USG ASSISTANCE TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ATTEMPTED

UNCLAS DILI 000051

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FBI FOR INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS; JAKARTA FOR LEGATT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KJUS KCRM ASEC PREL TT
SUBJECT: USG ASSISTANCE TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ATTEMPTED
ASSASSINATION OF TIMOR-LESTE PRESIDENT AND PM

REF: A) DILI 49 B) KLEMM-SIMTH TELCON C) KLEMM-TAYLOR EMAILS

1) Action requested. Find in para 3 below the full text of a
letter received from Acting President Fernando Lasama de Araujo
on February 15, 2008. As discussed in ref A, the Government of
Timor-Leste requests assistance from the United States to
support the criminal investigation of the events of February 11,
2008, in which the President of the Republic was seriously
wounded and the Prime Minister came under automatic gunfire
attack. The letter below formally requests such assistance.
The Embassy strongly endorses this request and asks the
Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation or other US agencies
to respond promtly and postively.


2) The Embassy is very grateful for the expressed willingness by
the FBI to assist in this matter (refs B and C). Should FBI
assistance be provided, the Embassy will eagerly and fully
support. Embassy confirms that security conditions in
Timor-Leste have stablized since February 11. The UN Police and
Australian-led International Stablization Force have secured
Dili and its surroundings, and the local police have done a
commendable job searching for weapons with frequent road blocks
on all major roads. This along with an imposed dust-to-dawn
curfew has had dramatic and positive effect on the overall
security situation. Dili and the country as a whole has
remained calm since the events of February 11 and there is no
immediate threat to FBI agents who might travel to Timor-Leste.
Should FBI assistance be provided, the Embassy RSO will brief
the agents throughly upon arrival.


3) Begin letter:

"Dili, February 2008

H.E. Hans Klemm
U.S. Ambassador to Timor-Leste
U.S. Embassy Dili

Dear Ambassador,

Following the attempted assassination of the President of the
Republic and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste on 11th February
2008, the Office of the Prosecutor-General of the Republic has
been asked to conduct an investigation into the incidents. It
is critical that this investigation is conducted in a timely and
thorough manner so as to provide clarification to the existing
concerns of the local population.


It is in this light that the State of the Democratic Republic of
Timor-Leste requests the assistance from the United States
Government to support the criminal investigation of the events
of 11th February.


We would ask that personnel designated by your Government be
assigned to directly support the Prosecutor-General in this task.


Please accept, Ambassador, the assurances of my highest
consideration and respect.

/S/

Fernando Lasama de Araujo
Acting President of the Republic

CC: H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister
H.E. Dr. Zacarias da Costa, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Dr. Longuinhos Monteiro, Prosecutor-General of the Republic"

End letter.

KLEMM