TERMS OF REFERENCE CONCURRENCE FOR NAVAL SPECIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000400 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/BSC KBEAMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2033 TAGS: PHUM MARR MASS PGOV SOCI PINS SNAR PA SUBJECT: TERMS OF REFERENCE CONCURRENCE FOR NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE JOINT COMBINED EXCHANGE TRAINING DEPLOYMENT REF: COMSOCSOUTH 062115ZMAR08 Classified By: A/DCM John Beed for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) The Ambassador, Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) Paraguay, and the Paraguayan Military Forces Commander concur with the Terms of Reference (TOR) and deployment as outlined here (reftel). In accordance with the TOR, the following information is provided: ¶A. (U) Chief of Mission (COM) James Cason, ODC Paraguay Chief Colonel Arie Bogaard, Acting Diplomatic Chief of Mission (A/DCM) John Beed, and General Bernardino Soto Estigarribia, commander of the Paraguayan Military Forces, have concurred and approved this deployment. ¶B. (U) MISSION: Upon order, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Command will deploy a NSW Maritime Training Team consisting of four-to-five NSW Command personnel to Paraguay to coordinate and conduct NSW Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) (reference SPA2008JCET302N, fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008) to support Paraguayan maritime-based security forces and their ability to identify, engage, and neutralize narco-terrorist and threat finance nexus elements in support of Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH),ODC chief, and Country Team Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) objectives. ¶C. (C) CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS: Pre-deployment Site Survey (PDSS): On or about May 5-9, 2008, the Naval Special Warfare South Detachment (NSW DET SOUTH) and the Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS) deployed a PDSS team to Asuncion, Paraguay, and conducted initial coordination and planning with ODC and Paraguayan personnel. Advance Echelon (ADVON): On or about August 20-24, 2008, two personnel from NSW DET SOUTH will deploy to conduct ADVON activities in coordination with Special Operations Command Forward (SOCFWD) and ODC, establish a presence with Paraguayan forces, and make final preparations for ensuing activities. Main body: On or about August 25, 2008, two to three personnel from NAVSCIATTS will deploy to Paraguay and conduct a riverine environment JCET. Redeployment: On or about October 7, 2008, or upon mission completion, all team members will depart Paraguay for their home station or to follow-on missions. Training Focus: Personnel will primarily focus training on activities in support of the Paraguayan Joint Riverine Customs Enforcement (DETAVE) unit, the Joint Immediate Response Detachment (DCEI),and select elements of the National Anti-drug Secretariat (SENAD),Paraguayan Navy, and Marine Infantry (COMIN) riverine units. Training will focus on NSW integrated tactics in a riverine environment and will include small unit tactics; combined mission planning and execution; small craft training and handling; long range navigation and patrols; waterborne insertion and extraction; communications; and combat medicine. NSW personnel will focus on NSW JCET training in a riverine environment in order to improve NSW forces' ability to perform combined operations in an unfamiliar environment and foreign culture. All training and operations will be conducted under the guidance of and in coordination with the ODC chief, ODC and USAID, and will complement and enhance existing maritime security forces capabilities. Communications interoperability with the DCEI will be conducted under the guidance of and in coordination with SOCFWD Paraguay and will utilize Paraguayan organic equipment. Each facet of training will incorporate respect for human rights principles and procedures by practical application, whenever feasible. The mission may culminate in Paraguayan forces conducting a field training exercise (FTX) with designated ground-force elements. This mission will enhance NSW's capability to respond to challenges and contingencies in the U.S. Armed Forces Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility and further U.S. National Strategic Objectives. ¶D. (U) JCET Justification: This JCET mission was requested by Post's Country Team at the Fiscal Year 2007 Conference and is part of the Country Team's TSC objective to provide for U.S. Armed Forces training to Paraguayan counter-narcoterrorism (CNT) units involved in CNT operations. This deployment also provides an excellent opportunity to improve Paraguayan forces' interoperability with U.S. forces and supports the USSOUTHCOM Commander's Theater Objectives for CNT. ¶E. (C) Coordination Requirements: ODC Paraguay and SOCFWD Paraguay will meet and assist at airport with customs inspections, and other concerns for PDSS, ADVON, and mainbody; coordinate initial meetings with Paraguayan personnel during