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AA AADP AALC ABDALLAH FETHI ABDULHADI ABDULRAHMEN ABER ABLD ABLDG ABLG ABMC ABT ABUD AC ACABQ ACAO ACBAQ ACCELERATED ACCOUNT ACDA ACEC ACKM ACOA ACOTA ACS ACTION ADANA ADB ADCO ADCP ADEL ADEP ADIP ADM ADMIRAL ADPM ADRC AE AEC AECL AEGR AEIR AEM AEMED AEMR AER AESC AF AFAF AL HOURANI AFARI AFDB AFDIN AFFAIRS AFGHAN AFGHANISTAN AFIN AFL AFLU AFOR AFR AFSA AFSI AFSN AFU AFZAL AG AGAO AGENCIES AGENDA AGENGA AGIT AGMT AGOA AGR AGRI AGRIC AGRICULTURE AGS AGUILAR AGUIRRE AHMED AI AIAG AID AIDAC AIDS AIEA AIHRC AIN AINF AINFCY AINR AINT AISG AIT AJ AK AL ALAB ALAMI ALANAZI ALBE ALEXANDER ALI ALIREZA ALJAZEERA ALL ALNEA ALOUNI ALOW ALOWAR ALVAREZ AM AMAT AMB AMBASSADOR AMCHAM AMCHAMS AMCT AME AMED AMEDI AMEMR AMER AMERICAS AMEX AMG AMGE AMGMT AMGT AMIA AMLB AMPR AMT AMTC AMTG AN ANARCHISTS ANC AND ANDREW LEE WATKINS ANET ANTITERRORISM ANTOINE GHONDA ANTONIO ANTXON AO AOCR AODE AOIC AOMS AOPR AORC AORD AOREC AORG AORL AOWC AP APCS APDC APEC APECO APER APR APRC APRM AQ AR ARAB ARABBL ARABL ARABLEAGUE ARAS ARC ARCH ARENA AREP ARF ARG ARM ARMITAGE ARMS ARNOLD FREDERICK MORRIS AROC ARR ARRMZY ARSO AS ASA ASAC ASC ASCC ASCE ASCEC ASCH ASE ASEAN ASEC ASECARP ASECE ASECM ASECSI ASECVE ASED ASEDC ASEG ASEK ASES ASEX ASFC ASIC ASIG ASIR ASJA ASO ASOC ASPA ASR ASSEMBLY ASSK ASSSEMBLY ASUP AT ATFN ATPDEA ATRA ATRD ATRN AU AU-1 AUC AUNR AUSGR AUSTRALIAGROUP AV AVERY AVIAN AVIANFLU AVIATION AW AX AY AZ AZE B. BA BAGHDAD BAIO BAKOYANNIS BALKANS BAPOL BARACK BASHAR BATA BAYS BB BBG BBSR BC BCW BCXP BD BE BEAN BELLVIEW BEN BERARDUCCI BESP BEXB BEXP BEXPC BEXPPLM BEXT BF BFIF BFIN BFIO BG BGD BGMT BH BHUM BI BIC BIDOON BIH BILAT BIMSTEC BINR BIO BIOS BIOTECH BIOTECHNOLOGY BIT BITO BK BL BLR BLUE BLUNT BM BMENA BMGT BMOT BN BNUC BO BOIKO BOL BOND BOQ BORDER BOSNIA BOU BOUCHAIB KAKA BOUTERSE BP BPIS BPTS BR BRIAN BRITNEY BRITNY BRPA BRUSSELS BS BSSR BT BTA BTC BTIO BTIU BTRA BTT BU BUD BULGARIA BURMA BURNS BUSH BUY AMERICA BV BW BWC BX BXEP BY BZ CA CAC CACM CACS CAFTA CAIO CAJC CAMBODIA CAN CAPC CARC CARE CARIB CARICOM CARSON CAS CASA CASC CASCC CASCR CASE CASTILLO CAVO CB CBC CBD CBE CBG CBIS CBM CBSA CBTH CBW CCSR CCY CD CDB CDC CDCC CDCE CDG CDI CE CEA CEC CEDAW CEN CENSUS CENTCOM CENTRIC CEUDA CF CFE CFED CFG CFIS CFSP CG CGEN CGOPRC CH CHAD CHALLENGE CHAO CHAVEZ CHELIDZE CHENEY CHERTOFF CHG CHIEF CHN CHR CHR-1 CHRISTIAN CHRISTOF CHRISTOPHER CI CIA CIAT CIC CICTE CIDA CIO CIP CIS CITEL CITES CITIBANK CITT CIVAIR CIVS CJ CJAN CJUS CK CKGR CKOR CL CLEARANCE CLINTON CLMT CLO CLOK CM CMAE CMFT CMGT CMP CMT CN CNAR CNARC CNC CNO CO CODEL COE COL COLIN COLLECTIVE COLOMBO COM COMESA COMMERCE CON CONAWAY CONDOLEEZZA CONDOLEEZZA RICE CONEAZ CONG CONGO CONGRINT CONS CONSULAR CONTROL CONTROLS CORRUPTION COSI COUNTER COUNTER TERRORISM COUNTERTERRORISM COUNTRY COUNTRYCLEARANCE CP CPA CPAS CPC CPCTC CPPT CPUOS CQ CR CRIM CRIME CRIMES CRISTINA CRM CROATIA CROS CRS CRUZ CS CSCE CSEP CSIS CSW CT CTBT CTER CTERR CTM CTR CTRYCLR CU CUCO CUIS CUL CUSTODIO CV CVIA CVIC CVIS CVISU CVPR CVR CW CWC CWCM CWG CX CY CYNTHIA CYP CYPRUSARMS CZ DA DAC DAFR DAN DANFUNG DANIEL DAO DARFR DARFUR DAVID DAVID LEE HOWES DAVID WELCH DAVID WILLIAM RAY DB DC DCDG DCG DCHA DCI DCM DCOM DCRM DE DEA DEAX DEFENSE DEFENSEREFORM DELTAVIOLENCE DEM DEMARCHE DEMARCHES DEMETRIOS DEMOCRATIC DENNIS DEOC DEPORTATION DEPT DEPT FOR DS COMMAND CENTER DESI DHA DHLAKAMA DHLS DHRF DHS DHSX DIEZ DIPLOMACY DISENGAGEMENT DJ DK DKEM DMIN DMINE DO DOC DOD DOE DOJ DOMC DOMESTIC DOMESTICPOLITICS DONALD RUMSFELD DOT DPAO DPKO DPM DPOL DPRK DR DRC DRIP DRL DS DSR DSS DTFN DTRA DTRO DU DUNCAN CAMERON DVC DY EAC EAD EADI EADM EAG EAGER EAGR EAI EAIC EAID EAIDB EAIDCIN EAIDEGZ EAIDMG EAIDNI EAIF EAIG EAIO EAIR EAIS EAIT EAOD EAP EAPC EAR EARI EASS EATO EAUD EAVI EB EBEXP EBRD EBUD EC ECA ECCP ECCT ECE ECHEVARRIA ECIN ECIP ECLAC ECN ECOIN ECOM ECON ECONCS ECONEGE ECONOMIC ECONOMICS ECONOMY ECONOMY AND FINANCE ECOR ECOS ECOSOC ECOWAS ECPC ECPN ECPO ECPS ECPSN ECRM ECTRD ECUN ED EDA EDEV EDRC EDU EDUARDO EDUC EE EEB EEC EENG EENV EEOC EET EETC EFI EFIC EFIM EFIN EFIS EFLU EFN EFND EFNI EFQ EFTA EG EGAD EGAR EGEN EGHG EGOV EGOVSY EH EI EIAD EIAID EIAR EIB EICN EID EIDE EIDN EIFN EIN EIND EINDIR EINF EING EINN EINO EINR EINT EINV EINZ EIPR EIQ EISL EISNLN EITC EITI EIVN EK EL ELA ELAB ELAD ELAINE ELAM ELAN ELAP ELB ELBA ELBR ELEC ELECTIONS ELF ELIN ELN ELND ELNT ELTD ELTM ELTN ELTRN EMAIL EMED EMI EMIN EMN EMS EMW EN END ENDURING ENEG ENER ENERG ENERGY ENFR ENG ENGR ENGRD ENGRG ENGY ENIV ENLT ENNP ENR ENRC ENRG ENRL ENTG ENV ENVI ENVIRONMENT ENVR ENVT EON EOXC EP EPA EPAT EPCS EPE EPEC EPECO EPET EPIN EPIT EPPD EPRT EPSC EPTE EPTED EPWR EQ EQRD ER ERA ERD EREL ERGR ERICKSON ERIN ERTD ES ESA ESCAP ESCI ESDP ESENV ESF ESLCO ESOC ESOCI ESPS ESS ESSO ESTH ESTN ESTRADA ET ETA ETAD ETC ETCC ETD ETDR ETEL ETER ETEX ETFN ETIC ETIO ETLN ETMIN ETR ETRA ETRAD ETRB ETRC ETRD ETRDECD ETRG ETRK ETRN ETRO ETRP ETT ETTC ETTD ETTF ETTN ETTR ETTRD ETTW ETZ EU EUC EUCOM EUE EUEAID EUFOR EUM EUMEM EUN EUR EUREM EURM EURN EV EVENTS EVN EWRG EWT EWTR EWWT EX EXBS EXEC EXIM EXO EXPORT EXTERNAL EZ FA FAA FAC FAGR FAO FARC FARM FAS FATAH FBI FCC FCS FCSC FCSCEG FCUL FDA FDIC FEDULOV FEMA FERNANDO FGM FI FIGUEROA FIN FINANCE FINE FINR FINREF FINV FIR FISO FJ FK FKFLO FKLU FLU FM FMC FMGT FMLN FMS FO FOI FOOKS FOR FORCE FORCES FOREIGN FORWHA FP FPC FR FRA FRANCIS FRANCISCO RODENAS RUIZ FRANCISCO VILLA URBALEJO FRAZER FRB FREDOM FREEDOM FRELIMO FRIED FRN FRU FSC FSI FT FTA FTAA FWS GA GAERC GAMES GANGS GAO GARCIA GASPAR GATES GATT GAZA GAZPROM GB GBSLE GC GCC GCCC GE GEF GEORGE GERARD GESKE GF GG GH GI GIPNC GIWI GJ GKGIC GL GLOBAL GM GN GO GOG GOI GOMEZ GON GOVPOI GPGOV GPI GPOI GPOV GR GREGG RENE WALTER GRQ GS GT GTIP GTMO GTREFTEL GU GUAM GUANTANAMO GUIDANCE GUILLERMO GUTIERREZ GV GWI GY GZ GZIS HA HAMID KARZAI HARRIET HARRY HAWZ HCOPIL HDP HE HEAVEN HEBRON HECTOR HELGERSON HERCEGOVINA HG HHS HI HIGHLIGHTS HIJAZI HILARY HILLARY HILLEN HIPC HIV HIZ HK HKSX HL HLSX HN HNCHR HO HOA HOSTAGES HPKO HR HRC HRCS HRICTY HRIGHTS HRKSTC HSI HSTC HSWG HT HTCG HTSC HU HUD HUM HUMAN HUMANITARIAN HUMANR HUMANRIGHTS HUMOR HUMRIT HUNRC HURI HURRICANE HYDE HYLAND HYMPSK HZ IA IACHR IACI IACO IACW IADB IAEA IAES IAHRC IAIE IAII IASA IATTC IAZ IBB IBD IBET IBPCA IBRB IBRD IC ICAC ICAO ICC ICCAT ICCROM ICES ICJ ICRC ICRS ICSCA ICTR ICTY ID IDA IDB IDLI IDLO IDP IDR IE IEA IEAB IEF IF IFAD IFC IFIN IFM IFO IFR IFRC IG IGAD IGF IHO IICA IINS IIP IK IL ILAB ILC ILEA ILO IMC IMET IMF IMMIGRATION IMO IMSO IMTS IN INAUGURATION INCB IND INDO INF INFLUENZA INL INMARSAT INNP INPFC INR INRA INRB INRD INRO INRPAZ INS INSC INT INTEL INTELLECTUAL INTELSAT INTERNAL INTERPOL INV INVI IO IOC IOM IP IPET IPGRI IPK IPPC IPR IPROP IQ IQNV IR IRAN IRAQ IRAQI IRAQI FREEDOM IRC IRCE IRDB IRE IRL IRLE IRM IRMO IRNB IRPE IRQEGION IRS IS ISA ISAAC ISAF ISCA ISCON ISLAMISTS ISLE ISN ISNV ISO ISPA ISPL ISRAEL ISRAEL RELATIONS ISRAELI ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ISSUES ISTC IT ITA ITALIAN ITALY ITECIP ITEIND ITELTN ITER ITF ITIA ITRA ITRD ITU IUCN IV IVIANNA IWC IWI IX IZ IZAORC JA JABER JAM JAMES JAPAN JAT JAWAD JCIC JE JEAN-PIERRE BEMBA JEFFERY JEFFREY JENDAYI JHR JI JIMENEZ JIMENEZ CHILDREN JK JKUS JM JN JO JOHANNS JOHN JOHN BOEHNER JOHNNIE JONATHAN CHAMAN JOSE ANGEL ALZUGUREN PERURENA JOSE NEY MILA ESPINOSA JOSE RAMOS HORTA JOSEPH BIDEN JP JS JSRP JUAN JULIAN RENE KIRCHOFF JUS JY KA KACP KACT KACW KADM KAID KALM KALR KANSOU KAPO KARIM WADE KATRINA KAUST KAWC KAWK KAWL KAWS KAWX KAYLA KBCT KBDS KBEM KBIO KBNC KBTC KBTR KBTS KBWG KCCP KCEM KCERS KCFC KCFE KCGC KCHG KCIP KCIS KCM KCMA KCMR KCOG KCOM KCOR KCPS KCRCM KCRI KCRIM KCRM KCRN KCRO KCROM KCROR KCRP KCRS KCRT KCSA KCSI KCSY KCUL KCUM KCVM KCWI KDCM KDDEM KDDG KDE KDEM KDEN KDET KDEV KDGOV KDGR KDHS KDM KDMR KDP KDRG KDRL KDTB KDUM KE KEAI KEANE KEBG KECF KEDEM KEDM KEDU KEIM KEM KEMPI KEMR KEMS KEN KENV KERF KERG KESO KESP KESS KEVIN KFAM KFCE KFE KFEM KFGM KFIN KFIU KFLD KFLO KFLU KFOR KFPC KFRD KFRP KFSC KFTFN KFTN KG KGCC KGCN KGHA KGHG KGIC KGICKS KGIT KGIV KGKG KGLB KGOR KGOV KH KHDP KHGH KHIB KHIV KHJUS KHLS KHMN KHOURY KHPD KHSA KHSL KHUM KI KIBL KICA KICC KICCPUR KICR KICT KID KIDE KIF KIFR KIIC KIIP KIL KILS KIMMITT KIMT KIND KINF KINL KINP KINR KINT KIPR KIPT KIRC KIRD KIRF KIRL KIRP KIS KISC KISK KISL KISM KISR KITA KIVP KIVR KJAN KJRE KJU KJUS KJUST KJWC KK KKIV KKNP KKOR KKPO KLAB KLAP KLBO KLEG KLFLO KLFU KLHS KLIG KLIP KLPM KLSO KLTN KM KMAC KMAR KMCA KMCC KMCR KMDR KMEPI KMFO KMGT KMIG KMNP KMOC KMPF KMPI KMPIO KMPL KMPP KMPT KMRD KMRS KMSG KMVP KMWN KN KNAO KNAP KNAR KNDP KNEI KNEP KNET KNMP KNN KNNA KNNB KNNC KNNF KNNO KNNP KNNR KNOP KNP KNPP KNPPIS KNPR KNPT KNRG KNRV KNSD KNUC KNUP KO KOC KOCI KOCM KOEM KOGL KOLY KOM KOMC KOMCCO KOMCSG KOMH KOMO KOMS KOR KOSOVO KOUYATE KPA KPAD KPAI KPAK KPAL KPALAOIS KPAM KPAO KPAS KPBT KPDD KPEM KPEO KPER KPET KPIN KPIR KPKO KPKP KPLS KPMI KPMO KPO KPOA KPOKO KPOL KPOP KPOV KPOW KPPAO KPPD KPRD KPRM KPRO KPROG KPRP KPRV KPSC KPTD KPTS KPWG KPWR KQ KQM KQRDQ KR KRAD KRAL KRCIM KRCM KRCS KRD KRDP KREC KREF KREISLER KREL KRF KRFD KRFR KRG KRGY KRIC KRIF KRIM KRKO KRM KRMS KRV KRVC KS KSA KSAC KSAF KSCA KSCI KSCS KSCT KSEAO KSEC KSEI KSEO KSEP KSI KSIA KSKN KSLG KSMT KSOC KSOCI KSPA KSPR KSRE KSTC KSTCC KSTCPL KSTH KSTS KSTT KSUM KSUP KT KTAO KTBD KTBT KTCRE KTDB KTDD KTDM KTER KTEX KTFIN KTFM KTFN KTFR KTFS KTIA KTIP KTLA KTNBT KTNF KTPN KTRD KTRF KTSC KTSD KTTB KTTC KTTP KU KUAE KUIR KUM KUNA KUNC KUNH KUNP KUNR KUS KUWAIT KV KVBL KVIP KVIR KVIS KVPR KVRC KVRP KW KWAC KWAK KWAWC KWBC KWBG KWBW KWCI KWCR KWGB KWHG KWIC KWIM KWIR KWKN KWM KWMJN KWMM KWMN KWN KWNM KWNN KWOMN KWPA KWPB KWPG KWPR KWRC KWRF KWRG KWUN KWWT KWWW KX KY KZ LA LAB LABOR LANSANA LANTERN LARREA LARS LAS LAURA LAVIN LAW LB LBAR LBY LE LEAGUE LEB LEBIK LEGAT LEGATT LEIS LEON LEVINE LEW LG LGAT LH LI LIB LICC LIMA LINE LK LMS LN LO LOG LOPEZ LORAN LOTT LOVE LR LS LT LTG LTTE LU LV LVPR LY LZ MA MAAR MACEDONIA MACP MANUEL MANUEL SERGIO GONZALEZ MAP MAPP MAPS MAR MARAD MARANTIS MARIA MARIE MARINO MARITIME MARK MARQUEZ MARR MARS MARTIN MARV MAS MASC MASS MATT MAYA MB MBM MC MCA MCAP MCAPARR MCAPN MCAPP MCAPS MCAT MCC MCCAIN MCCONNELL MCCP MCGRAW MCRM MCTRE MD MDA MDC MDO ME MEA MED MEDIA MEETINGS MENDIETA MEP MEPI MEPN MEPP MERCOSUR MESUR MEX MF MFA MFO MG MGL MGMT MGOV MGT MGTA MH MHUC MI MIAH MIC MICHAEL MICHEL MIGUEL FELIPE CANAHUATI YACAMAN MIGUEL VARGAS MALDONADO MIK MIKE MIL MILI MILITANTS MILITARY MILLENNIUM MINURSO MINUSTAH MITCHELL MJ MK ML MLS MMAR MMED MN MNLF MNNC MNNUC MNU MNUC MNUCH MNUCWA MNUM MNUN MNUR MNUS MNVC MO MOHAMAD MOHAMED HESHAM ELDIN YOUSSEF MOHAMMAD MOLINA MONTENEGRO MONUC MONY MOOPS MOP MOPP MOPPS MOPS MORALES MORG MOROCCO MORS MOS MOTO MOTT MP MPOL MPOS MPP MPS MQADHAFI MR MRCRE MRRR MRS MRSEC MS MSG MSIG MT MTAA MTAG MTCAE MTCR MTCRA MTCRE MTRCE MTRE MTRRE MTS MU MUC MUCN MUKASEY MULLEN MUNC MURAD MURRAY MV MW MX MY MZ NA NAC NACB NADIA NAFTA NAM NAMSA NANCY NAR NARC NARCOTICS NARR NAS NASA NAT NATEU NATGAS NATIONAL NATO NATOAFGHAN NATOBALKANS NATOIRAQ NATOOPS NATOPOLICY NATSIOS NAVO NB NBTS NBU NC NCCC NCD NCT NCTC NDI NDP NE NEA NEC NEGROPONTE NEI NELSON NEPAD NERG NET NEW NFATC NFMS NFSO NG NGO NGUYEN NH NI NICHOLAS NICOLE NIH NIPP NK NKWG NL NLD NLIAEA NLO NMFS NMNUC NMUC NNPT NO NOAA NOI NOK NON NONE NORAD NOTAG NOVO NP NPA NPG NPT NR NRC NRG NRR NRRC NS NSC NSF NSFO NSG NSSP NT NTDB NTSB NTTC NU NUC NUIN NV NW NZ NZUS OA OAO OARC OAS OASC OASCC OASS OAU OBAMA OBS OBSP OCBD OCEA OCED OCHA OCII OCRA OCS OCSE ODAG ODC ODIP ODPC OECD OECS OECV OES OESC OEXC OEXP OF OFDA OFDC OFDP OFDPQIS OFFICIALS OFPD OFSO OGAC OGIV OHCHR OHI OHIP OI OIC OICCO OIE OIF OIG OIIP OIL OIM OLY OLYAIR OLYMPICS OM OMAR OMB OMIG OMS ON ONA OPAD OPBAT OPC OPCD OPCR OPCW OPDAT OPDC OPDP OPEC OPET OPIC OPID OPOC OPPC OPRC OPREC OPREP OPS OPSC OPVIP ORA ORC ORCA ORECD ORED OREG OREP ORGANIZED ORP ORTA ORUE OSAC OSCE OSCI OSD OSEC OSHA OSIC OSTA OSTRA OTA OTAR OTHER OTHERSASNEEDED OTP OTR OTRA OTRABL OTRAO OTRAZ OTRC OTRD OUALI OVIP OVP OXEC OXEM OZ PA PAARM PAC PACE PAGE PAGR PAHO PAIGH PAK PAL PALESTINIAN PAMQ PAN PANAM PAO PAR PARALYMPIC PARCA PAREL PARK PARLIAMENT PARM PARMS PARN PARP PARR PARTIES PARTM PARTY PAS PASS PATRICK WARREN MAHURIN PATTY PAUL PAUM PB PBGT PBIO PBK PBOV PBPTS PBS PBST PBT PBTS PCI PCON PCOR PCRM PCUL PD PDA PDD PDEM PDIP PDOV PDRG PE PEACE PEACEKEEPINGFORCES PEDRO PEL PELOSI PEMEX PENA PENV PEPFAR PEPR PER PEREZ PERL PERM PERSONS PET PETER PETERS PETR PETRAEUS PETROL PF PFIN PFLP PFOR PFOV PG PGGOC PGIC PGIV PGKV PGO PGOC PGOF PGOG PGON PGOR PGOT PGOV PGOVE PGOVQL PGPV PGREL PGREV PGV PH PHALANAGE PHARM PHAS PHEM PHIM PHM PHSA PHU PHUH PHUM PHUMHUPPS PHUN PHUS PHYTRP PI PIA PICES PIF PIN PINB PIND PINER PINF PING PINL PINO PINOCHET PINR PINS PINT PINV PIR PIRF PIRN PJUS PK PKAO PKBL PKFK PKISL PKK PKMN PKNP PKO PKPA PKPAL PKPO PKPRP PKST PL PLAB PLAN PLEC PLN PLO PLUM PM PMAR PMAT PMDL PMIG PMIL PMIN PMR PMUC PN PNAT PNET PNG PNIR PNNL PNR PNRG PNS PNUC PNUK PNUM PO PODC POG POGV POINS POL POLG POLI POLICY POLINT POLITICAL POLITICS POLM POLMIL POLS POLUN POREL PORG POSTS POTUS POUS POV POWELL PP PPA PPAO PPD PPEF PPEL PPKO PPOL PQL PQM PRC PRE PREC PRED PREF PREG PREJ PREK PREL PRELEVU PRELM PRELPLS PRELTBIOBA PREM PREO PREP PRER PRES PRESIDENT PRESL PREV PREZ PRF PRFE PRFL PRGO PRGOV PRIL PRIVATIZATION PRL PRLE PRM PRO PROB PROCESS PROG PROL PROLIFERATION PROP PROPERTY PROTECTION PROTESTS PROV PROVE PRT PRTER PRWL PS PSA PSCE PSEC PSEPC PSHA PSI PSNR PSO PSOC PSOCI PSOE PT PTBS