SECOND DIPNOTE RE DEATH OF PERUVIAN CONTRACTOR IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 005286 SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/AND, L/PM, PM, DS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV MARR PE SUBJECT: SECOND DIPNOTE RE DEATH OF PERUVIAN CONTRACTOR IN AFGHANISTAN REF: LIMA 5231 ¶1. On 12/12, the Peruvian Foreign Ministry presented the Embassy with a second diplomatic note, dated 12/9, requesting information regarding the death in Afghanistan of Peruvian citizen Martin Jara. In this instance, the note inquires about the relationship between the USG and the companies that provide it with security services in places like Afghanistan. The note also requests urgent attention to this matter, pointing out that Mr. Jara's family has received no information about the circumstances of his death, nor are they aware of the location of his remains. An informal translation of the diplomatic note is contained in paragraph 2. Embassy requests guidance from the Department on how to respond to this diplomatic note. ¶2. (Begin text of dipnote) Note Re (SCP) No. 6-3/464 (Complimentary Opening) and wishes to refer to its Note No. 6-3/458, dated December 5, 2005, regarding the death of Peruvian citizen MARTIN JARA HICHARD, who was working in Afghanistan as a security guard. With reference to the contents of the aforementioned Note, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Secretariat of Peruvian Communities Abroad wishes to advise that on Wednesday, December 7, 2005, 3D Global Solutions Inc. issued a press release which says verbatim: 3D Global Solutions brings the following to the attention of the public: -- Up to today, Wednesday, December 7, 2005, the State Department of the United States of America, which is responsible for the investigation designed to clarify the circumstances and causes of death of Mr. Martin Jara Hichard has not complied with its obligation to inform us of the pertinent results. -- Due to the foregoing, we wish to state for the record that it is impossible for us to continue providing information on this matter, until we have the official results of the referenced investigation. -- Likewise, we wish to make it clear that the company with which Mr. Jara Hichard signed a services contract for providing security guard services in the city of Kabul was MVN Inc., a company with which we are subcontractors. -- Considering the difficult moments that the family of the deceased is going through, we urge the Ministry of External Relations of Peru to use its good offices with the Department of State of the United States in order that they should issue the official results of the aforementioned investigation as quickly as possible. -- Finally, we wish to inform that Dr. Jose Herrera Robles is the Lawyer we have hired in Peru, and is not, as has been purported in some sectors of the media, our company's legal officer. In view of the above, and taking into account that the aforementioned Press Release affirms that the Department of State is in charge of carrying out the appropriate investigations, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Secretariat of Peruvian Communities Abroad would like to SIPDIS request that an answer to the following questions be provided: -- What is the relationship existing between the Department of State and/or the Department of Defense and the companies that are hiring personnel in Third World countries to work as security agents? -- Does this relationship incorporate ethical criteria, including, inter alia, a verification of the treatment these persons receive in the regions where they are sent to work?; and -- What are the responsibilities of the Department of State and/or Department of Defense regarding the individuals who enter into these contracts? In that regard, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Secretariat of Peruvian Communities Abroad wishes to state SIPDIS that it requires that a response be sent as soon as possible, in view of the fact that from a strictly humanitarian point of view it is unfair that, to this date, Mr. Jara's family does not have any information about the circumstances and causes of his death and, what is even more important, does not even know the place where his body is being kept nor when it will be repatriated. (Complimentary Closing) Lima, December 9, 2005 (End text of dipnote) POWERS