PROPOSED PRESS STATEMENTS ON KOROMA'S STRONG

S E C R E T FREETOWN 000146


NOFORN

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDING NOFORN CAPTION)

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL)
BRUSSELS FOR DOJ/DEA (TSCARANTINO)
DEA/OS/OSE/CNTOC (WBROWN)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR SL
SUBJECT: PROPOSED PRESS STATEMENTS ON KOROMA'S STRONG
ANTI-NARCOTICS COOPERATION

REF: A. 08 FREETOWN 336

B. FREETOWN 78

C. FREETOWN 99

D. FREETOWN 142

Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (SBU) The following paragraphs provide further background
information (paras. 2-5) on the Ambassador's meeting with
President Koroma on April 15, and proposed press statements
for the White House (para. 6) and Department (para. 7),per
reftel D. Please note that the draft press statements must be
classified as SECRET/NO FOREIGN until after the expulsions
take place, likely on April 20. Embassy will inform
Department when the expulsion order has been executed, at
which point the statements' embargo can be lifted for public
release.

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BACKGROUND
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2. (S/NF) Ambassador met with President Ernest Bai Koroma at
his request on April 15 to discuss the expulsions of three
individuals into U.S. custody. As the meeting began,
Ambassador thanked Koroma for his recent strong displays of
leadership, including a visit on April 11 to SLPP
Headquarters to survey the damage incurred during political
clashes in March (reftel C),and to offer his personal
assistance in repairing the damage. This, the Ambassador
said, showed the President's commitment to unity across party
lines to ensure stability and opportunities for further
national development. The President informed Ambassador that
he had given a radio address to the nation on April 14, and
intends to give more. This is in accordance with a suggestion
made by Ambassador to the President and the Foreign Minister
shortly after arriving in-country, that the President should
regularly communicate with his constituents. As in most West
African countries, radio is the best medium in Sierra Leone
to do that.


3. (S/NF) Following this preamble discussion, Koroma informed
Ambassador that his government is ready to keep the promise
he made February 27 to expel two indicted narcotraffickers
and one material witness into U.S. custody (reftel B). Koroma
will be attending the APC party conference in Makeni from
April 16 through April 19, and wished to inform Ambassador
immediately that the High Court will reconvene on April 20 to
relay its verdict against these individuals and others
currently facing charges related to the July 13 cocaine bust
(reftel A). Following the reading of the judgment and (in all
likelihood) sentences, the three individuals will be expelled
from Sierra Leone and ready for removal to the United States.
The President asked that the Ambassador immediately inform
Washington, including the State Department and DEA, of his
intentions, and to be prepared to remove the individuals as
quickly as possible on or around April 20.


4. (S/NF) Ambassador thanked the President for his commitment
and action on the expulsions, and applauded his leadership to
address drug trafficking in his country. They discussed the
growing scourge of narcotics in West Africa, and the need to
combat these sophisticated criminal rings with policy,
legislation, and effective enforcement. Political will from
the highest office, the Presidency, demonstrates the
Government of Sierra Leone's intention to protect their
country from the rabid and rapacious exploitation of
traffickers. Koroma agreed with Ambassador that he and his
government must remain vigilant. He thanked her for
recognizing his leadership on this issue, and said that he
will welcome statements of support from Washington to
reinforce the message that Sierra Leone has taken a strong,
globally-recognized stand against drugs.


5. (S/NF) Koroma's Special Assistant will be working closely
with emboffs to coordinate the expulsion operation on April
20, and DEA agents are expected to arrive in-country on April
17 to finalize the operational effort.

