CANADIAN WARSHIPS COMPLETE COUNTER-NARCOTICS OPERATION

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000840 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MOPS SNAR CA XL SUBJECT: CANADIAN WARSHIPS COMPLETE COUNTER-NARCOTICS OPERATION REF: OTTAWA 196; 08 OTTAWA 649 ¶1. (U) Summary: On October 30, two Canadian Forces (CF) warships completed operations in support of Operation CARIBBE, Canada's contribution to an ongoing U.S.-led, multi-national effort to interdict drug trafficking in Caribbean and east Pacific waters. The Canadian vessels provided surveillance capabilities to assist law enforcement authorities to locate, track, and intercept illegal activities off North America's coasts. Operation CARIBBE directly supports the Canadian Government's objective of strengthening Canadian interests in the region while addressing mutual security concerns. End summary. ¶2. (U) Canada contributed HCMS Calgary from Canada's west coast and HCMS Toronto from the east coast from September 17 to October 30 to the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF South) to provide surveillance capabilities in support of law enforcement authorities as part of Operation CARIBBE. Canada contributed the warships through Canada Command, the Canadian structure responsible for routine and contingency operations in Canada and continental North America. Established in February 2006 in response to the global security situation in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Canada Command works with domestic, continental, and allied partners to anticipate and respond to potential threats to Canada and North America, in accordance with the "Canada First Defence Strategy" (refs a and b). ¶3. (U) In a statement, Canadian Chief of Defence Staff General Walt Natynczyk noted that the interdiction operation "reflects Canada's strategic interest in the region and demonstrates our capabilities alongside our allies." He added that "participation in counter-drug operations such as Operation CARIBBE contributes to the safety and security of Canadians and helps meet the security challenges of the world's longest coastline," as well as helping the CF acquire new skills sets to ensure the safety and security of Canada's own coasts and waterways. ¶4. (U) Under JIATF-South, based in Key West, Florida, Canada has worked alongside partner nations in multinational drug surveillance and interdiction operations in the Caribbean Basin and east Pacific since November 2006. Since it began, the multinational operation has annually stopped more than 200 metric tons of drugs from entering North America in 2007 and 2008. JACOBSON