PTE PTEL PTEP PTER PTGOV PTIA PTR PTRD PU PUAS PUBLIC PUNE PUNR PUOS PV PVIP PVOV PVPR PVTS PWBG PWMN PY QA QADRI QEL QI QIZ QM QT QU QUAN QUOC RA RAED RAFAEL RAID RAMON RAMONTEIJELO RAS RATIFICATION RAY GUEVARA MILTON RBI RCA RCMP RE REA REACTION REALTIONS RECIN REF REFORM REFPAN REFUGEE REFUGEES REGION REGIONAL REID REIN REINEMEYER REL RELAM RELATIONS RELFREE RELIGIOUS REMON RENAMO RENE PREVAL REO REPORT REUBEN RF RFE RFIN RFREEDOM RGOV RGY RHUM RI RICE RICHARD RIGHTS RIGHTSPOLMIL RIMC RIVERA RL RLA RM RMA RO ROBERT ROBERT JOSEPH RODHAM RODRIGUEZ ROK ROME ROOD ROSS ROW ROY RP RPEL RPTS RQ RR RRB RREL RS RSO RSOX RSP RSZ RTT RU RUEHZO RV RW RWANDA SA SAAD SAARC SABAH SACU SADC SAFE SAIR SAIS SALOPEK SAMA SAN SANC SANR SAO SARB SARGSIAN SARS SASC SASEC SASIAIN SB SBA SC SCA SCCC SCE SCENESETTER SCHUL SCI SCIENCE SCNV SCOI SCOL SCOM SCPR SCRM SCRS SCRSERD SCUL SCVL SD SE SEC SECDEF SECI SECRET SECRETARY SECSTATE SECTOR SECURITY SEMAAN GABY EID SEN SENC SENG SENS SENU SENV SENVQGR SENVSPL SENVSXE SEP SERBIA SERZH SETTLEMENTS SEVN SEXP SF SFNV SG SGNV SGWI SH SHANNON SHI SHUM SI SILVASANDE SIMS SIPDI SIPDIS SIPR SIPRNET SIPRS SIUK SK SKCA SKEP SKI SKSAF SL SLM SLOVAK SM SMAR SMI SMIG SMIL SMIT SMITH SMRT SN SNA SNAP SNAR SNUC SO SOC SOCI SOCIA SOCIETY SOCIO SOCIS SOCISZX SOCR SOCY SOE SOFA SOI SOIC SOLI SOLIC SOM SOMALIA SOPN SORT SOSI SOVIET SOWGC SP SPAS SPC SPCE SPCVIS SPECI SPECIALIST SPILL SPP SPSTATE SR SREF SRIT SRS SRYI SSA SSH ST STAG START STATE STC STEINBERG STEPHEN HADLEY STET STP STR STUDENT SU SUCCESSION SUFFRAGE SULLIVAN SUMMIT SUR SUSAN SV SW SWHO SWMN SX SXG SY SYAI SYMBOL SYR SYRIA SYSI SYTH SZ TA TAGS TALAL TAUSCHER TAX TB TBI TBID TBIO TBIOZK TBKIO TBO TC TCOR TCSENV TD TDA TE TECH TECHNOLOGY TER TERAA TERFIN TERR TERROR TERRORISM TF TFIN TG TGRY TH THANH THE THERESE THIRDTERM THKSJA THOMAS THOMAS THOMMA THPY TI TIA TIBO TIFA TINT TIO TIP TITI TIUZ TJ TK TL TM TN TNDG TNGD TO TOPEC TORRIJOS TOURISM TP TPHY TPKO TPP TPSA TPSL TR TRAD TRADE TRAFFICKING TRBIO TRBY TRD TREAS TREASURY TREATY TREL TRG TRGV TRGY TRIO TRSY TRT TRV TRY TRYG TRYS TS TSA TSLP TSPA TSPL TSRL TSRY TSY TT TTFN TU TURKEY TV TVBIO TW TWRO TX TY TZ TZBY UA UAE UAID UAM UB UDEM UE UEU UG UGA UK UKR UKRAINE UM UMIK UN UNA UNAF UNAIDS UNAMA UNAMSIL UNAORC UNAUS UNBRO UNC UNCC UNCDF UNCDN UNCHC UNCHR UNCHS UNCITRAL UNCND UNCOPUOS UNCRED UNCRIME UNCSD UNCSW UNCTAD UNDC UNDEF UNDOF UNDP UNECE UNEF UNEP UNESCO UNFA UNFC UNFCYP UNFF UNFICYP UNFIYCP UNFPA UNGA UNGAPL UNGO UNHCR UNHRC UNICEF UNIDCP UNIDO UNIDROIT UNIFEM UNIFIL UNION UNKIK UNM UNMEE UNMIC UNMIK UNMIKI UNMIKV UNMIL UNMIN UNMOVIC UNO UNODC UNOMIG UNOPS UNP UNPAR UNPUOS UNRCCA UNRCR UNREST UNRWA UNSC UNSCAPU UNSCD UNSCE UNSCER UNSCR UNSCS UNSD UNSE UNTAC UNTERR UNTZ UNUS UNVIE UNYI UP UPU UPUO UR US USAID USAU USCC USCG USDA USDELFESTTWO USEU USG USGS USMS USNC USOAS USOP USPS USPTO USSC USTA USTDA USTR USTRD USTRIT USTRPS USTRUWR USUN UUNR UV UX UY UZ VA VANESSA VANG VAT VC VE VELS VEN VENZ VETTING VI VINICIO VIP VIS VISAS VISIT VM VN VO VOA VT VTEG VTFR VTIS VTPREL VTTBIO VTWCAR VXY VY VZ WA WAEMU WAKI WAR WARD WB WBEG WBG WCAR WCI WCL WCO WE WEBG WEBZ WEET WEF WEOG WET WEU WFA WFP WFPAORC WFPO WGC WGG WHA WHITMER WHO WHTI WI WILCOX WILLIAM WIPO WIR WITH WJRO WM WMD WMDT WMN WMO WOMEN WPO WRTO WS WSIS WTO WTRD WTRO WTRQ WW WWARD WWBG WWT WZ XA XAAF XB XC XD XE XF XFNEA XG XH XI XJ XK XL XLUM XM XO XP XQ XR XS XT XTAG XU XV XW XX XXX XY XZ YE YEH YI YL YM YMCS YS YU YURIY ZA ZANU ZB ZC ZCTU ZEALAND ZF ZFR ZH ZI ZIM ZJ ZK ZKGM ZL ZM ZN ZO ZOELLICK ZP ZR ZS ZT ZU ZW ZXA
AA AADP AALC ABDALLAH FETHI ABDULHADI ABDULRAHMEN ABER ABLD ABLDG ABLG ABMC ABT ABUD AC ACABQ ACAO ACBAQ ACCELERATED ACCOUNT ACDA ACEC ACKM ACOA ACOTA ACS ACTION ADANA ADB ADCO ADCP ADEL ADEP ADIP ADM ADMIRAL ADPM ADRC AE AEC AECL AEGR AEIR AEM AEMED AEMR AER AESC AF AFAF AL HOURANI AFARI AFDB AFDIN AFFAIRS AFGHAN AFGHANISTAN AFIN AFL AFLU AFOR AFR AFSA AFSI AFSN AFU AFZAL AG AGAO AGENCIES AGENDA AGENGA AGIT AGMT AGOA AGR AGRI AGRIC AGRICULTURE AGS AGUILAR AGUIRRE AHMED AI AIAG AID AIDAC AIDS AIEA AIHRC AIN AINF AINFCY AINR AINT AISG AIT AJ AK AL ALAB ALAMI ALANAZI ALBE ALEXANDER ALI ALIREZA ALJAZEERA ALL ALNEA ALOUNI ALOW ALOWAR ALVAREZ AM AMAT AMB AMBASSADOR AMCHAM AMCHAMS AMCT AME AMED AMEDI AMEMR AMER AMERICAS AMEX AMG AMGE AMGMT AMGT AMIA AMLB AMPR AMT AMTC AMTG AN ANARCHISTS ANC AND ANDREW LEE WATKINS ANET ANTITERRORISM ANTOINE GHONDA ANTONIO ANTXON AO AOCR AODE AOIC AOMS AOPR AORC AORD AOREC AORG AORL AOWC AP APCS APDC APEC APECO APER APR APRC APRM AQ AR ARAB ARABBL ARABL ARABLEAGUE ARAS ARC ARCH ARENA AREP ARF ARG ARM ARMITAGE ARMS ARNOLD FREDERICK MORRIS AROC ARR ARRMZY ARSO AS ASA ASAC ASC ASCC ASCE ASCEC ASCH ASE ASEAN ASEC ASECARP ASECE ASECM ASECSI ASECVE ASED ASEDC ASEG ASEK ASES ASEX ASFC ASIC ASIG ASIR ASJA ASO ASOC ASPA ASR ASSEMBLY ASSK ASSSEMBLY ASUP AT ATFN ATPDEA ATRA ATRD ATRN AU AU-1 AUC AUNR AUSGR AUSTRALIAGROUP AV AVERY AVIAN AVIANFLU AVIATION AW AX AY AZ AZE B. BA BAGHDAD BAIO BAKOYANNIS BALKANS BAPOL BARACK BASHAR BATA BAYS BB BBG BBSR BC BCW BCXP BD BE BEAN BELLVIEW BEN BERARDUCCI BESP BEXB BEXP BEXPC BEXPPLM BEXT BF BFIF BFIN BFIO BG BGD BGMT BH BHUM BI BIC BIDOON BIH BILAT BIMSTEC BINR BIO BIOS BIOTECH BIOTECHNOLOGY BIT BITO BK BL BLR BLUE BLUNT BM BMENA BMGT BMOT BN BNUC BO BOIKO BOL BOND BOQ BORDER BOSNIA BOU BOUCHAIB KAKA BOUTERSE BP BPIS BPTS BR BRIAN BRITNEY BRITNY BRPA BRUSSELS BS BSSR BT BTA BTC BTIO BTIU BTRA BTT BU BUD BULGARIA BURMA BURNS BUSH BUY AMERICA BV BW BWC BX BXEP BY BZ CA CAC CACM CACS CAFTA CAIO CAJC CAMBODIA CAN CAPC CARC CARE CARIB CARICOM CARSON CAS CASA CASC CASCC CASCR CASE CASTILLO CAVO CB CBC CBD CBE CBG CBIS CBM CBSA CBTH CBW CCSR CCY CD CDB CDC CDCC CDCE CDG CDI CE CEA CEC CEDAW CEN CENSUS CENTCOM CENTRIC CEUDA CF CFE CFED CFG CFIS CFSP CG CGEN CGOPRC CH CHAD CHALLENGE CHAO CHAVEZ CHELIDZE CHENEY CHERTOFF CHG CHIEF CHN CHR CHR-1 CHRISTIAN CHRISTOF CHRISTOPHER CI CIA CIAT CIC CICTE CIDA CIO CIP CIS CITEL CITES CITIBANK CITT CIVAIR CIVS CJ CJAN CJUS CK CKGR CKOR CL CLEARANCE CLINTON CLMT CLO CLOK CM CMAE CMFT CMGT CMP CMT CN CNAR CNARC CNC CNO CO CODEL COE COL COLIN COLLECTIVE COLOMBO COM COMESA COMMERCE CON CONAWAY CONDOLEEZZA CONDOLEEZZA RICE CONEAZ CONG CONGO CONGRINT CONS CONSULAR CONTROL CONTROLS CORRUPTION COSI COUNTER COUNTER TERRORISM COUNTERTERRORISM COUNTRY COUNTRYCLEARANCE CP CPA CPAS CPC CPCTC CPPT CPUOS CQ CR CRIM CRIME CRIMES CRISTINA CRM CROATIA CROS CRS CRUZ CS CSCE CSEP CSIS CSW CT CTBT CTER CTERR CTM CTR CTRYCLR CU CUCO CUIS CUL CUSTODIO CV CVIA CVIC CVIS CVISU CVPR CVR CW CWC CWCM CWG CX CY CYNTHIA CYP CYPRUSARMS CZ DA DAC DAFR DAN DANFUNG DANIEL DAO DARFR DARFUR DAVID DAVID LEE HOWES DAVID WELCH DAVID WILLIAM RAY DB DC DCDG DCG DCHA DCI DCM DCOM DCRM DE DEA DEAX DEFENSE DEFENSEREFORM DELTAVIOLENCE DEM DEMARCHE DEMARCHES DEMETRIOS DEMOCRATIC DENNIS DEOC DEPORTATION DEPT DEPT FOR DS COMMAND CENTER DESI DHA DHLAKAMA DHLS DHRF DHS DHSX DIEZ DIPLOMACY DISENGAGEMENT DJ DK DKEM DMIN DMINE DO DOC DOD DOE DOJ DOMC DOMESTIC DOMESTICPOLITICS DONALD RUMSFELD DOT DPAO DPKO DPM DPOL DPRK DR DRC DRIP DRL DS DSR DSS DTFN DTRA DTRO DU DUNCAN CAMERON DVC DY EAC EAD EADI EADM EAG EAGER EAGR EAI EAIC EAID EAIDB EAIDCIN EAIDEGZ EAIDMG EAIDNI EAIF EAIG EAIO EAIR EAIS EAIT EAOD EAP EAPC EAR EARI EASS EATO EAUD EAVI EB EBEXP EBRD EBUD EC ECA ECCP ECCT ECE ECHEVARRIA ECIN ECIP ECLAC ECN ECOIN ECOM ECON ECONCS ECONEGE ECONOMIC ECONOMICS ECONOMY ECONOMY AND FINANCE ECOR ECOS ECOSOC ECOWAS ECPC ECPN ECPO ECPS ECPSN ECRM ECTRD ECUN ED EDA EDEV EDRC EDU EDUARDO EDUC EE EEB EEC EENG EENV EEOC EET EETC EFI EFIC EFIM EFIN EFIS EFLU EFN EFND EFNI EFQ EFTA EG EGAD EGAR EGEN EGHG EGOV EGOVSY EH EI EIAD EIAID EIAR EIB EICN EID EIDE EIDN EIFN EIN EIND EINDIR EINF EING EINN EINO EINR EINT EINV EINZ EIPR EIQ EISL EISNLN EITC EITI EIVN EK EL ELA ELAB ELAD ELAINE ELAM ELAN ELAP ELB ELBA ELBR ELEC ELECTIONS ELF ELIN ELN ELND ELNT ELTD ELTM ELTN ELTRN EMAIL EMED EMI EMIN EMN EMS EMW EN END ENDURING ENEG ENER ENERG ENERGY ENFR ENG ENGR ENGRD ENGRG ENGY ENIV ENLT ENNP ENR ENRC ENRG ENRL ENTG ENV ENVI ENVIRONMENT ENVR ENVT EON EOXC EP EPA EPAT EPCS EPE EPEC EPECO EPET EPIN EPIT EPPD EPRT EPSC EPTE EPTED EPWR EQ EQRD ER ERA ERD EREL ERGR ERICKSON ERIN ERTD ES ESA ESCAP ESCI ESDP ESENV ESF ESLCO ESOC ESOCI ESPS ESS ESSO ESTH ESTN ESTRADA ET ETA ETAD ETC ETCC ETD ETDR ETEL ETER ETEX ETFN ETIC ETIO ETLN ETMIN ETR ETRA ETRAD ETRB ETRC ETRD ETRDECD ETRG ETRK ETRN ETRO ETRP ETT ETTC ETTD ETTF ETTN ETTR ETTRD ETTW ETZ EU EUC EUCOM EUE EUEAID EUFOR EUM EUMEM EUN EUR EUREM EURM EURN EV EVENTS EVN EWRG EWT EWTR EWWT EX EXBS EXEC EXIM EXO EXPORT EXTERNAL EZ FA FAA FAC FAGR FAO FARC FARM FAS FATAH FBI FCC FCS FCSC FCSCEG FCUL FDA FDIC FEDULOV FEMA FERNANDO FGM FI FIGUEROA FIN FINANCE FINE FINR FINREF FINV FIR FISO FJ FK FKFLO FKLU FLU FM FMC FMGT FMLN FMS FO FOI FOOKS FOR FORCE FORCES FOREIGN FORWHA FP FPC FR FRA FRANCIS FRANCISCO RODENAS RUIZ FRANCISCO VILLA URBALEJO FRAZER FRB FREDOM FREEDOM FRELIMO FRIED FRN FRU FSC FSI FT FTA FTAA FWS GA GAERC GAMES GANGS GAO GARCIA GASPAR GATES GATT GAZA GAZPROM GB GBSLE GC GCC GCCC GE GEF GEORGE GERARD GESKE GF GG GH GI GIPNC GIWI GJ GKGIC GL GLOBAL GM GN GO GOG GOI GOMEZ GON GOVPOI GPGOV GPI GPOI GPOV GR GREGG RENE WALTER GRQ GS GT GTIP GTMO GTREFTEL GU GUAM GUANTANAMO GUIDANCE GUILLERMO GUTIERREZ GV GWI GY GZ GZIS HA HAMID KARZAI HARRIET HARRY HAWZ HCOPIL HDP HE HEAVEN HEBRON HECTOR HELGERSON HERCEGOVINA HG HHS HI HIGHLIGHTS HIJAZI HILARY HILLARY HILLEN HIPC HIV HIZ HK HKSX HL HLSX HN HNCHR HO HOA HOSTAGES HPKO HR HRC HRCS HRICTY HRIGHTS HRKSTC HSI HSTC HSWG HT HTCG HTSC HU HUD HUM HUMAN HUMANITARIAN HUMANR HUMANRIGHTS HUMOR HUMRIT HUNRC HURI HURRICANE HYDE HYLAND HYMPSK HZ IA IACHR IACI IACO IACW IADB IAEA IAES IAHRC IAIE IAII IASA IATTC IAZ IBB IBD IBET IBPCA IBRB IBRD IC ICAC ICAO ICC ICCAT ICCROM ICES ICJ ICRC ICRS ICSCA ICTR ICTY ID IDA IDB IDLI IDLO IDP IDR IE IEA IEAB IEF IF IFAD IFC IFIN IFM IFO IFR IFRC IG IGAD IGF IHO IICA IINS IIP IK IL ILAB ILC ILEA ILO IMC IMET IMF IMMIGRATION IMO IMSO IMTS IN INAUGURATION INCB IND INDO INF INFLUENZA INL INMARSAT INNP INPFC INR INRA INRB INRD INRO INRPAZ INS INSC INT INTEL INTELLECTUAL INTELSAT INTERNAL INTERPOL INV INVI IO IOC IOM IP IPET IPGRI IPK IPPC IPR IPROP IQ IQNV IR IRAN IRAQ IRAQI IRAQI FREEDOM IRC IRCE IRDB IRE IRL IRLE IRM IRMO IRNB IRPE IRQEGION IRS IS ISA ISAAC ISAF ISCA ISCON ISLAMISTS ISLE ISN ISNV ISO ISPA ISPL ISRAEL ISRAEL RELATIONS ISRAELI ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ISSUES ISTC IT ITA ITALIAN ITALY ITECIP ITEIND ITELTN ITER ITF ITIA ITRA ITRD ITU IUCN IV IVIANNA IWC IWI IX IZ IZAORC JA JABER JAM JAMES JAPAN JAT JAWAD JCIC JE JEAN-PIERRE BEMBA JEFFERY JEFFREY JENDAYI JHR JI JIMENEZ JIMENEZ CHILDREN JK JKUS JM JN JO JOHANNS JOHN JOHN BOEHNER JOHNNIE JONATHAN CHAMAN JOSE ANGEL ALZUGUREN PERURENA JOSE NEY MILA ESPINOSA JOSE RAMOS HORTA JOSEPH BIDEN JP JS JSRP JUAN JULIAN RENE KIRCHOFF JUS JY KA KACP KACT KACW KADM KAID KALM KALR KANSOU KAPO KARIM WADE KATRINA KAUST KAWC KAWK KAWL KAWS KAWX KAYLA KBCT KBDS KBEM KBIO KBNC KBTC KBTR KBTS KBWG KCCP KCEM KCERS KCFC KCFE KCGC KCHG KCIP KCIS KCM KCMA KCMR KCOG KCOM KCOR KCPS KCRCM KCRI KCRIM KCRM KCRN KCRO KCROM KCROR KCRP KCRS KCRT KCSA KCSI KCSY KCUL KCUM KCVM KCWI KDCM KDDEM KDDG KDE KDEM KDEN KDET KDEV KDGOV KDGR KDHS KDM KDMR KDP KDRG KDRL KDTB KDUM KE KEAI KEANE KEBG KECF KEDEM KEDM KEDU KEIM KEM KEMPI KEMR KEMS KEN KENV KERF KERG KESO KESP KESS KEVIN KFAM KFCE KFE KFEM KFGM KFIN KFIU KFLD KFLO KFLU KFOR KFPC KFRD KFRP KFSC KFTFN KFTN KG KGCC KGCN KGHA KGHG KGIC KGICKS KGIT KGIV KGKG KGLB KGOR KGOV KH KHDP KHGH KHIB KHIV KHJUS KHLS KHMN KHOURY KHPD KHSA KHSL KHUM KI KIBL KICA KICC KICCPUR KICR KICT KID KIDE KIF KIFR KIIC KIIP KIL KILS KIMMITT KIMT KIND KINF KINL KINP KINR KINT KIPR KIPT KIRC KIRD KIRF KIRL KIRP KIS KISC KISK KISL KISM KISR KITA KIVP KIVR KJAN KJRE KJU KJUS KJUST KJWC KK KKIV KKNP KKOR KKPO KLAB KLAP KLBO KLEG KLFLO KLFU KLHS KLIG KLIP KLPM KLSO KLTN KM KMAC KMAR KMCA KMCC KMCR KMDR KMEPI KMFO KMGT KMIG KMNP KMOC KMPF KMPI KMPIO KMPL KMPP KMPT KMRD KMRS KMSG KMVP KMWN KN KNAO KNAP KNAR KNDP KNEI KNEP KNET KNMP KNN KNNA KNNB KNNC KNNF KNNO KNNP KNNR KNOP KNP KNPP KNPPIS KNPR KNPT KNRG KNRV KNSD KNUC KNUP KO KOC KOCI KOCM KOEM KOGL KOLY KOM KOMC KOMCCO KOMCSG KOMH KOMO KOMS KOR KOSOVO KOUYATE KPA KPAD KPAI KPAK KPAL KPALAOIS KPAM KPAO KPAS KPBT KPDD KPEM KPEO KPER KPET KPIN KPIR KPKO KPKP KPLS KPMI KPMO KPO KPOA KPOKO KPOL KPOP KPOV KPOW KPPAO KPPD KPRD KPRM KPRO KPROG KPRP KPRV KPSC KPTD KPTS KPWG KPWR KQ KQM KQRDQ KR KRAD KRAL KRCIM KRCM KRCS KRD KRDP KREC KREF KREISLER KREL KRF KRFD KRFR KRG KRGY KRIC KRIF KRIM KRKO KRM KRMS KRV KRVC KS KSA KSAC KSAF KSCA KSCI KSCS KSCT KSEAO KSEC KSEI KSEO KSEP KSI KSIA KSKN KSLG KSMT KSOC KSOCI KSPA KSPR KSRE KSTC KSTCC KSTCPL KSTH KSTS KSTT KSUM KSUP KT KTAO KTBD KTBT KTCRE KTDB KTDD KTDM KTER KTEX KTFIN KTFM KTFN KTFR KTFS KTIA KTIP KTLA KTNBT KTNF KTPN KTRD KTRF KTSC KTSD KTTB KTTC KTTP KU KUAE KUIR KUM KUNA KUNC KUNH KUNP KUNR KUS KUWAIT KV KVBL KVIP KVIR KVIS KVPR KVRC KVRP KW KWAC KWAK KWAWC KWBC KWBG KWBW KWCI KWCR KWGB KWHG KWIC KWIM KWIR KWKN KWM KWMJN KWMM KWMN KWN KWNM KWNN KWOMN KWPA KWPB KWPG KWPR KWRC KWRF KWRG KWUN KWWT KWWW KX KY KZ LA LAB LABOR LANSANA LANTERN LARREA LARS LAS LAURA LAVIN LAW LB LBAR LBY LE LEAGUE LEB LEBIK LEGAT LEGATT LEIS LEON LEVINE LEW LG LGAT LH LI LIB LICC LIMA LINE LK LMS LN LO LOG LOPEZ LORAN LOTT LOVE LR LS LT LTG LTTE LU LV LVPR LY LZ MA MAAR MACEDONIA MACP MANUEL MANUEL SERGIO GONZALEZ MAP MAPP MAPS