S/CT AMB. CRUMPTON'S MEETING WITH EU CT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 002676 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT, EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, EUR/ERA, INL AND L E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL KHLS EAID GM EU SUBJECT: S/CT AMB. CRUMPTON'S MEETING WITH EU CT COORDINATOR DE VRIES Classified By: DCM John M. Koenig for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Coordinator for Counterterrorism Henry Crumpton, meeting EU Counterterrorism Coordinator Gijs de Vries September 6 in Berlin, stated the need for the U.S. and EU to incorporate all the tools at their disposal -- social, commercial, economic, and diplomatic tools -- in the fight against terrorism. De Vries noted EU surprise in learning DHS Secretary Chertoff wants to expand aspects of the U.S.-EU PNR agreement, rather than simply renewing the substance of the agreement disallowed by the European Court of Justice. De Vries noted the EU's focus on combating radicalization and recruitment and he and Amb. Crumpton also discussed EU and U.S. CT efforts in third countries. End Summary. -------------- AN INTEGRATED COUNTERTERRORISM APPROACH -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador Crumpton stressed the critical need in counterterrorism policy of engaging the public; it is the terrorists' target. The U.S. and EU should use all tools of statecraft -- military, diplomatic, economic -- and also the private sector to counter the efforts of terrorists. The U.S. and EU should harness their huge economic power in the global war on terrorism. Aid and investment are critical tools, as is the provision of electric power, including via solar and wind, to improve lives and undercut terrorists' recruitment efforts. Some places, like tribal areas in Pakistan, are neglected and only the UAE has contributed, Crumpton said. De Vries agreed a holistic approach is needed and noted the EU is focusing on radicalization and recruitment both within the EU and abroad; that is priority one. Second is targeting aid to improve security, borders, ports, airports, and police work. The challenge is to encourage a democratic agenda, civil liberties, and human rights; and to find more ways for the U.S. and EU to cooperate outside the EU. De Vries said the EU is concerned about unresponsive governments and the EU has tried to look at its own messages to determine what is the EU narrative to counter that of the terrorists. There needs to be a common agenda across all religions that espouses freedom of religion and the sanctity of life, de Vries said. ¶3. (C) Concerning the UN, Amb. Crumpton said it is useful for giving legitimacy for collective actions and UNSCR 1373 set out important obligations for all countries, including regarding safehavens. De Vries responded UNSCR 1373 is open-ended; it did not make clear who should carry out which measures, and where. -------------- PASSENGER NAME RECORDS (PNR) -------------- ¶4. (C) The EU is surprised Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff wants to renegotiate the agreement, de Vries said. He said the EU had not heard from other parts of the USG on renegotiating the text, but is at the same time aware of Congressional concerns over PNR and travel to the U.S. The EU would have preferred advance warning of the DHS stance, according to de Vries. In the wake of the European Court of Justice ruling, the EU's legal basis needs to be changed, but both sides had agreed on the substance. The EU continues to hope to have a deal in place on time. Twenty five different PNR rules and 25 different data protection provisions would suit no one and would also break up the EU's internal market and bring back bilateralism, said de Vries. Concerning the Container Security Initiative (CSI),de Vries continued, after some back and forth the two sides reached an agreement. The U.S. and EU also created the High Level Dialogue on Border and Transport Security to exchange views and prevent surprises. De Vries wants to re-energize it. Amb. Crumpton said he would bring De Vries' message back to Washington, but noted the EU should avoid a "lowest common denominator" solution. -------------- SITUATIONS IN THIRD COUNTRIES -------------- ¶5. (C) De Vries and Amb. Crumpton shared views on threats and responses in many parts of the world. Iraq / Afghanistan / Pakistan: De Vries said the democratic process in Afghanistan and Iraq is encouraging, despite the security problems. There is a yearning for liberty and BERLIN 00002676 002 OF 002 democratic accountability. Pakistan is difficult, said de Vries; it is unhelpful on the UN Convention's definition of terrorism, and the EU is ready to oppose Pakistan's efforts in those discussions more vigorously. Amb. Crumpton said President Musharaf reluctantly concluded the military is not the solution; he has to work with society, tribes, and tribal leaders. Al-Qaida has killed hundreds of tribal leaders in order to subvert their rule. There needs to be an economic dimension to the dismantling of the terrorist safehavens along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Indonesia: De Vries said Aceh is instructive. The EU is pleased with what is happening there; former fighters are being rehabilitated. The EU countries responded positively to calls for peacekeeping troops. The EU and ASEAN are working together in Aceh; previously, there had been no UN or international role. As a result, the EU public has come to understand the EU's peacekeeping role in Asia and Asians have come to understand the EU as more than an economic group. Algeria/Morocco: De Vries said the EU tied aid to their CT efforts, after incorporating EU and UN assessments of the two countries' counterterrorism regimes. But the EU can only go where it is welcome. Saudi Arabia: De Vries said he is concerned about Saudi financial support to Islamist groups worldwide, including in the EU. Saudi leaders respond politely, but are not committed to the fight against terrorism, de Vries said; there are phases of commitment and phases of "relaxation." Philippines: Amb. Crumpton said the southern Philippines is a terrorist safehaven. De Vries replied the EU has tried economic incentives there, but they did not work. De Vries is not sure the Philippines wants to solve the problems of Mindanao. Amb. Crumpton said USAID had success in some areas creating jobs and spurring economic growth. Africa: Amb. Crumpton said Sub-Saharan Africa is a proto-safehaven: al-Qaida is not there yet but it is trying to gain a foothold. De Vries responded corruption obstructed progress in Kenya; the EU is not sure where their money ends up. Middle East: De Vries said the EU tried to aid the Palestinians, but its funds are wasted when buildings are destroyed in fighting between the Palestinians and Israelis. The EU is prepared to help local authorities provide social services if the government is committed to be peaceful. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is providing better social services than the government -- like Hizballah in Lebanon, de Vries said. -------------- SPEECH TO GERMAN AMBASSADORS -------------- ¶6. (C) Amb. Crumpton and de Vries discussed their upcoming speeches on a panel at the German Ambassador's conference later that day. De Vries is encouraged by Spain and the UK in the aftermath of their terror attacks -- while there was huge pressure for an overreaction, in the end the UK and Spanish governments did not overreact. After 9/11 and some EU changes to address terrorism, the Madrid and London bombing revitalized the EU's initiative and resulted in the Action Plan, which is largely implemented, de Vries continued. The EU has hardened targets, improved passports, secured borders, targeted terrorists' finances, broken up cells, offered assistance after attacks and engaged in chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear event planning. The EU also cooperates with the U.S., which is a positive story German Ambassadors need to reflect in their work, de Vries said. Amb. Crumpton said his speech focused on the non-military aspects of the war on terror; Muslim communities are the targets of terrorist subversion, which the U.S. and EU need to counter. He said he would also stress interdependence and the need for a global community to fight terrorism. Amb. Crumpton said he wanted to use in his speech a quote from de Vries that terrorism changed the global agenda. ¶7. (U) Septel reports on meetings between Amb. Crumpton and senior German officials. This cable has not been cleared by Ambassador Crumpton (in accordance with his request). TIMKEN JR