PSI: PRESS GUIDANCE AND SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS

UNCLAS STATE 053224


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP KSTC OPRC PARM PREL XX

SUBJECT: PSI: PRESS GUIDANCE AND SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS
FOR PSI FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

REF: STATE 023570 AND 023568

OBJECTIVES AND ACTION REQUESTS
--------------


1. This is an action request. Press guidance and
action requested is in paragraph 2. Text of a &media
announcement8 is in paragraph 3. Talking points are
in paragraph 5 below. As described in reftel, the
United States is hosting a series of events in
Washington on the fifth anniversary of the
President's announcement of the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI) centered around a Senior
Level Meeting that will be held May 28. Washington
hopes to use this occasion to increase public
awareness of the PSI, its successes and its
importance, to dispel public misconceptions about
the PSI, and to invigorate public support for the
PSI as a means of promoting the widest possible
participation in the PSI.



2. Press guidance and action request. Addressees
are requested to (a) coordinate with their local
national counterparts to jointly disseminate the
text of the &media announcement8 in paragraph 3
below to local media outlets as appropriate, but no
earlier than May 21, 2008, which will correspond
with the release of a formal &Media Note8 by the
Department Spokesman on that date; (c) to be aware
of the schedule of events as noted in paragraph 4
below; and (d) to draw upon as appropriate the
talking points in Paragraph 5 below to answer any
questions that may be generated by this
announcement.


3. Begin text of &media announcement.8

For release on May 21, 2008.

The United States Announces Events Marking the Fifth
Anniversary of the Proliferation Security
Initiative.

May 31, 2008, will mark the fifth anniversary of a
new kind of international cooperative effort in the
fight against proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD): the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI). Partner nations can be proud of
a the PSI's solid record of success over these past
five years.

On the occasion of this anniversary, the U.S.
Department of State is hosting a series of
activities, including a meeting for policy-makers
from all states that have endorsed the PSI, which
will be held May 28, 2008, in Washington D.C. They
will gather to review the PSI,s results and
successes over the last five years and look at ways
to continue strengthening the Initiative for the
future. On the following day, the United States will
host a one-day PSI workshop at the same location, to
provide detailed information on the broad range of
PSI activities for all states interested in learning
more about he PSI. The PSI has made substantial
contributions to strengthening the global commitment
to stop proliferation of WMD and their means of
delivery. From an initial group of eleven states who
came together to establish the principles underlying
the PSI, now there are almost 90 nations worldwide
who have endorsed these principles, and participate
in interdiction exercises, sharing information, and
promoting international cooperation in stopping
transfers of items and materials of WMD
proliferation concern.

The PSI has made substantial contributions to
strengthening the global commitment to stop
proliferation of WMD and their means of delivery.
Beginning in 2003 with eleven states who came
together to establish the principles underlying the
PSI, there are now almost 90 nations worldwide who
have endorsed these principles, and participate in
interdiction exercises, sharing information, and
promoting international cooperation in stopping
transfers of items and materials of WMD
proliferation concern.

The effectiveness of the PSI is based in large part
on successfully preserving discretion regarding
specific operational details, thus ensuring the
security and efficacy of its interdiction
activities.

The United States is pleased to have played an
active role in the success of the PSI, by
leveraging related counterproliferation efforts
across the U.S. government, by contributing naval,
law enforcement, and other maritime security assets
to interdiction exercises, by hosting PSI
counterproliferation meetings, workshops, and
exercises with other PSI-endorsing states, as well
as by working with specific partner states to
improve their capacity for combating the
proliferation of WMD.

Rogue states, terrorist and criminal organizations,
and unscrupulous individuals who contemplate
trafficking in WMD related items must now contend
with an international community united in detecting
and interdicting such transfers whether by air,
land, or sea.

End text of media announcement.


4. Description of events.

John C. Rood, Acting Under Secretary of State for
Arms Control and International Security will chair a
Senior-Level PSI Meeting on Wednesday, May 28, open
only to PSI endorsing states. The focus of this
meeting will be to review the Initiative's results
and successes over the last five years and look at
ways to continue strengthening the PSI for the
future.