MAR MARAD MARANTIS MARIA MARIE MARINO MARITIME MARK MARQUEZ MARR MARS MARTIN MARV MAS MASC MASS MATT MAYA MB MBM MC MCA MCAP MCAPARR MCAPN MCAPP MCAPS MCAT MCC MCCAIN MCCONNELL MCCP MCGRAW MCRM MCTRE MD MDA MDC MDO ME MEA MED MEDIA MEETINGS MENDIETA MEP MEPI MEPN MEPP MERCOSUR MESUR MEX MF MFA MFO MG MGL MGMT MGOV MGT MGTA MH MHUC MI MIAH MIC MICHAEL MICHEL MIGUEL FELIPE CANAHUATI YACAMAN MIGUEL VARGAS MALDONADO MIK MIKE MIL MILI MILITANTS MILITARY MILLENNIUM MINURSO MINUSTAH MITCHELL MJ MK ML MLS MMAR MMED MN MNLF MNNC MNNUC MNU MNUC MNUCH MNUCWA MNUM MNUN MNUR MNUS MNVC MO MOHAMAD MOHAMED HESHAM ELDIN YOUSSEF MOHAMMAD MOLINA MONTENEGRO MONUC MONY MOOPS MOP MOPP MOPPS MOPS MORALES MORG MOROCCO MORS MOS MOTO MOTT MP MPOL MPOS MPP MPS MQADHAFI MR MRCRE MRRR MRS MRSEC MS MSG MSIG MT MTAA MTAG MTCAE MTCR MTCRA MTCRE MTRCE MTRE MTRRE MTS MU MUC MUCN MUKASEY MULLEN MUNC MURAD MURRAY MV MW MX MY MZ NA NAC NACB NADIA NAFTA NAM NAMSA NANCY NAR NARC NARCOTICS NARR NAS NASA NAT NATEU NATGAS NATIONAL NATO NATOAFGHAN NATOBALKANS NATOIRAQ NATOOPS NATOPOLICY NATSIOS NAVO NB NBTS NBU NC NCCC NCD NCT NCTC NDI NDP NE NEA NEC NEGROPONTE NEI NELSON NEPAD NERG NET NEW NFATC NFMS NFSO NG NGO NGUYEN NH NI NICHOLAS NICOLE NIH NIPP NK NKWG NL NLD NLIAEA NLO NMFS NMNUC NMUC NNPT NO NOAA NOI NOK NON NONE NORAD NOTAG NOVO NP NPA NPG NPT NR NRC NRG NRR NRRC NS NSC NSF NSFO NSG NSSP NT NTDB NTSB NTTC NU NUC NUIN NV NW NZ NZUS OA OAO OARC OAS OASC OASCC OASS OAU OBAMA OBS OBSP OCBD OCEA OCED OCHA OCII OCRA OCS OCSE ODAG ODC ODIP ODPC OECD OECS OECV OES OESC OEXC OEXP OF OFDA OFDC OFDP OFDPQIS OFFICIALS OFPD OFSO OGAC OGIV OHCHR OHI OHIP OI OIC OICCO OIE OIF OIG OIIP OIL OIM OLY OLYAIR OLYMPICS OM OMAR OMB OMIG OMS ON ONA OPAD OPBAT OPC OPCD OPCR OPCW OPDAT OPDC OPDP OPEC OPET OPIC OPID OPOC OPPC OPRC OPREC OPREP OPS OPSC OPVIP ORA ORC ORCA ORECD ORED OREG OREP ORGANIZED ORP ORTA ORUE OSAC OSCE OSCI OSD OSEC OSHA OSIC OSTA OSTRA OTA OTAR OTHER OTHERSASNEEDED OTP OTR OTRA OTRABL OTRAO OTRAZ OTRC OTRD OUALI OVIP OVP OXEC OXEM OZ PA PAARM PAC PACE PAGE PAGR PAHO PAIGH PAK PAL PALESTINIAN PAMQ PAN PANAM PAO PAR PARALYMPIC PARCA PAREL PARK PARLIAMENT PARM PARMS PARN PARP PARR PARTIES PARTM PARTY PAS PASS PATRICK WARREN MAHURIN PATTY PAUL PAUM PB PBGT PBIO PBK PBOV PBPTS PBS PBST PBT PBTS PCI PCON PCOR PCRM PCUL PD PDA PDD PDEM PDIP PDOV PDRG PE PEACE PEACEKEEPINGFORCES PEDRO PEL PELOSI PEMEX PENA PENV PEPFAR PEPR PER PEREZ PERL PERM PERSONS PET PETER PETERS PETR PETRAEUS PETROL PF PFIN PFLP PFOR PFOV PG PGGOC PGIC PGIV PGKV PGO PGOC PGOF PGOG PGON PGOR PGOT PGOV PGOVE PGOVQL PGPV PGREL PGREV PGV PH PHALANAGE PHARM PHAS PHEM PHIM PHM PHSA PHU PHUH PHUM PHUMHUPPS PHUN PHUS PHYTRP PI PIA PICES PIF PIN PINB PIND PINER PINF PING PINL PINO PINOCHET PINR PINS PINT PINV PIR PIRF PIRN PJUS PK PKAO PKBL PKFK PKISL PKK PKMN PKNP PKO PKPA PKPAL PKPO PKPRP PKST PL PLAB PLAN PLEC PLN PLO PLUM PM PMAR PMAT PMDL PMIG PMIL PMIN PMR PMUC PN PNAT PNET PNG PNIR PNNL PNR PNRG PNS PNUC PNUK PNUM PO PODC POG POGV POINS POL POLG POLI POLICY POLINT POLITICAL POLITICS POLM POLMIL POLS POLUN POREL PORG POSTS POTUS POUS POV POWELL PP PPA PPAO PPD PPEF PPEL PPKO PPOL PQL PQM PRC PRE PREC PRED PREF PREG PREJ PREK PREL PRELEVU PRELM PRELPLS PRELTBIOBA PREM PREO PREP PRER PRES PRESIDENT PRESL PREV PREZ PRF PRFE PRFL PRGO PRGOV PRIL PRIVATIZATION PRL PRLE PRM PRO PROB PROCESS PROG PROL PROLIFERATION PROP PROPERTY PROTECTION PROTESTS PROV PROVE PRT PRTER PRWL PS PSA PSCE PSEC PSEPC PSHA PSI PSNR PSO PSOC PSOCI PSOE PT PTBS PTE PTEL PTEP PTER PTGOV PTIA PTR PTRD PU PUAS PUBLIC PUNE PUNR PUOS PV PVIP PVOV PVPR PVTS PWBG PWMN PY QA QADRI QEL QI QIZ QM QT QU QUAN QUOC RA RAED RAFAEL RAID RAMON RAMONTEIJELO RAS RATIFICATION RAY GUEVARA MILTON RBI RCA RCMP RE REA REACTION REALTIONS RECIN REF REFORM REFPAN REFUGEE REFUGEES REGION REGIONAL REID REIN REINEMEYER REL RELAM RELATIONS RELFREE RELIGIOUS REMON RENAMO RENE PREVAL REO REPORT REUBEN RF RFE RFIN RFREEDOM RGOV RGY RHUM RI RICE RICHARD RIGHTS RIGHTSPOLMIL RIMC RIVERA RL RLA RM RMA RO ROBERT ROBERT JOSEPH RODHAM RODRIGUEZ ROK ROME ROOD ROSS ROW ROY RP RPEL RPTS RQ RR RRB RREL RS RSO RSOX RSP RSZ RTT RU RUEHZO RV RW RWANDA SA SAAD SAARC SABAH SACU SADC SAFE SAIR SAIS SALOPEK SAMA SAN SANC SANR SAO SARB SARGSIAN SARS SASC SASEC SASIAIN SB SBA SC SCA SCCC SCE SCENESETTER SCHUL SCI SCIENCE SCNV SCOI SCOL SCOM SCPR SCRM SCRS SCRSERD SCUL SCVL SD SE SEC SECDEF SECI SECRET SECRETARY SECSTATE SECTOR SECURITY SEMAAN GABY EID SEN SENC SENG SENS SENU SENV SENVQGR SENVSPL SENVSXE SEP SERBIA SERZH SETTLEMENTS SEVN SEXP SF SFNV SG SGNV SGWI SH SHANNON SHI SHUM SI SILVASANDE SIMS SIPDI SIPDIS SIPR SIPRNET SIPRS SIUK SK SKCA SKEP SKI SKSAF SL SLM SLOVAK SM SMAR SMI SMIG SMIL SMIT SMITH SMRT SN SNA SNAP SNAR SNUC SO SOC SOCI SOCIA SOCIETY SOCIO SOCIS SOCISZX SOCR SOCY SOE SOFA SOI SOIC SOLI SOLIC SOM SOMALIA SOPN SORT SOSI SOVIET SOWGC SP SPAS SPC SPCE SPCVIS SPECI SPECIALIST SPILL SPP SPSTATE SR SREF SRIT SRS SRYI SSA SSH ST STAG START STATE STC STEINBERG STEPHEN HADLEY STET STP STR STUDENT SU SUCCESSION SUFFRAGE SULLIVAN SUMMIT SUR SUSAN SV SW SWHO SWMN SX SXG SY SYAI SYMBOL SYR SYRIA SYSI SYTH SZ TA TAGS TALAL TAUSCHER TAX TB TBI TBID TBIO TBIOZK TBKIO TBO TC TCOR TCSENV TD TDA TE TECH TECHNOLOGY TER TERAA TERFIN TERR TERROR TERRORISM TF TFIN TG TGRY TH THANH THE THERESE THIRDTERM THKSJA THOMAS THOMAS THOMMA THPY TI TIA TIBO TIFA TINT TIO TIP TITI TIUZ TJ TK TL TM TN TNDG TNGD TO TOPEC TORRIJOS TOURISM TP TPHY TPKO TPP TPSA TPSL TR TRAD TRADE TRAFFICKING TRBIO TRBY TRD TREAS TREASURY TREATY TREL TRG TRGV TRGY TRIO TRSY TRT TRV TRY TRYG TRYS TS TSA TSLP TSPA TSPL TSRL TSRY TSY TT TTFN TU TURKEY TV TVBIO TW TWRO TX TY TZ TZBY UA UAE UAID UAM UB UDEM UE UEU UG UGA UK UKR UKRAINE UM UMIK UN UNA UNAF UNAIDS UNAMA UNAMSIL UNAORC UNAUS UNBRO UNC UNCC UNCDF UNCDN UNCHC UNCHR UNCHS UNCITRAL UNCND UNCOPUOS UNCRED UNCRIME UNCSD UNCSW UNCTAD UNDC UNDEF UNDOF UNDP UNECE UNEF UNEP UNESCO UNFA UNFC UNFCYP UNFF UNFICYP UNFIYCP UNFPA UNGA UNGAPL UNGO UNHCR UNHRC UNICEF UNIDCP UNIDO UNIDROIT UNIFEM UNIFIL UNION UNKIK UNM UNMEE UNMIC UNMIK UNMIKI UNMIKV UNMIL UNMIN UNMOVIC UNO UNODC UNOMIG UNOPS UNP UNPAR UNPUOS UNRCCA UNRCR UNREST UNRWA UNSC UNSCAPU UNSCD UNSCE UNSCER UNSCR UNSCS UNSD UNSE UNTAC UNTERR UNTZ UNUS UNVIE UNYI UP UPU UPUO UR US USAID USAU USCC USCG USDA USDELFESTTWO USEU USG USGS USMS USNC USOAS USOP USPS USPTO USSC USTA USTDA USTR USTRD USTRIT USTRPS 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Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
08CARACAS267 | GOVERNMENT MAY MAKE 400 INELIGIBLE FOR ELECTIONS [...] (C) Summary. The Venezuelan Comptroller's Office provided the National Electoral Commission (CNE) February 25 with a list of 400 Venezuelans that it has sanctioned and believes to be ineligible to run for elected office. There is a disagreement within the CNE whether these persons are automa [...] | 2008-02-28 19:01:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM VE |
08CARACAS273 | CHAVISTAS TAKE OVER CARACAS ARCHBISHOP'S RESIDENCE [...] (C) Summary. Hard-line Chavistas temporarily occupied the Archbishop's Residence in Caracas on February 27. They held a press conference on the premises to denounce Catholic Church leaders and the Papal Nuncio for hindering the revolution as well as to express support for the deceased bomber [...] | 2008-02-28 22:13:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KREL PHUM VE |
08CARACAS278 | (SBU) REQUEST FOR SPANISH TEST FOR VIRGINIA M. [...] (U) Post requests a FSI Language Proficiency test(test type-DVC). 2. (SBU) Information on employee to be tested: Employee: Virginia M. Gregory SSN: XXX-XX-6451 Agency: State Language: Spanish Date for exam preferred: April 11, 2008. PLO: Stephen Bruce Stewart 3. (U) Method of s [...] | 2008-02-29 20:45:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AFSI APER |
08CARACAS283 | RAUL REYES DEATH: CONFLICT DOES NOT APPEAR [...] (S/NF) Summary: Notwithstanding President Chavez' order that ten battalions be dispatched to the Colombian border in the wake of the March 1 killing of FARC's second-in command Raul Reyes, DAO reports only a minor increase in activity at two relevant BRV bases in two states west of Caracas and [...] | 2008-03-03 19:23:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET//NOFORN | PREL MOPS PGOV PTER MCAP CO VE |
08CARACAS284 | FOREIGN MINISTRY: CHANGES AND VACANCIES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: THE VENEZUELAN MINISTRY OF PEOPLE'S POWER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) HAS GONE THROUGH SIGNIFICANT PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES IN RECENT MONTHS WITH FOUR OUT OF THE FIVE VICE-MINISTERS EITHER RESIGNING OR BEING RE-ASSIGNED. PRESIDENT CHAVEZ ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 19 THAT F [...] | 2008-03-03 19:30:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV VE |
08CARACAS286 | CHAVEZ PUTS FINISHING TOUCHES ON HIS PSUV PARTY [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez presided over the final session of the founding congress of his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) March 2 in Maracaibo. Over 1600 PSUV party delegates elected Chavez party president the week before. In Maracaibo, Chavez announced the names of 69 PSUV m [...] | 2008-03-03 22:15:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM VE |
08CARACAS288 | VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION PARTIES UNITE TO CONDEMN [...] (SBU) Summary: Within hours of President Hugo Chavez' March 2 order to mobilize the Venezuelan National Armed Forces against a "Colombian invasion," Venezuelan opposition members were responding to the belligerent rhetoric with equally breathless criticism. Beneath a banner reading "United [...] | 2008-03-04 14:57:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PGOV PREL VE CO |
08CARACAS293 | MINIMAL BRV ARMED FORCES RESPONSE TO DEPLOYMENT [...] (S) SUMMARY: Nearly 48 hours after Chavez ordered ten battalions to the Colombian border, there has been only small scale movements of troops or equipment from major combat units. Less than 12 light tanks or armored fighting vehicles have been seen preparing for movement at Carora in the wes [...] | 2008-03-04 19:06:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET//NOFORN | MCAP MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL VE CO |
08CARACAS301 | CHAVEZ INSULATES VENEZUELAN ARMED FORCES FROM [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Venezuelan Army withdrew from hosting the 28th Conference of the Armies of the Americas (CAA) and declined its turn to serve as president of the organization on February 18, less than four weeks before the scheduled transfer ceremony. This is the fourth military conference i [...] | 2008-03-04 22:01:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS302 | BADUEL CRITICIZES MOBILIZATION [...] (SBU) In a March 4 press conference Former Minister of Defense Raul Baduel joined the Venezuelan opposition parties (Reftel) in criticizing President Chavez's March 2 order to mobilize Venezuelan National Armed Forces (FAN) to the Colombian border. Baduel qualified Venezuela's actions as disp [...] | 2008-03-04 22:02:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM MOPS VE |
08CARACAS304 | DEMARCHE ON UN SECURITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTION OF [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-05 19:27:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV VE |
08CARACAS313 | INFLATION STARTING TO TAKE ITS TOLL ON VENEZUELA'S [...] (C) Summary: Inflation, including the repressed inflation reflected in rolling shortages of price-controlled goods, is quickly becoming a stone around the neck of the BRV's economic management team. While most independent and opposition-aligned economic analysts agree that the primary cause [...] | 2008-03-06 16:07:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV VE |
08CARACAS319 | BRV DEPLOYMENT CONTINUES TO CREEP FORWARD [...] (S) SUMMARY: The deployment of Venezuelan troops to the areas near the border of Colombia continues with some movement being reported in local press at Fuerte Paramaracay in Valencia and Fuerte Mara in the border state of Zulia. This included, for the first time, reports of helicopter movement [...] | 2008-03-06 22:12:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET | MCAP MOPS PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS320 | 2008 DEMARCHE FOR THE MAJORS LIST REPORT TO THE [...] (C) POLCOUNS met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for North American and Multilateral Affairs, Yaneth Arocha on March 5 to encourage counternarcotics cooperation and to deliver the points in Ref A, among other matters. The Embassy had been trying unsuccessfully to deliver the demarch [...] | 2008-03-06 22:24:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS325 | CHAVEZ AND CORREA [...] (C) SUMMARY: Presidents Hugo Chavez and Rafael Correa held a joint press conference to condemn Colombia's incursion into Ecuador and heap scorn on a wide range of people and issues. Chavez challenged Uribe to face the International Criminal Court alongside him and threatened to nationalize C [...] | 2008-03-07 18:16:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL EC VE |
