HOME MINISTER PREVIEWS COUNTERTERRORISM

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001978

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK IN
SUBJECT: HOME MINISTER PREVIEWS COUNTERTERRORISM
COOPERATION AGENDA WITH AMBASSADOR

Classified By: Ambassador Timothy Roemer for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (S) SUMMARY. Home Affairs Minister P. Chidambaram shared
with Ambassador Roemer September 18 a provisional list of
five opportunities for further cooperation gleaned from his
visit to Washington, including on forensics, large city
policing, real-time intelligence sharing, coastal security,
and rail and metro security. Chidambaram deferred to the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about how to package these
items as possible deliverables for Prime Minister Singh's
November 24 visit to Washington, and responded favorably to
Ambassador Roemer's suggestion that they might be bundled
into a "Law Enforcement Training and Technology" package.
Chidambaram said he had requested Treasury Secretary Tim
Geithner's support for India's membership in the Financial
Action Task Force (FATF),adding that ndia was having some
luck in gaining support from other members. END SUMMARY.

Washington Visit Generates Opportunities for Cooperation
- - -


2. (C) Home Affairs Minister P. Chidambaram discussed with
Ambassador Roemer September 18 his extremely positive visit
to the United States and a provisional list of follow-up
issues for Indo-U.S. cooperation on counterterrorism and law
enforcement. Chidambaram effused about his program in
Washington and New York, remarking that "so many in both the
Executive and Legislative Branches found time to meet" and
praising the visit for running "like clockwork." He was
particularly impressed with the National Counterterrorism
Center (NCTC),which underscored for him India's need to
begin moving toward a more information technology-based
system.


3. (C) Chidambaram shared five follow-up items from his
visit: (1) forensic science lab cooperation; (2) New York
Police Department (NYPD) best practices on policing
'megacities'; (3) real-time intelligence sharing; (4) Coast
Guard exchanges; and (5) Amtrak training on rail and metro
security.


4. (S) Chidambaram expanded on several points. NYPD
Commissioner Ray Kelly offered to send an expert to help the
Ministry rapidly upgrade its use of technology. Home
Ministry officials were ready to discuss a memorandum of
understanding on intelligence sharing, including advanced
counterterrorism technology, with Embassy officials "the
sooner the better." He underscored the increase in
infiltrations across the Line of Control and noted that
Kashmir had just experienced the first car bomb in three
years. When the Ambassador inquired about gaining access to
a recently captured Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) terrorist suspect
in New Delhi, Chidambaram saw "no reason" India could not
share intelligence about captured LeT operatives, observing,
"Terrorists are targeting both of us." On coastal security,
he noted the vulnerability of India's western coast, home to
several petrochemical facilities and "only two or three hours
from the Middle East." He shared how "impressed" he was by
Amtrak security procedures. Chidambaram envisioned a team
visiting Delhi to share best practices with the Delhi Metro,
which would then scale up this knowledge to the six or seven
other urban metro systems commencing operations in the coming
years. Chidambaram focused on "studying systems" that were
effective in the U.S. to apply them in India.

Planning for Prime Minister Singh's Visit
- - -


5. (C) Though enthusiastic about cooperation on these issues,
Chidambaram stressed that had not yet discussed his visit
with Prime Minister Singh and deferred to the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA) about how his follow-up items might be

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packaged as possible deliverables for the PM's November 24
visit to Washington. He shared that MEA planned a
coordination meeting in the coming days to discuss
deliverables for the visit. Ambassador Roemer recommended
bundling these items, if not as part of a counterterrorism
MoU, then perhaps as part of a "Law Enforcement Training and
Technology" package. Chidambaram confessed to not
understanding what was so "sensitive" about cooperation on
these issues suggesting that the political climate had
changed considerably and he believed working on a CT MOU was
very helpful to both countries. He did mention a caution
that "too much cooperation" on counterterrorism and law
enforcement matters might be politically sensitive in the
future.

India Ready for FATF Membership
- - -


6. (C) Chidambaram said he had asked Treasury Secretary Tim
Geithner to support India's candidacy for membership in the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Noting that India
received remittances of USD 45 billion annually, he remarked,
"What is the FATF without India?" He blamed a lack of
understanding of India's federal structure among states with
a unitary constitution as a reason for India's exclusion. He
said European governments had been "dense" about India's
membership, but that "the clouds are NOW clearing." He
noted, for instance, that The Netherlands has promised to
support India's membership. The FATF Secretariat had visited
and was "reasonably satisfied" with India's progress, but
that it would have to go back and convince others. Finance
Ministry officials had told him that India had done all that
was required and asked that we inform him if this was not the
case. (COMMENT. The FATF will undertake a mutual evaluation
of India in November/December, which will be the definitive
assessment of whether India has met the membership criteria.
The FATF membership has been supported by the United States
and sought by India. This could be a key "deliverable" for
the Prime Minister's visit and packaged in a CT MOU or Law
Enforcement, Training, and Technology Agreement. The
Department of Treasury needs to inform us if there are
remaining issues and inform the GOI about how to overcome
them. END COMMENT.)

ROEMER