SERBIA: 2006 COUNTRY REPORTS ON

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001934

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR S/CT RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC KCRM EFIN KHLS KPAO SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA: 2006 COUNTRY REPORTS ON
TERRORISM

REF: STATE 175925


1. (u) The USG has an overall excellent
working relationship with Serbia on counter-
terrorism issues. Both policy-level and
operational-level interlocutors have been eager
to cooperate with the USG on a wide range of
issues including border security, information
sharing, antiterrorism financing, export
control, and the like. Internally, the GoS has
shown a consistently strong commitment to
counterterror and antiterror operations. In
2006, Serbia and the USG signed an agreement on
countering proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction; the agreement is provisionally in
force upon signature and awaits ratification by
the Serbian parliament. Also in 2006, Serbia
decided to support the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI). While still largely complacent
about the prospect of an attack in Serbia by
international terrorists and confident that
Serbia will not become a terrorist safehaven,
Belgrade officials are significantly concerned
about the potential for a rise in Middle Eastern
terrorist transit through Serbia.


2. (u) Comment: Serbia would benefit greatly
from increased U.S. assistance and training in
order to boost its counterterrorism
capabilities, which in turn would help meet U.S.
goals of preventing a stable terrorist network
from developing in the Balkans. Such assistance
could include additional education for
government and business on dual-use controls and
targeted anti-terrorism training assistance.
The USG could also move ahead swiftly in helping
to train, equip, and otherwise assist Serbian
military and civilian security structures to
enhance their counterterror and non-proliferation
capacities and advance key USG Global War On Terror
and counterproliferation goals in the process. Some
steps are already underway through the EXBS
program, but much more could be done with
targeted assistance through ATA and other
mechanisms.

POLT