TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL

UNCLAS STATE 035882 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL PTER XA XI XY SUBJECT: TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL CONFERENCE: JUNE 2-4 2009. ¶1. (U) The fifth annual interagency Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) conference will convene on 2-4 June at the State Department's George C. Marshall Center in Washington DC. The conference will include participants from the U.S. Embassies in the ten TSCTP countries and action officers from the State Department, the Department of Defense, USAID and other USG agencies as appropriate. The conference will provide a forum to bring together action officers from the field, Washington, and Stuttgart to identify country-specific and regional activities that support USG counterterrorism objectives in West and North Africa and the required financial and human resources required to support them. ¶2. (U) In a departure from past TSCTP conferences, the sessions on June 2 and June 4 will focus on country-specific requirements and strategies. Each country session will have co-chairs from the Mission and from one of the agencies represented at the conference. Agency co-chairs will work directly with Missions to develop detailed, country-specific agendas and will identify representatives from throughout the interagency that will support them. We anticipate that each session will have at least one representative from the State Department, DOD (OSD, JS),AFRICOM, and USAID. On June 3, all conference participants will convene for a review of regional and sub-regional issues of common interest. The conference comes at a particularly promising time in terms of the future of several important State-funded programs and the Secretary's ability to garner increased resources. -------------- Proposed Conference Agenda -------------- All meetings will take place in the State Department's George ¶C. Marshall Conference Center unless otherwise indicated. June 2 (Tuesday) 09:00-11:00 Country Session - Mali 11:00-01:00 Country Session - Senegal 11:00-01:00 Country Session - Nigeria 01:00-02:00 No-Host Lunch 02:00-04:00 Country Session - Burkina Faso 02:00-04:00 Country Session - Niger June 3 (Wednesday) 09:00-10:00 Plenary - Welcome, Administration 10:00-11:00 Plenary - TSCTP Strategy through 2013/Budget 11:00-11:30 Plenary - Ramping up Law Enforcement Training and Standing up the Regional Security Training Center (RSTC) 11:30-12:00 Plenary - Military CT Capacity Building Programming - Three Year Outlook 12:00-01:00 No-Host Lunch 01:00-02:00 Plenary - Countering Violent Extremism Working Group Report/Follow-up 02:00-04:00 Sub-Regional Session - Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Morocco: Border Management, Regional Response, ISR/Border Surveillance, Tuareg Engagement, 02:00-04:00 USAID Review of Drivers of Extremism - Turning theory into practice. 05:00-07:00 Social Function - Location TBD. June 4 (Thursday) 09:00-10:00 Country Session - Libya 10:00-12:00 Country Session - Algeria 10:00-12:00 Country Session - Chad 12:00-01:00 No-host Lunch 01:00-03:00 Country Session - Morocco 03:00-05:00 Country Session - Tunisia 03:00-05:00 Country Session - Mauritania -------------- Participation/Administration -------------- ¶3. (U) The State Department Coordinator for Counter-terrorism is able to support participation of three representatives from each Mission. Consistent with past practice, Mission representation should include the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and up to two other action officers. We recognize that not all Missions will be able to send three representatives. To secure travel funds, each Mission must identify the conference participants by no later than May 6 to AF/RSA Daniel Epstein or NEA/MAG Molly Hayes. Following receipt of the participation lists, the Bureaus of African Affairs and Near East Affairs will transfer required funds to the relevant posts. Only representative from the Missions are eligible for the identified travel funds. Military slots are limited and have been allocated for the Operation Enduring Freedom-Trans Sahara participants. Military personnel who wish to participate should coordinate through the US Africa Command OEF-TS office via email: OEFTS AO CORE GROUP@eucom.mil for consideration. ¶4. (U) Security Clearance: Several sessions may require secret-level clearances for participation, although the June 3 plenary will not be classified. Non-State Department participants who will attend secret-level sessions must have their security officers send visit requests to the State Department Certification Unit. Requests must be faxed to (571) 345-3150. Telephone queries should be directed to (571) 345-3365. -------------- Conference Objectives -------------- ¶5. (U) This is an important opportunity for the Missions to press their cases in terms of garnering TSCTP resources in the next several years. The tailored agendas will determine what is discussed. This year's conference will have a much stronger emphasis on country-specific programming and strategy and each country session will be unique. The Mission-based and Washington-based co-chairs for each session will be expected to draft agendas and participation lists that will maximize the utility of bringing together the entire relevant interagency. Some sessions may have more limited tactical objectives regarding creating strategies for securing specific human or financial resources. Other sessions may feature more strategic approaches that set broader engagement schedules and objectives and review the programmatic balance supported by posts. For example, to rationalize military planning to the extent possible, country teams should be prepared to identify required training and capacity building activities for their respective countries through 2011. From this, AFRICOM will forecast and request the military forces to conduct these activities. As State Department and DOD resources support these activities, the conference provides a useful forum to coordinate such planning. Session co-chairs will contact Mission DCMs directly and we request that session agendas and participation preferences be transmitted by either email or front to AF/RSA Dan Epstein or NEA/MAG Molly Hayes by no later than May 8 Information can be transmitted by either email or front channel. CLINTON