SCENESETTER: 2008 TSCTP CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 028385

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER XA XI
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER: 2008 TSCTP CONFERENCE

REF: A. 07 TUNIS 1345

B. NDJAMENA 5

C. NDJAMENA 13

D. NOUAKCHOTT 115

E. NOUAKCHOTT 119

F. NOUAKCHOTT 309

G. 07 STATE 170853

H. STATE 12543

I. 07 STATE 167865

Classified By: AF/RSA Director Louis Mazel; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) The 2008 Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership
(TSCTP) is scheduled for 24-27 March in Garmisch Germany.
TSCTP was formed by an interagency Deputies Committee (DC) in

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2005 to facilitate a more effective regional response to
terrorism and extremism in West and North Africa. TSCTP is a
multi-year commitment focused on improving individual country
and regional capabilities to defeat terrorist organizations
and facilitation networks, disrupt efforts to recruit and
train new terrorist fighters, particularly from the young,
counter efforts to establish safe havens for domestic and
outside extremist groups, and disrupt foreign fighter
networks that attempt to operate in the region, the Middle
East, and Europe. The program draws expertise and resources
from military, counter-terrorism, law enforcement,
development and public diplomacy components. TSCTP mobilizes
resources to respond to unique challenges faced in each
partner country, but also directs programming to promote
increased multilateral cooperation and interoperability
across the region.

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The Budget
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2. (SBU) TSCTP resources are intended to supplement
individual country and regional allocations in order to
promote the program's counter-terrorism and counter-extremism
objectives. Programmed resources do not replace other
country or regional allocations, but activities may support a
wide range of objectives identified in Mission Strategic
Plans (MSPs) and other planning documents while targeting
funds to implement TSCTP objectives. The overall TSCTP
budget in fiscal year 2007 was approximately $149 million.
The core budget included: (1) $81.7 million in Department of
Defense (DOD) Title 10 funding; (2) $13.75 in Department of
State (DOS) Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) funding; (3) $8.9
million in USAID Development Assistance (DA); (4) $7.2
million in DOS Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and
Related Programs (NADR) funds; and (5) $6 million in DOS
Economic Support Funds (ESF).


3. (SBU) The core TSCTP budget was augmented by $17 million
from FY 2007 Section 1206. (Note: FY 2006 and FY 2007
National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) authorized the
Defense Department to use up to $200 million and $300
million, respectively, to address emergent threats or
opportunities by building the capacity of a foreign country's
military force to conduct counter-terrorism operations or
participate in or support military and stability operations
in which U.S. forces are a participant. The authority was
renewed in 2008 at $300 million. End Note). TSCTP programming
was also supported by $15 million from FY 2007 Section 1207
funds. (Note: Section 1207 of the FY 2006 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes the Secretary of Defense
to transfer up to $100 million to the Secretary of State for
reconstruction, security and stabilization activities. A
similar authority designated Section 1210 exists in FY 2008
although it is unclear whether FY 08 resources will support
TSCTP programming. End Note).

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4. (SBU) The budget outlook for FY 2008 is unsettled. The
Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) approved the OEF-TS Phase II

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Execute Order (EXORD),on 10 March 2006, and OEF-TS became a
funded, Program of Record in December 2006. To fund OEF-TS
activities, EUCOM received $81.7 million in FY 2007 Title 10
funds and will receive roughly $100 million per annum from
FY08-FY13. NADR funding levels will stay at $7.2 million in
FY 2008, but will likely increase to $10 million in FY 2009,
covering AF and NEA priorities. However, reflecting overall
cuts in available resources, ESF, DA, and PKO will likely be
funded at substantially lower levels. TSCTP programming may
receive additional support in FY 2008 from section 1206 and
section 1210 resources, but allocations from those sources
are currently under review. Missions are encouraged to
continue project development and submissions in order to
allow planners to match proposals with resources that become
available during the fiscal year.


