Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07STATE168141
2007-12-18 18:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

TRILATERAL CT APPROACH TO MALAYSIA/SEARCCT ON BIOTERRORISM

Tags:  TBIO PTER MY AU JP 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8141 3521830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181812Z DEC 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 7670
INFO RUEHBD/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 7004
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 9312
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9856
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 5696
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 8418
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 4608
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 6945
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 7360
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2092
RUEHVN/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 2537
UNCLAS STATE 168141 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PTER MY AU JP
SUBJECT: TRILATERAL CT APPROACH TO MALAYSIA/SEARCCT ON BIOTERRORISM
PROGRAM

REF: STATE 156852

UNCLAS STATE 168141

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PTER MY AU JP
SUBJECT: TRILATERAL CT APPROACH TO MALAYSIA/SEARCCT ON BIOTERRORISM
PROGRAM

REF: STATE 156852


1. (U) This is an Action Request. See paragraph 5.


2. (U) In the follow-up from the successful October 23-25, 2007
U.S.-hosted Trilateral Counterterrorism (CT) Meeting on Regional
Cooperation on Combating Bioterrorism, the Government of Australia
(GOA) has proposed reaching out to Malaysia's Southeast Asia Regional
Center for Counterterrorism (SEARCCT) as a possible host for the
trilaterally-supported workshop to help build multi-sectoral capacity
in Southeast Asia on combating bioterrorism (reftel). Australia has
reported continued indications of solid support from the Government
of Japan (GOJ),and GOA has proposed that the Australian, Japanese,
and U.S. embassies in Kuala Lumpur cooperate on contacting Malaysia
as the possible host of the proposed workshop (notional timeframe of
March 2008). As noted in reftel, organizers at this point have not
decided specifically which Southeast Asian nations will be invited to
the workshop, although it will involve some mix, but possibly not
all, of the Southeast Asian INFO posts on this cable.


3. (U) As a central component of the initial trilateral CT work on
combating bioterrorism, Australia, Japan and the U.S. propose to
arrange jointly with Malaysia, through SEARCCT, a policy-focused
workshop on combating bioterrorism for officials from Southeast Asian
countries. The workshop will engage agencies in each country which
are involved in developing and implementing prevention, preparedness,
and response policies in order to better strengthen
bioterrorism-related information sharing and cooperation between
critical sectors such as foreign affairs, public health, law
enforcement, agriculture, and intelligence.


4. (U) In collaboration with Australia and Japan, the U.S. is
prepared to support the workshop financially (with funds to cover
travel-related expenses for participants from Southeast Asian nations
and potentially some of the operational expenses of the workshop),as
well as with USG expert speakers. Australia has also indicated that
it will provide financial support, and Japan is exploring the
possibility of financial support, as well; both countries will also
likely provide expert speakers or workshop facilitators. Australia,
Japan, and the U.S. hope that Malaysia, through SEARCCT, would serve
as host for the workshop, providing the facilities, input on the
format of the workshop, and possibly chair a workshop session.


5. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Post will likely hear in the coming week
from the Australian and/or Japanese embassies in Kuala Lumpur -- and
Department requests that Post work with these trilateral CT partners
in whatever way is most comfortable to reach out to the Government of
Malaysia and help increase chances of Malaysian support for such a
workshop at SEARCCT in the first half of 2008. Please contact
Kimothy Smith or Marc Ostfield in the DOS Office of International
Health and Biodefense (OES/IHB) with any questions. END ACTION
REQUEST.
RICE