discussed the upcoming security audit and its timing. ISB is changing the TS IT operating system in the early December 2003 timeframe, and requested that the audit begin in early to mid-January 2004. Linden noted that if the audit began in December, the auditors would then have a picture of how things were, not how things will be. By delaying until January, the auditors will be able to assess how well the TS did during the migration from one system to the other as well as the functionality of the new system. Linden added that he welcomed the audit and looked forward to seeing the results of the fourth security audit team (SAT-IV). ¶5. Javits sends. RUSSEL