08CARACAS326 | NO NEW TROOP MOVEMENTS REPORTED [...] (S) No additional troop movements have been reported in the March 7 open press. Considering the distances from major bases such as Fuerte Paramaracay in Valencia and Carora barracks in Lara state, it is reasonable to assume that elements of the 41st Armored Brigade, such as the 413th "Pedro [...] | 2008-03-07 21:26:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET | MCAP MOPS PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS327 | A GLIMPSE INTO FRACTURES WITHIN CHAVISMO? [...] (C) Summary. In February President Chavez removed the Director of the Venezuelan tax and customs service (SENIAT) Jose Gregorio Vielma Mora and replaced him with Infrastructure Minister Jose David Cabello. Vielma Mora was widely regarded within Venezuela as an efficient administrator, who by [...] | 2008-03-07 21:56:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS328 | PEACE MARCHES OVERSHADOWED BY PRO-CHAVEZ GROUPS [...] (C) Summary. Both pro-Chavez and civil society groups organized marches March 6 in 12 states in Venezuela to register their opinions on Venezuela-Colombian tensions. The pro-Chavez groups vandalized several Colombian consulates and harassed consulate workers. In contrast, civil society group [...] | 2008-03-07 22:31:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KDEM ASEC VE |
08CARACAS329 | FOOD EXPORTS AND IMPORTS FURTHER THREATENED BY [...] (C) Summary: Recent BRV actions have complicated the situation for both food exporters and importers. To the great concern of exporters, on February 22 the BRV announced that it would add 77 food products to the list of Venezuelan goods requiring certificates of local sufficiency prior to per [...] | 2008-03-07 22:34:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS33 | STUDENT MOVEMENT FOCUSING ON 2008 LOCAL ELECTIONS [...] (C) Summary. Prominent Venezuelan student leader Yon Goicochea told Emboffs January 8 that the opposition student movement plans to focus on state and municipal elections that will be held by November 2008. The student movement intends to press opposition parties to name consensus candidates [...] | 2008-01-10 19:24:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL VE |
08CARACAS332 | ITALIAN AMBASSADOR ON MADURO, CHAVEZ MEETINGS WITH [...] (C) SUMMARY. The Italian Ambassador to Venezuela Luigi Maccotta briefed the Ambassador March 6 on the Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema's February 29 visit to Venezuela. The visit comes shortly after a settlement agreement was reached between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) [...] | 2008-03-10 17:04:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV EPET IT VE |
08CARACAS334 | PSUV BATTALION LEADERS ELECT LOYALISTS TO PARTY [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV) held intra-party elections March 9 to fill the PSUV's 15-member leadership committee. PSUV local ("battalion") leaders elected well-known loyalists to one-year terms on the party's steering committee from the 69 nam [...] | 2008-03-10 20:42:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM VE |
08CARACAS335 | ARGENTINE PRESIDENT'S MARCH 5-6 VISIT TO VENEZUELA [...] (C) Polcouns and Poloff met with Argentine First Secretary Luis Alberto Hidalgo March 7 to discuss Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's March 5-6 visit to Venezuela, her first to Venezuela since assuming the presidency. Hidalgo said the visit was intended to be low profile, bu [...] | 2008-03-10 21:00:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV AR VE |
08CARACAS338 | CHAVEZ STRIKES CONCILIATORY TONE, RESTORES [...] (C) SUMMARY: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez abruptly changed roles from Field Marshal to Peacemaker after returning from the Rio Summit in Santo Domingo. During his March 8 International Day of the Woman speech, Chavez struck a conciliatory tone toward Colombia by reopening diplomatic miss [...] | 2008-03-11 14:47:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET | MOPS PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS341 | LABOR DISPUTES INCREASING IN THE BRV [...] (C) SUMMARY: A series of labor disputes involving Japanese-owned Bridgestone Firestone (BF),Mexican-owned FEMSA Coca-Cola, predominantly Argentinean-owned Terrium Sidor, and the Venezuelan state-run electricity sector have broken out since January. Many of these labor conflicts are the resu [...] | 2008-03-11 20:26:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ELAB PGOV EINV ENRG VE |
08CARACAS342 | BRV REACTS TO U.S. MEDIA REPORT OF POSSIBLE USG [...] (SBU) Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) officials and sympathizers reacted angrily to a March 10 article in the "Miami Herald" that reported on a supposed White House inquiry into whether Venezuela should be listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. At a book signing event that evening, Mi [...] | 2008-03-11 21:35:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PREL PGOV VE |
08CARACAS347 | (SBU) REQUEST FOR SPANISH TEST FOR ALYCE ABDULLA [...] (U) Post requests a FSI Language Proficiency test (test type-DVC). 2. (SBU) Information on employee to be tested: Employee: Alyce Abdalla SSN: XXX-XX-9525 Agency: State Language: Spanish Date for exam preferred: April 28, 2008. PLO: Stephen Bruce Stewart 3. (U) Method of shipment: [...] | 2008-03-12 19:27:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AFSI APER |
08CARACAS349 | THE COLOMBIAN PATIENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: On March 11, news services were reporting rumors that FARC directorate member Milton Jesus Toncel was being treated at a medical clinic in the town of Rubio in the Venezuelan border state of Tachira for a wound to the face. Guardia Nacional Operations Chief Juan Carlos Hidalgo lat [...] | 2008-03-12 21:53:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER CO VE |
08CARACAS350 | BRV BUSTS MAJOR COLOMBIAN NARCO-TRAFFICKER [...] (C) SUMMARY: Venezuelan law enforcement personnel arrested Colombian drug trafficker, para-military and gunrunner Hermagoras "Gordo" Gonzalez Polanco on March 8. Minister of Interior and Justice Ramon Rodriguez Chacin confirmed the arrest of Gonzalez during a March 10 press conference. Chacin [...] | 2008-03-12 21:58:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | SNAR PREL PGOV CO VE |
08CARACAS359 | CHAVISTA NA DEPUTY ON PSUV FORMATION AND COCA-COLA [...] (C) National Assembly Deputy Francisco Torrealba told Poloff March 13 that much work still needs to be done in President Chavez's new United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Torrealba said the party still needed to: -- determine how to select candidates; -- revise party statutes; and, -- [...] | 2008-03-13 20:56:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV SNAR ELAB VE |
08CARACAS361 | BRV OFFICIALS REACT TO POTUS' MARCH 12 SPEECH AND [...] (C) Summary. The President's March 12 speech received extensive coverage in the Venezuelan media, further fueling speculation and concern about a possible USG designation of Venezuela as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, Minister of Interior and Justice Ramon Rodr [...] | 2008-03-13 21:32:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PREL PGOV VE |
08CARACAS365 | ANZOATEGUI STATE: CHAVISTAS ON THE DEFENSIVE; [...] (C) Summary. Pro-government forces appear to be on the defensive in the oil-rich eastern state of Anzoategui, until recently a Chavista stronghold. Governor Tarek William Saab, a staunch loyalist of President Chavez, is widely perceived as a poor administrator, and the "No" vote carried Anzoat [...] | 2008-03-14 17:28:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS366 | NO GAS IN THE KITCHEN [...] (C) Summary: The distribution system for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in cylinders, which is used by the majority of Venezuelan families for cooking, has been stressed to the point that it will cease to function unless price controls are lifted or subsidies are provided by the BRV. Price con [...] | 2008-03-14 22:33:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS367 | CHAVEZ SLIPPING IN THE POLLS; OPPOSITION STAGNANT [...] (C) Summary. Recent local polling data shows that President Chavez's approval rating is dropping to similarly low levels of support as he had in 2003. Local analysts cite economic problems and crime as well as the Chavez's effort to radicalize his administration in 2006 as the leading causes [...] | 2008-03-14 22:36:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER CO VE |
08CARACAS371 | POLAR STILL SKATING ON THIN ICE [...] (C) Summary: According to Polar's Director of Government Relations Jose Machado (strictly protect throughout),Polar has stopped exporting many of their products due to government restrictions. Polar is Venezuela's largest food processor. Imports of vital components for domestic production t [...] | 2008-03-17 13:11:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS376 | BRV MOVES TO CONTROL PARALLEL RATE [...] (SBU) Summary: The parallel exchange rate has fallen almost 40 percent since its November 2007 high. The BRV has played a major role in bringing the rate down by selling dollar-denominated debt instruments for bolivars, thus effectively supplying dollars to the parallel market. Given the ma [...] | 2008-03-17 16:20:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN VE |
08CARACAS378 | PDVSA CHANGES THE RULES YET AGAIN [...] (C) SUMMARY: PDVSA is demanding payment in euros for at least some oil sales. It is not clear what is the extent of the new policy. PDVSA is also considering asking purchasers to pre-pay for purchases. To the surprise of industry insiders, PDVSA will comply with President Chavez' order bann [...] | 2008-03-17 20:45:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS379 | BRV YET TO REACT TO ID OF FARC FIGHTERS IN [...] (C) SUMMARY: Claims and counter-claims regarding the identities of two presumed FARC fighters (REFTEL) seeking medical care in Venezuela have been reported in the media since March 11. On March 14, the Colombian Defense Minister identified the two men as FARC fighters "Lucas" and "Jaime," ap [...] | 2008-03-17 21:28:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS38 | THE RESHUFFLE: SUPPLEMENTAL BIOS ON KEY POLITICAL [...] (C) Summary. During his January 6 "Alo, Presidente" television broadcast Chavez formally announced changes to five political cabinet-level positions: the Vice Presidency, the Office of the Presidency, the Ministry of Interior and Justice, Ministry of Communications, and Ministry of Sports and [...] | 2008-01-10 21:28:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR VE |
08CARACAS386 | THE FOOD SHORTAGE SAGA CONTINUES: THE MEAT CHAPTER [...] (SBU) Summary: The president of the National Beef Council blamed meat shortages on BRV land seizures and the BRV's role in falling domestic productivity, labor shortages and price controls. The BRV has failed to provide coherent regulations in the beef sector and a reasonable level of physical [...] | 2008-03-19 13:52:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS388 | PEACE, MUSIC AND THE OAS [...] (U) SUMMARY: The issue of peace in South America is on the media's mind. Coverage of Sunday's "Peace Without Frontiers" concert in Colombia was wide spread, being broadcast live on television and with front page articles and photo spreads in Monday's newspapers. The weekend also saw articles ab [...] | 2008-03-19 16:50:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS389 | BRV RENEWS ATTACKS ON UNITED STATES [...] (C) SUMMARY: Minister for Communications, Andres Izarra in a Sunday, March 16 television interview asserted President Bush was frustrated by Venezuela's recent international political successes. As a result the United States was probably planning both a military invasion of Venezuela and the [...] | 2008-03-19 16:50:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS395 | THE FOOD SHORTAGE SAGA CONTINUES: THE SUPERMARKET [...] (C) Summary: The National Supermarket Association reports that Chavez appears to be losing the public relations battle on the food shortages. This is likely contributing to his drop in the polls (ref C). Chavez' demands that Venezuela become self-sufficient in terms of food production have le [...] | 2008-03-19 21:58:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS409 | VENEZUELA TO OPEN EMBASSIES IN AFRICA'S EMERGING [...] (C) Summary. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) announced the assignment of personnel to open new embassies in Gambia, Sudan and Mozambique. These three embassies will bring the total to 17 of 18 planned Venezuelan missions in Africa. The three newest missions all correspond to natio [...] | 2008-03-25 15:38:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG EPET PREL GA MZ SU VE |
08CARACAS420 | EMBASSY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN -- [...] (U) This is an action request - see paragraph 12. 2. (C) Summary: Embassy Caracas requests DOD support in the execution of its strategic communications plan. The goal for this program is to influence the information environment within Venezuela. The strategy's goal is to counter the active and de [...] | 2008-03-26 20:19:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS422 | RUSSIAN ARMS ARRIVE IN VENEZUELA, AIR DEFENSE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Nineteen shipping containers carrying Russian made ammunition for AK-103 assault rifles were transferred from Puerto Cabello to Maracay under heavy security on March 25 according to local media. General Alejandro Tineo of the 41st Armored Division added that the shipment incl [...] | 2008-03-27 15:51:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV MCAP PTER BO RS VE |
