INTERIOR MINISTER ON GCC COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTER

S E C R E T MANAMA 001030 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, S/CT E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC BA REGION BILAT CTR OFFICIALS SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER ON GCC COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTER Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa told EmbOffs June 7 that he and the other GCC Interior Ministers had discussed the mission of a regional counter-terrorism center during a recent meeting held in Abu Dhabi. The meeting came as a result of a decision by GCC heads of state at the May 6 GCC Consultative Meeting in Riyadh to establish a regional CT center in Bahrain. Shaikh Rashid said the ministers agreed to work collectively against the terrorist threat. They first need to establish a common plan to combat terrorism with agreed-upon standard operating procedures. There was still a question about what the best physical structure would be, with one center, many centers, or other arrangements. Any concept of a CT center should include shared data and intelligence and secure communications, he said. ¶2. (S) Comment: Shaikh Rashid was short on details during this brief conversation. We will follow up with him to determine if anything more concrete was discussed or decided at the GCC Interior Ministers meeting. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** MONROE