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PROPOSED STATEMENT: WHITE HOUSE/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
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6. (S/NF until 04/20/2009, pending post confirmation) We are
pleased to announce that today the Government of Sierra Leone
expelled narcotics traffickers indicted by the Southern
District of New York. These criminals are on their way back
to the United States now to face justice for their roles in
the corrosive global narcotics trade. As we work with our
allies in the Western Hemisphere to eliminate the flow of
drugs in and out of Central and South America, we have been
forced to recognize that this criminal activity has spread to
another part of the world - West Africa, a fragile region
that has been severely impacted by coups and civil wars,
devastating political, economic, and social infrastructure.
We have seen countries in this region, such as Guinea-Bissau,
fall prey to sophisticated and opportunistic criminal
organizations. Narcotics trafficking throughout the region is
increasing, and without strong political will to combat the
scourge, there is every possibility that West Africa will be
unable to stem this dangerous tide. Sierra Leone, however, is
one shining example of a country that has refused to
surrender to the criminality that threatens to engulf it. By
expelling these individuals, as well as passing a stringent
national Narcotics Control Act and prosecuting domestic and
foreign drug smugglers, President Koroma, his government, and
his people are sending a strong message that narcotics
trafficking will not be tolerated in Sierra Leone. We value
the example that Sierra Leone is setting for the rest of the
world - even the country at the bottom of the Human
Development index, only a few short years out of a brutal,
decade-long civil war, will take any steps necessary in the
global war against drugs. We thank President Koroma for his
strong leadership on this issue, his cooperation with our
government, and his efforts to bring greater peace and
security to the country of Sierra Leone. We also applaud the
interagency collaboration between the Departments of State
and Justice that brought the expulsion to fruition, and the
joint commitment from all U.S. Government agencies to combat
the narcotics trade.

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PROPOSED STATEMENT: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
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7. (S/NF until 04/20/2009, pending post confirmation) The
Department offers its thanks today to President Ernest Bai
Koroma and the Government of Sierra Leone for expelling
wanted narcotics traffickers into U.S. custody. President
Koroma and the Sierra Leonean people have been setting a
positive example, in both West Africa and across the African
continent, for their commitment to democracy, human rights,
and rule of law. The United States Government has worked
closely with Sierra Leone on a number of development issues,
and now welcomes our collaboration on one of the biggest
security threats to West Africa at this time: narcotics
trafficking. The expulsion of these individuals represents a
significant step towards effectively curbing the transit of
illegal drugs through West Africa, and stands as a statement
that transnational crime organizations will not be tolerated
in Sierra Leone. President Koroma and his country are working
tirelessly to identify and prosecute such criminal elements
within their own country, and have clearly demonstrated their
willingness to partner with the United States in the global
war against drugs, by removing these wanted criminals. We
welcome this partnership, and continue to value the already
robust relationship that the United States and Sierra Leone
has shared for many years. The Department also extends its
gratitude to the Department of Justice, particularly the Drug
Enforcement Administration, for their collaboration and
support in fighting the narcotics trade in West Africa.

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COMMENT
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8. (S/NF) This is a prescient time to recognize the value of
our bilateral relationship with Sierra Leone. Though a small
country still grappling with the long-term impacts of its
civil war, their notable commitment to democracy (as
demonstrated by two rounds of peaceful and fair elections),
human rights (Koroma was one of the only African leaders to
publicly denounce human rights violations by President Mugabe
of Zimbabwe),and diplomacy (Sierra Leone was one of a
handful of African countries to immediately recognize
Kosovo's independence, and the only African country to submit
a supporting brief to the International Court of Justice)
should be applauded. President Koroma is sometimes accused of
being a "sphinx without a secret," as a UK diplomat once
phrased it - he is slow to take needed actions, and though
his handlers suggest that this represents thoughtful
decision-making, some believe that he is simply afraid to act
and afraid to fully wear the mantle of his position. This
expulsion, the progress being made towards a signed Status of
Forces Agreement, and re-energized engagement towards
becoming a Millennium Challenge country show promise for our
bilateral relationship, but also for his maturation as
President. This is further evidenced by his increased radio
outreach to the public, initiation of a "peace process" with
the opposition party, and his plan to establish an
independent Commission of Inquiry into the political clashes
in March. Koroma may be slow to act, but when he does, his
actions are nearly always on-target to meet the needs of his
people. Statements from the USG on the expulsions will
bolster Koroma's confidence as a national and sub-regional
leader, and likely encourage him to take swifter action in
future on issues of import. End Comment.

PERRY