EMBASSY-GOA BILATERAL SECURITY WORKING GROUP

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001203

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA FOR PDAS CHARLES SHAPIRO
NSC FOR DAN FISK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV SNAR AR
SUBJECT: EMBASSY-GOA BILATERAL SECURITY WORKING GROUP

REF: (04) BUENOS AIRES 2419

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Summary
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1. The DCM led the Embassy's Law Enforcement and Homeland
Security Working Group's first meeting with a GoA interagency
security group headed by Internal Security Secretary Luis
Tibiletti on May 23. Post's Working Group included
representatives from RSO, LegAtt, MilGroup, DEA, DAO,
POL/INL, and Econ who outlined their security-related
programs and received briefings on GOA security forces'
issues. GoA participants included: Under Secretary for
Security Ricardo Colombo; Security Council Executive
Secretary Hector Masquelet; Federal Police Chief Nestor

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Valleca; National Border Guard (Gendarmeria) Director General
Hector Schenone; and Coast Guard (Prefectura) Commandant
Prefecto General Carlos Fernandez. The meeting was the first
of what post envisions as semiannual bilateral discussions on
security cooperation. End Summary.

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Emphasis on Multi-Agency Approach
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2. The DCM led post's Law Enforcement and Homeland Security
Working Group in its first meeting with a GoA interagency law
enforcement and security working group headed by Secretary of
Internal Security Luis Tibiletti. Representatives from RSO,
LegAtt, MilGroup, DEA, DAO, POL/INL, and Econ outlined their
security-related programs and responsibilities and received
briefings on the issues facing the GoA's security forces.
GoA participants included: Under Secretary for Security
Ricardo Colombo; Security Council Executive Secretary Hector
Masquelet; Federal Police Chief Nestor Valleca; National
Border Guard (Gendarmeria) Director General Hector Schenone;
and Coast Guard (Prefectura) Commandant Prefecto General
Carlos Fernandez.


3. The DCM emphasized the importance of the multi-agency
approach to law enforcement and expressed his appreciation
for the GoA's responsiveness to U.S. counter-terrorism,
international security, and law enforcement training
programs. He also highlighted the success of bilateral
efforts in counter-narcotics. He noted that the measurable
benefits of cooperation, like the Salta Province Task Force,
meant that drug enforcement funding allocated to Argentina
"is money well spent." The DCM also stressed the need to
increase counter-narcotics cooperation especially in light of
recent political changes in Bolivia. Tibiletti echoed the
DCM's comments and spoke at length about the Interior
Ministry's objective to coordinate security policies and
practices across organizations at the national and provincial
levels. He recounted how the Internal Security Secretariat
had worked to establish a cohesive working group for 16
years. Structural changes that transferred the secretariat
from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Justice and
back interrupted efforts to solidify these coordination
mechanisms, according to Tibiletti (see reftel).

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GoA Interest in More Interaction
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4. The GoA participants praised the U.S. training and
exchange opportunities for individual law enforcement and
security personnel. Valleca said that he wants to increase
interaction with U.S. law enforcement officials because the
results he sees are "better officers." Schenone and
Fernandez lauded the regional "Garras del Valor"
counter-narcotics training program in Bolivia sponsored by
INL, by name, as a skills multiplier which they would like to
make available to more of their officers. Tibiletti
concluded the discussion with a request for a planning
meeting in advance of the next semiannual bilateral meeting
to establish a concrete agenda. He indicated he would like
to see the planning meeting focus on identifying training,
exchanges, technology, and resources that could be used to
advance common security goals. The next semiannual bilateral
meeting would then develop plans to make the programs
operational.

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Comment
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5. The success of this bilateral multi-agency meeting was
not limited to the mere fact of the meeting. Post received
confirmation that U.S. training and exchanges were not only
seen as beneficial but have had a positive impact on the
GoA's security forces. The meeting also brought to light
differences of opinion among the GoA participants which may
generate further discussion to the benefit of U.S. interests.
For instance, the DEA briefing emphasized that bilateral
cooperation on counter-narcotics was excellent and might be
even better if leads from informants were admissible.
Valleca, Schenone, and Fernandez discussed the issue among
themselves at length, and each offered an alternative
explanation on the cause of the prohibition affecting
informants. It was apparent from this exchange of views that
the meeting served to facilitate communication within the GoA
as much as between the GoA and post. Post looks forward to
coordinating opportunities to enhance security cooperation
with Tibiletti's office during the next six months. End
Comment.


6. To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our classified
website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires.< /a>
GUTIERREZ