On Thursday, May 29, Patricia A. McNerney, Acting
Assistant Secretary for the International Security
and
Nonproliferation Bureau of the U.S. Department of
State, will chair a PSI Outreach Workshop. This
workshop will be open to both PSI endorsing states
and states considering endorsement.

This workshop will provide detailed information on
the broad range of PSI activities and share best
practices and tools that have been developed to
assist countries with implementing their commitment
to the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles. We
encourage participation in this workshop by experts
in the defense, legal, law enforcement and customs,
operational and intelligence communities.

The opening of the conference on May 28, 2008, may
be
accompanied by a Statement by the President.
Confirmation and further information will be
provided septel.


5. Begin talking points for use by Post public
affairs officials:

PSI Background

o The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)
as established in May 2003 as a cooperative effort
among states committed to stopping transfers of
weapons of mass destruction (WMD),their delivery
systems, and related materials to and from states
and non-state actors of proliferation concern.

o The Initiative is a response to the threat
posed by illicit procurement networks seeking to
obtain and transfer the materials and expertise
necessary to establish and sustain a WMD program.
It was created as an innovative complement to a
broad range of nonproliferation tools, including
formal nonproliferation treaties and regimes.

o The PSI is an activity and not an organization.
It is based on a shared political commitment to the
PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles, rather
than a treaty-based organization governed by binding
provisions and obligations.

o Its emphasis is on encouraging participating
states to make full use of existing authorities *
both under domestic and international law * to
prevent transfers of proliferation concern.

o The PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles
highlights that actions by participating states are
voluntary, and consistent with national legal
authorities and international law.

PSI,s Record of Success

o The contribution of PSI to the broader
nonproliferation strategy can be understood on three
mutually-reinforcing levels ) a strengthening of the
global commitment to stop WMD-related proliferation;
a significant capacity-building effort that raises
partners, readiness levels to conduct interdictions;
and the improvement in national and international
collaboration mechanisms that set the stage for
conducting actual interdictions.

o First, the PSI has grown from a small group of
11 endorsing states to more than 85 nations
worldwide. This is an over seven-fold increase since
the launch of the Initiative five years ago. These
states have made a commitment to the PSI,s Statement
of Interdiction Principles, which calls on states
to:

-- Take measures, either alone or with other states,
to nterdict WMD, their delivery systems, and related
equipment;

-- Adopt streamlined procedures to rapidly exchange
information concerning suspected proliferation
activity;

-- Review and strengthen their national legal
authorities to take action against proliferation
activity;

-- Take action in support of interdiction efforts,
consistent with their national legal authorities
and international law and frameworks; and

-- When necessary, work to strengthen relevant
international law and frameworks in appropriate
ways to support these commitments

o The political commitment that underpins PSI
must not e underestimated. Prior to PSI,
interdiction activities took place. However, they
were conducted principally through sensitive
channels only. Today, the United States and any
other PSI-endorsing state can call on another PSI
adherent to take action based on their PSI
commitments. This alone is a singular innovation
brought about by the PSI.

o Second, there is a significant capacity-
building effort that is spearheaded by countries
that participate in the Operational Experts Group,
OEG, a group of twenty PSI partners that meets
regularly to advance PSI objectives on behalf of all
PSI participants.

o The OEG meets several times per year, most
recently in London where the Ministry of Defence
hosted the sixteenth OEG meeting in February.

o The OEG-participating countries bring their
experts from the military, law enforcement,
diplomatic, intelligence, and legal arenas to
develop new operational concepts for interdiction
and an impressive program of capacity-building
activities, including regional exercises, table-top
games and scenario-based discussions, industry
conferences and outreach events.

o To date, PSI partners have conducted over 30
live and table top exercises, involving over 70 PSI
partner states and exploring all modes of
transportation: ground, air, and sea.

o This represents one of the only truly global,
international and interagency exercise programs that
has been sustained over time. Perhaps more
importantly, we have seen the PSI exercise program
evolve over time, from one dominated by the
military,s role in interdiction to one that
appreciates the true complexity of interdiction and
integrates the legal, law enforcement, intelligence,
and policy challenges, in a way that more accurately
reflects real-world proliferation situations.

o Other notable PSI achievements include the
creation, through volunteer efforts, of a collection
of operationally relevant products that span the set
of subject-matter areas deemed critical to
interdictions including the PSI Model National
Response plan, the flag-state consent matrix, and
the WMD and Missile Commodities Handbook developed
by the U.S. Department of Energy.

