INL VISITORS GET FIRST-HAND OVERVIEW OF NAS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001643 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, JAMES BEAN, MEAGAN MCBRIDE, ANGELIC YOUNG AND DON STOLWORTHY S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PGOV PHUM PREL HA SUBJECT: INL VISITORS GET FIRST-HAND OVERVIEW OF NAS PROGRAMS PORT AU PR 00001643 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary: November 18-22 INL/CIVPOL Director Jim Bean and new INL/CIVPOL Haiti Program Officer Meagan McBride paid their first visit to Haiti to get an overview of the INL/NAS programs in country. They visited the police station construction site in Cite Soleil, the instructors barracks construction project at the National Police Academy, the proposed site of the new women's prison outside Port au Prince, the proposed site for a second police commissariat in Cite Soleil, and the Men's Penitentiary and met with MINUSTAH, DynCorp and PAE contractor staff as well as the U.S. UNPOL contingent. The visit showcased the progress being made but also highlighted the challenges of providing assistance in Haiti. End summary. ¶2. INL/CIVPOL Director Bean and INL/CIVPOL Haiti Program Officer McBride spent three intense days visiting the major NAS renovation/construction projects in Haiti as well as meeting with USG contractors and the U.S. contingent seconded to MINUSTAH. NAS briefed them on overall program initiatives in the police, coast guard, corrections, counternarcotics and anti-money laundering arenas, future goals for the program in Haiti, and coordination on the ground with MINUSTAH and other donors. Regarding NAS police and security activities, they toured police station sites in Cite Soleil, both possible sub station sites being considered and the on-going construction of the main police station as part of the Haiti Stabilization Initiative (HSI). They observed the small contingent of Haitian National Police (HNP) along with the MINUSTAH Brazilian soldiers and the MINUSTAH UNPOL officers at the site. DynCorp's Deputy Program Manager briefed the visitors on construction issues, including the looming possiblity of significant construction delays caused by the presence of the Brazilian battalion inside the police commissariat under renovation. ¶3. The visitors also met with Director Maxime of the Haitian National Police (HNP) Academy and walked the entire Academy site. The Director thanked the USG for its long and steady support to the Academy cadet classes and infrastructure, commenting that "without the USG's assistance the Academy would not exist." He personally conducted the walking tour of the Academy, showing the recently completed Canadian renovation of some structures and culminating in a visit to the on-going U.S. construction of new instructors barracks and road and drainage upgrades that began in November. The improvements in road access and drainage are already apparent. ¶4. On the corrections side, they met with the INL/NAS Corrections Advisor and visited two prison sites. A visit to the proposed prison compound site approximately 45 minutes outside Port au Prince, where the USG is considering building a new women's prison, revealed a shocking amount of erosion in the area following this fall's massive storms that presents serious impediments to site access and raises concerns about prisoner safety under severe weather conditions. All those issues will be addressed by a site study. ¶5. A tour of the National Penitentiary provided an up-close look at prison conditions. INL/AS met with the warden prior to the tour and leaned that the present prison population stands at3929, with just 454 of those sentenced and the rest being held in pre-trial detention. Each prisoner has approximately .63 square meters of space in the severely overcrowded facility. A catwalk tour gave a birds-eye view of the prisoners' living conditions, including broken showers and prisoners living on window ledges or lying in the recreation yard to alleviate chronic swelling in their feet caused by sleeping in standing positions all night in cramped cells. The group then entered the controlled area of the prison to see the kitchen and the infirmary. NAS projects to rehabilitate the infirmary and build an isolation ward and to provide equipment upgrades to the kitchen are on track to begin soon. USAID is also pursuing a project to improve sanitation in the main cellblock, the Titanic. The warden PORT AU PR 00001643 002.2 OF 002 lamented the large number of sick prisoners, including those with contagious diseases, and has identified the infirmary/isolation ward, the kitchen and sanitation improvements as his highest priorities. He also stated that the need for a new men's prison is reaching crisis proportions. ¶6. The INL officers also met with the MINUSTAH Deputy Police Commissioner for Development to discuss HNP needs and progress through the second year of the HNP reform plan. Many of the U.S. UNPOL Officers work under his day-to-day management. They also met with PAE which supports the U.S. contingent in country as well as having an informal gathering with contingent members about their Haiti experiences. Taking advantage of their presence, INL and NAS conducted interviews and selected a new Deputy Contingent Commander as well. ¶7. Comment: The visit afforded an excellent overview of the INL/NAS programs in Haiti. The visitors left with a deeper understanding of the goals NAS has set for the future, the challenges of doing assistance and counternarcotics work in Haiti and the need for close coordination and communication with Washington to continue to grow. In understanding Haiti's stability and security needs and obstacles, pictures can not fully convey the message and a visit is worth a thousand words. End comment. ¶8. This cable has been cleared by INL/CIVPOL Director James Bean. SANDERSON