INTERIOR MINISTER DISCUSSES SECURITY ISSUES WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000022

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2015
TAGS: ASEC BA MARR PREL BILAT CTR OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER DISCUSSES SECURITY ISSUES WITH
NAVCENT COMMANDER

REF: IIR 5 399 0002 06

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) Begin Summary: Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid
praised the strong historic relationship between the
governments of Bahrain and the United States during his
December 20 meeting with NAVCENT Commander Vice Admiral
Walsh. Senior MOI officials provided a comprehensive brief
discussing the structure and responsibilities of the Ministry
in the context of Bahrain's overall security environment.
Progress on the establishment of the Joint Counter-Terrorism
Center (JCTC) was reviewed and the Admiral expressed his
support and commitment to assist in the Center's development.
The Ministry brief highlighted improvements in the training
levels and overall effectiveness of Bahraini staff in the use
of newly installed scanning devices, while officials
expressed confidence that the system, undergoing continued
improvements, was fully operational. End summary.


2. (C) Vice Admiral Patrick Walsh, the Commander of U.S.
Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. Fifth Fleet,
accompanied by the Charge, paid an introductory call on
Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to
discuss bilateral relations and security related issues.
Also present during this meeting were Undersecretary Shaikh
Daij bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Public Security Chief Abdullatif
Rashid Al-Zayani, and Assistant Chief of Police for
Operations and Training, Col. Tariq Bin Dana.

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POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP
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3. (C) The Minister began the meeting by stressing the
positive relationship and the excellent cooperation shown
between the U.S. and Bahraini governments and the important
role of the U.S. Navy in this potentially volatile region.
He assured the Admiral of his continued support and expressed
the hope and desire that military families would soon return
to Bahrain. The Admiral offered his thanks to the Minister
and expressed praise for the levels of support and
transparent cooperation between the two nations. He added he
was hopeful military dependents would return soon and was
developing a better understanding of the overall threat
environment in Bahrain as well as the concrete steps that
have been taken by both the U.S. and Bahrain officials since
the departure of dependents to improve security in the
country.

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STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
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4. (C) General Al-Zayani, Chief of Public Security, then
provided an in-depth briefing on the structure of the
Ministry of Interior (MOI) and his role as the Chief of
Public Security, which incorporates police units, including
air wing, special forces, and Coast Guard elements. The
General discussed the various external and internal factors
affecting the changing role of the MOI and reviewed the
regional governorates and their individual responsibilities.
He also reviewed continuing programs to modernize the entire
force, suggesting Bahrain's fledging democracy has created
the need for change and the development of sensitive policing
agendas that address the issues of terrorism, civil disorder
and natural disasters. One such program includes the recent
development of a community policing program. To date. the
program has graduated 190 new officers, with 80 currently
undergoing training. The Ministry hopes to have in excess of
500 officers in 2006 and suggested the initial public
reaction has been positive. The General also reviewed
ongoing training efforts and discussed the Anti-Terrorism
Assistance (ATA) program in Bahrain. A copy of the entire
presentation was provided to the Admiral following the
meeting.

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JOINT COUNTER TERRORISM CENTER
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5. (C) During the briefing, the Charge asked about the
status of the planned JCTC, sometimes referred to as the
Counter Terrorism Operation Center (CTOC). General Al-Zayani
stated the MOI had identified a facility which was currently
undergoing renovations to house the Center. He added
equipment needs had been identified and orders processed, and
all staffing positions had been established and filled. He
added it was hoped the Center would be operational as early
as February 2006 and was hoping for the establishment of a
liaison officer from the U.S. Embassy at that time. Minister
Rashid went on to explain ongoing efforts to establish the
JCTC and the various needs associated with its development.
This included Bahrain efforts to upgrade the country's
communications network to ensure proper connectivity with the
JCTC. The MOI has conducted comprehensive surveys to review
software and computer needs for automated databases and has
approached British officials on establishing a presence in
the JCTC and to provide a regional database on explosive
incidents and materials.


6. (C) The Admiral expressed his strong support for the
Center and offered his assistance, and that of NCIS, in
providing valuable start-up assistance. The Minister
reiterated the strong relationship already established
between U.S. Naval (NCIS) officials and the MOI and welcomed
the offer. General Al-Zayani offered several examples of the
close levels of cooperation to include recent joint drug and
credit card fraud cases, and the assignment of host
government liaison officers for all U.S./coalition ship
visits. The Minister then expressed his openness to the
presence of NCIS staff in any Joint Counter Terrorism Center
established in Bahrain.

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CAUSEWAY CONCERNS
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7. (C) The Charge then asked about the status and
effectiveness of the vehicle scanning equipment that was
installed last year along the Causeway. (Note: Previous
reporting suggested that there were difficulties operating
the equipment bringing into question its effectiveness. As
reported in reftel, the February 2005 installation of a
vehicle scanning system was to ensure the safety of all cargo
shipments transiting through Bahrain and to increase the
efficiency of the security verification process at the
Causeway. The Causeway is Bahrain's only land link with the
Arabian Peninsula and serves as a major point of entry and
thoroughfare for upwards of 400 trucks entering Bahrain
daily. Initial start-up problems led to the suggestion the
wrong equipment was installed or the equipment was somehow
defective. End note.)


8. (C) Minister Rashid explained that he believed the
initial difficulties were simply caused by the lack of
training and experience of the operating staff assigned to
the unit. General Al-Zayani went on to suggest training
levels have increased significantly and the developing
expertise of the staff has greatly enhanced the equipment's
operational effectiveness. He added that contract officials
from Britain recently visited the Causeway and will be
providing additional recommendations to the GOB to improve
screening procedures along the Causeway. The Minister's
views were similar to those recently expressed to Embassy
officials by the British DCM in Bahrain who is familiar with
the scanning system.

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NEXT STEPS
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9. (C) General Al-Zayani wrapped-up the briefing with an
explanation of ongoing efforts to improve security services
and provided recommendations for future growth. Procedural
guidelines for the security services are continuously being
updated, there have been recent reviews conducted to improve
security at the airport and causeway, training programs have
been expanded upon and the level of interaction between the
U.S. government and Bahrain in the area of training and
intelligence sharing has increased steadily. The General
added Bahrain has established a National Emergency Control
Center and purchased secure digital communications networks
to improve security operations. Moves to install Closed
Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring systems and improving
Bahrain's coastal radar network to track vessels is also a
priority for the MOI.


10. (C) Shaikh Rashid closed the meeting by reiterating
that Bahrain's Coast Guard needed more training as well as
additional patrol boats. General Al-Zayani added that
efforts are underway to improve the capabilities of the Coast
Guard with the purchase of additional patrol boats (up to 11
at an estimated cost of 20 million) similar to those recently
purchased by neighboring Gulf States.
ZIADEH