TURKEY: PROPOSAL FOR NADR-FUNDED COUNTER-NARCO-TERRORISM

UNCLAS ANKARA 000269 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: PROPOSAL FOR NADR-FUNDED COUNTER-NARCO-TERRORISM PROJECT REF: 08 State 128554 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Drug trafficking is known to be a significant source of revenue for the Kongra-Gel/PKK terrorist organization. Disrupting this revenue source is a major USG goal. The following proposal is designed to facilitate closer interagency cooperation among Turkish law enforcement agencies that fight narco-terrorism and between those agencies and their northern Iraqi counterparts. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Embassy Ankara requests $200,000 in Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Projects (NADR) funds (reftel) to support this project. This proposal has the concurrence of Embassy Baghdad and the Regional Counterterrorism Coordinator. Project Title -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Operation Jump Start: Facilitating Turkey-Iraq Cooperation against Narco-Terrorist Drug Trafficking Organizations and Those that Facilitate their Illicit Activities. Implementing Agency -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Drug Enforcement Administration and other Mission elements. Background -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Drug trafficking is known to be a significant source of revenue for the Kongra-Gel/PKK terrorist organization. Disrupting this revenue source is a major USG goal. Currently, DEA-Turkey has a well-established multi-decade relationship with the relevant Turkish law enforcement agencies. In early 2007, DEA-Turkey established interagency ties with the Kurdish Security Service (KSS) of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq; these have slowly developed over the past two years. ¶6. (SBU) A comprehensive and effective campaign against the Kongra-Gel/PKK will require strong cross-border law enforcement assistance and cooperation. At this time, however, contact and cooperation both among Turkish law enforcement agencies themselves and between Turkish and Iraqi law enforcement officials, including those of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG),is negligible. Neither the Turkish National Police (TNP) nor the KSS fully understand the value and power of internationally cooperative, intelligence driven, complex narcotics and money laundering investigations. The proposed program will attempt to address these concerns. Project Details -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The project is designed to develop multilateral interagency relationships among DEA and key regional law enforcement partners: in Turkey, the Turkish National Police (TNP),Turkish Jandarma and Turkish Customs Service, and in Iraq, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Kurdish Regional Government's (KRG) Kurdish Security Service (KSS). ¶8. (SBU) The strategy to achieve this is two-pronged. First, DEA would establish a secure off-site facility in southeast Turkey near the Iraqi border (in Silopi or Habur) to allow the routine deployment of DEA special agents into one of the main areas of Kongra-Gel/PKK activity. As security allows, DEA would seek to establish a mirror off-site across the border in the KRG (Zakho or Dohuk) to provide the same benefits to the KSS. The facilities have minimal requirements: a secure working and billeting space with power, water and phone line that can be provided by upgrading an existing structure or using a containerized housing unit. The establishment of an off-site facility will accomplish the following goals. - - Demonstrate U.S. commitment to pursuing the Kongra-Gel/PKK. -- Allow DEA agents to interact regularly with their law enforcement counterparts to build rapport and strengthen ties. Additionally, having a "neutral" off-site away from their respective headquarters will significantly improve DEA's ability to foster better working relations among the Police, Jandarma and Customs. -- Provide DEA agents and their counterparts the ability to better collect timely and useable intelligence, and recruit and direct confidential sources against the Kongra-Gel/PKK. -- Allow DEA agents to more effectively lead and coordinate Kongra-Gel/PKK investigative activities with its counterparts. -- Provide field mentoring and on-the-job training for law enforcement counterparts through regular investigative interaction with DEA agents. -- Having a presence on both sides of the border would improve DEA's ability to facilitate cross-border relations between Turkish law enforcement agencies and the KSS. ¶9. (SBU) The second prong of DEA's strategy is to jumpstart cross-border interagency cooperation through training. Our goal would be to train 30 officers (15 from each side of the boarder) through DEA-led and managed training programs with representatives from Turkish and Iraqi law enforcement. This tri-lateral effort will include joint training in anti-terror operations, to include increasing awareness of the role of "shadow facilitators." This program will not only help break down barriers between agencies, but will also facilitate freer information sharing and better coordination of joint investigative strategies and goals. ¶10. (SBU) We would also provide equipment required by the training. Cost Estimate -------------- ¶11. (SBU) In support of these initiatives, DEA-Turkey is requesting $200,000 of FY09 NADR funds. We estimate requiring roughly $150,000 for dual use operational /training facilities, and $50,000 for equipment. Coordinating Office and POC -------------- ¶12. (SBU) DEA-Ankara is the coordinating office. Embassy Point of Contact is DEA Assistant Regional Director Thomas J. Senecal at: SenecalTJ@state.gov, or +90-312-457-7229.