(S) FURTHER INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE EFFORT BY \

2009-07-06 07:31:00 09BERN279 Embassy Bern SECRET 09BERN278|09STATE68231 VZCZCXYZ0003\ PP RUEHWEB\ \ DE RUEHSW #0279 1870731\ ZNY SSSSS ZZH\ P 060731Z JUL 09\ FM AMEMBASSY BERN\ TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5925\ S E C R E T BERN 000279 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ DEPT FOR ISN/MTR (M.KENNEDY) AND EUR/CE (C.HODGES) \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2034 \ TAGS: PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY SUBJECT: (S) FURTHER INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE EFFORT BY \ SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM TO OBTAIN HIGH-SPEED CAMERA FROM \ SWISS FIRM \ \ REF: A. STATE 68231 \ ¶B. BERN 278 \ \ Classified By: Acting POLE Counselor Leslie Freriksen for reasons 1.4(b \ ),(c),and (d). \ \ ¶1. (S) On July 3, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs \ (SECO) Head of Export Control Licensing Division Juergen \ Boehler provided additional information in response to ref A \ non-paper. Boehler confirmed that the planned export of the \ high speed camera has been stopped. AOS Technologies had \ announced this export to SECO. Boehler will notify the \ denial of export to the appropriate point of contact at the \ Missile Technology Control Regime. \ CARTER \ 215201 2009-07-06 10:01:00 09COTONOU278 Embassy Cotonou UNCLASSIFIED VZCZCXRO6872\ PP RUEHMA RUEHPA\ DE RUEHCO #0278 1871001\ ZNR UUUUU ZZH\ P 061001Z JUL 09\ FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1003\ INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE\ RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 1314\ RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0315\ RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1476\ RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0448 UNCLAS COTONOU 000278 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ DEPT FOR AF/ (W ACOOK),G/TIP (VZEITLIN),AND INL \ LONDON FOR PETER LORD \ PARIS FOR BKANEDA \ \ E.O. 12958: N/A \ TAGS: PARM MTCRE ETTC MNUC KSCA SZ SY SUBJECT: BENIN: POLICE INTERCEPTS 11 ALLEGED TRAFFICKING VICTIMS IN \ TRANSIT TO NIGERIA \ \ ¶1. SUMMARY: On June 20, 2009, Beninese Security Forces intercepted \ a vehicle in Cotonou transporting eleven children from the \ Togo-Benin border to be allegedly trafficked to Lagos, Nigeria. On \ June 22, 2009, the Minors' Protection Brigade (BPM) interviewed the \ alleged traffickers and the victims and referred them to the Court \ of Cotonou for further legal action. END SUMMARY. \ \ ¶2. On June 20, 2009, officers of the Dantopka's Police Station, in \ Cotonou, intercepted a car transporting eleven Togolese children who \ had entered Benin at Hillacondji, the Benin-Togo border station. The \ car was passing through Cotonou, en route to the Nigerian border, \ when the police stopped it. The police handed over the eleven \ allegedly trafficked children, the suspected trafficker (a Togolese \ woman),and the driver to the BPM. \ \ ¶3. On June 22, 2009, the BPM interviewed the two suspects and the \ eleven children. The Head of the BPM, Commissioner Louis Tokpanou, \ told Post that the woman claimed she was accompanying the children \ to Lagos where they would spend holidays with their respective \ relatives, a piece of information confirmed by the children. She \ said that she was acquainted with only eight of the children, but a \ friend asked her to take the three other children to Lagos as well. \ Tokpanou said that some of the rescued children had ID cards, which \ made identification easier. Following the interception of the \ alleged victims, individuals of Nigerian nationality rushed in to \ the BMP and claimed that they were the children's relatives living \ in Lagos. \ \ ¶4. After the interview phase, the BPM referred the children, the \ persons claiming to be the children's relatives, the Togolese woman, \ and the driver to the prosecutor at Cotonou's Court for further \ action. It then sent the alleged victims to the Cotonou based Swiss \ NGO Terre des Hommes shelter, for care. Tokpanou says he can not \ assert that the case constitutes a child-trafficking without further \ investigation by the prosecutor. \ \ ¶5. Commissioner Topkanou briefed the press on the case. Initial \ media reaction suggested that the suspected woman was a known \ child-trafficker. \ \ BOUSTANI \