LATVIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS RIGA 000588 SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO RHONDA SHORE (S/CT) DEPT ALSO PASS TO NCTC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC LG SUBJECT: LATVIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM ¶1. (U) Below is Embassy Riga's draft of the 2009 Latvia Country Reports on Terrorism. Embassy POC is Matt Stokes (StokesMR@state.gov). Begin Report: In May, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an action plan for responding to terrorist threats and attacks on people or objects in Latvia's territory. In September, Latvia established a working group to develop an action plan for terrorist or pirate attacks against Latvian ships anywhere in the world. The Transportation Ministry is currently developing legislation to control hazardous cargo and is developing an action plan to respond to emergency situations related to hazardous cargo. Latvia regularly participates in the European Union's Terrorism Working Group. In October, the Counterterrorism Center of the Latvian Security Police and the Riga International Airport organized a counterterrorism exercise that simulated a plane high jacking and hostage situation. Representatives from the Security Police, Riga International Airport, Civil Aviation Agency, State Border Guards, State Police, State Fire and Rescue Service, Center of Emergency and Disaster Medicine, and the Prosecutor General's Office participated. As of December, Latvia was contributing 170 soldiers to support the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, including an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT). As a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP),Latvia continued to comply with requirements in the VWP law related to information sharing and other law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation. This cooperation was further enhanced by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. Latvia's Financial Intelligence Unit maintained a terrorist financing database that it shared with local banks. Since the May 2005 U.S. Treasury designation of two Latvian banks as institutions of "primary money laundering concern" under Section 311 of the Patriot Act, Latvian government and regulatory agencies have worked very closely with the United States to enhance their legislative and regulatory framework. There have been no further sanctions on Latvian banks. In 2006, Treasury lifted the proposed sanction against one bank. In the case of the second institution, the issue is specific to the bank and its ownership structure, and does not reflect Latvian regulatory efforts.