JAMAICA: SECTION 1206 PROPOSAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000100

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PM/PPA - AMY COLETTA
WHA/CAR - RANDALL BUDDEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL MASS MARR JM XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: SECTION 1206 PROPOSAL

REF: STATE 134152

Classified By: DCM James T. Heg; Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

1.(C) Post fully supports the proposal for Section 1206
funding to enable Jamaica's participation in Enduring
Friendship (Reftel). As one of the four countries included
in Phase 1, Jamaica is an essential part of the Enduring
Friendship Program and of the Third Border Initiative.
Through Enduring Friendship, we will implement a targeted
security cooperation program which will enhance the command,
control, maritime domain awareness, and operational
capabilities of the Jamaican security forces by upgrading
their communications, information, and intelligence systems.
This will improve Jamaica's ability to exercise sovereignty
over its territory (especially its vast maritime territory),
assist with denying terrorists potential safe havens, and
disrupt illicit activities that could provide resources to
terrorists. The improvement in Jamaica's capabilities will
better protect the US by further securing our southern
approaches against threats transiting or originating from
Jamaica's area of responsibility. In addition to the
reduction in illicit trafficking to the US homeland, USG
agencies will gain expanded information and intelligence of
this region, host nation operations, and illicit trafficking
threats. An additional benefit of the Enduring Friendship
Program will be enhancement of the capabilities of USG assets
through greater interoperability between Jamaican and US
systems, as well as reduction of USG operational demands as
Jamaican security forces become better able to assume more of
the region's maritime security obligations.

2.(C) The Enduring Friendship Program has been fully
developed in accordance with all applicable Security
Cooperation Guidance and Strategies. It is a key initiative
within the USSOUTHCOM Theater Security Cooperation (TSC)
Strategy, and is designed to support twelve of the OSD
objectives under the four Defense Policy Themes of: assure
allies and partners; dissuade potential adversaries; deter
aggression and counter coercion; and defeat adversaries. In
addition, the Enduring Friendship Program is structured to
achieve all three of the USSOUTHCOM TSC Strategy regional
priority effects: partner nations able to control ungoverned
areas; counter narco-terrorism reduced to manageable public
security issues; and effective WMD detection, interdiction,
and consequence management. Also, Enduring Friendship will
facilitate the highest priority of the US Military Liaison
Office (USMLO)'s Country Security Cooperation Plan: that
Jamaican security forces be capable of countering illicit
activities in and through Jamaica, and of enforcing
territorial sovereignty and security.

3.(C) Section 1206 funding is essential to completing the
acquisition of the equipment, training, and parts stream that
are required to bring Jamaican security forces to a 100%
Initial Operating Concept (IOC) level for implementation of
Enduring Friendship. In FY06, FMF funds were used to
purchase some communications and secure network equipment,
training, and spare parts; this will bring the Jamaican
security forces up to approximately 33% of their IOC. If the
projected loss of FMF funding becomes a reality, we probably
will be unable to attain 100% IOC within any reasonable time
period, and our initial promising efforts with this program
will be stymied. Because of the short life cycle of
communications equipment, any lengthy delay in its issuance
may well result in obsolescence of equipment fielded early in
the program. In addition, as communications systems must be
fielded as complete systems in order to be fully operational,
partial fielding of communications equipment will not result
in an effective command, control, and operations system.
JOHNSON