DESIGNATION OF US FORCES UNDER TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO'S

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 000931 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR and PM/SNA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PREL MASS MOPS TD SUBJECT: DESIGNATION OF US FORCES UNDER TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO'S VISITING FORCES ACT OF 2007 REF: (a) STATE 89510 (b) POS 681 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) Embassy spoke September 13 with Jennifer Boucaud-Blake, Permanent Secretary (Vice Minister) of the Ministry of National Security, to check on the status of the GOTT's response to our July 3 diplomatic note seeking designation for any U.S. troops entering Trinidad and Tobago as a visiting force and civilian employees of the United States Department of Defense as the civilian component of the U.S. visiting force, under part I, paragraph 4 of the Visiting Forces Act (VFA) of 2007. ¶2. (SBU) Boucaud-Blake explained her Ministry has asked GOTT stakeholders to comment on our request and, once those comments are received, a "cabinet note" will be drafted for review/approval by the Cabinet. Presuming the Cabinet approves the concept of designating our forces under the VFA, the Chief of Parliamentary Council will be given the task of drafting legislation to amend the VFA to include us. The bill would then go to Parliament for approval. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Given that the Parliamentary session ends no later than October 16 and elections are expected soon thereafter, delays in consideration are possible. The Embassy has raised this issue numerous times with numerous GOTT interlocutors in the past and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead as opportunities (including potentially during the USNS Comfort visit) present themselves. AUSTIN