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 -------------- ¶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 NNNN End Cable Text