SURINAME: 2006 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000796 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PASS FOR S/CT - RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASECEFINKCRMKPAOPTERKHLSAEMRNS SUBJECT: SURINAME: 2006 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM REF: STATE 175925 1.(U) Post provides the following information on relevant issues and developments regarding the Government of Suriname's (GOS) support for the fight against terrorism. 2.(SBU) There were no acts of international terrorism in Suriname in 2006, and Suriname is not a state sponsor of terrorism. There was no official financial, political, or diplomatic support for international terrorism, including specific terrorist or umbrella groups. Suriname is not a known safe haven for terrorists or terrorist groups. Suriname has not provided weapons of mass destruction to terrorists nor assisted terrorist groups in obtaining or developing weapons. According to police sources however, the terrorist organization FARC conducted arms-for-drugs operations with criminal organizations in Suriname. 3.(U) The lead GOS agency for counter-terrorism (CT) is the Central Information and Security Agency (CIVD),which is headed by the counter-terrorism coordinator for the GOS. The Ministry of Justice and Police (MOJP) also plays a role in CT efforts. The MOJP has a police Anti-Terrorist Team (ATE) and a 28 man "capture team" for use in the interior. Both of these units are supplements to the national police force's A (Arrest) Team, which is the police SWAT team. 4.(U) Suriname does not have any legislation to prosecute terrorism. There are no special authorities governing the prosecution of CT cases, and they would be handled as any other case involving criminal behavior. To date there have been no terrorist cases brought to trial in Suriname. Suriname has not extradited any terrorist suspects. Surinamese law does not permit extradition of its nationals. Extradition of foreign nationals is permitted under Suriname law. 5.(U) Post demarches GOS with requests to freeze financial assets of known international terrorists, some who have been designated on the United Nations 1267 Sanctions Committee list. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs circulates these terrorist names to the Surinamese Central Bank and banks operating in Suriname. However, Suriname has not yet signed the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and does not have laws or regulations that enable the authorities to freeze and seize funds and assets related to the financing of terrorism. This legislation is pending. The GOS does, however, have legislation to allow authorities to freeze assets of those suspected of money laundering. 6.(U) The GOS law enforcement agency, the Korps Politie Suriname (KPS),works closely with US agencies on policing efforts. However, GOS agencies are not able to closely watch over Suriname's porous unregulated borders. Lack of radar and communications make monitoring of the jungle interior, which comprises 80 percent of Suriname, difficult. Roads and rivers provide limited access to GOS authorities while providing excellent routes for potential criminals and terrorists. In 2004, Suriname established port security plans in compliance with International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) obligations, and followed this with additional training for port officials on ISPS regulations. However, there still is a concern over security at maritime ports. Security at the airport has also increased, but there still are problems which prevent Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approval for direct flights to and from the US. 7.(U) Suriname began issuing CARICOM-compliant machine-readable passports in 2004, yet there are still numerous valid old passports in circulation. These can easily be tampered with in order to assume a false identity to travel across borders. An unknown number of blank old-style passports remain unaccounted for. Post provides watchlists of known terrorists to GOS police, but should any be present, the likelihood of apprehending wanted terrorists is low because of lack of border and immigration control by police and officials, and because Suriname has no system for registering and monitoring visitors. 8.(U) Embassy's point of contact is Jesse Sanders, sandersjl@state.gov, 011 597 472 000 extension 2205. Schreiber Hughes