THAILAND: REQUESTS FOR FUNDING PKO PROJECTS IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BANGKOK 006094

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP. PM (SKWAK)
DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA (JPOWERS)
PACOM FOR FPA HUSO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR TH PKO
SUBJECT: THAILAND: REQUESTS FOR FUNDING PKO PROJECTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE WAR ON TERROR

REF: A. SECSTATE 143881

B. HIGGINS-LAMBERT EMAILS


1. (SBU) Post appreciates the opportunity to propose projects
supporting U.S. strategic peace keeping and counter terrorism
objectives. The Embassy outlines below several projects, in
priority order, to improve the Thai ability to thwart terrorism
and to fulfill more effectively its peacekeeping obligations.
We offer three different categories of projects. First, we
propose funding the purchase of a number of items that will
improve the safety of flight operations at Utapao Naval Air
Station. Utapao is a Royal Thai Navy facility that services
hundreds of U.S. military flights to OIF, OEF or the region per
year and was the hub for our military relief operations during
the Indian Ocean Tsunami response. Second, we have been working
with the Royal Thai military, PACOM and Washington for some time
to build a state-of-the-art National Training Facility (NTF)
that can by used by both Thai and U.S. forces training for
counter terrorism and peacekeeping operations and to ensure that
Thai forces have the proper training and equipment to conduct
PKO and CT operations. We envision the NTF also becoming a key
site for joint/combined training with militaries from other
countries and help us to work with the Thai to strengthen our
links with other militaries in Asia. Finally, we propose a
number of projects aimed directly at promoting moderate
responses by the Government and by local citizens to the ongoing
unrest in the southern provinces of Thailand.


2. (SBU) PROJECT: PURCHASING "STRIKER" AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND
FIRE FIGHTING (ARFF) VEHICLE AND OTHER SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR
UTAPAO NAVAL AIR STATION THAILAND

Background: Utapao has served as one of the key transportation
hubs in support of the War on Terrorism. Key air refueling
operations were supported out of this base during the initial
air operations in Afghanistan. The air field also plays a key
role today as a refueling and rest stop for air crews conducting
support operations into the operational theater as well as the
Strait of Malacca. This base served as the regional staging hub
for the multi-national response to the December 2004 Indian
Ocean Tsunami.

Current assessments of the air field indicate that its regional
and operational support role will likely increase in the
future. The crash and rescue equipment located at Utapao only
marginally meets the requirements for safe operations under U.S.
Military safety standards. Communications and lighting
facilities should also be upgraded. Increasing the crash and
rescue readiness posture by providing modern fire fighting
capabilities will increase the overall safe operations of the
air field possibly saving the lives of U.S. air crews and
limiting damage to U.S. aircraft in an emergency. Initial
assessments of Utapao indicate that three modern fire fighting
trucks are needed to optimize the safety response capabilities
there. In this proposal, we seek funding for one. Please see
para. 6 for our request for a second truck and additional safety
equipment, should additional funds be made available.

Notional Use: The continued operation of this air field is
critical to the U.S. operational mission in prosecuting the War
on Terrorism.

Cost: Currently under research -- a Striker fire fighting truck
suitable for Utapao would cost roughly $500,000.



3. (SBU) PROJECT: UPGRADING CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE (CQB)
TRAINING FACILITY, SPECIAL WARFARE CENTER, LOP BURI, THAILAND

Background: Units assigned to the Thai Special Warfare Center
are the designated Counter Terrorism forces for the Kingdom of
Thailand. This project would upgrade the current CQB building,
expanding the level and quality of live fire training that can
be conducted there. This facility would be a key component of a
National Training Facility designed to train Thai, U.S. and
third country CT forces. The CQB would allow users to hone
skills needed for direct action missions required during CT
operations.

The CQB building will be co-located with an Exercise Related
Construction project at Lop Buri designed to provide a realistic
urban training environment for U.S. and Thai Special Operations
Forces. This directly benefits the training resources available
to U.S. forces in developing realistic training in preparation
for missions in support of the War on Terrorism.

Notional Use: This facility will be used to train Thai and U.S.
forces in skills sets that directly support counter terrorism.
It could also be used by other militaries in the region --
enhancing our ability to work with the Thai to better integrate
CT and PKO training in Asia.

