ADDITIONAL EMBASSY KOLONIA REQUEST FOR FY09 JIATF WEST

UNCLAS KOLONIA 000113 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/ANP INL/AAE USDOJ FOR ICITAP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SNAR MASS PGOV PREL FM SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL EMBASSY KOLONIA REQUEST FOR FY09 JIATF WEST SUPPORT REF: E-MAIL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN CDR PIERRO AND DCM DOUGLASS ¶1. (SBU) PURSUANT TO REF E-MAIL, THIS MESSAGE RESPONDS TO A REQUEST TO ASK FOR U.S. DOD OPERATIONAL SUPPORT UNDER SECTION 1004, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1991 AS AMENDED, FOR FY 2009 JIATF WEST TRAINING SUPPORT TO THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA (FSM) POLICE AND THE MICRONESIA TRANSNATIONAL CRIME (MTCU) UNIT IN POHNPEI. ¶2. (SBU) BACKGROUND THE FEDERATED SATES OF MICRONESIA (FSM) IS A PARTY TO THE BILATERAL COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION (CFA) WITH THE UNITED STATES OF 2003. THE FSM COVERS AN OCEAN AREA THE SIZE OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. THIS LARGE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, COMBINED WITH LESS THAN OPTIMAL ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY, CREATES A NEARLY OPEN BORDER THAT COULD ENCOURAGE THE ACTIVITIES OF TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE TRAFFICKING IN DRUGS AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. MICRONESIA HAS DEVELOPED PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS IN THE OCEANIA REGION TO COMBAT THE SPREAD OF TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE MICRONESIAN TRANSNATIONAL CRIME UNIT IS PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, AND THE FSM PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN INFORMATION SHARING WITH THE PACIFIC TRANSNATIONAL CRIME COORDINATION CENTER (PTCCC) IN SAMOA. FSM WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY BY A CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH JIATF WEST THROUGH THE PTCCC. ¶3. (SBU) TRAINING SUPPORT: REQUEST JIATF WEST COUNTERDRUG INTELLIGENCE TRAINING SUPPORT IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE FSM'S LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY, TO DEVELOP ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ITS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. EMBASSY KOLONIA UNDERSTANDS TRAINING IS CURRENTLY PLANNED FOR 10-14 AUG 2009. ¶6. (U) EMBASSY KOLONIA APPRECIATES JIATF WEST'S COOPERATION AND ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF FSM'S LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAMS. HUGHESMK