IMPLEMENTING THE CROATIA EXBS PROGRAM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000914 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/AAE, EUR/SCE, EUR/PRA, EUR/ACE AND NP LJUBLJANA FOR EXBS PROGRAM ADVISOR JUSTICE FOR ICITAP AND OPDAT SARAJEVO FOR TILMAN AND KONTOS VIENNA FOR LEGATT AND CUSTOMS ROME FOR DEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2008 TAGS: KSTC ETTC PARM PREL ETTC PARM PREL HR HRKSTC SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTING THE CROATIA EXBS PROGRAM REF: A. STATE 92865 ¶B. 02 STATE 253531 CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF ROB SILBERSTEIN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) POST WELCOMES DEPARTMENT'S DECISION TO LAUNCH AN EXBS PROGRAM IN CROATIA AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT ON THE EXBS PROGRAM "ROAD MAP" (REF A). THE TECHNICAL PROGRAMS AND TRAINING THAT COME WITH THE EXBS PROGRAM GIVE US ADDED LEVERAGE TO FOSTER INCREASED GOC COOPERATION ON REGIONAL SECURITY AND ARMS CONTROL ISSUES. THE EXBS ENVIRONMENT IN CROATIA -------------- CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00914 01 OF 02 250603Z ¶2. (SBU) THE ASSISTANCE ENVIRONMENT IN CROATIA IS COMPLEX AND HAS CHANGED MARKEDLY SINCE THE EXBS ASSESSMENT TEAM CAME TO ZAGREB IN MARCH 2002. CROATIA, UNDER THE EU'S STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT, HAS BEGUN TO RECEIVE MILLIONS OF EUROS IN ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE EU/CARDS PROGRAM. APPROXIMATELY EURO 14 MILLION PER YEAR FROM 2002 TO 2004 IS EARMARKED FOR BORDER CONTROL, POLICE AND CUSTOMS REFORM AND ASYLUM ISSUES. EU MEMBER STATES ALSO PROVIDE LIMITED BILATERAL ASSISTANCE ON BORDER SECURITY ISSUES. THE USG, THROUGH THE INL- AND SEED-FUNDED PROGRAMS PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY USD 1.5 MILLION PER YEAR IN ASSISTANCE FOR POLICE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM. U.S. PROGRAMS ARE DUE TO PHASE OUT IN FY 2004. WE RECENTLY ALSO LAUNCHED THE DOD-MANAGED WMD COUNTER-PROLIFERATION PROGRAM. OUR CHALLENGE IS TO ENSURE THAT THE EXBS PROGRAM COMPLEMENTS AND DOES NOT COMPETE WITH THESE EXISTING INITIATIVES. ¶3. (C) THE EU FACTOR IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. CROATIA'S PRINCIPAL FOREIGN POLICY GOAL IS EU MEMBERSHIP. OUR EXPERIENCE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THAT CROATIAN POLICY-MAKERS WILL SHY AWAY FROM IMPLEMENTING ANY INITIATIVE SHOULD THEY BELIEVE THAT ITS PRESCRIPTIONS ARE IN CONFLICT WITH EU RECOMMENDATIONS OR PROGRAMS. ¶4. (SBU) WHILE THE ASSISTANCE FIELD IS CROWDED, THE EXBS PROGRAM ADDRESSES A UNIQUE NEED. THE EU'S PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED ON CROATIA'S EXTENSIVE UNDER-MANNED AND UNDER-EQUIPPED LAND BORDER: CROATIAN PORTS AND MARITIME SECURITY ISSUES LARGELY HAVE BEEN IGNORED BY THE EU. NEITHER DOES THE CARDS PROGRAM ENVISION INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN CROATIAN CONTROLS OVER ARMS AND DUAL USE EXPORTS. U.S. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00914 01 OF 02 250603Z CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTOR ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS COULD PROVIDE A USEFUL LAUNCHING PAD FOR SOME EXBS INITIATIVES, BUT THEIR EMPHASIS LAYS ELSEWHERE. ¶5. (C) DURING OUR BILATERAL DEFENSE CONSULTATIONS IN FEBRUARY 2003, GOC REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE LACK OF INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION SERIOUSLY DEGRADED CROATIA'S ABILITY TO CONTROL ITS BORDERS AND TO MANAGE CRISES. WHILE SOME REFORMERS IN THE GOC ARE READY TO CREATE AN INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE TO COORDINATE BORDER AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT ISSUES, BUREAUCRATIC RESISTANCE WITHIN THE GOC HAS STYMIED THIS INITIATIVE TO DATE. BY TARGETING OUR EXBS ASSISTANCE, WE HOPE TO ENCOURAGE THE GOC TO STAND UP SUCH A COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE RESOURCES THAT WOULD FLOW FROM THE EXBS AND WMD PROGRAMS. SUCH A SINGLE FOCAL POINT WOULD MAKE OUR ASSISTANCE DELIVERY MORE EFFICIENT AS WELL AS ENHANCE THE OVERALL BORDER SECURITY/CRISIS MANAGEMENT CAPACITY OF CROATIA. WAY AHEAD -------------- ¶6. (SBU) UPON