ATTORNEY GENERAL PUBLICLY PRESSES FOR MORE

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000046 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - LLUFTIG DEPT FOR INL/LP NBOZZOLO, KBROWN CARACAS FOR LEGATT HOMELAND SECURITY FOR COAST GUARD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SNAR KCRM PGOV PHSA NS SUBJECT: ATTORNEY GENERAL PUBLICLY PRESSES FOR MORE COOPERATION UNDER SHIPRIDER AGREEMENT ¶1. (SBU) On January 19 Suriname's Attorney General Subhas Punwasi publicly made a plea for the U.S. to expand its bilateral cooperation with Suriname by taking better advantage of the "Shiprider" Agreement, which entered into force in August 1999. Punwasi's comments were unexpected as the "Shiprider" agreement has not been an expressed priority of the Government of Suriname (GOS) over the past two years, but Post takes his request seriously and is seeking guidance on a response. ¶2. (U) Punwasi made the plea during a joint press event in which the Ambassador handed over a number of computers, printers, and memory sticks to the Attorney General as part of Post's INL program. In his remarks thanking the Ambassador, Punwasi said that Suriname has a difficult time policing its long coastline, but that air and marine support from the U.S. Coast Guard operating under the "Shiprider" agreement could improve the situation. Punwasi promised to take a stronger approach in battling cocaine trafficking through Suriname. He praised the close cooperation between the U.S. and Suriname in this area and said that he hoped more could be done. ¶3. (U) Punwasi's comments on the "Shiprider" agreement were the main focus of a story covering the handover ceremony in the newspaper De Ware Tijd, which has the largest circulation in Suriname. Two other newspapers reported on Punwasi's plea. ¶4. (U) In response, the Ambassador discussed the importance of "Shiprider" agreements and said that she would report his request to Washington. She mentioned that since September 11, the U.S. Coast Guard has been devoting more of its resources to protecting the extensive coastline of the United States. ¶5. (U) The GOS has been making strides in recent years in combating the trafficking of cocaine. In 2005 Surinamese law enforcement seized double the amount of cocaine than in 2004, secured convictions in three other high-profile drug cases, and arrested several major drug traffickers. Post believes that increased USG maritime cooperation with the GOS could bolster these recent successes. ¶6. (U) The Embassy requests guidance on how to respond to GOS request and press inquires. BARNES