5. (SBU) The FY 2009 budget process is ongoing. The program's
emphasis on long-term capacity-building to support
counter-terrorism and counter-extremism objectives will
continue. TSCTP planners, however, have identified several
points of emphasis for the year. First, there must be
sufficient non-DOD funding to support so-called 'soft-side'
programming. Second, additional resources will be identified
for North Africa programming and flexibility will be built
into current funding streams facilitate allocations to all
TSCTP countries. Third, more emphasis will be placed on

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identifying resources to support non-military security sector
professionalization and basic policing. Fourth, planners
will continue to look for opportunities to support efforts to
promote increased regional and sub-regional cooperation and
interoperability.

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Program Implementation
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6. (C) A number of recommendations in various fora emerged
regarding TSCTP program implementation. In addition to
communications produced at the initiative of individual
Missions (REFTEL A, B, C,D, E, F),individuals, or
Washington-based and European-based agencies, TSCTP planning
benefits from several specific activities. A monthly
classified video conference linking DOD, State Department,
and USAID action officers facilitates interagency
coordination and short and medium-term planning. The annual
TSCTP conference enables action officers from the major USG

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stakeholders in Washington, Africa, and Europe to establish
contact, develop program priorities, and identify strategies
to address gaps in planning and implementation. The Regional
Security Initiative (RSI) provides a forum for TSCTP Chiefs
of Mission and USG principals to develop policy
recommendations. (REFTEL G). Significant issues and
recommendations emerged during the past year.


7. (C) Greater emphasis on 'soft-side' programming: Military
spending is appropriately funded but represents a higher
percentage of overall TSCTP resourcing than envisioned by the
2005 Deputies Committee that authorized the program, and
building up soft-side programming has been an important
priority. Like all TSCTP programming, the composition and
pace of soft-side assistance will reflect Mission
requirements, results from interagency assessments, and the
availability of resources. 'Soft-side' assistance is designed
to assist partner country efforts to deny support for
extremists and terrorist recruiters and deny sanctuary to
terrorist organizations. Relatively modest investments are
maximized by identifying at-risk populations and regions
which would benefit from specific inputs. Recurring USAID
programming has focused on targeted education/vocational
training for at-risk youth, local government
capacity-building and community stabilization in
difficult-to-govern areas, conflict mitigation, and community
radio and moderate communicator capacity-building. DOD public
diplomacy, humanitarian and civil/military activities
actively support these initiatives using Title 10 resource.
During the past year, planners have focused substantial
attention on strengthening support for public diplomacy
programming. About $2.6 million was set aside specifically to
support public diplomacy projects.


8. (SBU) Law enforcement/non-military security sector
capacity-building: State's Diplomatic Security Bureau (DS)
has offered a range of counter-terrorism courses in TSCTP
countries during the past year and will continue programming
in FY 08 and beyond using NADR funding. State's Bureau for
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) is
examining possible engagement opportunities and International
Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funds were
requested for FY 2009 and FY 2010 to cover programming in the
Sahel and the Maghreb. DS and INL Representatives will carry
out assessments in four TSCTP countries in 2008.


9. (C) Third-country engagement: French and American experts
met in Washington January 30 to work toward closer counter
terrorism cooperation in North and West Africa. (REFTEL H).
French and USG assessments of the Al Qaida in the Lands of
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) threat were similar, with the
French particularly concerned about threats to their
nationals in Mauritania and Algeria. The French do not have a
structure that mirrors TSCTP, although they expressed
interest in a more holistic CT approach. They are in the
midst of an inter-ministerial review that may significantly
alter their engagement strategy in the region. French
training efforts focus on the gendarmerie, as well as
terrorist financing, trafficking and other illicit
activities, but their investments to address financial sector
and border vulnerabilities are not clear. The French
delegation head Daniel Ratier, Director of the MFA's Security
Department, identified three French security priorities in
the region: (1) Trafficking (drugs, arms, people); (2)
Insurgencies; and (3) the AQIM ("the most important threat in
the Maghreb and the Sahel"). The French officials assessed
that their interests and nationals were particularly
threatened in Algeria and Mauritania. They predicted that
AQIM in Algeria will (1) likely carry out other 'big or symbolic
attacks; (2) continue to use AQ-style media strategies; and
(3) increasingly target French and other foreigners. The
French stated that the Western Sahel would likely continue to
serve primarily as a safe-haven and logistical platform for
the AQIM and that AQIM members would continue to be regarded
by moderate local populations as Arab outsiders. They noted,
however, that Mauritania represented an exception to that
dynamic given its significant Arab orientation. The French
highlighted concern about the ability of terrorists to
support themselves through smuggling and money laundering.

