ENHANCING WORLDWIDE COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000523

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY
STATE ALSO FOR AF, AF/E, S/CT, DS/DSS/IP AND DS/DSS/ITA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2014
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC PINR DJ RU
SUBJECT: ENHANCING WORLDWIDE COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION
WITH RUSSIA

REF: STATE 71826

Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA RAGSDALE.
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Ambassador met April 7 at the Russian Embassy with
Russia's Ambassador to Djibouti Alexandre Bregadze to note
Deputy Minister Trubnikov's meeting with Deputy Secretary
Armitage and to discuss the advancement of U.S.-Russian
common interests in prosecuting the global war on terrorism.
(see reftel) Ambassador told Bregadze that the U.S. believes
there is a need to work more closely with Russia in
counterterrorism. She noted that while Cold War images over
the past decade have hindered bilateral cooperation between
the U.S. and Russia on counterterrorism, we are now in a new
era where the implications of terrorism for both nations are
real.


2. (S) Bregadze responded that he had also received
communication from his government to develop more broader
cooperation with the U.S. He had been fully briefed on
Deputy Secretary Armitage's meeting with Minister Trubnikov.
Bregadze added that his mission had made an effort in this
area with the American Embassy in the past, but had detected
what he described as "a measure of reluctance" to engage.
Ambassador responded that some of the concerns Bregadze
expressed may relate to the previous state of relations
between Russia and the United States or of language facility.
The new era, however, now requires change. She pledged the
full cooperation of the Embassy and hoped that he would also
reciprocate with his mission staff. Ambassador conveyed to
Bregadze, the name of Embassy's Regional Affairs Officer
(RAO),who would be in a position to discuss with his Russian
counterpart more technical aspects of our counterterrorism
efforts.


3. (C) Ambassador also stated that the Embassy has worked
with Djibouti as part of the Anti-Terrorism Assistance
initiative of the U.S. to implement training of Djiboutian
police and other law enforcement personnel in explosive
incident countermeasures, post-blast investigations, VIP
protection, hostage-taking negotiations and several other
courses aimed at deterring and/or disrupting terrorist acts.
She told Bregadze that Embassy's Regional Security Officer,
with responsibility for Mission Security, would be able to
brief his Russian counterpart on this training program.


4. (S) Bregadze agreed and seemed pleased by the U.S. desire
to cooperate. He stated, however, that he had a very small
staff in Djibouti and none dedicated to counterterrorism.
Yet there is an officer based at the Russian Embassy in Addis
Ababa, he said, who has this portfolio and also services
Djibouti. Bregadze said he would ask this officer to get in
touch with Embassy Djibouti's RAO.


5. (C) Comment: The Russian Ambassador is personable and an
informed interlocutor, reads avidly, and selectively, has
shared specific items with Ambassador, and appears to have a
good grasp of U.S. strategic and economic interests in Africa
and the Middle East. He sees radical Islam, at the root of
much of Middle East terrorism, as an ideology of poverty that
has replaced ideologies such as Communism. He sees no repeat
no base for radical Islam in Djibouti. On Somalia, Bregadze
expressed the belief that a federation of loosely associated
states in Somalia proper might be the best route to peace
there because of the intractable nature of tribal conflict.
He also has expressed his conviction that no solution to the
problem in Somalia is possible absent cooperation and input
of Ethiopia.


6. (C) Comment continued: In response to Ambassador's
comment on the difficulties of attracting staff to hardship
posts in Africa, Bregadze stated that Russia's Foreign
Ministry has a similar difficulty. He said the problem is
greater than the preferences of his country's diplomats.
It's a matter of lack of bodies as experienced diplomats
leave the Foreign Service for more attractive opportunities
abroad or in the private sector.


7. (C) Comment continued: Ambassador Bregadze served at
Russia's mission in Paris as Cultural Attache and attended
France's L'Ecole Nationale de Science Politique. End comment.
RAGSDALE