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