10 (C) The French have generally focused their resources on
law enforcement/gendarmerie and strong law enforcement
and judiciary capacity-building, while the USG is more
focused on mil/mil and USAID/PAO-led counter-radicalization.
The French highlighted particularly good cooperation with
Algerian and Nigerian Gendarmerie. They conduct several
counter-radicalization programs similar to those run by
USAID, including initiatives to increase access to the
internet and other educational and exchange programs, but
they do not label them as 'deradicalization' projects. They
were particularly interested in USG discussion regarding
prison outreach programming in the Maghreb (USAID mentioned
that there is an ongoing program in Morocco related to prison
outreach and deradicalization). The French delegation
suggested that France and the U.S. might cooperate to help
address poor coordination and often outright rivalry between
security organs in several countries. Further USG-French
consultations will likely occur following France Africa
policy review in the Spring.

11.(C) New membership: TSCTP member countries agreed that the
time was right to invite Libya into the program in 2008.
(REFTEL I). Each partner country was demarched in December
2007 and there was a clear consensus that Libya's incremental
integration into TSCTP was appropriate and it could play an
important role in efforts to combat terrorism and extremism
in North and West Africa. We anticipate that Libya will be
formally invited to join TSCTP following consultations with
Congress, but will not publicly discuss the issue before
issuing that invitation. It is unlikely that any additional
new members will be added to TSCTP during the next several
years.

12.(C) Country Action Plans (CAPs): Managing and resourcing
assets to support the full range of activities promoting
TSCTP objectives has been a significant challenge for many

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Missions in TSCTP countries. Ongoing high-level discussions
between DOD and the State Department regarding the stand-up
of AFRICOM are intended to address many of the challenges
identified by interagency stakeholders. In addition, Special
Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) planners are developing
Country Action Plans to better synchronize proposed military
activities with Mission objectives and host country
requirements and absorptive capacity. The process will
provide country teams with detailed information regarding the
scope, timing and objectives of planned military engagements
in the host country during the upcoming year. At the same
time, military planners will benefit from clear guidance from
the Chief of Missions and the country teams regarding
appropriate levels of engagement that the Mission and the
host country are likely to accept during the time frame.
Embassy Niamey hosted a 2-5 October meeting with
representatives from DOD, State and USAID to review the draft
CAP for Niger and discuss more generally how to improve
coordination of USG activities with the country teams. The
next CAP exercise will likely take place in Mauritania during
Spring 2008.



13. (C) OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM-TRANS SAHARA (OEF-TS):
OEF-TS) is USEUCOM/USAFRICOM's Regional War on Terrorism
Regional Plan for North and West Africa. Completed or planned
FY07/08 OEF-TS activities include:

A.TRAIN, ADVICE, AND ASSIST- INTELLIGENCE CAPACITY BUILDING

- Build three new light infantry companies in Mali, with
equipment and training required to sustain operations to
provide border security and help control the vast,ungoverned
spaces of Northern Mali. Equipment focuses on new vehicles
and radios to provide increased mobility and secure
communications for the area. Uniforms and personal equipment
are provided to sustain military personnel for extended
periods in an austere environment. EUCOM provides the
training and assistance to build a professional unit that has
been vetted by the U.S. Country Team.

