JAMAICAN AND FEDERAL AGENCIES REACTION TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 001171 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR (RBUDDEN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC EWWT PGOV GAO JM XL SUBJECT: JAMAICAN AND FEDERAL AGENCIES REACTION TO GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (GAO) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) is required to report on security related aspects of Caribbean Basin Ports On June 29, 2007 the GAO released a report, "Information on Port Security in the Caribbean Basin", in which they identified three likely modes of attack and three specific areas of security concern and vulnerability. The Jamaican reaction to the GAO report has been limited but can only be described as resentful. Jamaicans, including James Forbes, head of security at the Port Authority of Jamaica were critical of the GAO report's lack of specificity. Many federal agencies located within US Embassy Kingston, were also concerned about the reports broad labeling of Caribbean ports with no mention to specific countries. While many of the concerns identified may apply to other islands in the Caribbean, Jamaica seems to have made a concerted effort to comply and in some instances exceed international regulations regarding port security. The report and its findings are especially complicated, because the Jamaican media does not seem to recognize the distinction between this report emanating from an independent nonpartisan agency that works for congress, the different branches of government, and how they relate to this report. Instead, the report is viewed by many as a judgment of Jamaican ports by the United States Government. -------------- GAO Report -------------- ¶2. (U) Section 233 (c) of the security and accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 compels the GAO to inform Congress of port security in the Caribbean Basin. It is especially important for Congress to be awar of the security situation regarding ports in the Caribbean Basin becaus American cruise ships and goods travel to and from this region. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report, "Information on Port Security in the Caribbean Basin", with the specific objectives of identifying and describing: (1) the threats and concerns to port security within the Caribbean Basin, (2) actions taken by foreign and domestic agents to meet international port regulations, (3) actions US government agencies have taken to assist in making Caribbean ports secure, and (4) the potential economic consequences of port security an a hypothetical attack. 3.The GAO acquired data by interviewing officials from federal agencies and international organizations. They also visited several Caribbean nations and reviewed information provide by those agencies and organizations working in the region. Based on the areas of analysis in the aforementioned section, the GAO found three areas that specifically inhibit port security in the Caribbean Basin: (1) corruption, (2) gang activity in close proximity to ports, and (3) drug trafficking. Illegal migration and a growing influence of Islamic radical groups were also mentioned by agency officials as potential concerns to port security. 4. However, according to the GAO its report is "descriptive in nature and does not provide a detailed analysis of the actions taken or efforts made regarding port security i the Caribbean Basin". Therefore, the GAO report merely describes the port security situation without taking into consideration actions taken to address the security concerns mentioned above. The report does not address the effectiveness of the programs implemented by Federal or any other agencies to address the security concerns raised in the report. -------------- Jamaican reaction -------------- ¶5. (U) The Jamaican reaction to the GAO report can be described as limited but outraged. In the media, there have been a few articles, references to and reports on the GAO report. Jamaicans, including James Forbes, head of the security at the Port Authority of Jamaica, are specifically disgruntled at the claims of corruption, lax security, and limited resources to maintain equipment. The GAO seems to have give rise to some confusion, because this critique of port security comes on the heels of the CARICOM 20/20 Summit in which Caribbean nations and th US agreed to move forward collectively on issues of security. 6. (U) Mr Forbes seems disgruntled at the GAO reports findings because Jamaica appears to have addressed many of the concerns mentioned by the GAO as a threat to security. Forbes claims the port authority of Jamaic is audited internally, and the port authority also has been audited by the US Coast Guard and other international agencies, who have found their financial practices to be above board. Forbes is also quoted as saying that the port authority has scanning equipment that can not only scan 100% of all cargo but Jamaica is the only country in the region with the capacity to scan cargo with high-tech x-ray equipment that can peer through 12 inches of solid steel. The three major ports on the island, Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios are operated by both local police and Jamaica Defense Force. It is important to note that Forbes did not address the issue of growing Islamic radical influence in the region. -------------- FEDERAL AGENCIES -------------- ¶7. (U) Federal agencies operating in the area have positive reviews of the efforts by the Jamaican government to secure the ports. In the estimate of the Embassy's Narcotics Affairs Section the management of KINGSTON 00001171 002 OF 002 Jamaican ports, headed by Noel Hylton, does not appear to be corrupt. Narcotics Affairs also believes the Jamaica Defense Force do not seem to be corrupt in comparison to other law enforcement agencies in Jamaica. The Defense Attachi's Office (DAO) could not comment on other ports in Jamaica but specifically mentioned the port in Kingston as secure and compliance with international guidelines/standards. The Department of Homeland security Container Security Initiative, Kingston, also has found that the Kingston port is secure. Some of the security measures noted by the Container Security Initiative, a program active in other Caribbean Islands, included:(1) having a Jamaican Customs Officer present when someone enters the container area, (2) if the seal of a contain is broken, (3) a customs officer must also be present, (4) and all vehicles that enter the port are required to sign in and out. The consensus opinion of Federal agencies operating in Kingston is that the ports here are secure. -------------- Comments -------------- ¶8. (U) The problem with the GAO report is its lack of specificity. The GAO report makes broad claims about port security in the region as a whole but does not to address the differences that exist within the region. This is misleading, because a security concern in one country is not necessarily a concern another, and the report does not go into detail. Especially in a region that has some of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere together with some of the more prosperous in the hemisphere, the method of broad descriptive reporting is inconsistent with the goal of providing an accurate description of port security. Furthermore, while the report consults federal agencies regarding their assessment of security concerns in the region, it does not go further to address the effectiveness of programs developed by federal agencies to address these concerns. ¶9. (U) The report's lack of specificity is a problem, because some governments believe, by virtue of being apart of the region to which th GAO report refers, there situations are mischaracterized. Other governments sometimes do not recognize the difference between the executive and legislative branches in the U.S. system or the independent, non-partisan nature of an organization like Government Accountability Office that is charged with keeping the legislative branch informed of how the executive spends money. HEG