CT ASSISTANCE TO THAILAND

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 000258 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2016 TAGS: PTER PREL PINR PGOV PINS PBTS ECON TH SUBJECT: CT ASSISTANCE TO THAILAND REF: SECSTATE 04536 BANGKOK 00000258 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Alex A. Arvizu, reason 1.4 (b) ( d) ¶1. (S) Summary: Thailand is the recipient of a wide range of U.S. training and assistance programs to help the RTG combat terrorist and extremism. We believe that the assistance programs detailed below are making a contribution to the RTG's efforts. This message provides information on CT assistance provided by INL/NAS, RSO, CA, and JUSMAGTHAI. Post will provide separately additional information regarding CT assistance from other agencies. Despite the training already provided to various elements of the police by the USG and other donors, we see the police as the area where additional assistance, of the right kind, could have the best impact. Assistance to the Office of the Prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice is the second priority for additional assistance. End Summary. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶2. (S) Together with other interested countries, we now have in place a spectrum of CT assistance which covers many of the crucial areas. However, the lack of effective cooperation between the police and prosecutorial system remains a very serious hurdle to effective counterterrorism efforts. The deficit of effective public prosecutors familiar with national security case law undercuts our efforts to improve the police. Poor police work undermines the best prosecutorial effort, while weak prosecutors can invalidate the best police tradecraft. When both are lacking, public confidence in the justice system--and rule of law--declines, a major issue in the restive South. (According to one NGO here, of 60 national security cases brought before courts in the South since 2003, seven have been dismissed or ruled in favor of the defence, while the remaining 53 are pending.) Therefore, we would support additional assistance for the Office of the Prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice. ¶3. (S) Despite the existing programs for police training, we believe that the police remain one of the weakest links in the RTG's CT efforts. We and others are providing assistance, as detailed below, but we believe a more coordinated assistance package could yield much better results. The first step would be to have an organization with appropriate expertise (ICITAP comes to mind as one possibility) to do a comprehensive assessment of CT assistance to the police and recommend a program. We recognize that there are serious issues to be considered before proceeding with this option. One is the poor human rights record of some elements of the police. Another is the willingness of the police leadership to make systemic changes needed to improve police performance. Taking into account both concerns, we still believe that there are partners here we can work with. REVIEW OF CT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS -------------- ¶4. (S) Many USG agencies at post have assistance programs with a CT element. We include below a review of training and assistance provided by RSO, INL/NAS, CA, and JUSMAGTHAI. Post will provide separately further information on assistance from other agencies. RSO --- ¶5. (SBU) As administered by the RSO, ATA and Force Protection Detachment training to RTG security elements in 2005-6 includes: --Combating Transnational Terrorism --Explosive Detection Canine/Trainers --Terrorist Crime Scene Investigation --Explosive Detection Canine/Handlers --Cyber Terrorism Incident Response --Police Executive Role in Combating Terrorism --VIP Protection --IED Terrorist Techniques --Force Protection/Officer Safety/Terrorist Methodologies --Surveillance Detection INL/NAS PROGRAMS BANGKOK 00000258 002.2 OF 003 -------------- ¶6. (SBU) INL funds and manages the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bangkok, which provides courses throughout the year that improve RTG security forces, capabilities. Thai participation in the international training program is typically limited to four persons per class. This training includes: --Post Blast Investigation --Crime Scene Investigation --Police Executive Role in Combating Terrorism --Combating Domestic and Transnational Terrorism --Supervisory Criminal Investigators Course --Tactical Safety and Survival Course --Personnel and Facility Security ¶7. (SBU) In addition to these courses, NAS is now working with ILEA to develop additional training for RTG participants only, including: --Crime Scene Investigations, 1st Responder Training --Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing --Crime Scene and Lab Forensics ¶8. (SBU) NAS also funds a ABA/CEELI program on judicial ethics; over the next 8 months, this American Bar Association-conducted program will hold seminars and training on Legal Ethics, Judicial Ethics, and Prosecutor Ethics as well as a seminar for the National Counter-Corruption Commission (NCCC). It will provide expertise for professional ethics curriculum development, and support other public awareness/outreach activities. Finally, INL supports a Bangkok-based Resident Legal Advisor from the Department of Justice, who works out of the embassy on issues of legal and procedural reform and anti-corruption measures. CA/PISCES -------------- ¶9. (S) As part of the Terrorism Interdiction Program, the USG is providing Thailand with a customized border control computer network system known as PISCES (Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System.) Phase I of the program received US$5.7 million in funding and became operational at Thailand,s three main international airports in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in 2005. Phase II involves installation of the system at sixteen additional mid-sized border posts and will have a budget similar to, if not slightly larger than Phase I. Phase III includes 40 smaller crossing points and will be funded by the RTG. Phases II and III are scheduled to be completed by the end of ¶2006. The PISCES program in Thailand is the largest single PISCES project globally and implementation of the project in Thailand is being used as a model for other PISCES systems throughout the world. JUSMAGTHAI -------------- ¶10. (S) JUSMAGTHAI executes security assistance training activities to enhance Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) CT capabilities, counter-insurgency operations, civil affairs and psychological operations, information warfare, Royal Thai Navy (RTN) maritime patrol and amphibious warfare capability, and Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) aerial surveillance and close air support capability among the services. Future JCETS from the rest of FY 04 to FY 07 are focused on training and conducting counter-insurgency operations with those forces that are currently in or designated to rotate into such operations in southern Thailand. ¶11. (S) JUSMAGTHAI sponsored a crisis management seminar in the fourth quarter of FY 03. We have provided unclassified DoD and related source materials available on the Internet. We are also in the process of assisting in determining the equipment requirements for the RTARF. We are pursuing all opportunities to include Nuclear/Biological/Chemical basic and response training during existing exercise, to include CG-06. We are sustaining our ongoing counter-narcotic efforts, as the supporting effort to enhance the Thai military and law enforcement integration of operations and intelligence. The current models for military/police task forces and intelligence fusion centers have significantly enhanced the RTARF and civilian law enforcement agencies' ability to combat terrorism and narco-terrorism, and we would BANGKOK 00000258 003.2 OF 003 like to expand on efforts in the common tactics, techniques, procedures as well as interagency coordination required for counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations. ¶12. (S) FY04 JCET programs focused more on a direct response to assist the Royal Thai Army (RTA) in training conventional units in counter-insurgency operations including more comprehensive human rights training before they deploy to the South. This training was conducted by the U.S. 1st Special Forces Group (1st SFG) together with counterpart units from the RTA Special Warfare Command (RTA SWCOM). FY05/06 focused more on developing a capacity within the RTA SWCOM to conduct this type of training themselves. RTA SWCOM and the 1st SFG identified a select cadre of Thai Special Operations troops from the RTA SWCOM and the Army Regions to be the lead for any counter-insurgency training within Thailand,s Armed Forces. Capacity-building remains our focus well into FY 07. Since FY04, over 2500 Thai soldiers from 50 different units have been trained in counter-insurgency by US SOF. BOYCE