VANCOUVER OLYMPIC SECURITY UPDATE - COORDINATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001231 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ASEC PTER KOLY CA SUBJECT: VANCOUVER OLYMPIC SECURITY UPDATE - COORDINATION REQUIRED ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The February 12-28 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver will present Canada, and the United States, with complex multi-jurisdictional security challenges. The RCMP has the security lead, but is planning for the Canadian Forces (CF) to render military support of civilian security agencies should the need arise. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will coordinate air defense operations, and U.S. civilian agency and military assistance might be required in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. The Canadian government shares Mission Canada's appreciation of the important coordination role of the Department of State's International Athletic Event Security Coordination Group (IAESCG),and Mission Canada will additionally strive to ensure that all U.S. government personnel seeking to conduct Olympics-related business in Canada must seek and receive country clearance before departing the United States. End summary. ¶2. (U) Vancouver 2010 Olympics Security Coordinator Ward Elcock presented Canada's national security plan for the Olympics to delegates attending the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Banff on September 5. Elcock, who heads the Privy Council Office's (PCO) Office of the Coordinator for the 2010 Olympics and G8 Security, emphasized that Canada is in the throes of planning a "cultural and sporting event with a significant security aspect," rather than a security event with an athletic competition. He noted that while the Vancouver Winter Games would draw 5,000 athletes, 10,000 members of the media, 25,000 volunteers, and many more fans, it would be half the size of a typical summer games and therefore somewhat more manageable despite numerous multi-jurisdictional challenges. ¶3. (U) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is leading Olympics security preparation, with support from the Canadian Forces (CF) and a range of federal, provincial, and municipal agencies and police departments, Elcock explained. The RCMP therefore has the responsibility for fleshing out the government's security vision and developing the Olympics security operational plan, identifying shortfalls and gaps, and determining which national security tools best overcome these shortfalls and gaps. The RCMP, with PCO support, will then initiate appropriate requests for support from civilian agencies and the CF. 
¶4. (U) Elcock said that Canada would coordinate Olympics security at a single command center with two divisions reflecting the games' "two footprints," one for Vancouver, Qreflecting the games' "two footprints," one for Vancouver, and a second for the alpine venues 125 kilometers away at Whistler, a mountain resort. Canadian authorities are planning for a "medium threat" environment but will be able to adapt quickly to higher or lower level security requirements, Elcock observed. Air zones extend into the United States, he noted, requiring close coordination by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Navigation Canada (NavCan). Similarly, some of the ferries plying the seaways from Vancouver Island to the British Columbia mainland traverse U.S. waters, and this will require multi-jurisdictional coordination. ¶6. (U) Current Canadian RCMP planning envisions two concentric circles of RCMP provided security, a Controlled Access Zone surrounded by an Interdiction Zone, and a third Outside Surveillance Zone provided by the military, according to Elcock. Should the need for additional emergency CF support of civilian security agencies arise, Canada's Minister of Public Safety (who is responsible for the RCMP OTTAWA 00001231 002 OF 002 and other national security agencies) would request support from the Minister of National Defence who, in turn, would delegate the authority to act on the request to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The CDS would further delegate authority to Commander, Canada Command and his subordinate commanders of CF Joint Task Force Pacific (JTF/P) and JTF Games (JTF/G). If called upon, the two JTFs could take on direct oversight of maritime, land, and Canadian air operations, engaging at the operational level with their civilian counterpart, the RCMP's 2010 Olympics Integrated Security Unit (RCMP/ISU). ¶7. (U) The JTFs would also coordinate air defense operations with NORAD, Elcock explained, which will have AWACs capability ready to assign to the airspace over the games and be able to deploy additional Canadian and U.S. aviation assets to meet any threats that arise. In this context, Elcock made specific reference to Canadian F-18 and U.S. F-16 fighter aircraft. Canada is also coordinating closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State of Washington, Elcock added, as well as with NATO in case chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear (CBRNE) "special capabilities" are required on a large scale. Elcock observed that Canadian authorities have already run numerous tests on elements of security plan in order to "break things," and are on track to run a final exercise to test and certify operational preparedness in late fall 2009. The RCMP and its partner agencies meanwhile will begin to deploy police officers and other agency support to the Olympics site in late December 2009 and early January 2010, at least one month in advance of the February 12-28 games. Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The Canadian government shares Mission Canada's appreciation of the important coordination function of the Department of State's International Athletic Event Security Coordination Group (IAESCG) in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Embassy Ottawa has additionally instructed all U.S. agencies at Mission Canada to remind their home offices that all personnel must seek and receive country clearance before traveling abroad to Canada on Olympics-related business. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE