REGIONAL SECURITY INITIATIVE -- MALACCA/SULAWESI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000018 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/CT,DS/ATA, DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/ITA/EAP, EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, CA, CA/OCS, S/ES, O/CMS, INL, AND INR S/CT FOR MARC NORMAN AND D.MAHANTY DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ, DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN DOJ/CTS FOR MULLANEY, ST HILAIRE FBI FOR ETTUI/SSA ROTH NCTC WASHDC NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC MARR ID SUBJECT: REGIONAL SECURITY INITIATIVE -- MALACCA/SULAWESI RADAR SYSTEMS PROPOSAL REF: 08 STATE 128554 JAKARTA 00000018 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: In reftel, S/CT requested proposals under the FY-09 Regional Strategic Initiative. Mission requests USD 300,000 in NADR funds to support the training of Indonesian personnel involved in the operation of NDAA 1206 Regional Command Center coastal/shipboard surveillance radar systems. This proposal would complement current 1206 initiatives in the Straits of Malacca and the Sulawesi Sea regions and engage GOI elements in a joint interagency manner. Details of the project proposal are provided in para five. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) In reftel, S/CT requested proposals under the FY-09 Regional Strategic Initiative for counterterrorism programs. Mission appreciates this opportunity to present ideas and has a proposal for Department's review. ¶4. (SBU) The project we propose focuses on the training of Indonesian personnel involved in the operation of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 1206 Regional Command Centers coastal/shipboard surveillance radar systems. This proposal would complement current 1206 initiatives in the Straits of Malacca and the Sulawesi Sea regions. The proposal would also expand Mission's ability to engage with Indonesian military and police in a joint interagency fashion. The proposal--which is reviewed in detail below--would be implemented within the constraints of Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Projects (NADR) anti-terrorism funding as outlined in reftel and would fully support USG strategy in the region. Mission requests $300,000 for this program. ¶5. (SBU) Details on the proposal follow: -- Title of project: Training of Indonesian personnel involved in the operation of NDAA 1206 Regional Command Center coastal and shipboard surveillance radar systems. -- Implementing agency or organization: ODC, in collaboration with POL, RSO, DOJ, ICITAP, FBI, JIATF-W, ECON, USAID, as appropriate. -- Description of program, including timeline for implementation, target audience, and stated objectives: Through this program, Mission's Country Team would encourage the GOI to approach transnational threats in an interagency manner by funding the training, cost of living and transport of radar operators with subject-matter expertise involving critical radar locations in the Straits of Malacca by 4th quarter FY 2009 and the Sulawesi Sea by 2nd quarter FY 2010. (Note: The 1206 coastal surveillance stations in the Sulawesi Sea will not be complete until the end of 2009.) The target audience would be junior local Indonesian officials from customs and immigration, fisheries, military, sea communications, marine police and drug enforcement. The program would initially train ten personnel from each unit, approximately 60 people altogether. To keep the training sessions at a manageable level, the selected participants would be divided into two groups, one in the east (Sulawesi Sea) and one in the west (Straits of Malacca). JAKARTA 00000018 002.2 OF 002 The Sulawesi Sea and the Straits of Malacca are significant from a counterterrorism perspective. Capacity- and skill-building in both locations is necessary to create a seamless surveillance system so that transnational criminals do not redirect their activities to more easily exploitable areas. The proposal would increase the effectiveness of Indonesia's response to transnational threats by selecting personnel from appropriate agencies and increasing their skill sets and abilities for the specific purpose of radar surveillance. This program would complement ongoing DoD, ICITAP, JIATF-W and USAID programs. The justification for funding centers on the GOI's inability to budget training of personnel throughout its archipelago. At the same time, the NADR funding enlarges the pool of skill sets from which to draw the appropriate expertise. It would therefore complement and enhance the effectiveness of the existing NDAA Section 1206 program. NDAA Section 1206 supports emerging threats. This proposal would provide training related to 1206 sites that was not authorized or envisioned when the 1206-funded radar program was originally developed. (Note: In 2006 and 2007, NDAA 1206 did not authorize the training of non-military personnel. This was one of the reasons that none was foreseen.) NADR funding would allow training and positioning of military and civilian expertise until the GOI was able do so for itself. -- Coordinating office within Mission responsible for oversight of implementation and assessing/reporting: Political Section, in concert with ODC. -- Results: 1206 Radar sites are manned and operated by trained personnel with expertise, experience and information on specific threats to key regions of the Indonesian archipelago. -- Mission point of contact and identification of who will receive and execute the contract or grant assistance: Mission,s primary point of contact will be LTC James Robinson and Mission,s secondary point of contact will be LTC Andy Marble, ODC. Kate Rebholz of the Political Section is also involved in the project proposal. HEFFERN