IMPROVING BANGLADESHI COUNTER TERRORISM

S E C R E T DHAKA 003453

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FRED MILLER SCA/RA AND JOHN SCHLOSSER SCA/RA, S/CT
DS/ATA ATTN: BOB BOYKE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2016
TAGS: PTER KCRM KISL EAID ASEC BG
SUBJECT: IMPROVING BANGLADESHI COUNTER TERRORISM
CAPABILITIES

REF: A. MILLER/ENGELKEN EMAIL MAY 18 2006

B. IIR 6 925 0070 06

Classified By: AMB. PATRICIA BUTENIS, Reasons: Para 1.4 (D)


1. (C) ACTION REQUEST: See Paragraphs 14 and 22.

2, (S) Summary: After discussion of current mission Counter
Terrorism efforts, embassy believes that enhancement to
current programs is justified and should be explored.
Embassy believes that next steps include steps towards
initiation of a Rewards for Justice Program, and a joint
inter-agency team composed of elements from State, Justice,
Defense should come to Bangladesh to pinpoint Bangladeshi law
enforcement organization, training and resource requirements.
Post requests response. End Summary.


3. (S) Embassy convened a Counter Terrorism Sub-Group (CTSG)
composed of broad elements of the embassy, which included
representatives from Treasury, Defense, and sections within
State such as Executive, RSO, Political and Economic, and RAO
to assess mission's current programs and efforts and ways to
improve them. The CTSG reviewed what activities and programs
embassy is doing now, what others are doing, extent of
coordination with other international missions, effectiveness
of what others are doing, what BDG wants in terms of
assistance and materiel, assessment of what BDG can absorb,
and appropriate ministries within BDG to coordinate such
efforts. Many of these current efforts are in the Mission
Performance Plan (MPP). Staff point of contact is Robert Wong
(Classified EMAIL) wongre@state.sgov.gov (Unclassified EMAIL)
wongre@state.gov, PHONE is 880 2 885 5500 X2306.

ANTI-TERRORISM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
--------------


4. (S) Regional Security Officer (RSO) described the
Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) programs which included
training police on terrorist crime scene investigation,
fraudulent document investigations, critical incident
management, explosive incident management, crises response,
VIP protection, post blast investigation and investigation
and interrogation techniques. Some of the courses have
already been conducted and others are anticipated. He
expressed disappointment that a SD/ATA offered six-month TDY
officer to establish a CT unit in the Detective Branch of the
police has never been filled. He opined that this is still
needed.


5. (S) The RSO explained that ATA has invested a significant
amount of training in the Bangladesh police force in 2006.
Many of these courses came with equipment grants that enabled
the police to "stand up" mission capable bomb disposal units,
post blast investigations and a counter-assault force. The
equipment grants were made possible through the mobile
anti-terrorism training (MATT) courses. The RSO,s concern
now is sustaining the training that has already been given to
the police. The RSO suggested additional training to improve
the capabilities and make sure the already considerable
investment by the U.S. to BDG is not wasted. Suggested
training included additional MATT courses such as advanced
Explosives Incident Countermeasures, Post Blast
Investigation, Crisis Response Team to increase the capacity
of the students that recent attended training. Likewise,
offering more of the basic versions of these courses to
further build the capabilities of the police. The weapon of
choice in Bangladesh is an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
and increasing the capabilities of the police to respond to
emergencies involving IEDs is vital. The RSO further
explained that the police have no capable dog handling units
to search for explosives and establishing a unit would
significantly increase the ability of the police to search
for IEDs. In addition, the BDG has no capability to respond
to any Chemical/Biological emergencies and this basic need
has been identified to several members of the CTSG. The RSO
felt the instructor development courses could help ameliorate
some of the problems caused by transferring personnel out of
the specialized units and bridge the gap to establish
continuity in training for the police.