Cost: Approximately $1,000,000


4. (SBU) PROJECT: NON-LETHAL WEAPONS (NLW) AND CIVIL
DISTURBANCE RESPONSE TRAINING FOR THAI MILITARY DEPLOYING TO THE
SOUTH

Background: The Thai military seeks to improve its ability to
respond to various civil disturbances in the three southern
border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, particularly
in light of the incident at Tak Bai in October of 2004 in which
scores of Thai demonstrators suffocated while being transported
in military trucks.

During the U.S. - Thailand Senior Leader Talks (an annual
bilateral military meeting between the U.S. Pacific Command and
the Royal Thai Supreme Command),the Director of Operations of
the Royal Thai Supreme Command, Lieutenant General Kemarat
Kanchanawat, specifically requested U.S. assistance regarding
NLW training as it relates to civil unrest. The United States
Marine Corps (USMC) is the DOD proponent for the training and
application of NLW. A USMC Special Operations Training Group
(SOTG) has the ability to deploy to Thailand and conduct
comprehensive NLW training. However, due to U.S. Code Title 10
restrictions, it cannot use its own operational funds for this
deployment. Funding must come from some other source.

Notional Use: The NLW training conducted by the USMC SOTG
focuses on rules of engagement and graduated response protocols
in a practical application environment. NLW training is a
viable approach to address the issue of unrest in Southern
Thailand.

Cost: Currently under research. Approximately $150,000.


5. (SBU) PROJECT: PUBLIC AFFAIRS TRAINING AND PROGRAMS AIMED
AT SOUTHERN THAILAND

Background: Thai scholars and journalists have asked for
assistance to improve their ability to promote peaceful
resolution of the conflict in Southern Thailand. We have a
number of projects that we can offer to assist them.


A. Study on People's Peace Movements
Moderate Narathiwat Muslim community activist Hama Mayunu has
initiated a program to study populist anti-terrorism movements
in other countries. With support from the Thai Government, he
has already traveled to Indonesia and is seeking to expand the
project to include the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Israel and
Northern Ireland. His stated outcome is to share approaches to
peaceful conflict resolution with Southern community leaders in
a series of conferences upon his return. We would propose
partnering with the People's Peace Movement Narathiwat for this
program.

Cost: $29,000 (Overhead and supplies $3000, Conference $2000,
Philippines travel and research $5000, Sri Lanka travel and
research $5000, Northern Ireland travel and research $7000,
Israel travel and research $7000).


B. Promoting Journalistic Responsibility and Investigative
Journalism in the South
Prominent Southern Muslim moderate Sampan Musordee has recently
stated that both the national and local level journalists
covering the South need training in two major areas. First,
they tend to report all crimes as terror incidents, confusing
and exacerbating the situation. They need training to
understand their responsibility to report accurately and fairly
on incidents. Second, they do not tend to check into local
claims of corruption and prejudice before publishing. They need
training to understand the power and necessity of conducting
good investigative journalism in the South. Standard training
in good journalistic practices would encourage more accurate and
worthwhile reporting. We would partner with the Association of
Yala Journalists to conduct training courses.

Cost: $5,000 per training session -- five sessions would cost
$25,000.


C. Community Radio and Democracy
Media activist Supinya Kangnarong is promoting the concept of
community radio as a responsible, moderate force in the South.
Community radio stations broadcast a few hours per day and
cannot be heard more than 10 or 15 km from the station. They
carry local news, views and discussions, and frequently do not
follow the government line. These small-time operators in the
South are influential, but also completely untrained and usually
lack any concept of journalistic responsibility. The quality of
broadcasting would benefit greatly from a program aimed at
offering an explanation of community broadcasting in the United
States, including the role of community radios to serve needs
and interests of specific audiences and how the stations can
best serve their communities. We would partner with the
Campaign for Popular Media Reform to conduct training courses.

Cost: $5,000 per training session -- five sessions would cost
$25,000.


