ARMENIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000878 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT (RHONDA SHORE),SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, AND NCTC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN KCRM KHLS PINS PREL AEMR AM SUBJECT: ARMENIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM REF: SECSTATE 109980 ¶1. Armenia,s counterterrorism partnership with the United States included granting blanket over-flight clearance and ad hoc landing rights to U.S. military aircraft, deployment of a peacekeeping contingent to Iraq and Kosovo, and participation in bilateral assistance programs that strengthened the government,s capacity to monitor illicit financial flows and confront trafficking in hazardous substances. Widespread corruption, however, continued to hamper full implementation and enforcement of laws that would improve Armenia,s counterterrorism posture and response capability. In 2009, Post recognized that the Armenian Ministry of Defense made progress in tackling corruption, though additional steps remain. ¶2. In December 2009, the Armenian parliament approved Ministry of Defense plans to send a 35-45 troop contingent to Kunduz, Afghanistan. Pending successful training in Germany in early 2010, the troops are scheduled to deploy to Kunduz to work under German command. Armenian troops are expected to protect the Kunduz airport runway and other facilities near the Kunduz airport. ¶3. Armenia participated in several bilateral and multilateral assistance, security and training initiatives targeted at strengthening its ability to combat terrorist financing and the smuggling of illicit and hazardous materials. These initiatives included: the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative, the Biological Threat Reduction Program, and related training programs sponsored by the resident offices of Export Control and Border Related Security, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union Advisory Group. Additionally, Armenian officers from the National Security Service (NSS) are scheduled to take part in two Anti-terrorist Assistance (ATA) program trainings in fiscal years 2010 and 2011. ¶4. In recent years, Armenia has achieved measured progress in implementing border security and combating trafficking in persons, drugs, and WMD materials. This progress has included the installation of radiation portal alarms at all land ports of entry and its main airport and the use of sensors for increased monitoring of Armenia,s green border with Georgia. Additionally, the Armenian border guard service now has full connectivity of its automated Border Management Information System (BMIS) with all points of entry, which should reduce the possibility of passport and visa fraud. (Note: The BMIS contains criminal and terrorist watch lists as updated by the NSS.) Armenia,s progress in combating trafficking in persons included the aggressive prosecution of traffickers, stiffer sentences, and improved assistance to victims of trafficking. In November 2009 DHS/ICE provided trafficking in persons (TIP) training to the NSS - one example of a noticeable increase in cooperation between American and Armenian state security services. ¶5. In 2008, Armenia revised its law on combating money laundering and terrorism financing. The revision significantly expanded the range of reporting entities required to report suspicious transactions to the Financial Monitoring Center (FMC),a specialized intelligence unit within the Central Bank that is responsible for combating money laundering and terrorism financing. In 2009, due to the work of the FMC, Armenia recorded it,s first successful money laundering prosecution. ¶6. As in previous years, Armenia continues to maintain economic and energy ties with Iran to include an expanding trade in natural gas, petroleum products, and electricity. As a result, Armenia continues to be reluctant to participate in international efforts that criticize or place pressure on Iran for its non-compliance on issues related to nuclear proliferation and terrorist financing. PENNINGTON