JAMAICA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS KINGSTON 001024 SIPDIS S/CT - RHONDA SHORE WHA/CAR - JOSLYN MACK-WILSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN PINS PREL AEMR KCRM KHLS JM XL SUBJECT: JAMAICA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM REF: STATE 109980 (232145Z OCT 09) ¶1. Per reftel, the following is suggested narrative input for Jamaica: (begin text) Jamaica's proximity to the United States, well developed sea lanes and air links, and the transit of over two million travelers annually between the United States and Jamaica make the country a potential transit point for terrorists. In 2009, the United States and Jamaica continued their close cooperation in a variety of counterterrorism-related areas, which included the Container Security Initiative, provision of equipment and training to the Jamaica Defense Force and Constabulary Force, and law enforcement intelligence sharing. In 2007, following his imprisonment in the United Kingdom for inciting murder and for fomenting terrorism and racial hatred, British authorities deported the radical Jamaican-born cleric Sheik Abdullah El-Faisal. Jamaican and U.S. authorities remain concerned about El-Faisal's plans, intentions, and influence. Jamaica's inability to track inbound and outbound persons beyond two years is a vulnerability. The country's entry/exit computer system (controlled by the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency) has no more storage capacity and thus can only recall two years of entry/exit records. The system also is unreliable for look-outs and/or exploitation of advance passenger manifests to target incoming passengers. Jamaican Customs' ability to target inbound/outbound/transiting containers is limited to a paper-based system. (Note: all paper files that document entry/exit prior to 2004 have been lost in a warehouse fire.) (end text) ¶2. Embassy point-of-contact is Lloyd Moss, IVG 929-6083, e-mail mosslw@state.gov Parnell