D. Giving Power to Southern Muslim Women
According to a World Bank study, rural Southern Muslim women
have little political or economic power. Many researchers have
correlated poor women's education and power with a rise in
poverty, birth rates and political radicalism. A nascent
women's group in the South is seeking to give women an increased
say in their lives, while staying within the bounds of cultural
and social norms. It is called Friends of Thai Muslim Women and
is run by a female professor at Prince of Songkhla University,
Pattani. In order for this grassroots organization to create a
workable game plan, it will require assistance from an
experienced NGO or international consultant.

Cost: $7,000


E. Speaker Series on Terrorism.
The Department has recommended a number of U.S. experts,
including Tom Sanderson from CSIS, Richard Falkenrath from
Brookings, Michael Radu from FPRI, William Rosenau and Bruce
Hoffman from Rand, Audrey Cronin from NDU, Robert Lieber from
Georgetown and Donald Emmerson from Stanford as persons willing
to give a series of lectures around the country to a variety of
audiences.

Cost: About $10,000 per iteration, we would propose a
three-part series of lectures to take place over the course of a
year for a total cost of $30,000.


F. Speaker Series on Terrorism Financing.
Thailand is a regional transportation and financial hub. The
State and Treasury Departments have put together a series of
courses to recognize the patterns of terrorism financing. These
courses could be based in Bangkok, but also travel to Hat Yai to
address financial workers in the South.

Cost: About $15,000 per iteration -- two sessions would cost
$30,000.


6. (SBU) PROJECT: A SECOND "STRIKER" AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIRE
FIGHTING (ARFF) VEHICLE FOR UTAPAO NAVAL AIR STATION THAILAND

Background: Utapao has served as one of the key transportation
hubs in support of the War on Terrorism. Key air refueling
operations were supported out of this base during the initial
air operations in Afghanistan. The air field also plays a key
role today as a refueling and rest stop for air crews conducting
support operations into the operational theater as well as the
Strait of Malacca. This base served as the regional staging hub
for the multi-national response to the December 2004 Indian
Ocean Tsunami.

Current assessments of the air field indicate that its regional
and operational support role will likely increase in the
future. The crash and rescue equipment located at Utapao only
marginally meets the requirements for safe operations under U.S.
Military safety standards. Increasing the crash and rescue
readiness posture by providing modern fire fighting capabilities
will increase the overall safe operations of the air field
possibly saving the lives of U.S. air crews and limiting damage
to U.S. aircraft in an emergency. Initial assessments of Utapao
indicate that three modern fire fighting trucks are needed to
optimize the safety response capabilities there. Our first
priority request outlined in para. 1 above seeks funding for one
Striker vehicle. Should sufficient funds be made available, we
propose purchasing a second Striker fire fighting truck and
additional safety equipment.

Notional Use: The continued operation of this air field is
critical to the U.S. operational mission in prosecuting the War
on Terrorism.

Cost: Currently under research -- approximately $774,400. A
second Striker fire fighting truck suitable for Utapao would
cost roughly $500,000. Fire fighting agent can be purchased
commercially for approximately $43,000. An off the shelf tower
generator costs $38,800. A fire station generator costs $26,300
off the shelf. A commercial airfield sweeper costs $130,000 and
a generator for airfield lighting has been priced at $36,300.


7. (SBU) PROJECT: COUNTER-TERRORISM TRAINING MULTI-PURPOSE
RANGE COMPLEX (CTT-MPRC)

Background: The primary counter terrorism response force of the
Royal Thai Government, the Army Special Forces, use the training
site at Lop buri to maintain a high-level of combat readiness
required for short-notice reaction to terrorist related crises.
Construction will soon be initiated at the site to build a
facility for conducting Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain
(a MOUT site). The MOUT site will be a key feature of the
National Training Facility described above. In order to expand
the support capability of the training site and to complement
the MOUT facility, additional infrastructure is required.

Notional Use: Improving the counter terrorism training
facilities of the Royal Thai Government directly addressed the
ability of Thai Special Forces to effectively respond to
emerging intra-regional threats and to react quickly in
contingency operations.

Cost: $400,000 for CTT-MPRC allocated as follows:
$250,000 for two multi-purpose buildings that can support
multiple storage requirements, after action review facilities,
and range control automation.
$150,000 for a live-fire range with integrated multi-echelon
engagement capability and real-time training assessment systems.


BOYCE