RECEIPT OF REF A, POST FORMED AN EXBS WORKING CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ1009 PAGE 01 ZAGREB 00914 02 OF 02 250603Z ACTION INL-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 CIAE-00 CIP-00 CTME-00 DOEE-00 WHA-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NRRC-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OMB-01 PM-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 T-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 ECA-00 SSD-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /004W -------------- 5AEA8B 250604Z /38 R 250554Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0022 INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY ROME AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO AMEMBASSY VIENNA DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC SECDEF WASHDC DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC CTF SIX SIX COMSIXTHFLT COMUSEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE COMUSEUCOM ALT SHAPE BE DIA WASHDC CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00914 02 OF 02 250603Z FBI WASHDC USMISSION USOSCE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000914 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/AAE, EUR/SCE, EUR/PRA, EUR/ACE AND NP LJUBLJANA FOR EXBS PROGRAM ADVISOR JUSTICE FOR ICITAP AND OPDAT SARAJEVO FOR TILMAN AND KONTOS VIENNA FOR LEGATT AND CUSTOMS ROME FOR DEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2008 TAGS: KSTC ETTC PARM PREL ETTC PARM PREL HR HRKSTC SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTING THE CROATIA EXBS PROGRAM GROUP COMPRISED OF DAO AND POL SECTIONS REPRESENTATIVES, THE DOJ/ICITAP POLICE ADVISOR, U.S. CUSTOMS/SECI ADVISOR, AND EXBS PROGRAM MANAGER STEVE HAYWARD. THE WORKING GROUP CONCURRED WITH THE GENERAL THRUST OF THE REF A ROAD MAP, PARTICULARLY ITS EMPHASIS ON PORT AND MARITIME SECURITY AND EXPORT CONTROL TRAINING. THE DOJ/ICITAP ADVISOR COMMENTED THAT THE USD 55,000 IN "TRAIN-THE-TRAINER" EQUIPMENT DUPLICATED ONGOING INL- AND SEED-FUNDED ACTIVITIES. WE RECOMMEND THAT THIS FUNDING BE REALLOCATED TO OTHER EXBS NEEDS. THE EXBS ADVISOR WAS ASKED TO FOLLOW UP ON A INFORMAL PLEDGE OF WMD-PROGRAM IMPLEMENTERS TO DELIVER USD 75,000 IN RADIATION PAGERS THROUGH THE WMD PROGRAM, FREEING UP THOSE RESOURCES FOR OTHER EXBS ACTIVITIES. THE WORKING GROUP ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE EXBS ADVISOR INCORPORATE IN THE DRAFT EXBS CROATIA 2003 COUNTRY PLAN PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT AND CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00914 02 OF 02 250603Z NURTURE THE GOC'S NASCENT INTER-AGENCY BORDER SECURITY AND CRISIS COORDINATION BODY. NEXT STEPS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) POST PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING NOTIONAL TIME-LINE FOR ENGAGING WITH THE GOC AND OTHER BILATERAL DONORS ON THE EXBS PROGRAM: -- BY APRIL 30: NOTIFY THE GOC THAT THE EXBS PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED, OUTLINE OUR VISION FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM AND DELIVER THE EXBS "TRIP REPORT" (REF B). -- APRIL 30: INFORMALLY BRIEF THE LOCAL INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY DONORS ASSISTANCE GROUP (EU, OSCE, FRANCE, UK, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, CANADA) ON THE EXBS INITIATIVE. BEGIN INTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE GERMANS AND AUSTRIANS, WHO DIRECT THE EU/CARDS BORDER POLICE AND CUSTOMS REFORM INITIATIVES. -- MID-MAY: EMBASSY EXBS WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW DRAFT EXBS 2003 CROATIA COUNTRY PLAN THAT EXBS LJUBLJAN IS IN THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING. -- EARLY JUNE: PRESENT EXBS 2003 PROPOSED WORK PLAN TO THE MFA AND TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOC'S MARITIME AND BORDER SECURITY COMMITTEE FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. ¶8. (U) EMBASSY ZAGREB EXBS POCS ARE: POLOFF ROBERT SILBERSTEIN: 385-1-661-2341; CELL: 385-91-455-2379. DAO: CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00914 02 OF 02 250603Z LCDR ROBERT ALLEN: 385-1-661-2308; CELL: 385-91-455-2308. MOON CONFIDENTIAL >