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION SECURE COMPARISON EVALUATION SYSTEM
-------------- --------------


6. (S) RSO and RAO described the Personal Identification
Secure Comparison Evaluation System (PISCES) computer-based
border entry control system, which would permit US and
Bangladesh security personnel to identify and intercept

malafide travelers on real time basis. While Home Minister
Babar agreed in an MOU to accept and install PISCES, RSO
explained that there is only funding to offer BDG a basic
version of PISCES and is not the customized version that BDG
wants. As a result, BDG's prefers to retain its own computer
system, FORTRAC.

MILITARY PROGRAMS
--------------


7. (S) DAO said that the designated BDG Counter-Terrorism
force is the first Paratroop Commando Regiment (Ref B).
However, while the 1st Paras continue to train, a newer
para-military police unit, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
appears to supplant the 1st Paras as the BDG preferred CT
force. In BDG's efforts to find and arrest the terrorists
who conducted a coordinated series of nation-wide bombings in
August 17,2006, the RAB was the unit of choice to find and
capture the terrorists. DAO said that the 1st Paras are
frustrated that they do not play a larger role given their
designated status, and that they do not get the equipment
they see the RAB is receiving. DAO said that training
directed to the 1st Paras, if offered, should be continued as
all military units rotate into or augment the para-military
BDR forces. Others noted the political support drives the
current support for funding the RAB, which is subject to
change.


8. (S) Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) explained his
office's programs which primarily focused on enhancing BDG
maritime border security by supporting efforts to expand the
Coast Guard, enhance port security and provide training in
basic Coast Guard skills such as boarding of ships. He said
that while State S/CT ranks BDG as Tier I nation, meaning it
has the highest access to program aid, State IMET/FMF ranks
BDG as a Tier II nation, giving it lower priority. OCD noted
that USAID may control the Tiers in the future, and that
IMET/FMF has flexibility to move funding to support the
training of police.


9. (S) Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) stated that the
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) denied
permission for export of software he believed necessary to
improve the command and control of the para-military
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).


UNDERMINING FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF TERRORISM
--------------


10. (S) The Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) is charged with
managing several programs supported by the Department of
Justice (DOJ) and Department of Treasury (DOT). She described
training programs to increase the BDG capacity to investigate
and prosecute financial crimes, the progress on developing a
Financial Investigations Unit (FIU),and developing a BDG
legal framework consistent with international standards.


11. (S) The RLA described her international partner working
group composed of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). She wants to add the
BDG Non-Governmental Organization Bureau (NGOB) which
regulates international foreign assistance organizations.
She said that BDG has a shortage of quality prosecutors, and
may seek to ask private law firms to loan attorneys to
prosecute financial crimes. Other issues included: initiating
training of BDG Criminal Investigation Division (CID),police
and other specialized units, using funding or trainers from
the International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance
Program (ICITAP),or from State Department's Bureau of
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)


12. (S) The Political Section described U.S. assistance to
provide technical assistance to bring the BDG passport
compliant with International Civil Aviation Standards (ICAO).
Also known as the Passport Modernization Project, the project
conducted a study which documented the BDG's passport and
issuing office's security deficiencies. Poloff provided
copies of the study to all participants.

REWARDS FOR JUSTICE PROGRAM
--------------


13. (S) Rewards for Justice RFJ - The CTSG acknowledged the
benefits of having the RFJ program in Bangladesh, that public
affairs needs to be involved, that the program should include
information on terrorist financing, and would involved paid

radio and TV ads. The disadvantages noted: the program is
time intensive, this is a poison pen society so expect a
number of false leads, and most leads will be Bangla. The
embassy also weighed possible BDG responses to the RFJ
program in deciding whether the program would be suitable.


