COUNTERTERRORISM -- MULTILATERAL CTAG MEETING IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000427 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT, DS, EAP/RSP NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ID SUBJECT: COUNTERTERRORISM -- MULTILATERAL CTAG MEETING IN JAKARTA Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Japanese Embassy hosted a regular Counterterrorism Assistance Group (CTAG) meeting in Jakarta on February 26. Participants reviewed their assistance to the GOI in the CT area, focusing on the programs of some of the smaller countries, which also provide meaningful assistance. The wide-ranging discussion also touched on GOI deradicalization efforts and community policing. The group will meet again later this year. END SUMMARY. A REGULAR CTAG MEETING ¶2. (C) The Japanese Embassy hosted a regular meeting of CTAG members on February 26. (Note: The German Embassy hosted the previous CTAG meeting in June 2007.). The meeting included representatives from Australia, Canada, the European Commission, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Due to the visit of its Foreign Minister to Jakarta, Germany was absent, but submitted an assistance summary. The group will meet again later this year. REVIEWING BILATERAL ASSISTANCE ¶3. (C) CTAG members reviewed the latest on their governments' bilateral CT assistance programs with the GOI. They also agreed to continue working closely with other members to coordinate assistance in order to reduce any duplication of effort. ¶4. (C) Two key aspects of current assistance concentrated on community policing and support for the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) in Semarang, Central Java. The Japanese, French and Australians described substantial programs focused on training the INP in community policing concepts. (Note: Local police chiefs throughout the country have emphasized to poloff the success of these programs, especially in Central Java and Central Sulawesi.) ¶5. (C) Most CTAG members also reported some form of cooperation with JCLEC, a regional training facility established and run by the Australian government in cooperation with Indonesian authorities. JCLEC was particularly useful as a way for countries with smaller assistance budgets to contribute usefully to the CT effort. Italy and Switzerland, for example, had provided CT trainers in crime scene investigation and financial crimes investigation to the JCLEC facility. (Note: The U.S., Australian and Canadian Embassies will host a conference bringing together Indonesian police, prosecutors, judges and prison officials to discuss CT issues March 11-13 at JCLEC.) DERADICALIZATION EFFORTS ¶6. (C) After the bilateral assistance review, the GOJ representative discussed the view that what was left of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network was based predominantly in Central Java, Central Sulawesi and Ambon (South Maluku) in eastern Indonesia. Poverty, low economic development and poor education standards heightened the appeal of radical Islam in these areas, the Japanese remarked. U.S., Australian and Canadian participants agreed that addressing these factors could help to undercut terrorist recruitment. ¶7. (C) The Japanese also emphasized the GOI view that terrorism is a crime and not a religious act. GOI public JAKARTA 00000427 002 OF 002 campaigns sought to delink religion from terrorism, portraying terrorism as a violent act against all people and one which could not be justified in any way under the guise of religion. The GOI was asking moderate Muslim leaders to emphasize to their communities that the use of violence for religious ends could not be tolerated. Participants agreed that the Indonesian government approach in this area made sense. ¶8. (C) The group also shared information on the GOI's de-radicalization efforts, particularly those of the Indonesian National Police (INP) to re-educate terrorists in custody. The CTAG felt the INP concept was good but insufficiently developed as of this point. Of nearly 400 terrorists captured since 2002, only a small number had publicly denounced terrorism. ¶9. (C) Participants also noted that once terrorists entered the prison system, they came back into contact with radical elements, sometimes undoing the INP's efforts. Until a comprehensive approach by police and prison officials was adopted, the INP's deradicalization approach--which did have some promise--would probably continue to show limited results. U.S. and Australian participants reported that their governments were reviewing prison reform and encouraging Indonesia to expose terrorists to moderate religious teachings while they were serving their sentences. HUME