COUNTER-TERRORISM -- S/CT AMBASSADORS FUND

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000748 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, S/CT S/CT FOR EMILY GOLDMAN, ALDRAY ALKEN NSC FOR E. PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ID SUBJECT: COUNTER-TERRORISM -- S/CT AMBASSADORS FUND PROPOSALS REF: A. STATE 20081 ¶B. JAKARTA 545 ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with ConGen Surabaya. It is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Mission submits two proposals to S/CT for consideration under the Ambassadors Counterterrorism Fund solicitation (reftel). One proposal requests $45,000 to support the sponsoring of a series of sports diplomacy clinics on the island of Sulawesi, a former conflict area. The other proposal seeks $50,000 in support of the Indonesian prison system and terrorist deradicalization programs. Brief descriptions of these two proposals follow below. More comprehensive versions of the proposals have been e-mailed to S/CT. RSI Coordinator has been briefed on the proposals. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) Mission's two proposals for S/CT Ambassadors Counterterrorism funding consideration follow: -- A) SPORTS DIPLOMACY CLINICS: Mission proposes a series of sports diplomacy clinics to be held in former conflict areas of Indonesia. The clinics--which will teach soccer techniques (soccer is the most popular sport in Indonesia)--will focus on the island of Sulawesi. Areas of the island have struggled with extremist and sectarian violence over the years. Areas such as Poso, central Sulawesi, were seen by Islamic jihadists as a training ground to gain combat experience, for example. Parts of Sulawesi also serve as maritime transit routes for terrorists who shuttle back-and-forth between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. While the past few years have seen a decline in sectarian violence, the promotion of good community relations in the region is an important key toward helping prevent a return to violence. This program proposes to utilize soccer clinics as a vehicle for providing information to youths from all communities re the threat of terrorism and extremism and the importance of tolerance and law enforcement. The Indonesian National Police would implement the program. The estimated cost of the program is $45,321. -- B) MANAGEMENT OF TERRORIST PRISONERS: Mission also proposes to support an initiative by the Directorate General (DG) for Prisons to create a set of guidelines for the handling of terrorists in prison. The proposal would create an interagency team led by the DG's office that would include representatives from the police, the Department of Religion, and academia. The team would survey conditions in several prisons with significant terrorist populations, consult with experts and deradicalized former terrorists, and produce a guidebook which would be replicated for use by prison officials. The guidelines would focus on two main themes: improving security and surveillance of terrorist prisoners and fostering deradicalization. The deradicalization program would be partly modeled on the successful approach currently being used by the Indonesian police (ref B) and likely have two main components: an ideological component, which would expose terrorist prisoners to more mainstream Islamic teachings; and a vocational component, which would promote economic self-sufficiency. The estimated cost of this program is $50,000. Mission would seek additional funding to support the dissemination and implementation of the program. HUME