CANADA: POSSIBLE SUPPORT FOR US COUNTER-NARCOTICS

UNCLAS OTTAWA 003368

SIPDIS

INL FOR CARROLL, COAST GUARD FOR KEISERMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR MARR CA
SUBJECT: CANADA: POSSIBLE SUPPORT FOR US COUNTER-NARCOTICS
AIR RECONNAISSANCE IN THE CARIBBEAN

REF: STATE 262028


1. Unclassified entire text.


2. Post delivered request for Canadian maritime patrol
aircraft assistance to Foreign Affairs Canada on December 10
as per reftel. Deputy Director for Regional Security and
Peacekeeping, Foreign Affairs Canada, Sarah Fountain-Smith
responded on December 15 that the GoC was not yet in a
position to respond, but will continue to explore the
possibility of future cooperation. She noted that her
counterparts in the Department of National Defense had been
told that Canadian military units quote can't take on
anything new unquote, but ventured that by considering this
US request for air reconnaissance assistance in terms of
North American Security, there might be some flexibility down
the line. She noted that no decision would likely be made
before the middle of January at the earliest.


3. Comment: Given the state of Canada's current CP 140
inventory (there are 17 aircraft in total and all of them are
either in Canada's deployed operational squadrons or their
one replacement squadron),Post suspects Canada may not have
the capability in the short term to respond positively to the
US request. However, Canadian law enforcement officials
informally told Post today that Colombian drug traffickers
and money launderers in Canada are about to be designated
national law enforcement intelligence targets. Once this
happens and it is made public, it may be easier for the
Canadian Government to link the effectiveness of fighting
Colombian drug runners and their surrogates in Canada with
participating in maritime patrol aircraft deployments in the
Caribbean.

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CELLUCCI