THE SECRETARY'S REGIONAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001503

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INL DAS E VERVILLE, INL/AAE DIRECTOR E RICHARD,
INL/C J BRANDOLINO
S/CT FOR DAS J FEIERSTEIN, V PALMER
JUSTICE OPDAT FOR AF DIRECTOR, J SILVERWOOD AND ICITAP/AF E
BEINHART
TREASURY - OFFICE TER FINANCING/FIN CRIME FOR P HEFFERNAN,
I CRUM
DS/TT/ATA FOR DIRECTOR D ROSENSTEIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM KCRM SNAR TZ
SUBJECT: THE SECRETARY'S REGIONAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
(RSI): FIRST CUT AT AN EAST AFRICA "REGIONAL ACTION PLAN"
FOR COUNTERTERRORISM

REF: DAR ES SALAAM 1076

Classified By: CDA D. Purnell Delly for reasons 1.4(b,d)

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (C) At Africa's first Regional Strategic Initiative (RSI)
Conference in Nairobi (reftel),Embassy Dar es Salaam asked
to take the first cut at a "Regional Counterterrorism Action
Plan" for the Horn of Africa. Our action plan presents a set
of recommendations for greater regional collaboration on
counterterrorism initiatives ranging from enhancing border
and coastal security to expanding Islamic outreach. At the
same time, we feel strongly that there must be a regional
process to advance a regional plan. What we recommend is
this:
-- Horn of Africa COMs (Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia,
Sudan, Yemen, and we suggest Eritrea) and the Commander of
CTJF-HOA meet twice a year to assess progress on the plan,
making course adjustments as necessary.
-- DCMs and CJTF-HOA POLAD hold teleconferences (or
videoconferences) once a quarter to shepherd elements of the
plan forward, effectively linking country teams and CJTF-HOA
into a regional network.
-- In all cases of proposed bilateral training, COMs and
Washington country desks must ask, "Why can't this be
regional?" Personal relationships forged across borders are
as important as the training itself. Country desks will have
to engage actively with INL and DS ATA, as well as Defense,
Justice and Treasury. Dar es Salaam welcomes a role as
regional CT training platform.
-- The national imperative for Article 98 agreements often
competes with equally compelling national CT imperatives; we
ask that Washington consider partial or full waivers for
countries engaged in our regional CT plan.
-- Some of the most effective "hearts and minds" programs
are the least costly; the Ambassador's Self-Help Fund is a
striking example. We strongly urge Washington to move
decisively on tripling the modest amount granted each year to
RSI countries (a mere $70,000 in Tanzania for FY 06). END
SUMMARY.

Coastal Security
--------------

2. (C) Enhanced coastal security is imperative along the
Swahili Coast and inland lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, etc.)
to account for illegal movements of persons, arms or pirates.
Many host countries are already interested in illegal
fishing, illegal immigration and response to natural
disasters and environmental concerns such as dumping of oil.
They are therefore inclined to welcome equipment and training
for coastal security which not only address their existing
concerns, but simultaneously advance our CT objectives. The
Horn needs coordinated regional training in:
-- small boat operations
-- boarding of small vessels
-- use of surveillance equipment (both air and sea)
-- boat mechanics
-- fire fighting on small boats.
Many host governments also need patrol boats, spare parts,
surveillance equipment, and small arms. In countries such as
Tanzania, provision of such equipment and the requisite
training is hampered by lack of an Article 98 agreement.



3. (C) In the short term, each Mission must work with its
host government to assess the capability of their respective
navy and/or coast guard. EUCOM, CENTCOM, the U.S. Coast
Guard and INL all offer programs to assess either ports or
coastal security utilizing U.S Coast Guard and Naval
resources. While some countries along the Swahili Coast are
more advanced than others, a regional training package should
be developed which not only accelerates capability in
less-trained and less-equipped countries, but which
specifically creates periodic regional conferences to bring
together the region's host government officials involved in
coastal security. Of crucial importance is cooperation
across combatant commands. EUCOM's cooperation with CENTCOM
in Tanzania is becoming a model of such cooperation.

Special Operations Training
--------------

4. (C) We also recommend training Special Forces, to include
standing up host country units. In Tanzania, China is the
only country training the Tanzanian People's Defense Force
(TPDF) in Special Operations. Embassy Dar es Salaam's
Defense Attache's Office was able to send one TPDF officer to
the International Special Forces Course in early 2006;
subsequently the TPDF has been eager for more of this
training. While levels of training vary between countries,
we strongly urge that future training brings key military
officers to a common venue so as to forge personal
relationships across borders, increasing potential for
cooperation and information sharing.

