STAFFDEL QUILTER: OPTIMISTIC, BUT ASSERTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 006024 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/MEX, INR, INL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MX SUBJECT: STAFFDEL QUILTER: OPTIMISTIC, BUT ASSERTIVE ASSESSMENT OF MERIDA INITIATIVE,S CHANCES IN CONGRESS Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Charles V.Barclay. Reason: 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: A delegation from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by Professional Staff Member Peter Quilter spent two days in Mexico City (November 26-28) meeting with GOM representatives, legislators, NGO representatives and Embassy officials to discuss the recently proposed Merida Initiative. The delegation stressed that, while consensus exists within the USG on the need and urgency of expanding law enforcement cooperation with Mexico, congressional deliberations in coming months might not necessarily result in the exact mix of resources that has been requested by the USG for the GOM. With non-official contacts, they reviewed the political landscape here, discussed human rights concerns and assessed the strengths and weaknesses of Mexican law enforcement and security elements. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In Mexico City, the staff delegation met with the Ambassador and country team, the GOM Merida Initiative inter-agency team headed by Mexico,s Foreign Relations Secretariat,s Undersecretary for North America Affairs SIPDIS Carlos Rico and attended a working lunch hosted by Attorney General Medina Mora. The following day the delegation received a briefing at the Secretariat for Public Security and met with Sigrid Arzt, Technical Secretary for Mexico,s National Security Council. Two members of the delegation (Republican staff member John Mackey and Democratic staff member Melissa Silverman) traveled to the Mexican Air Force base at Santa Lucia for a briefing on the use of four Bell 412 helicopters in counter-drug operations (the Merida Initiative request seeks eight additional Bell 412s for SEDENA). In addition, members met with independent security analysts, representatives from Human Rights NGOs and six members of the Senate North America Affairs Commission. (Septel will discuss the group,s visit to the state of Michoacan.) Delegation Looking for a More Complete Picture ¶3. (SBU) Members of the delegation told GOM interlocutors they were in Mexico to develop a more comprehensive picture of the administration,s request than had been offered so far by their own government. Delegation head Peter Quilter expressed frustration that congress had been presented a description of only the first $500 million of what he said was a $1.4 billion package. During the meeting hosted by the Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE),he asked Carlos Rico for a complete list of what the GOM had requested from the U.S. Rico took the request on board without committing himself; Quilter promised to follow up with the Mexican Embassy once back in Washington. But Generally Supportive ¶4. (SBU) That said, delegation members said most in the U.S. congress agree that both an urgent need and opportunity exist to move the law enforcement relationship forward. Dealing with the administration,s request may be a messy, and at times, unflattering (to Mexico) process, but staff members indicated that if congress finishes deliberations by late winter, it would likely be able to respond positively to the GOM request. They cautioned, however, that congress will look carefully at the mix of monies requested by the administration and make changes it deems appropriate. Recurring Themes: ¶A. (C) Military As Leading Edge -- While they recognized the Mexican Military,s institutional strengths, delegation members noted to many interlocutors that the assistance package seemed weighted heavily toward hardware for Mexico,s Defense Secretariat (SEDENA),and signaled their desire to see civilian law enforcement elements assume the leading role as soon as possible. They asked for an assessment of the impact counter narcotics operations was having on the institution. Civil Society contacts and independent analysts tended to emphasize institutional weaknesses in all security and law enforcement elements, including the military. At SRE, SEDENA and Mexico,s Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) representatives said their services are handling expanded law enforcement responsibilities well. Carlos Rico pointed out MEXICO 00006024 002 OF 003 that law enforcement operations were no novelty for the Mexican Navy, which was more akin to the U.S. Coast Guard than the U.S.,s "blue water" Navy. National Security Technical Secretary Arzt challenged the assertion that the military was leading the GOM,s counter narcotics strategy. That role belongs to SSP, she said. Arzt also highlighted the GOM,s push to modernize and reorganize federal policing here within both SSP and the Attorney General,s office. ¶B. (C) Sharing Air Assets -- Although favorably impressed by his visit to the Santa Lucia air base and SEDENA,s use and upkeep its existing fleet of Bell 412s, Republican staff member, John Mackey asked SEDENA,s representative at the SRE meeting whether the military planned to make expanded helicopter assets available to lift SSP elements during that agency's operations (and received an affirmative response). Mackey returned to the issue with SSP,s Sub-Secretary Niembro and Sigrid Arzt the following day, asking both if the U.S. congress should mandate that at least 20% of airtime be reserved for supporting SSP operations. Both declined to respond. ¶C. (SBU) Program Management -- The delegation sought assurances that both USG and GOM would be able to support significantly expanded assistance programs. With the Ambassador, they said that concerns over the lack of candor in Washington's explanation of how it would administer such an expanded package result in calls for the creation of an inter-agency "Czar" to manage the program on the USG side; being frank early in the approval process could avoid such an exaggerated measure. The Ambassador, and most GOM interlocutors, responded by underscoring existing US-GOM agency-to-agency ties, and by citing the sizable number of personnel already working bilaterally on law enforcement programs. GOM contacts, such as Oscar Rocha from the Attorney General,s office and National Security Technical Secretary Arzt, discussed the legal reforms and administrative fixes being undertaken to strengthen GOM inter-agency coordination in law enforcement and security (notably police reorganization and justice reform). Carlos Rico suggested that the U.S. and Mexico might consider establishing a mechanism similar to the High Level Contact Group, the 1990,s era annual forum to foster law enforcement coordination between the USG and GOM. ¶D. (SBU) Human Rights/Rule of Law -- Civil society contacts briefed the delegation on what they perceive as the major weaknesses of security and law enforcement elements here. Human rights representatives cited the list of abuses allegedly committed by security forces (both federal and local) in recent years, criticized the lack of transparency and accountability within these elements (including the armed forces) when complaints of rights abuses and criminal activity are lodged. Security analysts focused their attention on transparency issues, corruption and other institutional weaknesses which they believe compromise law enforcement in Mexico. The analysts highlighted the intense inter-service/agency competition among security institutions which they say has undermined effectiveness and must be addressed. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: The delegation was generally upbeat about the Merida Initiative,s prospects ) although members noted that congress stood a better chance of approving funds if it could finish its deliberations before the U.S. presidential campaign picks up steam next spring. Besides noting some concerns with the sizable percentage of assistance going to the military, members of the delegation signaled no significant concerns with other elements within the package they have seen so far. They repeatedly said that they need to know more about the $1.4 billion package as a whole and how both sides would administer the steep increase in resources. Their Mexican interlocutors, both official and private, were happy to fill in details on Mexico,s security landscape and specific assistance requests, and came away from their meetings with a more realistic understanding of the U.S. deliberative process through which the Merida Initiative will develop. End Comment. MEXICO 00006024 003 OF 003 Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / GARZA