08CARACAS423 | CHINA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION STILL [...] (C) SUMMARY: China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is slowly moving forward with its three joint ventures in Venezuela but continues to be frustrated by PDVSA and the BRV's administrative problems. The Sinovensa joint venture has more than doubled production. The Petrozumano joint vent [...] | 2008-03-27 15:51:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS432 | MINISTRY OF TOURISM OUT OF THE LOOP ON TIP ISSUES [...] (C) Summary. During a March 26 meeting with Ministry of Tourism officials to discuss trafficking in persons (TIP),the Director of the International Relations Office told Poloff that the government has not given the ministry a mandate to combat trafficking. However, she expressed interest in [...] | 2008-03-28 15:29:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV PREL KCRM KWMN UK VE |
08CARACAS435 | CODEL WYDEN'S MARCH 26-28 VISIT TO VENEZUELA [...] (C) Summary: On his March 26-28 visit to Caracas, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) discussed the political situation in Venezuela with interlocutors from the political, business, media, and NGO communities. He also conducted internal meetings with Embassy personnel, took a driving tour of a poor ne [...] | 2008-03-28 19:31:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ECON VE |
08CARACAS437 | PRO-CHAVEZ LEGISLATOR ACCUSES CHAVEZ FAMILY [...] (C) Summary. Chavista National Assembly member Wilmer Azuaje is publicly accusing the father and two brothers of President Chavez (but not the Venezuelan president himself) of abusing their government positions in Barinas State to acquire farms and further their electoral ambitions. Azuaje t [...] | 2008-03-28 21:16:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM VE |
08CARACAS453 | SIP MEETING BEMOANS MEDIA FREEDOM IN VENEZUELA; [...] (C) Summary. During its mid-year conference held in Caracas, the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) criticized the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's (BRV's) systematic harassment of the independent media and commented on the state of the press in several Latin American countries. The BR [...] | 2008-04-02 17:09:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS457 | PARAGUAY SUPPORTS VENEZUELA'S ENTRY INTO MERCOSUR [...] On April 2, local media reported that Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez expressed Paraguay's support for Venezuela's full membership into the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR),during his recent trip to Caracas. According to ABN, the official BRV news agency, during the signing of [...] | 2008-04-03 13:47:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ENRG ETRD EINV PA VE |
08CARACAS468 | CLANDESTINE AIRFIELD DESTROYED [...] (SBU) The Bolivarian News Agency announced on March 28 the start of Operation Boquete I, an Army effort to destroy all clandestine airstrips in Venezuela. By March 30 the Venezuelan Army claimed to have destroyed 67 of an estimated 157 dirt runways in the south-western border state of Apure a [...] | 2008-04-03 21:06:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | MOPS PGOV PREL SNAR CO VE |
08CARACAS47 | CHAVEZ EXPLOITS FARC HOSTAGE RELEASE [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez is trying to extract maximum political advantage from the January 10 release of FARC-held hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo. He personally met the freed hostages and their families at his Miraflores presidential palace hours after their relea [...] | 2008-01-11 19:00:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER PGOV PHUM VE |
08CARACAS473 | PDVAL: THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT'S NEWEST FOOD [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The State oil company PDVSA's new subsidiary for Production and Distribution of Venezuelan Food (PDVAL),is trying to increase the quantity of price regulated food distributed in Caracas and Venezuela's interior. PDVAL, launched at the direction of President Chavez in January [...] | 2008-04-04 13:24:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV EAGR EINV VE |
08CARACAS475 | BRV DEBT: MANAGEABLE LEVELS, PUZZLING STRATEGY [...] (SBU) Summary: At first glance, the BRV's sovereign debt, which totals about 19 percent of GDP when converting between bolivars (Bs) and dollars at the official exchange rate, seems low relative to other middle-income countries. A closer look suggests a slightly less rosy picture, although o [...] | 2008-04-04 13:35:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN VE |
08CARACAS481 | DEMARCHES ON IRAN TRAVEL-RELATED PROVISIONS [...] No summary [...] | 2008-04-04 18:56:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | MNUC KNNP UNSC IR VE |
08CARACAS484 | CHAVEZ FILLS IN PSUV PARTY STRUCTURE [...] (C) Summary. After months of infighting and organizational difficulties, and more than a year after President Chavez announced its creation, PSUV leaders finally sought official National Electoral Commission (CNE) recognition of the PSUV on April 2. President Chavez, who is also president of [...] | 2008-04-04 21:03:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM VE |
08CARACAS487 | CONOCOPHILLIPS BRIEFS AMBASSADOR ON COMPENSATION [...] (C) SUMMARY: ConocoPhillips (CP) is guardedly optimistic on the state of negotiations on compensation for its expropriated assets in Venezuela. May will be the key month for negotiations. CP and the BRV have reached agreement on the methodology for determining the fair market value of CP's a [...] | 2008-04-04 21:06:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS488 | CHAVEZ'S STREET REVOLUTIONARIES STAGE SMALL REVOLT [...] (C) Summary: On April 3 representatives of thirty political gangs took to the streets of "23 de Enero," one of Caracas' poorest neighborhoods, to protest searches by Venezuela's investigative and intelligence service, DISIP. DISIP has carried out a series of raids and searches in the neighborh [...] | 2008-04-07 11:31:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM VE |
08CARACAS491 | SCHLUMBERGER: PDVSA IMPROVING [...] (C) SUMMARY: The operating environment for service companies has improved significantly over the past four to six months. PDVSA is apparently serious about increasing production and has shown a new willingness to approach the private sector for help. PDVSA has begun to pay service companies [...] | 2008-04-07 21:23:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS492 | MADURO DECRIES IACHR FINDINGS AS PLOT AGAINST BRV [...] (SBU) Local media reported the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights' (IACHR) criticism of Venezuela on April 5, the day after the of the IACHR annual report in Washington. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro subsequently issued a communique on April 5 harshly criticizing the findings of IACHR [...] | 2008-04-07 21:36:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KDEM VE |
08CARACAS493 | BRV UNVEILS NATIONAL INFLATION INDEX [...] (SBU) Summary: The Central Bank (BCV) and National Statistics Institute (INE) unveiled on April 7 a national consumer price index (CPI-N),which replaces the metropolitan Caracas index (CPI-C) as the BRV's official inflation measure. According to the CPI-N, prices rose 3.1, 2.1, and 1.7 perc [...] | 2008-04-08 12:22:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN VE |
08CARACAS494 | CHAVEZ TO NATIONALIZE VENEZUELAN CEMENT INDUSTRY [...] (C) Summary: On April 3, President Chavez ordered the nationalization of the cement industry "in the short term," saying the state would pay whatever it costs (an estimated USD 2 billion) to take over the cement companies. In a meeting on April 4 with Cemex, Holcim, and Lafarge, it quickly be [...] | 2008-04-08 13:51:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS498 | MORE TWISTS IN CASE OF SLAIN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR [...] (C) Summary: Prosecutor Hernando Contreras accused former Attorney General (AG) Isaias Rodriguez of doctoring witness testimony that could have proved unfavorable to the government in the case of slain public prosecutor Danilo Anderson. AG Luisa Ortega dismissed the allegations against her pr [...] | 2008-04-08 17:20:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM CO VE |
08CARACAS502 | AIR ACCIDENTS SHAKE UP VENEZUELAN AVIATION [...] (C) Summary: Venezuela's civilian aviation authority, INAC, was recently restructured as a result of 13 aviation "incidents" including multiple plane crashes within a 2 month period. In one of his first acts, the new INAC Director rescinded US charter airlines Falcon Air Express and Sky King [...] | 2008-04-09 15:42:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS514 | UPDATE ON MONICA FERNANDEZ; OUTLINES LEOPOLDO [...] (C) Summary. Former judge and director of the judicial NGO Foro Penal Monica Fernandez has resumed her work schedule following an attempt on her life in January. She told Poloff April 7 that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) has not shown interest in investigating the attack against h [...] | 2008-04-11 19:31:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV KDEM VE |
08CARACAS515 | SIMONOVIS, VIVAS, FORERO TRIAL WINDING DOWN [...] (C) Summary. The trial against three former Caracas police commissioners and eight other police officers for deaths relating to the April 2002 attempted coup is in its final stages. Pilar Simonovis, the wife and lawyer of ex-commissioner Ivan Simonovis, told Poloff April 8 that closing argume [...] | 2008-04-11 19:51:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM PGOV VE |
08CARACAS516 | CHAVEZ'S TACTICAL RETREAT ON EDUCATION - FOR NOW [...] (C) Summary. The Venezuelan government is promoting a highly politicized new school curriculum designed to create "new citizens" and a "new Republic" based on vague Bolivarian values. Teacher training efforts to implement the new pre-K-through-high school curriculum by September sparked teac [...] | 2008-04-11 21:19:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SOCI PHUM VE |
08CARACAS525 | DEMARCHE DELIVERED: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE [...] (C) Acting EconCouns and Econoff delivered ref A demarche and associated non-paper to Francisco Canela, head of the Financial Intellegence Unit (UNIF) of the Superintendency of Banks (SUDEBAN),on April 11. Canela repeated past assurances (ref B) that all banks operating in Venezuela were su [...] | 2008-04-15 12:21:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EINV ETRD PARM PREL KNNP MNUC IR VE |
08CARACAS528 | CHAVEZ SEEKS REVOLUTIONARY LOYALTY [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) sponsored a week of activities to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the failed 2002 coup attempt. In a series of nationally televised speeches Chavez attacked the United States and the "Venezuelan oligarchy" while stressing the them [...] | 2008-04-16 14:27:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MCAP PHUM PREL VE |
08CARACAS532 | CHAVEZ TO NATIONALIZE LATIN AMERICA STEEL LEADER [...] (C) Summary: BRV Vice President Ramon Carrizalez announced April 9 that President Chavez had decided to nationalize the steel company, Ternium Siderurgica del Orinoco (Sidor),owned by Luxembourg based Ternium and controlled by Argentine group Techint. The announcement comes after a year of la [...] | 2008-04-16 21:02:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ELAB ENRG PGOV EINV AR VE |
08CARACAS535 | VENEZUELAN AUTO INDUSTRY STALLS [...] (SBU) Summary: After doubling over the last few years, US auto exports to and production in Venezuela are sharply declining. Venezuelan auto imports, which doubled over the past two years, have consumed a significant portion of Venezuela's dollar holdings. In response, the BRV decided to sha [...] | 2008-04-17 18:25:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS536 | BRV APPOINTS OLD FACES TO NEW PLACES [...] (C) Summary. The National Assembly (NA) confirmed three veteran loyalists as ambassadors to the United Nations (UN),Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) on April 10. Vice Foreign Minister for North American Affairs Jorge Valero will reportedly [...] | 2008-04-17 19:17:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PINR VE |
08CARACAS550 | BRV CALLS DEA "IMPEDIMENT" TO COUNTER-NARCOTICS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Venezuelan Minister of Justice Ramon Rodriguez Chacin called the Drug Enforcement Administration "an impediment" to counter-narcotics and U.S. anti-drug assistance to Colombia a "facade" for destabilizing the region. Chacin made these remarks at an April 18 press conference publ [...] | 2008-04-22 14:40:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | SNAR PREL PGOV VE |
08CARACAS551 | BRV RELEASES TIP LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA [...] (SBU) The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) provided USG officials on April 8 with an eleventh-hour summary of its trafficking in persons (TIP) law enforcement efforts in 2007, including the number of victims assisted and prosecution figures. The release follows repeated USG requests for [...] | 2008-04-22 14:51:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KCRM KWMN VE |