Embedded Civil Affairs Teams
--------------

5. (C) In several countries of the region (Kenya, Uganda,
Somalia) the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
(CJTF-HOA) has put in place small civil affairs teams to live
in a rural area, learn the language and carry out short-term,
low-budget projects. These teams build both capacity and
rapport with the local population and are an important
element in any regional "hearts and minds" strategy. While
we understand the demands placed on U.S. forces elsewhere in
the world, we urge Washington to accelerate the number and
deployment of these teams in RSI countries. We also suggest
assisting the military of each country in the region to build
indigenous civil affairs capability. There is strong
interest in developing such capability in Tanzania.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies
--------------

6. (SBU) In broadest terms, we recommend that the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) of the National Defense
University design and create a dedicated curriculum to
support the Secretary's Regional Security Initiative (RSI)
and conduct special training for the three RSI regions: Horn
of Africa, Middle East and Indonesia/SE Asia. Again, the
objective is as much to build personal relationships among
the region's CT officials, as it is to impart training or
education.

CT Fusion Centers and Cross-Border Information Sharing among
CT Units
-------------- --------------

7. (C) Activities to share CT information are already
underway, yet can be enhanced in two key areas:
1) Expand regional information sharing on CT similar to what


is already in operation between Tanzania and select
neighbors. More border surveys and cross-border conferences
must be funded to augment the exchange among countries
throughout the region. 2) U.S. Missions across the region
must press their host government to establish its own
domestic CT fusion center to ensure information exchange
among the police, immigration officials, defense, coastal
forces, passport-issuing agencies, etc.. Such domestic
cooperation on CT prevention would greatly strengthen the
region's overall security posture. To support host-country
CT fusion centers, we recommend that Washington consider a
specific program with dedicated funding (from INL, S/CT,
Justice, Department of Homeland Security, etc.) to train
staff and researchers for the fusion centers on a regional
basis. We believe such an initiative is imperative and must
be pressed in coordinated fashion across the region by COMs
and their missions.

Islamic Outreach: Marketing USG Programs
--------------

8. (SBU) We must do a better job of marketing what we are
already doing in RSI countries. An article by Andrew Natsios
in the June 2006 Foreign Service Journal points out that
USAID public service campaigns on local radio and television
raised awareness of USG programs in Gaza and in Aceh,
Indonesia to over 50 percent. There must be a region-wide
focus to ensuring awareness of the largesse of the American
people in RSI countries. U.S. largesse, in short, must be
branded and "marketed" in each RSI country if we are to win
hearts and minds more effectively. In Dar es Salaam, we will
partner with the Voice of America's (VOA) Swahili service
next year to create an interactive weekly radio program
produced primarily by young Tanzanians. Essentially a
PEPFAR-funded activity, the show will predominantly publicize
USG efforts to combat HIV/AIDS; however, in recognition of
broader "hearts and minds" goals, we have decided to include
content highlighting many of post's broader humanitarian
assistance efforts including cultural preservation and
self-help projects. These local reports on USG-sponsored
activities in Tanzania will reach about seven million
households through VOA's Swahili service on both short-wave
and popular local FM-affiliates. We urge similar efforts
across the region.

Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Program
--------------

9. (SBU) The Ambassador's Cultural Preservation program is
already an effective and extremely cost-effective instrument
in the struggle for "hearts and minds." We recommend
Washington sharply increase the modest funds available for
the fund to restore mosques, museums and other historical
Islamic sites throughout East Africa RSI countries. For
example, through the Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund
in 2005, Embassy Dar es Salaam worked with the curator of the
Chake Chake Museum on Pemba Island in Zanzibar, a traditional
Islamic society, to restore valuable Islamic historical
exhibits. In FY 2006 we sharpened our focus on higher impact
"hearts and minds" projects; the Embassy applied for and
received USD 25,589 to restore two aging mosques, both on
Pemba. Both mosques have a unique blend of Swahili and
Persian architecture, but have fallen into serious disrepair.
As a result of the fund, the mosques will be restored to
their former elegance with, we believe, a correspondingly
strong impact on their respective Islamic communities.



Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund
--------------

10. (SBU) The Ambassador's Special Self-Help (SSH) Fund is
also an extremely powerful, cost-effective tool to win hearts
and minds in towns and rural areas. Support for
rain-harvesting projects, laboratory equipment and desks for
schools or mechanical grain mills for remote villages are
modest but not-soon-forgotten testaments to the good will of
the people of the United States. We recommend tripling the
annual allocation for the Ambassador's Special Self-Help
programs across RSI countries. In FY 2006, missions in the
Horn received an average of approximately USD 73,000 for SSH
projects, financing 10 to 15 local projects. If tripled, a
greater share of the 30-45 projects could be extended to
Islamic communities.

International Visitors Program
--------------

11. (SBU) While IV programs are more costly than the
Ambassador's Self-Help and Cultural Preservation Funds, we
nonetheless recommend doubling the number of such IV programs
for RSI countries, aiming the increase at influential Islamic
voices within Swahili Coast Muslim communities.

Passport Security
--------------

12. (SBU) Countries in East Africa have made significant
investment in adopting state-of-the-art, tamper-proof machine
readable documents. However, there is little effective
control against male fide travelers obtaining these
high-tech, authentic travel documents in different identities
and different nationalities for a nominal price. These travel
documents can then be used to support illicit activities
ranging from smuggling and trafficking in persons to the
movement of terrorists. In short, regional CT cooperation
sponsored by the USG is directly undercut for the simple
reason that a real host government passport can be obtained
by a potential terrorist for little trouble and less cost.
Border security will increase exponentially if countries on
both sides of the region's borders work proactively to take
control of their respective travel documents. We recommend a
coordinated, region-wide approach to the issue of passport
and visa integrity with senior host government officials. We
suggest this should not be left to mid-ranking officers at
our missions, but should be raised at the most senior levels.



13. (SBU) To support travel document integrity, we suggest
creation of a regional International Visitors (IV) program
supporting visits by the region's passport examiners and
immigration inspectors to U.S. passport agencies and ports of
entry. The visit would have a three-fold purpose:
--- to expose the visitors to standard anti-fraud measures
used in the United States to protect document integrity;
--- to raise the level of professionalism of regional
passport and immigration officials to understand high
importance of vigilance in the issuance process;
--- to foster contacts and cooperation between the
respective passport and immigration services.

PISCES
--------------

14. (C) Within individual countries in the region, missions


are working to accelerate the connection of PISCES terminals
to one another and to central immigration and police
headquarters. However, we see no sign that host country
governments are sharing PISCES name lists with their regional
neighbors which would be a low-cost, yet important step
forward in combating terrorism within the region. We
therefore recommend a coordinated effort in each RSI country
to press host governments to share the names of terrorist
suspects regionally and on a systematized basis through the
PISCES system.

Crisis Response Teams
--------------

15. (SBU) Diplomatic Security's Office of Anti-Terrorism
Assistance (ATA) trains Crisis Response Teams. For 2006,
several teams in Africa, including teams in Tanzania and
Kenya, are being trained in the first phase of Crisis
Response which entails assisting countries in development of
the framework and functional elements to support such teams.
We recommend that the follow-on training to this program take
place in regional centers (again, we offer Dar es Salaam),
with host country teams training together and thus building
all-important personal relationships.

Terrorist Financing
--------------

16. (SBU) In FY 2005/2006, Tanzanian officials received
training on anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist
financing (CTF) from USG agencies including the Department of
Homeland Security, the FBI and the Treasury Department.
Under the recently signed MCA Threshold Program, the GOT will
gain additional technical assistance from Treasury in order
to establish a Financial Intelligence Unit. We recommend a
coordinated policy initiative to ensure East Africa's
countries enact or effectively implement AML and CTF laws,
and regionalized training to ensure law enforcement and
government officials exchange best practices and ultimately
share information regionally between financial intelligence
units.

Comment
--------------

17. (SBU) The above ideas are a notional first cut at
elements of a regional CT plan. Ideas will be reworked and
in some cases dropped in the regional review process. New
and better ideas will emerge. We welcome that, however,
because we believe the chief virtue of a regional CT plan is
creation of the regional review process itself. Regular
contact among COMs and their DCMs links their respective
country teams into an East Africa-wide regional network
engaged in active implementation of a common CT agenda. To
paraphrase Marshall McLuhan, the review process itself is
"the message."
DELLY