- Build new light infantry, Camel Corps Company in
Mauritania, with equipment and training required for sustain
operations to provide border security and help control the
vast, ungoverned spaces of Northern Mauritania.

- Intelligence Capacity Building provides Mobile Training
Teams to teach the International Military Intelligence (MI)
Officers Basic Course to the nine partner nations within
Trans Sahara Africa. Training helps build professional
intelligence officers and helps to establish a regional MI
working group to build future relationships and develop
future leaders with a positive outlook on the United States
and other Partner Nations.

- Upgrade two light infantry companies in Chad, with
equipment and training required to sustain operations to
provide border security and help control the vast, ungoverned
spaces of Chad. (Pending increased stability in Chad).


B. EXERCISES AND BI-LATERAL ENGAGEMENTS

- FLINTLOCK conducted a biennial Special Operations Exercise
focused on training with Counter-Terrorist (CT) and other
select units in the TSCTP nations with the purpose of
enhancing partner nation CT capacity, regional relationships
and synchronization across the Trans-Sahara national
militaries. During Phase II (19 August-11 September),a
functioning Multinational Coordination Cell (MCC) was
established by eight TSCTP Nations and three European nations
(France, UK, and Netherlands). The MCC shared intelligence
and information and planned synchronized operations focused
on a regional terrorist threat. SOCEUR stood up and linked a
Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) Joint
Operations Center (JOC) to the MCC in order to conduct a
Command Post Exercise (CPX) from 2 SEP to 7 SEP 07. During
the CPX, an exercise control group, consisting of U.S. and
Partner Nation (PN) personnel, executed a single overarching
scenario by replicating US/PN,s higher headquarters and
government agencies. This scenario drove the need for
multinational coordination and synchronization in order to
adequately counter and defeat regional terrorist threats.
Ultimately, the CPX validated the ability for all PN,s to
conduct multinational coordination in support of CT
operations. SILENT WARRIOR is the companion exercise
conducted in even years and is planned for FY 2008.

- Twenty-two Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) and
bi-lateral engagement events will be conducted in all TSCTP
countries to provide specialized training opportunities to
partner nation militaries foster communications and cultural
exchanges between military counterparts.


C. COUNTERING EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY/CIVIL MILITARY SUPPORT

- Military Information Support Teams (MISTs) provided a
Counter Extremist Ideology message and military support to
Embassy Public Diplomacy Officer in Chad, Mali, Mauritania,
Niger, and Nigeria. In Nigeria for example, the MIST spent
over $363,500 on various programs, made over 25 visits to
various Northern Nigerian cities in order to further our
programs, donated 7,524 books to 38 schools, funded two Hausa
Home Movies, funded one Special Edition of Crossroads/ Magama
Magazine, conducted a 13 day area assessment of four Northern
Nigerian cities (Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Jos),conducted a 3
day internet assessment in Kaduna, garnered multiple local
and national, print, radio, and internet press for the U.S.
Embassy (BBC World, VOA Hausa, Daily Trust, etc). The team
worked in conjunction with PAS, USAID, POL-ECON, ODC, DAO and
various NGOs. (Inter-Faith Mediation Center, Iyan Tama
Multimedia, etc.).

- Civil Military Support Elements (CMSE,s) provided
civil-military support in Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and
Nigeria. CMSE,s helped implement $3.2 million in
Humanitarian Assistance (HA),Humanitarian Civic Action
(HCA),and additional capacity building projects. CMSE,s
are also gaining access to additional EUCOM/AFRICOM provided
HA/HCA funding that will be available in late FY 2808.

- Coalition Development was furthered by providing
staff-level Military Intelligence Training and continuing
intelligence sharing and support to build basic military
intelligence staff officer skills and by conducting Chief of
Defense and Director of Military Intelligence conferences.

RICE