08CARACAS558 | BRV ANNOUNCES 3 BILLION USD BOND ISSUANCE TARGETED [...] (U) The Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced on April 21 a USD 3 billion sovereign debt issuance. The issuance is composed of two "Sovereign International Bonds" (SIBs),dollar-denominated bonds maturing in 2023 (9 percent coupon) and 2028 (9.25 percent coupon),with each representing 50 perc [...] | 2008-04-22 20:19:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN VE |
08CARACAS559 | THE NEW WINDFALL PROFITS TAX: ANOTHER FINE MESS [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Official Gazette published the new windfall profits tax on April 15. The tax, which is seductively simple on its face, appears to place an unfair burden on private sector joint venture partners by allowing PDVSA to pass the tax to the joint ventures without allowing them a ta [...] | 2008-04-22 20:37:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS560 | CHAVEZ'S NEW LABOR MINISTER URGES WORKERS TO UNITE [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez named National Assembly First Vice President Roberto Hernandez to replace Jose Ramon Rivero as Labor Minister on April 15. Prior to joining Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in 2007, Hernandez was one of Venezuela's most prominent Communist Pa [...] | 2008-04-22 20:48:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ELAB ECON EINV PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS562 | BRV HAILS PARAGUAYAN ELECTION OF LUGO [...] (C) Summary: President Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) lauded the April 20 election of Fernando Lugo as Paraguay's next president. The BRV has tried to re-package Lugo's victory to assert that "Bolivarianism is on the march." In his congratulatory message to Lugo, [...] | 2008-04-23 15:17:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PA VE |
08CARACAS565 | PDVSA TO FORM NEW SERVICE JOINT VENTURES (REALLY) [...] (C) SUMMARY: PDVSA officials met with service company representatives and attorneys the week of April 14 to announce the formation of new joint ventures for the petroleum service sector. The new joint ventures will be restricted to individual product lines and will be guaranteed a 30% market [...] | 2008-04-25 19:58:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS566 | VENEZUELA'S BANKING SECTOR: ARE THE GOOD TIMES [...] (SBU) Summary: Over the last four years, Venezuela's banking sector has registered rapid growth and record profits. The good times may be ending, however. The economy is slowing down; the BRV has tightened monetary policy to counter inflation; and banks are subject to increasing government [...] | 2008-04-25 20:01:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN VE |
08CARACAS579 | NGO PROVEA ON "CRIMINALIZATION" OF PROTESTS, [...] (C) SUMMARY. Prominent local human rights NGO Provea convoked the diplomatic corps on April 23 to provide a trimestral update on the human rights issues it considers most worrisome. Provea outlined the BRV's efforts to "criminalize" protests by opening criminal cases against demonstrators. I [...] | 2008-04-28 15:07:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV ELAB VE |
08CARACAS581 | THREE AMCIT FARC HOSTAGES: RICHARDSON SEEKS [...] (C) Summary. New Mexico Governor Richardson traveled April 25-27 to Caracas as the personal emissary of the families of three Amcit FARC hostages. He met April 26 with President Chavez and other senior Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela officials to enlist the BRV's help in securing the Amcit [...] | 2008-04-29 12:09:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER ASEC PGOV VE |
08CARACAS582 | HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS OF CARACAS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Venezuelan daily, "El Universal", reported on April 16 that the murder rate had risen 14% in the first trimester of 2008, despite the launch of "Safe Caracas 2008" by the Ministry of Justice in January. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV),which had been reporting plungi [...] | 2008-04-29 12:10:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ASEC KCRM VE |
08CARACAS583 | VENEZUELAN AVIATION UPDATE [...] (C) Summary: Sources within the Venezuelan airline industry report that once again, Venezuela's civil aviation authority, INAC, is facing change. Less than two months after INAC's restructuring, American Airlines reports the BRV is creating a new office to supervise INAC. The office will li [...] | 2008-04-29 12:11:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS586 | BRV COOKS UP CONSPIRACY THEORY TO LINK USG TO [...] (C) SUMMARY. The local media reported April 23 that former Attorney General (AG) Isaias Rodriguez again accused the FBI and CIA of orchestrating the death of federal prosecutor Danilo Anderson. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) has repeatedly tried to connect opposition figures and [...] | 2008-04-29 14:46:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM CO VE |
08CARACAS587 | BRV SELLS USD 4 BILLION IN SOVEREIGN BONDS [...] (U) The Ministry of Finance (MoF) published on April 28 the results of the Sovereign International Bond (SIB) issuance announced April 21 (reftel). Per these results, the MoF will sell SIBs worth a total amount (face value) of USD 4 billion. The announcement does not specify the amount allo [...] | 2008-04-29 14:46:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN VE |
08CARACAS596 | HITTING A NERVE IN VENEZUELA: BRV BROADSIDE AT NEW [...] (U) Ambassador Duddy's high-profile opening of a new American Corner in the city of Maracay (in Aragua state, about 50 miles outside Caracas) April 23 - and the cocomitant signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the local Pedagogical University - generated an almost immediate response [...] | 2008-04-30 14:25:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL VE |
08CARACAS598 | BLACK-OUT HITS FIFTY PERCENT OF VENEZUELA [...] (SBU) Summary: On April 29, a black-out caused chaos for several hours in thirteen Venezuelan states. The BRV described it as a failure in the national grid system due to a forest fire near key, high tension lines. The incident drew attention to the lack of investment in Venezuela's largely [...] | 2008-04-30 19:43:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS599 | CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP 2-D WANTS TO PUT BRAKES ON [...] (SBU) Prominent civil society leaders held a press conference April 29 to launch the 2-D/Democracy and Liberty Movement, a coalition that aims to curb President Chavez's efforts to implement aspects of his failed constitutional reform package. (Note: 2-D refers to the December 2 defeat of the [...] | 2008-04-30 21:17:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS6 | CHAVEZ DECREES PARTIAL AMNESTY LAW FOR EVENTS OF [...] (C) SUMMARY: President Chavez announced a partial amnesty December 31 for those accused of involvement in the events that temporarily removed him from power in April 2002. The decree also included a "humanitarian" pardon for 36 persons currently imprisoned. The Amnesty Law only applies to in [...] | 2008-01-03 22:28:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV VE |
08CARACAS600 | US AUTOMAKERS' DIFFICULTIES CONTINUE IN VENEZUELA [...] (SBU) On April 29 labor negoiations between General Motors (GM) and its union reached a breaking point. GM Venezuela's legal counsel confirmed media reports that GM stopped production as a result of the impasse. In response to the halt in production, GM workers rioted, damaged 28 cars, and b [...] | 2008-04-30 21:58:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS609 | CHAVEZ ANNOUNCES 30 PERCENT HIKE IN MINIMUM WAGE [...] (U) Speaking on the evening of April 30 at a commemoration of International Worker's Day, President Chavez announced a 30 percent increase in the minimum wage and in all public sector employees' salaries. The new monthly minimum wage is 799 bolivars (Bs),or USD 372 at the official exchange [...] | 2008-05-02 21:39:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ELAB PGOV VE |
08CARACAS610 | HARVEST PUSHES BACK ON THE WINDFALL PROFITS TAX [...] (C) SUMMARY: U.S. oil company Harvest Natural Resources has begun to directly and indirectly lobby the BRV to define the terms of the new windfall profits tax. Harvest would like to see the BRV discount the 33.33% royalty when calculating the new tax. In addition, it also wants the BRV to p [...] | 2008-05-05 12:37:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS617 | UPDATE ON THE FORMER STRATEGIC ASSOCIATIONS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Energy Minister and PDVSA President Rafael Ramirez told the local press production at the former strategic associations was currently 600,000 barrels per day. He also crowed that the maintenance shutdown at Petrocedeno revealed that the upgrader was far simpler in design than int [...] | 2008-05-05 20:28:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS62 | CHAVEZ HIGHLIGHTS COLOMBIAN HOSTAGE RELEASE, [...] (C) Summary. Chavez used numerous events over the January 11-13 weekend to claim credit for the Colombian hostage release, urge international understanding for the FARC and to blame others, including the USG, for the failure of earlier efforts to secure release of the hostages. He also ackno [...] | 2008-01-16 23:19:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS624 | UPDATE ON VENEZUELAN CEMENT NATIONALIZATIONS [...] (C) Summary: Negotiations to nationalize the "Big Three" cement companies in Venezuela are proceeding slowly (reftel.) The BRV is following the model they used to nationalize the oil industry right down to using the same PDVSA negotiating team. The BRV and PDVSA lack in-house expertise in the [...] | 2008-05-07 15:54:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS625 | CHAVEZ ACCUSES USG OF SECESSIONIST PLOT - AGAIN [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez accused the USG of plotting with the Venezuelan opposition to promote secessionism in western Venezuela during his May 4 "Alo, Presidente" television program. Chavez explicitly linked the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum in Bolivia to the November state and local [...] | 2008-05-07 20:58:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS VE |
08CARACAS626 | THE BATTLE FOR CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF VENEZUELA [...] (C) Summary. Chavistas and the opposition are competing for control over the public Central University of Venezuela (UCV)in the May 9 administrative elections. The winners will head the university for the next four years and, given the prominence and prestige of the UCV, will influence high [...] | 2008-05-07 21:04:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SCUL VE |
08CARACAS64 | DENGUE CASES DOUBLE IN VENEZUELA [...] (C) Summary: The Ministry of Popular Power for Health (MPPS) ceased publishing dengue and malaria statistics from July 21 to December 22, during the lead up to Chavez' failed December 2 constitutional reform vote. Now we know why: the latest official epidemiology bulletin, released January 8, [...] | 2008-01-17 16:09:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | TBIO SOCI PGOV VE |
08CARACAS640 | MANUEL ROSALES RUNNING FOR MARACAIBO MAYOR [...] (C) Summary. Zulia Governor Manuel Rosales is planning to run for the Maracaibo mayorship, according to Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party leaders. Rosales is telling his party that he needs to run in order to boost the UNT's prospects for his young protQgQ to replace him as governor and for the op [...] | 2008-05-12 12:00:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS647 | CADIVI AT FIVE YEARS: GETTING WORSE [...] (C) Summary: Complaints about delays and corruption in CADIVI, the BRV's Commission for Administering Foreign Exchange, are increasing among private sector contacts. Although it has authorized more foreign currency liquidation on a daily basis thus far in 2008 than it did in on average 2007, [...] | 2008-05-12 21:08:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV VE |
08CARACAS648 | DUTCH BIT BITES THE DUST [...] (C) SUMMARY: Venezuela has revoked its bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with the Netherlands effective November 1, 2008. The BIT remains in force for 15 years for investments made before the date of revocation. Both ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips are pursuing arbitration under the Dutch BIT. [...] | 2008-05-12 21:23:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON EFIN PREL VE |
08CARACAS649 | CHAVEZ DEFLECTS FARC AND ELECTION WORRIES WITH [...] (C) SUMMARY: During his May 11 "Alo, Presidente" television broadcast, President Chavez tried to deflect concerns about upcoming revelations from the FARC computers and potential state and local election losses with shrill insults and accusations. Chavez said Interpol is putting on "a show" b [...] | 2008-05-12 21:33:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER CO VE |