PDSS and ADVON, if necessary; coordinate for lodging and food for PDSS, ADVON, and mainbody personnel; provide Paraguayan local and national threat and intelligence briefs to PDSS, ADVON, and mainbody upon arrival; provide information on Paraguayan holidays that would impact mainbody; provide a movement plan to move necessary equipment and personnel to survey locations; provide storage for sensitive items; and provide escort and transportation throughout deployment. Additionally, ODC Paraguay and SOCFWD Paraguay will coordinate with Paraguayan forces to ensure that all trainees are assigned to training locations in Asuncion for the duration of training; coordinate with Paraguayan forces to ensure that all boats and support crews are positioned at training locations for the duration of training; and conduct follow-up coordination with Paraguay after site survey to ensure assets and personnel are ready for ADVON and mainbody arrival. SOCFWD Paraguay will conduct Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSOI) activities in support of mission SPA2008JCET302N and NSW DET SOUTH. Once NSW DET SOUTH elements arrive in country, direct line of authority (DIRLAUTH) between NSW DET SOUTH, ODC, host nation, Paraguayan Armed Forces, and the Country Team is authorized. PDSS personnel will coordinate details of emergency response plan with the Joint Support Staff (J2), SOCSOUTH, and ODC Paraguay. ¶2. (U) Approximately 30 DETAVE, DCEI, COMIN, and/or Navy personnel will receive JCET training. ¶A. (U) DETAVE currently has the only viable riverine interdiction capability available in Paraguay to support CNT missions within Paraguay and is supported by Navy and COMIN crew members. ¶B. (U) Expected interruptions: None. ¶C. (U) The COM and ODC Paraguay chief authorize airborne operations. ¶3. (U) Command and Control: The SOCFWD commander will have operational control (OPCON),and the ODC chief is the Combatant Commander South Designated Risk Determination Authority and has tactical control (TACON) for Force Protection over deployed forces. The ODC Paraguay chief's assessment is that contact with hostile elements is unlikely and that the area is secure and adequately protected. ¶4. (U) ODC provides the following force protection assessments for Paraguay: ¶A. (C) There are no indigenous terrorist organizations in Paraguay whose activities are directed against U.S. interests. There are no political groups or parties that are currently active in this country specifically targeting U.S. interests. However, given the presence of sympathizers and support for extremist terrorist groups in the Tri-Border Area of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil (Alto Parana and Itapua departments),visitors cannot discount the possibility of terrorist activity, including random acts of anti-American violence. The general threat in the designated training areas in and around Asuncion is low for domestic terrorism and high for crime. In addition, the countrywide threat is medium for transnational terrorism. There is no known targeting of U.S. personnel. ¶B. (U) ODC will continue with force protection assessments and will advise of any changes that could impact the training. ¶5. (C) Country Team concurs with the deployment dates of August 20-October 7, 2008. (U) The main training location will be Asuncion with additional locations throughout Paraguay as authorized by the SOCFWD commander and ODC chief in conjunction with Embassy Asuncion and the Paraguayan Armed Forces. ¶6. (U) A SOCFWD operations non-commission officer (NCO) will provide threat update upon arrival. Deploying forces need to conduct their own force protection threat assessment upon arrival. This will be tasked to the ADVON. ¶7. (U) All personnel and equipment will arrive via commercial air or contracted freight. Country clearance approval will only be authorized if the U.S. Department of State' e-Country Clearance (eCC) system is used; clearances sent via the DOD APACS system will not be approved without the eCC. Any questions about using eCC can be answered by visiting the following web site: https://ecc.state.gov/security/EccLogin.aspx. ¶8. (U) Deploying equipment: Personnel are not authorized to deploy with weapons at this time since the Paraguayan Congress has not approved entry of "foreign armed forces" into the country. Any weapons needed for Force Protection reasons will be provided by the SOCFWD commander after approval from the ODC chief and in accordance with US Embassy Asuncion's Weapons Policy. ¶9. (U) ODC's POC for this deployment is Army/Navy Section Chief Major Elliot Harris; tel: COM (301)985-9395 extension 119; DSN 294-9000 then dial 59395, extension 119; cell: 011-595-971-377-311. NIPR e-mail: harrisee@tcsc.southcom.mil; SIPR e-mail: harrisee@tcsc.southcom.smil.mil. SOCFWD's POC for this deployment is Operations Officer LTC Michael Ball; tel: COM 011-595-2121-3715 extension 2046; cell: 011-595-981-300-178. NIPR e-mail: michael.ball@socso.southcom.mil; SIPR e-mail: michael.ball@socso.southcom.smil.mil. Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion Cason