BULGARIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS SOFIA 000715

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT PASS TO S/CT: RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER EFIN KCRM KHLS PINS PREL AEMR
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

REF: SECSTATE 109980


1. (SBU) Bulgaria remains a staunch ally in the fight
against terrorism, and the USG enjoys strong cooperation from
the Government of Bulgaria. No significant acts of terrorism
occurred in Bulgaria in 2009. Bulgaria is not a sponsor of
terrorism and does not provide a safe haven to terrorist
organizations. Bulgaria has ratified all major international
instruments on terrorism, extradition, and judicial
cooperation in criminal matters.


2. (SBU) During 2009, the Bulgarian government worked
closely with us to prevent acts of terrorism against United
States citizens in Bulgaria and elsewhere. This included
information sharing on potential terrorist threats and a
heightened level of protection for USG facilities. The
Bulgarian government does not provide any kind of support for
international terrorism, terrorists, or terrorist groups.


3. (SBU) Bulgaria continues to nominate members of its
counterterrorism team to participate in USG-provided
counterterrorism training. During 2009, 29 Bulgarians
attended USG-sponsored counterterrorism training courses
within the context of the Combating Terrorism Fellowship
Program, administered by the Embassy's Office of Defense
Cooperation. This training included courses in all aspects
of counterterrorism including, intelligence, security,
operations, legal, and civilian-military cooperation. In
July 2009, 15 analysts from the Defense Information Service
received a two-day seminar on terrorist network analysis and
terrorist finance. The course was sponsored by EUCOM J-2 and
taught by analysts from the Joint Analysis Center in
Molesworth, United Kingdom.


4. (SBU) Bulgaria's participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom
ended in December, 2008. Bulgaria continues to participate
in the International Security Assistance Force in
Afghanistan. It has approximately 470 service members in
Afghanistan, with the bulk (270) guarding the perimeter and
an entry control point at Kandahar Airfield. At our request,
Bulgaria added its first Operational Mentor and Liaison Team
in February and agreed to add a second. It has also agreed
to field a new Role Two Medical Facility that is expected to
consist of around 75 personnel, including 40 medical staff
(but it needs financial support to make this a reality).
Over the longer term, Bulgaria is interested in consolidating
its forces to form a single battalion-sized force of 400-500
soldiers. On a yearly basis since 2004, Bulgaria has
deployed a frigate in support of the Mediterranean Operation
Active Endeavor (OAE). OAE's mission is to conduct maritime
operations in the OAE area of operations to demonstrate
NATO's resolve to help deter, defend, disrupt, and protect
against terrorist activity.


5. (SBU) The U.S. and Bulgaria are signatories to a Weapons
of Mass Destruction (WMD) agreement which formalizes and
strengthens U.S.-Bulgarian cooperation to prevent the spread
of WMD and mitigate the impact of any incident or accident
involving nuclear, chemical, biological, or radiological
components. Under the auspices of this agreement, the U.S.
is expected to provide approximately USD three million by
2013 for training and equipment for border guards, customs
officials, national police, and first responders. Both
countries are also co-signatories on the Second Line of
Defense agreement to install radiation detection equipment at
airports, seaports and land border crossings to deter,
detect, and interdict the smuggling of radiological
materials. Under this agreement the U.S. government will
invest over USD 15 million by 2013. The U.S. is also
enhancing the security at facilities storing radiological
sources.


6. (SBU) Bulgaria has signed the Council of Europe
Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, a regional
multilateral treaty aimed at taking effective measures to
prevent terrorism and to counter public provocation to commit
terrorist offenses and recruitment and training for
terrorism.

7. (SBU) Bulgaria is a member of the Global Initiative to
Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) and participates in GICNT
activities and conferences. As a member, Bulgaria has
committed to provide political support to strengthen and
implement the Statement of Principles, which aims to prevent
nuclear terrorism on a determined and systematic basis.


8. (SBU) In November the new center-right GERB government
achieved a major success with the passage of two bills
designed to overhaul the structure and operation of the
Ministry of Interior and the agency responsible for
counterterrorism, the State Agency for National Security
(DANS). The two pieces of legislation eliminate duplication
of effort and unclear responsibilities, making it easier for
them to cooperate and share information. The DANS amendments
explicitly restored the powers of the Financial Intelligence
Directorate (FID) to conduct on-site inspections of banks and
other financial institutions, and collect "bank secret"
information for money laundering and terrorist financing
cases. The FID remains located within DANS, but could be
moved back into the Ministry of Finance (MoF) or a new organ
inside the MoF could be created to coordinate policy and
public outreach on money laundering and terrorist finance.


9. (SBU) Internal reorganizations notwithstanding, the FID
remained vigilant against terrorist financing and continued
to cooperate with the USG on identifying and investigating
terrorist assets. The FID reliably distributed lists of
individuals and organizations linked to terrorism to all of
the banks in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Interior, Customs, and
the Border Police. The FID has been responsive to all
mandated UNSCR-designated terrorist organizations, and has
also been supportive and cooperative on USG designated
individuals and organizations. The FID has advised the
banking sector to use the Department of Treasury Office of
Foreign Assets Control OFAC website as a reliable information
resource for individuals and organizations associated with
terrorism. The FID also continues to provide feedback,
including information on the response level of Bulgaria's
banks, to the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network, as well as to the Embassy. Assistant
Treasury Secretary David Cohen visited Bulgaria in October to
discuss money laundering and terrorist finance with
high-level Bulgarian officials, all of whom pledged their
efforts to combat terrorist finance.


10. (SBU) Neither the United States nor Bulgaria requested
the extradition of suspected terrorists for prosecution
during 2009. In 2003 and 2007, the United States and
Bulgaria signed a Mutual Legal Assistance treaty (MLA)
providing for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, as
well as a new Extradition Treaty, providing for the
extradition of Bulgarian nationals. The MLA, which is part
of a larger U.S.-EU Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, and
the Extradition Treaty, were ratified and implemented in May,
allowing for the extradition of criminals for new types of
crimes, including terrorism. The constitution prohibits the
extradition of Bulgarian nationals as a general rule,
although such extraditions can be executed where an
international bilateral treaty is in force. Bulgaria
extradites Bulgarian nationals to all other EU member states.
In addition, Bulgaria is a signatory to the Council of
Europe's Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism.


11. (SBU) Bulgaria's religious leaders, including the
leaders of the nation's Muslim community, continued to speak
out strongly against extremism and terrorism.
SUTTON