TAIWAN: 2005 REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004880 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/EAP, EAP/TC AND S/CT - RHONDA SHORE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PTER PINR EFIN KCRM TW SUBJECT: TAIWAN: 2005 REPORTS ON TERRORISM REF: (A) SECSTATE 193439 ¶1. (U) The American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) submission for the 2005 Country Reports on Terrorism (CRT) is as follows: TAIWAN -------------- ¶2. (U) There were no acts of international or domestic terrorism in Taiwan in 2005. Even though Taiwan is frequently prevented from participating in international and regional fora, Taiwan authorities continue to cooperate on counterterrorism issues and enhance regional CT capabilities. ¶3. (U) In January 2005, Taiwan established a cabinet-level Counter-Terrorism Office (CTO) to oversee and coordinate an interagency response to terrorist activities in Taiwan and in the region. The CTO is comprised of representatives from ten government agencies including the National Security Bureau (NSB),the National Police Administration (NPA),the Department of Health and the Atomic Energy Council. Since its inauguration, the CTO has conducted two large-scale training exercises. The first, held in April 2005, tested responses to a terrorist attack against critical infrastructure as well as dealing with a toxic spill, while the most recent exercise in December 2005 focused on chemical and biological threats. The CTO's primary mission remains counterterrorism, but there are plans to broaden its focus, incorporating crisis management and disaster preparedness, to create a new Ministry of Interior and Homeland Affairs in a proposed governmental re-organization. ¶4. (U) In September 2005, the Container Security Initiative (CSI) began operations in Kaohsiung identifying and targeting shipping containers that pose a risk for terrorism and significantly enhancing Taiwan's maritime security. Inspections have already yielded seizures of counterfeit currency and illegal drugs, and preliminary discussions are underway to expand CSI to the northern port of Keelung. The Taiwan authorities have also expressed a willingness to accept the U.S. Department of Energy's Megaports program to help restrict trafficking in radioactive materials. ¶5. (U) Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations and therefore cannot ratify international conventions and protocols related to terrorist financing. The U.S. however, has consistently urged Taiwan to act as a good international citizen and implement, to the maximum extent possible, all UN resolutions relating to terrorist finance issues. In 2005, Taiwan was elected to the Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Group on money laundering, giving Taiwan better access to information on international criminal and terrorist activities. Taiwan continues to provide rapid and thorough responses on terrorist finance issues and has brought to our attention a number of suspect transactions involving Taiwan entities in 2005. In responses to counter- terrorism suggestions made by the FATF, Taiwan's Central Bank of China (CBC) implemented a regulation requiring remitting banks to report the remitter's name, ID number or account data, and address in remittance messages. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) also has drafted a new, detailed "Anti-terrorist Action" law modeled after the U.S. Patriot Act. This bill, however, is still being reviewed by the Executive Yuan (EY). ¶6. (U) Point of contact at AIT-Taipei is Acting RSO Byron X. BACIK, Tel: (886-2) 2162-2349; FAX: (886-2) 2162-2245; E- mail: Bacikbw@state.gov PAAL