U.S. COUNTRY TEAM SUPPORT OF USNORTHCOM FY09 1206

C O N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 003655 STATE FOR PM/PPA AND WHA/MEX E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2018 TAGS: ASEC KTIA MARR MAS MX PM PREL PTER SUBJECT: U.S. COUNTRY TEAM SUPPORT OF USNORTHCOM FY09 1206 COUNTER TERRORISM TRAINING PLAN FOR THE MEXICAN MILITARY REF: STATE 84130 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ANTONIO O. GARZA, JR. REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) A STRONG MILITARY-TO-MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WITH MEXICO IS VITAL TO ACHIEVING OUR COMMON NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM (CT) AND COUNTERNARCOTICS (CN) GOALS. SINCE ITS STAND-UP IN 2002, USNORTHCOM, IN CONCERT WITH MY COUNTRY TEAM, HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN IMPROVING OUR MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEXICAN ARMED FORCES. IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE VERY LATEST CT TRAINING AND KEY TACTICAL EQUIPMENT TO OUR PARTNER NATION AND IMPROVE BI-LATERAL COOPERATION IN THE CT/CN MISSION AREAS. PROVIDING ANOTHER ROUND OF SECTION 1206 CT FUNDING IN FY09 TO MEXICO, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION'S CONTINUED NATIONAL CRACKDOWN ON CRIMINAL TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS, IS AGAIN TIMELY, AND FULLY SUPPORTED BY MY COUNTRY TEAM. ¶2. (C) MY USEMB-MEX COUNTRY TEAM AND USNORTHCOM'S REPRESENTATIVES IN THE OFFICE OF DEFENSE COORDINATION FULLY SUPPORT THE COMBATANT COMMAND'S PROPOSAL TO ALLOCATE $10,100,000 OF FY09 1206 FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL CT EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING FOR MEXICO. USNORTHCOM SPONSORED DIGITAL MEDIA FORENSICS EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING, RIGID HULLED INFLATABLE BOATS (RHIBS) FOR SEMAR, AND CT PERSONAL SUPPORT EQUIPMENT FOR SEDENA'S AND SEMAR'S SPECIAL FORCES WILL PROVIDE MEXICO WITH CONTINUED ADVANCED COMBAT CAPABILITIES AND UNIQUELY TRAINED PERSONNEL TO EXECUTE CT MISSIONS MORE EFFECTIVELY. ADDITIONALLY, THIS SPECIAL CT EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING WILL ENHANCE MISSION INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN U.S. UNITS AND MEXICAN FORCES IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR. AGAIN, I FULLY SUPPORT USNORTHCOM'S FY09 CT TRAINING PLAN, USING SECTION 1206 FUNDING, AS A MODEL FOR SUPPORTING ONE OF OUR KEY PARTNER NATIONS IN WINNING THE GWOT. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / GARZA