Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06STATE116138
2006-07-14 22:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
LEAHY HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUIRED FOR ALL GPOI
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UNCLAS STATE 116138
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MASS PHUM
SUBJECT: LEAHY HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUIRED FOR ALL GPOI
ACTIVITIES
REF: A. 05 STATE 111757
B. 05 STATE 21314
C. 03 STATE 34981
D. 05 STATE 131486
UNCLAS STATE 116138
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MASS PHUM
SUBJECT: LEAHY HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUIRED FOR ALL GPOI
ACTIVITIES
REF: A. 05 STATE 111757
B. 05 STATE 21314
C. 03 STATE 34981
D. 05 STATE 131486
1. (U) Summary: The Department requests that all Posts
participating in the Global Peace Operations Initiative
(GPOI) conduct human rights vetting for related training and
activities as mandated by the annual Foreign Operations
Appropriations Acts (FOAA) (Section 551 in the FY 2006 FOAA).
Please see paragraph 4 for detailed instructions on vetting
procedures. End Summary.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
2. (U) The Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) is a
five-year initiative to train peace operations troops around
the world, train stability police units (SPU) to participate
in peace operations, and provide deployment support through
an international mechanism. For more information, please see
reftel A. Addressees are GPOI partners and thus need to
follow certain provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, as amended, as well as other legislative mandates.
3. (U) Section 551 of the Foreign Operations, Export
Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for FY
2006, P.L. 109-102 (FOAA),includes a provision commonly
referred to as the Leahy Amendment that states: "None of the
funds made available by this Act may be provided to any unit
of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary
of State has credible evidence that such unit has committed
gross violations of human rights, unless the Secretary
determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations
that the government of such country is taking effective
measures to bring the responsible members of the security
forces to justice."
4. (U) In order to comply with the Leahy Amendment, State
has issued policy guidelines that require Posts to perform
human rights vetting for all units and individual members
receiving FOAA-funded training or assistance. Participating
in GPOI activities requires such human rights vetting as
well. The Department encourages Post to consult "A Guide to
the Vetting Process" located on the SIPRNet at
http://aces.state.sgov.gov and reftels B and C for detailed
guidance on Leahy vetting procedures and information. The
human rights vetting process may be summarized under the
following steps which are detailed more fully in reftels B, C
and D:
(a) U.S. Embassy investigates unit/individual for human
rights violations by reviewing files and databases, including
the Abuse Case Evaluation System (ACES) database.
(b) If derogatory information is found on an individual
presented for vetting, the officer at Post tasked with the
vetting will enter that information into the ACES database
(please see ACES user manual for complete instructions on how
to use ACES located on the SIPRNet at
http://aces.state.sgov.gov).
(c) The U.S. Embassy cables the regional bureau at the State
Department with search results and requests a similar review
of the Department's files/databases.
(d) Information on the unit/individual is circulated to
appropriate personnel in the State Department, including the
Bureaus of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL);
Intelligence and Research (INR); and Political-Military
Affairs (PM) for review.
(e) If no credible derogatory information is found, the
regional bureau sends a reply cable to Post indicating that
no credible derogatory information has been found and the
individual/unit may participate in training/assistance.
(f) If credible derogatory information is found, the regional
bureau sends a reply cable to Post indicating that credible
derogatory information has been found and the individual/unit
may not participate in training/assistance. Any ongoing
training/assistance will be terminated immediately.
5. (U) The Department points of contact for GPOI are:
PM/PPA Rachel Featherstone (202-647-7092),Christina Rosati
(202-647-3034),and Michael Smith (202-647-7714). The
Department point of contact for Leahy vetting is: PM/PPA
Nicole Porreca (202-647-4998).
End text.
RICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MASS PHUM
SUBJECT: LEAHY HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUIRED FOR ALL GPOI
ACTIVITIES
REF: A. 05 STATE 111757
B. 05 STATE 21314
C. 03 STATE 34981
D. 05 STATE 131486
1. (U) Summary: The Department requests that all Posts
participating in the Global Peace Operations Initiative
(GPOI) conduct human rights vetting for related training and
activities as mandated by the annual Foreign Operations
Appropriations Acts (FOAA) (Section 551 in the FY 2006 FOAA).
Please see paragraph 4 for detailed instructions on vetting
procedures. End Summary.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
2. (U) The Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) is a
five-year initiative to train peace operations troops around
the world, train stability police units (SPU) to participate
in peace operations, and provide deployment support through
an international mechanism. For more information, please see
reftel A. Addressees are GPOI partners and thus need to
follow certain provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, as amended, as well as other legislative mandates.
3. (U) Section 551 of the Foreign Operations, Export
Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for FY
2006, P.L. 109-102 (FOAA),includes a provision commonly
referred to as the Leahy Amendment that states: "None of the
funds made available by this Act may be provided to any unit
of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary
of State has credible evidence that such unit has committed
gross violations of human rights, unless the Secretary
determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations
that the government of such country is taking effective
measures to bring the responsible members of the security
forces to justice."
4. (U) In order to comply with the Leahy Amendment, State
has issued policy guidelines that require Posts to perform
human rights vetting for all units and individual members
receiving FOAA-funded training or assistance. Participating
in GPOI activities requires such human rights vetting as
well. The Department encourages Post to consult "A Guide to
the Vetting Process" located on the SIPRNet at
http://aces.state.sgov.gov and reftels B and C for detailed
guidance on Leahy vetting procedures and information. The
human rights vetting process may be summarized under the
following steps which are detailed more fully in reftels B, C
and D:
(a) U.S. Embassy investigates unit/individual for human
rights violations by reviewing files and databases, including
the Abuse Case Evaluation System (ACES) database.
(b) If derogatory information is found on an individual
presented for vetting, the officer at Post tasked with the
vetting will enter that information into the ACES database
(please see ACES user manual for complete instructions on how
to use ACES located on the SIPRNet at
http://aces.state.sgov.gov).
(c) The U.S. Embassy cables the regional bureau at the State
Department with search results and requests a similar review
of the Department's files/databases.
(d) Information on the unit/individual is circulated to
appropriate personnel in the State Department, including the
Bureaus of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL);
Intelligence and Research (INR); and Political-Military
Affairs (PM) for review.
(e) If no credible derogatory information is found, the
regional bureau sends a reply cable to Post indicating that
no credible derogatory information has been found and the
individual/unit may participate in training/assistance.
(f) If credible derogatory information is found, the regional
bureau sends a reply cable to Post indicating that credible
derogatory information has been found and the individual/unit
may not participate in training/assistance. Any ongoing
training/assistance will be terminated immediately.
5. (U) The Department points of contact for GPOI are:
PM/PPA Rachel Featherstone (202-647-7092),Christina Rosati
(202-647-3034),and Michael Smith (202-647-7714). The
Department point of contact for Leahy vetting is: PM/PPA
Nicole Porreca (202-647-4998).
End text.
RICE