08CARACAS650 | EDUCATION MINISTER CHAVEZ REPLACED BY NAVARRO [...] (C) SUMMARY: President Chavez replaced his brother Adan Chavez with Hector Navarro as Minister of Education on April 30. Adan's next mission will be to take charge of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV) reelection campaign in the Chavez family's home state of Barinas. Adan's rem [...] | 2008-05-12 21:38:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS653 | THE COLOMBIAN PATIENT - DISCHARGED? [...] (C) SUMMARY: Local news services reported May 7 that FARC fighters Freddy Martinez Mendoza, a member of the 38th Front's General Staff and his companion Jose Ortiz Barrera, wanted in Colombia on charges of rebellion, had been quietly given conditional release on their own recognizance from th [...] | 2008-05-13 20:12:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER CO VE |
08CARACAS659 | STUDENTS BROADEN THEIR AGENDA, CRACKS IN UNITY [...] (C) Summary. Student leaders tell us that the university student movement is currently focusing on developing a new generation of leaders, strengthening the Student Parliament, and developing a common platform on political issues rather than street demonstrations. They stress they stand ready [...] | 2008-05-14 18:48:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM VE |
08CARACAS660 | BP EYES EXPANSION DEAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: BP hopes to sign an agreement for a major expansion of the Petromonagas extra heavy oil joint venture in the Faja this summer. Despite its optimism, it expects the BRV to postpone the auction of Faja blocks due to a lack of interest on the part of transnational oil companies. PDV [...] | 2008-05-14 20:00:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG EPET EINV VE |
08CARACAS670 | PORTUGAL PM SOCRATES WINS PLEDGE OF 30,000 BPD [...] (C) Summary: Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates won pledges of 30,000 barrels of oil per day from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez while on a May 13-15 state visit to the Bolivarian Republic. Portugal will pay for the oil, estimated by Chavez as having an annual value of USD 1 billion, [...] | 2008-05-15 21:01:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ENGR EINV ECON PO VE |
08CARACAS677 | CHAVEZ PREPARES TO (S)ELECT STATE/LOCAL CANDIDATES [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez' new United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) will hold internal party elections in early June to help determine the PSUV's candidates for 22 gubernatorial and over 300 mayoral races slated for November. While Chavez and PSUV leaders are heralding these "prima [...] | 2008-05-16 16:06:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM VE |
08CARACAS679 | RCTV INTERNATIONAL EXECS OPTIMISTIC BUT NETWORK [...] (C) Summary. Executives at Radio Caracas Television International (RCTVI),previously RCTV, claim the company has positioned itself as a viable cable network. However, they also noted difficulties in attracting corporate sponsors, partly due to fear of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) [...] | 2008-05-16 20:27:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS68 | VENEZUELA'S ECONOMY IN 2008: A DIFFICULT YEAR AS [...] (C) Summary: 2008 is likely to be a difficult year for Venezuela economically due to continued inflation, shortages, and policy-induced distortions. Nonetheless, the BRV's relatively strong external and fiscal positions, buoyed by record crude prices, should allow it to weather these problem [...] | 2008-01-17 20:26:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EPET EINV PGOV VE |
08CARACAS680 | BRV LASHES OUT FOLLOWING INTERPOL REPORT [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) didn't waste any time in beginning its efforts to try to discredit Interpol and the contents of the defunct FARC commander's hard drives. On the morning of the May 15 Interpol report, Defense Minister Gustavo Rangel Briceno called the FA [...] | 2008-05-19 13:22:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS683 | VENEZUELA: TITLE III OF LIBERTAD ACT [...] (C) In response to Reftel A, Post sees no evidence that the BRV has undertaken policies or actions to advance democracy, human rights, or fundamental freedoms in Cuba over the past year. On the contrary, President Hugo Chavez is Fidel Castro's closest ally, provides substantial resources to [...] | 2008-05-19 21:06:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD ETTC PREL CU VE |
08CARACAS684 | FM MADURO PROTESTS FIR VIOLATION; CONVOKES [...] (C) Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro and Defense Minister Gustavo Rangel Briceno held a May 19 press conference to protest the violation of Venezuelan Air Space by an American military plane in the vicinity of Orchila Island and to denounce what the BRV perceived to be Colombian government "pro [...] | 2008-05-19 21:10:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV SNAR VE |
08CARACAS686 | BRV ACCUSES COLOMBIAN ARMY OF INCURSION [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) alleges that Colombian soldiers crossed into the southwestern Venezuelan border state of Apure on May 16. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reportedly filed a formal protest calling for an immediate stop to these "violations of inter [...] | 2008-05-19 22:21:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PTER CO VE |
08CARACAS69 | BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA: 2008 INVESTMENT CLIMATE [...] Per request in reftel, this cable transmits the 2008 Investment Climate Statement for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Begin text ------------------------------ Openness to Foreign Investment ------------------------------ Given economic and political uncertainties, a recent history o [...] | 2008-01-17 20:38:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV USTR OPIC VE |
08CARACAS690 | BOLIVARIZING THE FOREIGN MINISTRY [...] (C) Summary: The politicization of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelan (BRV) Foreign Ministry is nearly complete. Only fifteen of ninety-seven ambassadorships at Venezuelan Embassies are currently filled by career professionals, according to a local media study. Foreign Minister Maduro an [...] | 2008-05-20 18:34:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS695 | AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FM MADURO -- FARC AND [...] (C) Summary. The Ambassador met May 20 with Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro ostensibly to receive a protest note involving an accidental overflight of Venezuela by a U.S. navy aircraft. Instead, most of the meeting focused on U.S. concerns over revelations of Venezuelan ties with the FARC and [...] | 2008-05-21 16:05:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER SNAR VE |
08CARACAS700 | FARC DATA FALLOUT: NERVOUS BRV IS LASHING OUT [...] (S) Summary. Former Chief of Staff to the Vice President Rene Arreaza and Office of Narcotics Affairs (ONA) Director Nestor Reverol met separately with the DCM and DEA Chief on May 20 and 19, before the Ambassador's May 20 meeting with Foreign Minister Maduro. Arreaza and Reverol revealed tha [...] | 2008-05-21 22:20:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET | PREL PGOV SNAR PTER PHUM VE |
08CARACAS702 | CHACIN DEFENDS CHAVEZ FROM FARC LINKS [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's (BRV) Minister of Justice Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, during a May 20 interview, sought to protect President Hugo Chavez from incriminating computer files linking him with the FARC. Chacin announced Chavez "had no direct relation" with the FARC [...] | 2008-05-22 15:46:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER CO VE |
08CARACAS703 | BRV SLAPS NAS-FUNDED NGO AFTER AMBASSADOR ATTENDS [...] (C) Summary: The BRV stripped NGO Prevencion Alternativa of the requisite certification to work in the area of demand reduction after the Ambassador attended a May 17 ceremony to honor participants in a series of NAS-funded workshops in the economically depressed neighborhood of Petare. In hi [...] | 2008-05-22 17:10:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | SNAR PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS706 | ANTISEMITISM IN VENEZUELA: BRIEF RESPITE, [...] (C) Summary. Leaders of the Confederation of Israelite Associations of Venezuela (CAIV) told Poloffs May 20 that government pressure on the Jewish community has declined so far in 2008. They believe that after the December 2007 raid on the Caracas Hebrew Center by the Venezuelan special pol [...] | 2008-05-22 20:29:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF VE |
08CARACAS707 | TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE PROTESTING VIOLATION OF [...] (SBU) The text of the diplmatic note received by Ambassador Duddy at his May 20 meeting with BRV Foreign Minister Maduro (reftel) follows. Begin Text: The Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela raises its strongest protest to the Government [...] | 2008-05-23 13:00:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS708 | UPDATE ON CONOCOPHILLIPS NEGOTIATIONS [...] (C) SUMMARY: ConocoPhillips (CP) continues to be optimistic on the state of negotiations on compensation for its expropriated assets in Venezuela. CP executives presented senior BRV and Citgo officials with CP's valuations of three Citgo refineries. In the event of an asset swap, CP hopes to [...] | 2008-05-23 14:09:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS716 | DANCING DEVILS AID CAPRILES DURING ATTACK BY [...] (C) Summary. Chavistas attacked Baruta Mayor Henrique Capriles Radonski May 22 as he attempted to participate in Corpus Christi Day activities in Yare, Miranda state. Capriles was harassed by Glen Rivas, an ardent Chavista and president of the Miranda state assembly, and told to depart Yare. [...] | 2008-05-23 21:54:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM VE |
08CARACAS717 | BRV POSITIVE ON SOUTH AMERICAN SECURITY COUNCIL [...] (C) In response to Reftel query, post assesses that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) publicly supports any South American multi-lateral organization that excludes the United States and advances Chavez' vision of Latin American integration. President Chavez and other senior BRV offic [...] | 2008-05-23 22:13:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | MOPS PGOV PHUM PINR PTER |
08CARACAS73 | JUDGE DENIES AMNESTY MOTION IN SIMONOVIS CASE, 11 [...] (C) Summary. The judge in the case against former police commissioners Simonovis, Vivas, and Forero and eight other police officers denied January 16 a motion to dismiss charges under President Chavez's December 31 amnesty decree. The ex-commissioners are accused of ordering Caracas police o [...] | 2008-01-18 23:06:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV VE |
08CARACAS731 | CHAVEZ REITERATES INTENTION TO RUN AGAIN [...] (C) Summary. President Chavez and his close confidant Miranda State Governor Diosdado Cabello publicly and unambiguously declared recently that the Venezuelan president intends to run for a third term in 2012. Chavez will still need to alter the 1999 Constitution's two-term limit, one of the [...] | 2008-05-28 20:57:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM VE |
08CARACAS751 | INFORMATION MINISTER OFFERS RESIGNATION AFTER [...] (C) Summary. Andres Izarra, BRV Information Minister, offered to resign May 28 following a startling announcement by the ministry that the BRV would begin to impose fees on the retransmission of state-owned Venezolana de Television's (VTV) signal. Izarra claimed responsibility for the ill- [...] | 2008-05-30 21:13:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS752 | RCTV CLOSURE - ONE YEAR ON [...] (C) May 28, 2008 marked the one year anniversary of the revocation of Radio Caracas Television's (RCTV) free-to-air broadcast license by the BRV, which sparked student activism throughout Venezuela. RCTV staff and student groups organized a peaceful protest march through Caracas. Five stud [...] | 2008-05-30 21:27:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS758 | CHAVEZ LOYALISTS WIN PSUV "PRIMARY" [...] (C) Summary. Chavez loyalists dominated the United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV's) June 1 intra-party elections for the nominations in the November state and local races. Per the party's rules, the PSUV party leadership will decide who the party's nominees are in races where there was [...] | 2008-06-02 22:10:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM VE |
08CARACAS767 | CHAVEZ INTELLIGENCE DECREE ENGENDERS STRONG [...] (C) SUMMARY: On May 28, President Hugo Chavez, using powers to independently promulgate statutes, decreed the Law of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence into effect. The new law would replace the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DIM) and the Directorate for the Services of Intelligence [...] | 2008-06-03 22:20:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PINR VE |
08CARACAS769 | VENEZUELA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWS IN FIRST QUARTER [...] (C) Summary: Central Bank figures for the first quarter of 2008 show that Venezuela's economy is continuing to grow, but at a slower rate. First quarter growth was 4.8 percent in 2008, a marked decrease from the 8.8 percent registered in the first quarter of 2007. While the Central Bank lau [...] | 2008-06-04 13:54:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EINV ETRD VE |
