COUNTERTERRORISM -- PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL USG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001528 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, PM/PPA, PM, S/CT NSC FOR J. BADER, D. WALTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC ID SUBJECT: COUNTERTERRORISM -- PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL USG INVOLVEMENT IN KEY LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER REF: A. JAKARTA 1487 ¶B. JAKARTA 1470 ¶C. JAKARTA 204 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) This is an Action Request. Please see para 8. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: The Indonesian and Australian co-directors of the joint Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) told Pol/C on September 9 that they strongly support enhanced USG involvement in the Center's counterterrorism activities. They proposed that the U.S. conduct a December 2009 "big picture" training module for senior GOI officials using the Center. The coordinated Australian-Indonesian push comes on the heels of similar appeals made recently to senior USG officials. Mission strongly supports the initiative as an opportunity to reinforce USG-GOI Partnership priorities and also to further regional CT links with Australia. END SUMMARY. MEETING IN CENTRAL JAVA ¶3. (C) Indonesia and Australia want further USG involvement in a key law enforcement training center. During a meeting with Pol/C on September 9 in Semarang, Central Java, JCLEC Indonesian Chair Brigadier General Aloysius Mudjiono and Australian Federal Police (AFP) Agent Don Craill stated that the GOI has expressed interest in learning more about U.S. counterterrorism systems. (Note: Despite its name, the JCLEC facility is located in Semarang, the capital of Central Java; Central Java is considered the Indonesian province with the most serious terrorist-related problems.) They noted that this interest is framed by recent Indonesian discussions regarding the organization of its own CT entities and system, especially given the recent push to expand the Indonesian military's (TNI) role in counterterrorism activities (ref b). This debate has increased in tempo since the July 17 terrorist bombings in Jakarta. ¶4. (C) In light of this, Mudjiono and Craill asked whether the USG would consider sponsoring a three-day training module at JCLEC in early or mid-December 2009. They suggested the module be "big picture" and focus on the USG approach to CT efforts. Such a module might include threat perception, organization, and response segments. They envisioned that the training would involve 20 or so senior GOI officials. JCLEC is willing to provide a cost estimate for the training. COORDINATED AUSTRALIAN-INDONESIAN PUSH ¶5. (C) There has been a coordinated push for enhanced USG involvement in JCLEC recently. Further USG use of the facility was the first topic raised by Aris Munandar, Deputy Director for Counterterrorism of the Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) Directorate of International Security and Disarmament, during his August 28 meeting with S/CT Deputy Shari Villarosa (ref a). Australian Deputy Chief of Mission Paul Robilliard also raised the matter in a meeting with the DCM on September 9. He asked that the USG consider increasing its use of the facility for training purposes, noting that the Center would be flexible re USG priorities. ¶6. (C) The USG has successfully conducted anti-terrorism classes and conferences at JCLEC in the past, but a regularly full JCLEC calendar has been problematic for scheduling purposes. Since 2006, the U.S. Embassy has supported annual counterterrorism training course at JCLEC (ref c) and a proposal for a February 2010 training session is in draft. Diplomatic Security's Anti-Terrorism Assistance program has conducted training activities at JCLEC in the past (this is in addition to training conducted at DS/ATA,s own training center at Megamendung, West Java). ¶7. (C) JCLEC is an excellent venue for classroom training and conferences. However, JCLEC does not possess the facilities needed to implement hands-on CT training exercises for police, such as firing ranges, explosives demonstration sites, etc. In addition, use of the facility for some technical USG activities has to be scheduled as far out as JAKARTA 00001528 002 OF 002 six months in advance depending upon the time of year, and USG agencies have sometimes been thwarted in attempts to schedule training. ACTION REQUEST ¶8. (C) Mission requests that S/CT provide guidance as to whether the December training module, as outlined by the training center's co-directors, could be funded as part of USG efforts to provide training to GOI law enforcement officials and thus build capacity. Mission strongly supports this initiative as an opportunity to reinforce USG-GOI Partnership priorities and also to further regional CT links with Australia. Despite the problems reviewed above re use of the facility, we believe that Indonesia and Australia are now trying to be as flexible as possible and, as a matter of sound diplomacy, we should take them up on this offer if at all possible. FURTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON JCLEC ¶9. (SBU) The Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) was established in 2004 and is housed in the Indonesian National Police Academy in Semarang, Central Java. It was founded in reaction to Indonesia's terrorist problem and specifically in the wake of the October 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people, including many Australian nationals. The Australian government has committed funds of around USD 35 million to the Center through 2009 and has dedicated Australian Federal Police officers permanently assigned to the facility. The Center's focus is to provide regional governments in Asia with the opportunity to request operational support to address terrorism activities and other transnational crimes. The JCLEC Board of Patrons includes senior GOI law enforcement and CT officials, including the Head of the Indonesian National Police and the DEPLU Director for Counterterrorism. OSIUS