HAITI: JULY 2009 NAS MONTHLY REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 000705 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, HEATHER WILD AND MEAGAN MCBRIDE S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA WHA/EX PLEASE PASS TO USOAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL PGOV KCRM HA SUBJECT: HAITI: JULY 2009 NAS MONTHLY REPORT PORT AU PR 00000705 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. The following summarizes Post's INL/NAS and counternarcotics activities in July 2009. -------------- Project Updates -------------- ¶2. DynCorp received notice to proceed on two important remaining Haiti Stabilization Initiative (HSI) projects this month: wall reconstruction at the new police station in Cite Soleil and the construction of the second police station in that area. Due to changes in the planned road and intersection construction at the corner where the new main police station is located in Cite Soleil, the compound's front wall must be moved inward and the side wall moved closer to the Brazilian Battalioncamp in order to accommodate parking of police vhicles. Those construction modifications began n July 7. On July 28, after a ten month wait, the GOH finally gave the go ahead to begin reconstruction of a small police station destroyed in 2004 at Wharf Soleil. The delay was due to political manuevering about whether the USG should complete that project or the GOH should award a contract to a private Haitian developer. In the end, the Prime Minister recognized the advantage of accepting the USG commitment to quality construction and equipping while avoiding additional financial commitment at a time when the HNP is struggling to pay its bills. ¶3. Furnishings have been purchased for two major infrastructure projects that will be completed in August: the instructors barracks at the Police Academy, and the new isolation ward and renovated infirmary at the Men's National Penitentiary. In addition to USG procured furnishings, the US NGO Health Through Walls has collected a container of medical equipment for the new facility that will soon be shipped to Haiti. ¶4. Plans to install the goAML and goCASE UNODC software at the Financial Intelligence Unit (UCREF) and the HNP Financial Crimes Unit (BAFE) respectively are on track. The final service level agreement is being drafted for presentation to INL for clearance prior to submission to the GOH. The project will be funded through a combination of NAS counternarcotics funding and AID ESF funds. This project has been researched and developed as part of the INL-funded U.S. Treasury OTA anti-money laundering project. In addition, Post is planning to support an OTA proposal to train judges, prosecutors and police in three locations around Haiti to better prepare for and coordinate prosecution of complex financial crime cases (cost $450,000). -------------- Ceremonies -------------- ¶5. On July 9, the U.S. police (UNPOL) and corrections advisors contingent held its annual medal parade. 27 officers were eligible to receive recognition for service in the MINUSTAH mission for at least six months. Some have served for over two years. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the Togolese contingent and a reception followed. US Contingent Commander Yvette Marquez-Perkins spoke eloquently of the strong US commitment to serve and the pride of the contingent in serving their country and assisting Haiti in providing peace and stability. ¶6. On July 17, the HNP Director General and his command staff presented a plaque to outgoing NAS Director Joyce Namde in recogntion of "her devotion to the cause of the Haitian National Police." Coordination with the HNP and the breadth of INL/NAS programs have significantly expanded in the past two years under the direction of the first full-time NAS director in Haiti. -------------- PORT AU PR 00000705 002.2 OF 003 Meetings -------------- ¶7. NAS Director met with electronic surveillance (wiretap) experts from DEA to discuss the parameters and potential cost of developing a wiretap capacity for the HNP counternarcotics police. Such a capability would significantly expand their ability to develop criminal cases, pursue leads on drug trafficking before the drugs are delivered in Haiti and cooperate regionally to address transnational crime. This could also potentially be expanded to assist the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in rescuing victims and arresting the networks of criminals involved in such activities. DEA and NAS have been exploring the possibility for several months and this visit allowed concrete planning to proceed. A fully developed program could cost as much as five million USD. ¶8. On July 20 the Colombian police team exploring bilateral cooperation with the HNP provided an outbrief on their potential areas of involvement. The Colombians listed eight projects of interest including: border police training, particularly in rural areas; airport control; anti-kidnapping technical assistance; forensic laboratory training; development of an intelligence center; long-term planning; anti-explosive training; and weapons maintenance. The first three are areas where their expertise would be of particular use. They also met with DEA to reinforce their desire to coordinate closely and to seek DEA cooperation as the Colombians move forward. This is particularly important as Colombia currently has no permanent diplomatic presence in Haiti. ¶9. On July 30, the chairs of the G10 sectoral groups met with President Preval's liaison to UN Special Envoy Bill Clinton to be briefed on Clinton's planned areas of focus as discussed with President Preval. On his most recent trip to Haiti, Clinton laid out his priorities as support to the GOH plans for job creation, alignment of the donor projects with GOH priorities, attracting private sector investors as well as NGO and foundation investments and encouraging the Diaspora to provide increased support to Haiti. What is not clear to the G10 groups is how Clinton's plans and activities will impact and be coordinated with those of the donors. Several items mentioned by the liaison are already being done, but there appears to be a gap in information sharing. The liaison was not able to articulate how the activities of the special envoy and those of the sectoral groups/donors would be coordinated or how ministries would be included in the planning and implementation of projects within their purvue. Only the Ministries of Planning, Finance and Foreign Affairs will be part of a task force being created to work with the special envoy. -------------- Counternarcotics -------------- ¶10. Four traffic stops by the HNP resulted in arrests and the seizure of a kilo of cocaine in three instances and two kilos of marijuana in the other. In two cases, motorcycles were being used as the means of transportation - an increasing phenomena in Haiti. Among these incidents of note is the fact that on July 2 the Mayor of Marigot and five others were arrested after the HNP discovered a kilo of cocaine in their vehicle. The Mayor had previously been reputed to have ties to local cocaine trafficking. In addition to these seizures, at the Port au Prince international airport the HNP BLTS counternarcotics police seized 52.63 kilos of marijuana being shipped as cargo to the U.S. labeled as mangoes. ¶11. A joint BLTS-DEA operation to arrest a DEA wanted fugitive was unsuccessful on July 1. However, numerous items of evidentiary value were seized that may provide leads to others involved in criminal activity with the wanted PORT AU PR 00000705 003.2 OF 003 individual. TIGHE