14. (S) The embassy plans to implement a Rewards for Justice
Program in Bangladesh, and seeks advice on implementation.
Point of Contact (POC) for this is RSO Nick Sabruno
(Classified EMAIL) sabrunoda@state.sgov.gov (Unclassified
EMAIL) sabrunoda@state.gov, PHONE is 880 2 885 5500 X2228

OTHER FOREIGN MISSION'S PROGRAMS
--------------


15. (C) Poloff briefed CTSG on other foreign mission
programs. Most programs focused on police training. The UK,
Canadians and Australians are assessing police and security
forces, seeking to coordinate with the U.S. and ensure that
and will be preparing to offer programs. The UK is planning
some level of training to the RAB not yet specified. This is
over and above the UK's planned support of a 30 million Euro
UNDP program to upgrade the BDG police. Embassy participated
in the local G8 Counter Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) and
coordinates with the local missions of Canada, UK, and
Australia (the Quartet) on CT. A matrix of known Quartet
local programs was distributed.


16. (SBU) A substantial investment by the Japanese, started
in April 2004, provided police vehicles, constructed police
stations around the country, instituted a Japanese style
community policing program, provided computer
inter-connectiveness between police stations, and provided
forensics equipment. They plan to provide technical support
and instruction on the use of the forensics equipment.
Poloff plans to meet with other Missions undertaking police
development efforts including UNDP and Germany.

DISCUSSION: THOUGHTS AND IDEAS
--------------


17. (S) Embassy discussed the effectiveness of BDG's current
CT efforts. RSO believed the structure of the police, with no
specialized units, undermined its ability to combat
terrorists. For example, with no career paths there is no
incentive for officers to undertake training and remain in
these essential specialized CT oriented units. RSO further
explained that most officers serve a two to three year tour
in a specialized unit and the transfer to a job completely
unrelated. As a result, this is little institutional
knowledge of critical needs such as bomb disposal or forensic
investigations. DAO and ODC said that current U.S. efforts
are successful as many BDG generals have received U.S.
training at some part of their career, but some of the
training is too technical for the BDG to absorb or to use.
The training can be tweaked but some BDG restructuring is
required, e.g. their procurement and acquisitions needs
improvement. DAO TDY questioned if the U.S. is spending
funds on the right forces. Noting the public support of the
RAB, the DAO TDY questioned continued support for training
military units such as 1st Paras.


18. (S) Embassy discussion focused on the RAB, launched in
2004 as an elite crime-fighting force. Participants noted
that RAB's extra-judicial killings this month were at an all
time high with 26 people killing in "cross-fires." Embassy
reviewed the constraints of the Leahy amendment, and offered
that to enhance the capabilities of the RAB as force there
are benefits to interim steps to improve their human rights
performance. Steps discussed include:

-find out their current level of human rights training;
-improve that level by providing human rights training to
some internationally recognized standard;
-improve personal accountability by systematic tracking of
police and RAB trained by U.S. and other foreign missions;
-improve the transparency of the RAB's after cross fire
process, after each "cross-fire" is reviewed by a magistrate
and then officially declared a legal, defensible police
action; and
-ascertain the ability of the RAB to absorb human rights
training,


19. (C) Embassy discussed requests their interlocutors
requested from the U.S. The items included: forensic lab
equipment, helicopters, centralized information data base
technology, electronic eavesdropping equipment, and

chemical-biological counter-measures response equipment.


20. (S) Embassy noted media reports citing Home Minister's
Babar's announcement to create a new Counter Terrorism unit.
As more is known about Babar's ideas, post will report septel.

THE WAY AHEAD
--------------


21. (SBU) Embassy plans to convene a third meeting to plan a
timeline, the way ahead, and priorities for action. Issues
to be addressed will be developing a needs-based approach for
improving the capabilities of Bangladesh's CT forces. This
would include understanding their current organization, level
of training and capabilities, equipment, then developing
suitable standards for improvement of their capabilities,
accountibility, and their respect for human rights.


22. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy requests a Joint Inter-Agency
Coordination Group Counter Terrorism (JIACG-CT) assessment as
a necessary first step.
BUTENIS