o These products have created a toolkit to
assist countries to follow up on their commitment
to the PSI Statement of Principles. Additionally,
reaching out to key industry segments (e.g. air and
maritime shipping industries) and port authorities
has helped educate and raise awareness on
interdiction challenges and identifying ways
government and industry can work together to
facilitate interdictions and minimize interruptions
to legitimate commerce.

o The U.S. plays an active role in PSI capacity-
building efforts, through direct contribution to PSI
events and by leveraging related
counterproliferation activities across the U.S.
government.

o From contributing naval and other maritime
assets to interdiction exercises to sponsoring the
first-ever table top exercise of one of our PSI
bilateral shipboarding agreements, the U.S. brings
to bear all relevant issue areas and competencies to
support the PSI commitment.

o Significant emphasis is placed on creating and
strengthening the legal instruments to enforce
international norms against proliferation and to
provide the basis for interdicting cargoes of
concern.

o The United States has successfully negotiated
eight PSI bilateral shipboarding agreements that
provide, on a bilateral basis, standard procedures
for requesting authority to board and inspect sea
vessels suspected of carrying illicit WMD-related
cargo.

o These shipboarding agreements help deter WMD
proliferation by sending a clear message to
proliferators that participating governments will
not tolerate the involvement of their flagged
vessels in the trade of proliferation-related items.

o Several key endorsing states have provided
assistance to other PSI partner nations, helping
them to develop export control laws. These actions
improve the control of transfers of sensitive dual-
use technology.

o Additionally, U.S. training has helped PSI
partners, customs and law enforcement officials
improve implementation and enforcement of export
controls on such technology.

o Third, PSI,s success also can be observed in
the increased effectiveness of both national and
international collaboration process that support
real-world WMD-related interdictions.

o Building upon the shared commitment against a
common threat and leveraging the capacity-building
activities described above, PSI partners are able to
work together more effectively. PSI,s contributions
in this regard include:

-- Encouraging partner governments to establish
interagency mechanisms that enable them to share
information and take action against proliferation-
related transfers in a timely fashion

-- Establishing relationships among partner
counterproliferation agencies.

-- Establishing an exercise program to improve
partner nations, readiness to conduct interdictions.

o Although the public may never know about most
successful interdiction cases due to their
classified nature, there are examples of such
successes that can be shared with the public.

o For example, U.S. officials worked with
authorities in a PSI partner state to prevent the
onward shipment of U.S. origin test equipment to
Syria. This equipment consisted of environmental
test chambers used for testing ballistic missile
components; the equipment is likely controlled under
the Missile Technology Control Regime. The U.S.
Department of Commerce issued a re-delivery order to
the shipping firm involved in this transfer, and the
equipment was returned to the United States.

Future Outlook for PSI

o On May 28-29, 2008, the State Department will
host two meetings in honor of the PSI,s fifth
anniversary. At the first meeting, senior policy
makers from all PSI endorsing states will review the
PSI,s progress over the past five years and exchange
ideas for strengthening it for the future.

o The second meeting will be a more detailed
workshop open to all states whose purpose is to
encourage new PSI endorsements and to assist PSI-
endorsing states with training, organizing for, and
conducting interdictions.

o U.S. objectives for these Fifth Anniversary
events are to:

-- reinvigorate countries, political commitment to
the PSI;

-- receive ideas for strengthening the PSI to meet
current and future challenges;

-- inform states of opportunities for participation
in PSI activities, and encourage greater
participation by more states.

-- encourage PSI endorsing states to host and
participate in more PSI activities, including
exercises, regional meetings, and other workshops.

-- expand our public diplomacy efforts to highlight
the successes and importance of the PSI.

End talking points.

POINTS OF CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
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6. Points of contact for the PSI 5th Anniversary
events are Jane Purcell (202-647-6186,
purcelja@state.gov) and Carlos Guzman (202-647-6320,
guzmancs@state.gov) for matters related to PSI
policies and activities. Kerry Kartchner (202-647-
5824, kartchke@state.gov) for press relations and
inquiries. The Department greatly appreciates
Embassies' assistance.
RICE


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