MINISTER OF DEFENSE REVIEWING DECISION TO PROVIDE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000203 SIPDIS STATE FOR P, INL, L, WHA, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN SOUTHCOM FOR GENERAL HILL JIATF-S FOR RADM SIROIS SECDEF FOR EFROTHINGHAM NSC FOR JBJOSTAD DOJ FOR MLWARREN AND DKOFFSKY ONDCP FOR BCRANE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2014 TAGS: SNAR MOPS PINS PREL MCAP PINR HO SUBJECT: MINISTER OF DEFENSE REVIEWING DECISION TO PROVIDE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 193 ¶B. STATE 15961 ¶C. TEGUCIGALPA 179 ¶D. USDAO TEGUCIGALPA IIR 6 841 9971 04 (ALL NOTAL) Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer; Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On mid-afternoon of January 26 the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces informed USMILGP Commander that he would provide a written copy of the Honduran Air Force's rules of engagement for intercepting intruding civil aircraft violating Honduran airspace and for the use of live ammunition, including warning shots, against suspected narcotrafficking aircraft or other suspect aircraft flying in Honduran airspace. He later called back to say that the requested documents had been referred to the Minister of Defense and MOD attorneys for a final review and decision on whether or not to release the information. Ambassador has a previously scheduled luncheon with the Minister of Defense for January 27 and will raise issue if documents are not received on January 26. ¶2. (C) Once post receives documents in question, it will send a detailed cable January 27 specifying answers to questions raised in ref B and an informal Embassy translation of the rules of engagement. PALMER