Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SINGAPORE2420
2005-08-11 07:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Singapore
Cable title:  

SINGAPORE SCENESETTER FOR UNDER SECRETARY JOSEPH

Tags:  KNNP PARM ETTC PREL OTRA SN 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 002420 

SIPDIS

FOR UNDER SECRETARY JOSEPH FROM AMBASSADOR LAVIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2015
TAGS: KNNP PARM ETTC PREL OTRA SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE SCENESETTER FOR UNDER SECRETARY JOSEPH

Classified By: Ambassador Franklin L. Lavin
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 002420

SIPDIS

FOR UNDER SECRETARY JOSEPH FROM AMBASSADOR LAVIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2015
TAGS: KNNP PARM ETTC PREL OTRA SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE SCENESETTER FOR UNDER SECRETARY JOSEPH

Classified By: Ambassador Franklin L. Lavin
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) I look forward to welcoming you to Singapore next
week. My staff and I are working to ensure a very positive
and productive visit. Your visit comes at an ideal time to:

-- thank Singapore for its strong commitment to the
Proliferation Security Initiative and global
counterproliferation efforts;

-- encourage Singapore to take further steps to ensure that
proliferators and terrorists do not misuse its port;

-- solidify our growing cooperative relationship on combating
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their
components; and

-- highlight our close security relationship, enshrined in
the new Strategic Framework Agreement, and the importance of
the interoperability of our armed forces.

A Strong Partner
--------------


2. (U) Our excellent security relationship with Singapore is
at a high-water mark, though it is constrained by Singapore's
desire to be close partners, but not an ally. Singapore is a
valuable logistics hub and has supported U.S. forces engaged
in OEF, OIF and tsunami relief. Our military training and
exercise program is extensive, and we hope to enhance our
interoperability if Singapore chooses the F-15 over the
French Rafale for its Next Generation Fighter. In July,
President Bush and Prime Minister Lee signed the Strategic
Framework Agreement (SFA),which lays the foundation to
expand our strong ties and specifically notes the importance
of enhanced cooperation on nonproliferation.


3. (SBU) Singapore supports the United States' global
nonproliferation agenda and trade security initiatives. It
was the first country in East Asia to join the Container
Security Initiative (2002) and the Megaports Initiative
(2005),and participates enthusiastically in the
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). Singapore has
supported our efforts to raise the profile for
nonproliferation at the United Nations, and has been helpful,
as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Board of Governors, in pressing for greater accountability
for Iran.


4. (SBU) A high-profile terrorist target itself, Singapore
recognizes its own interests in controlling trade in
dangerous goods. Though it has tended to focus more on
terrorists' misuse of the trading system rather than
proliferation by state actors, Singapore's mindset is
shifting. Enacted in January 2003, its first strategic goods
control law imposes controls on a range of sensitive goods
and technology. Over the past two years, Singapore has
concentrated on refining implementing regulations, training
customs and border control officers, and reaching out to
industry to raise awareness and compliance.

Export Controls Still A Work in Progress
--------------


5. (C) While these measures are welcome, Singapore's trade
controls still fall short of international best practices.
The GOS does not yet adhere to key multilateral instruments
such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the
Australia Group, though your lunch host MFA Second Permanent
Secretary Bilahari Kausikan has told us Singapore plans to

SIPDIS
sign up to these regimes "eventually." Singapore now controls
only a subset of the items covered by these agreements and
relies on catch-all clauses to forbid trade in goods destined
for weapons of mass destruction. Singapore also collects
little data on most transit and transshipment cargo, which
handicaps enforcement.


6. (C) Singapore's port, one of the busiest in the world,
remains critical to its economy; the government carefully
weighs the potential impact of stricter trade controls on its
efficiency and competitiveness as a trading hub. Over the
last year, extensive U.S.-provided customs training has
improved Singapore's understanding of how a comprehensive
control system works and has eased fears that such a system
would overwhelm their limited manpower and technical
expertise. You will want to make the point that the majority
of successful trading nations have implemented
internationally agreed export controls, at little cost to
legitimate trade.

Opportunity to Advance U.S. Interests
--------------


7. (C) We believe Singapore is ready to take another big step
toward bringing its strategic goods control regime in line
with international best practices. During his July 12 joint
press conference with the President in Washington, the Prime
Minister himself pointed out that the SFA commits Singapore
to work with the United States to do more to combat the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Your visit,
while highlighting our close partnership and Singapore's good
work against proliferation through PSI and other programs,
could provide the impetus the GOS needs to resolve to become
a full participant in the global effort to prevent
proliferation. Good next steps would be Singapore's
unilaterally aligning its control lists with agreed
international ones, collecting more information on transit
and transshipped cargoes, and beginning the legal procedures
for joining key international control regimes.

Public and Private Messages
--------------


8. (C) We recommend that your public message emphasize our
appreciation for our excellent security ties and Singapore's
good work on nonproliferation, as demonstrated by the ongoing
PSI exercise, and our desire to work together as Singapore
continues to refine its export control regime. Privately,
your message to the GOS should be more frank: despite
Singapore's impressive progress over the past few years, much
remains to be done. Given Singapore's prominent role in
global trade, it must fully commit to keeping dangerous items
out of the reach of terrorists or nations that intend us
harm. By not fully participating in the international
control regimes, Singapore is open to exploitation by
countries like North Korea and others who use it as a "cut
out" to procure items that other major traders will not sell
them. Further, a strong proliferation regime and aggressive
cooperation with us is a key component of our growing
security relationship, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
pointed out in Washington. Singapore needs to make its
export control regime truly world class. We look forward to
building a strong, cooperative enforcement relationship. We
will launch the effort to strengthen that relationship with
the visit this fall by a team of U.S. proliferation experts.
LAVIN