Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SINGAPORE679
2009-07-15 09:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Singapore
Cable title:
SINGAPORE CONDUCTS EXERCISE SIMULATING
how-toVZCZCXRO7668 OO RUEHDT RUEHPB DE RUEHGP #0679 1960905 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 150905Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6963 INFO RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0544 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2363 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0325 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 000679
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2019
TAGS: PTER MOPS CASC SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE CONDUCTS EXERCISE SIMULATING
MUMBAI-STYLE TERRORIST ATTACK
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel Shields for Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 000679
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2019
TAGS: PTER MOPS CASC SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE CONDUCTS EXERCISE SIMULATING
MUMBAI-STYLE TERRORIST ATTACK
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel Shields for Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) CDA and Embassy consular and law enforcement officers
observed the final part of the Government of Singapore's
"Northstar VII" crisis response exercise held at the Rasa
Sentosa Hotel on July 15. The exercise simulated a
Mumbai-style terrorist "swarm" assault from the sea on
Singapore. The part of the exercise we saw involved Police
Coast Guard vessels interdicting a speedboat with terrorists
trying to land; a terrorist attack on individuals in the
hotel's swimming pool area; the terrorists seizing hostages
and retreating into the hotel; then Singapore Armed Forces
Special Operations Task Force commandos performing a fast
rope insertion from helicopters onto the roof of the hotel,
storming the affected areas of the hotel, and rescuing
hostages. Previous parts of the exercise were held overnight
on July 6 and 7 at various hotels and Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) stations in the heart of Singapore's Central Business
District and Orchard Road shopping district.
2. (C) PM Lee Hsien Loong, DPM S. Jayakumar, DPM and Defense
Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister of Home Affairs Wong Kan
Seng, Minister of Education (and Second Defense Minister) Ng
Eng Hen, Minister of Law K. Shanmugam, Ministry of Home
Affairs PermSec Benny Lim, Internal Security Department
Director Pang Kin Keong, Police Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui,
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Soh Wai Wah and other
senior GOS officials observed the exercise. The CDA thanked
the PM for the Government of Singapore's decision to include
Embassies as observers of the exercise. Minister Wong said
he was pleased that Singapore had been able to put together
relatively quickly a fairly comprehensive exercise involving
a Mumbai-like attack. DPM Teo expressed satisfaction that
the various parts of the GOS, particularly the police and the
military, had worked together effectively.
3. (C) Minister Ng said a lesson learned from Mumbai had
been the need to manage information to prevent the terrorists
from using the media to gather information that provided them
a tactical advantage. He praised London's handling of the
media in the London Underground terrorist attacks. CDA noted
the need for any government to strike the right balance
between disclosing information that the public needs and
preventing the disclosure of information that would give
terrorists an advantage. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner
and Chief of Staff Soh Wai Wah told Consular Chief, Legal
Attache and ICE Attache that the July 15 exercise and the
exercises on July 6 and 7 were designed to send a message
through the media to terrorist organizations not to try a
Mumbai-style attack in Singapore.
4. (C) Comment: As Police Commissioner Khoo indicated
following the Mumbai attacks, the GOS is working proactively
on a whole of government basis to improve its capacity to
prevent or deal with this kind of attack. The GOS clearly
wants not only to improve its capabilities, but to show
foreign governments, Singapore's public, and potential
terrorists that Singapore is working hard to address the
issue. There was a heavy media presence observing and
recording Northstar VII.
Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
SHIELDS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2019
TAGS: PTER MOPS CASC SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE CONDUCTS EXERCISE SIMULATING
MUMBAI-STYLE TERRORIST ATTACK
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel Shields for Reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) CDA and Embassy consular and law enforcement officers
observed the final part of the Government of Singapore's
"Northstar VII" crisis response exercise held at the Rasa
Sentosa Hotel on July 15. The exercise simulated a
Mumbai-style terrorist "swarm" assault from the sea on
Singapore. The part of the exercise we saw involved Police
Coast Guard vessels interdicting a speedboat with terrorists
trying to land; a terrorist attack on individuals in the
hotel's swimming pool area; the terrorists seizing hostages
and retreating into the hotel; then Singapore Armed Forces
Special Operations Task Force commandos performing a fast
rope insertion from helicopters onto the roof of the hotel,
storming the affected areas of the hotel, and rescuing
hostages. Previous parts of the exercise were held overnight
on July 6 and 7 at various hotels and Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) stations in the heart of Singapore's Central Business
District and Orchard Road shopping district.
2. (C) PM Lee Hsien Loong, DPM S. Jayakumar, DPM and Defense
Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister of Home Affairs Wong Kan
Seng, Minister of Education (and Second Defense Minister) Ng
Eng Hen, Minister of Law K. Shanmugam, Ministry of Home
Affairs PermSec Benny Lim, Internal Security Department
Director Pang Kin Keong, Police Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui,
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Soh Wai Wah and other
senior GOS officials observed the exercise. The CDA thanked
the PM for the Government of Singapore's decision to include
Embassies as observers of the exercise. Minister Wong said
he was pleased that Singapore had been able to put together
relatively quickly a fairly comprehensive exercise involving
a Mumbai-like attack. DPM Teo expressed satisfaction that
the various parts of the GOS, particularly the police and the
military, had worked together effectively.
3. (C) Minister Ng said a lesson learned from Mumbai had
been the need to manage information to prevent the terrorists
from using the media to gather information that provided them
a tactical advantage. He praised London's handling of the
media in the London Underground terrorist attacks. CDA noted
the need for any government to strike the right balance
between disclosing information that the public needs and
preventing the disclosure of information that would give
terrorists an advantage. Acting Deputy Police Commissioner
and Chief of Staff Soh Wai Wah told Consular Chief, Legal
Attache and ICE Attache that the July 15 exercise and the
exercises on July 6 and 7 were designed to send a message
through the media to terrorist organizations not to try a
Mumbai-style attack in Singapore.
4. (C) Comment: As Police Commissioner Khoo indicated
following the Mumbai attacks, the GOS is working proactively
on a whole of government basis to improve its capacity to
prevent or deal with this kind of attack. The GOS clearly
wants not only to improve its capabilities, but to show
foreign governments, Singapore's public, and potential
terrorists that Singapore is working hard to address the
issue. There was a heavy media presence observing and
recording Northstar VII.
Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm
SHIELDS