CANADA: (5/5) 220TH MEETING OF THE U.S.-CANADA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002023 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS NORAD CA SUBJECT: CANADA: (5/5) 220TH MEETING OF THE U.S.-CANADA PERMANENT JOINT BOARD ON DEFENSE - MILITARY COOPERATION, MARINE SECURITY, EMERGING ISSUES Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Summary. U.S. Co-Chairman George Nethercutt and Canadian Co-Chairman Rick Casson, M.P. convened the 220th meeting of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD) at the Canadian Maritime Warfare Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia October 9 - 11, 2007. This is the fifth in a series of five telegrams (septels). It documents the Board's deliberations on the Military Cooperation Commission, Marine Security Operations, Emerging Issues and New Challenges, and the proposed location of the 221ST PJBD in spring 2008. End Summary. -------------- Military Cooperation Commission Update -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Military Cooperation Committee (MCC) Canadian Co-Chair BG J.C. Collin delivered a brief update of progress since the Committee's April 19 meeting in Halifax, where members had discussed Canada's Maritime Security Framework, the NORAD Maritime Warning Mission, U.S. Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) ConOps, the Vancouver Olympics, and the Tri-Command study. Collin highlighted the challenges for those charged with developing NORAD's Maritime Warning Mission, noting that legislative constraints and non-congruous systems were getting in the way of progress. ¶3. (SBU) The next MCC will occur in Washington, D.C. November 27-28. The agenda will likely include: lessons learned by Canada Command and NORAD at the North American Leaders Summit; an update on the Tri-Command Study; updating the 1968 CANUS Cross-Border Agreement; Canada-US Threat Assessment; Vancouver 2010; and, Maritime Warning ConOps. -------------- Marine Security Operations -------------- ¶4. (SBU) BG Collin briefed on Canadian Marine Security Operations (MSOC),observing that, while Transport Canada had the policy lead, DND was the operational leader for coordinating responses to water-borne threats. He described the MSOC ConOps as a work in progress that was under review by staff lawyers but should go in effect in November 2007. His team had worked hard to align authority to capacity while dealing with cross-border legal challenges. ¶5. (SBU) MG Davis noted that many impediments to interagency and cross-border cooperation remained and that the two governments should set about fixing these things. DG Sinclair asked where NORAD fit in to the MSOC. Collin responded that a NORAD role was not included in the MSOC's new ConOps. ¶6. (C) NORAD Deputy Commander LtGen Bouchard reviewed NORAD's new role in the maritime domain, citing the need for awareness to conduct the mission. Information-sharing is key to success, he argued, particularly among law enforcement and defense officials. Operators in the maritime domain need to shift from a "need to know" standard to a "need to share" standard, as we did in the aerospace domain after 9/11. As distinctions between the aerospace and maritime spaces blur, having two standards of information sharing makes our jobs more difficult, he commented. Co-Chairman Casson opined that Qmore difficult, he commented. Co-Chairman Casson opined that this was an area requiring more work. Co-Chairman Nethercutt agreed. -------------- Emerging Issues and New Challenges -------------- ¶7. (C) Co-Chairman Rick Casson led off the final session by asking whether it was time to revisit continental missile defense. The PJBD was designed to be a place where both Allies could take on sensitive subjects, he said, so perhaps it should have the discussion here. Coast Guard RADM Lloyd, Military Advisor to the DHS Secretary, agreed to the desirability of tackling tough issues, and noted that one of the PJBD's strengths is that it serves as a forum where OTTAWA 00002023 002 OF 002 policy-makers can see issues coming and discuss and recommend protocols and policies to deal with them. Referring to the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) reaffirmed by the August 2007 North American Leaders Summit in Montebello, Lloyd underlined the role that the PJBD could play to advance a security agenda, such as the recent successful Ship Rider joint operations in the St. Lawrence Seaway. ¶8. (SBU) Turning to meeting agendas, DG Sinclair suggested that the PJBD consider having a core group of stake-holders focus on agenda items earlier, and complete preparations further in advance of board meetings. Co-Chair Nethercutt agreed, and suggested that the PJBD find a way to engage between meetings that would not be too onerous or bureaucratic. In response to a suggestion that the PJBD consider reducing attendance at the meetings, Chairman Nethercutt observed that he was comfortable with the current level of representation. ¶9. (C) Participants suggested numerous other agenda items, some covering more traditional PJBD concerns: -- ongoing missile defense discussions at NATO and what implications they might have in the NORAD context. -- defense and security in the Arctic; -- changing nature of Russian foreign and defense policy and its influence on North American security; -- U.S.-Canada defense industrial base, and its engagement in Latin America; -- strategic communications on defense and security issues; -- PJBD, its role in national decision-making processes, and how its members can best use it to influence policy outcomes. ¶10. (C) Other suggestions included less traditional items: -- the defense/security nexus in combating terrorism emanating from the Middle East and South Asia, to include Pakistan's FATA; -- NATO's mission in Afghanistan and its importance to the U.S. and Canada; -- near-term prospects for peace in the Middle East; -- briefing on U.S. AFRICOM, and Canada's 2008 Africa policy review. -------------- 221st PJBD -------------- ¶11. (U) Co-Chairman Nethercutt noted that the U.S. would host the 221st PJBD. The recommendation for a location was at the Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) South facility in Key West, Florida, to highlight both hemispheric cooperation and the nexus between defense and security operations embodied in JIATF South. Visit our shared North American Partnership blog (Canada & Mexico) at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap WILKINS