08CARACAS771 | MFA OFFICIALS 'PLEASED' WITH 2008 TIP DESIGNATION [...] (C) PolCouns and PolOff met with MFA Director for North America and Multilateral Affairs Yaneth Arocha and U.S. Desk Officer Marie Borregales to deliver a courtesy copy of Venezuela's country narrative in the 2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report and to inform them of their change in status [...] | 2008-06-04 15:54:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KCRM SMIG VE |
08CARACAS776 | SLOWLY SINKING: ARMADA SOCIALISTA I-2008 [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Venezuelan Navy (Armada) released broad details regarding "Armada Socialista I-2008", a series of military exercises and civic action programs involving the Navy, Territorial Guard (GT),Army and Air Force (FAV) during the month of June. The highlight will be the first firi [...] | 2008-06-04 19:30:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MCAP VE |
08CARACAS781 | VENEZUELA'S NON-RESPONSE ON ENDING EXPORT [...] (SBU) Post delivered the points in the referenced cables via diplomatic note to the Ministry of International Relations, the Ministry of Food, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land, and the Ministry of Light Industry and Commerce (refs A, B, C). There has been no response to date and Post does [...] | 2008-06-04 21:11:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON PGOV VE |
08CARACAS789 | PSUV ANNOUNCES CANDIDATES IN CONTESTED [...] (SBU) President Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) announced June 5 its nominees for eight gubernatorial and eight mayoral races that failed to produce clear winners in its primary elections. Per party regulations, the PSUV party leadership selects the party's nominee in cont [...] | 2008-06-06 13:50:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM VE |
08CARACAS79 | REP. DELAHUNT MEETS WITH CHAVEZ AND DEPUTIES [...] (C) SUMMARY: Representative William Delahunt met separately with President Chavez, National Assembly Deputies, and opposition mayor Leopoldo Lopez on January 18. He also met separately with the families of three Colombian FARC hostages. During his private meeting with President Chavez, Delah [...] | 2008-01-23 12:20:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER PHUM VE |
08CARACAS802 | FARC ADOPTS BOLIVARIAN RHETORIC [...] (C) SUMMARY. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) appears to be incorporating "Bolivarian" rhetoric in Venezuela. The Embassy obtained a copy of the 2007 FARC manifesto (also available on the internet) from a contact who said it was being distributed in a government-run school in [...] | 2008-06-06 19:54:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER SNAR CO VE |
08CARACAS809 | CHAVEZ URGES FARC TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, LAY DOWN [...] (SBU) President Chavez called on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to release all hostages and end its armed struggle against the government of Colombia. Chavez's remarks are a dramatic shift in his public statements towards the FARC given that the Venezuelan president recently [...] | 2008-06-09 19:18:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER SNAR CO VE |
08CARACAS810 | CHAVEZ BACKTRACKS ON SNITCH LAW [...] (SBU) In response to widespread and growing domestic and international criticism, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on June 7 that the new Law of Intelligence and Counterintelligence would be revised. In a speech to members of his party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV [...] | 2008-06-09 19:57:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PINR VE |
08CARACAS812 | OPPOSITION ORGANIZES PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION TO [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. On June 7 the opposition led a peaceful protest to the Comptroller's Office to protest the administrative ruling making 400 public officials ineligible to run for office. The Venezuelan Constitution, however, stipulates that a person can only be barred from running for public o [...] | 2008-06-09 22:11:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS822 | VENEZUELA'S NOT SO FRIENDLY SKIES [...] (C) SUMMARY: On June 3, Embassy officials met with Venezuela's civil aviation authority (INAC) for the first time since February 2007 to discuss TSA visits as well several other aviation issues (ref A). The meeting may have been prompted by former INAC President Yoffreda, who is rumored to be [...] | 2008-06-11 11:20:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAIR ECON PGOV MARR VE |
08CARACAS838 | CHAVEZ ANNOUNCES NEW ECONOMIC MEASURES: MUCH ADO, [...] (C) Summary: President Chavez announced on June 11 a series of economic measures to stimulate domestic production and reduce inflationary pressures. Calling for a national productive alliance, Chavez detailed measures including creation of a USD 1 billion government controlled fund to inves [...] | 2008-06-12 23:00:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV VE |
08CARACAS840 | PSUV GOVERNOR STRIPPED OF TITLE AND DECLARED [...] (SBU) The Supreme Court (TSJ) opened an investigation into corruption charges against Yaracuy Governor Carlos Gutierrez in late May and subsequently stripped him of his charge. The TSJ also declared the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) governor ineligible to run for re-election in th [...] | 2008-06-13 13:30:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL VE |
08CARACAS844 | CORRECTED COPY: CHAVEZ ANNOUNCES NEW ECONOMIC [...] (U) This cable is a corrected copy of CARACAS 838, with a pass line to USDA added. 2. (C) Summary: President Chavez announced on June 11 a series of economic measures to stimulate domestic production and reduce inflationary pressures. Calling for a national productive alliance, Chavez d [...] | 2008-06-13 16:41:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EAGR PGOV VE |
08CARACAS85 | BADUEL MAKES THE ROUNDS [...] (C) Summary. Former Defense Minister Raul Isaias Baduel continues to make public appearances in the wake of his support for the successful "No" campaign in the December 2007 constitutional referendum. He recently told PolCouns that he believes a change of leadership is needed in Venezuela to [...] | 2008-01-23 21:46:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS856 | STUDENTS MARCH IN SUPPORT OF BLACKLISTED BY [...] (C) SUMMARY. Student leaders and opposition-oriented citizen groups led a small demonstration to the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) on June 13 to protest the Comptroller's administrative ruling making 400 persons ineligible to run for office in the November gubernato [...] | 2008-06-16 21:51:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS86 | BRV CONSUMED WITH NORMALIZING VENEZUELAN FOOD [...] (C) Summary: During January 21 - 22, a somewhat manic Chavez announced a laundry list of agricultural and food distribution "reforms," including increasing the controlled price of milk, closing the Colombian border to food smugglers, threatening to expropriate land and facilities from milk pro [...] | 2008-01-23 22:30:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV EAGR VE |
08CARACAS862 | VENEZUELAN INSPECTOR REPORTS CONCERNS WITH [...] (C) Summary: On June 10 an Air Accident Inspector (strictly protect throughout) from the Ministry of Popular Power for Infrastructure (Minfra) told Econ staff that in her opinion Venezuela has no intention of allowing TSA inspections. She noted drug trafficking represents a serious threat to [...] | 2008-06-17 19:49:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAIR ECON PGOV MARR VE ASEC |
08CARACAS865 | VENEZUELA: INFORMATION ON FORCED LABOR AND CHILD [...] SUMMARY. This cable responds to reftel request for information on forced labor and child labor in the production of goods in Venezuela. Venezuela, a high volume, oil producing nation, is largely dependent on imports, and as a result does not have a tradition of child labor in the production [...] | 2008-06-18 18:48:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED | EIND ELAB ETRD PHUM SOCI VE |
08CARACAS870 | TERRORISM FINANCE: NOTIFICATION OF U.S. DOMESTIC [...] (C) As requested, Charge d'Affaires (CDA) delivered information in paragraphs four and six of reftel and copies of the Treasury Department Press notice to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). 2. (C) MFA officials declined to schedule a meeting for June 18. Instead CDA [...] | 2008-06-19 19:41:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | KTFN PTER PINR EFIN PREL VE LE |
08CARACAS892 | LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTACHES OUTLINE LACK OF [...] (C) SUMMARY. European and international police attaches told Legal Attache (Legat) that efforts to work with their Venezuelan counterparts to combat corruption and stem the flow of drugs through Venezuela have been largely unsuccessful. The law enforcement attaches and liaison officers cited [...] | 2008-06-26 16:52:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SNAR VE |
08CARACAS912 | PDVSA'S MARKETING MESS [...] (C) SUMMARY: PDVSA is not shipping asphalt and other products to the U.S., a violation of a supply contract with Nustar Refining. PDVSA has been having problems placing its Monagas 18 crude due to its composition. PDVSA is still facing a myriad of problems at its refineries and continues to [...] | 2008-06-30 21:42:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS921 | HARVEST FINALLY BEGINS TO REAP WHAT IT HAS SOWN [...] (C) SUMMARY: After spending months in legal limbo, U.S. oil company Harvest has received all of its dividends through 2007 from its joint venture company Petrodelta. Harvest's drilling program has been highly successful and it has worked out a system whereby Petrodelta can secure material and [...] | 2008-07-02 19:07:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EPET ENRG EINV ECON VE |
08CARACAS930 | STRUCTURED NOTES REDUX: NEW RESOLUTION ROILS [...] (C) Summary: A Ministry of Finance (MoF) resolution ordering Venezuelan banks to divest themselves of "structured notes" issued by foreign investment banks has roiled the local banking sector. Local banks hold an estimated USD 5 billion worth of these instruments, which are bolivar-denomina [...] | 2008-07-03 22:12:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN VE |
08CARACAS931 | GENERAL DISCONTENT AROUND THE HOUSE [...] (SBU) According to local media, following his testimony on the morning of July 1 before the Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ) at which he requested the court to prohibit the Chavista slogan "Fatherland, Socialism or Death!" stricken from military drill and ceremony, Brigadier General (BG) Angel [...] | 2008-07-03 22:19:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PGOV VE |
08CARACAS94 | BRV REACTS ANGRILY TO ONDCP DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS [...] (SBU) The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) launched a multi-pronged response to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director's comments that President Chavez was facilitating narcotics traffickers by neglecting to root out corrupt officials and failing to deny the use of V [...] | 2008-01-25 12:16:00 | Embassy Caracas | SECRET | PGOV SNAR PREL VE |
08CARACAS942 | VENEZUELA'S CODEX COMMITTEE ATTEMPTS A COMEBACK [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) may attempt to revive its currently moribund interministerial Codex committee, and recall its former director. Reviving Venezuela's Codex committee will not be easy, because of the very problems that led to its demise a few years ago. [...] | 2008-07-07 20:18:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON ETRD PGOV VE |
08CARACAS945 | CHAVEZ PUBLICLY STATES INTEREST IN DRUG COOPERATION [...] (C) Summary. On the margins of Venezuela's July 5 Independence Day military parade, President Chavez told the Ambassador that he is interested in renewing bilateral counternarcotics cooperation with the USG. Both Chavez and Foreign Minister Maduro also sought out the Ambassador among the di [...] | 2008-07-08 16:19:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | SNAR PREL PGOV CO VE |
08CARACAS948 | VENEZUELAN PRIESTS OPEN "CHURCH OF CHAVEZ" [...] (C) The Reformist Catholic Church of Venezuela announced its formation on June 26. Comprising former Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican priests, the Reformists are based in the small town of Ciudad Ojeda in Zulia State. The Reformist Church, which numbers around 2,000 parishioners according to [...] | 2008-07-08 20:26:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM VE |
08CARACAS949 | STUDENTS UNITE AROUND INELIGIBLE CANDIDATES [...] (C) SUMMARY. In recent weeks the student movement has taken up the cause of the ineligible candidates ("inhabilitados") in an effort to garner increased national and international attention to the issue. The move has also helped re-energize the disjointed student movement whose leaders have [...] | 2008-07-09 14:01:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS956 | INFLATION CONTINUES RELENTLESS MARCH WITH FOOD [...] (U) According to the national consumer price index (CPI-N) compiled by the Central Bank and the National Statistics Institute, inflation for the month of June was 2.4 percent and reached 15.1 percent for the first half of 2008. Annualized inflation (June 2006 to June 2007) topped 32 percent i [...] | 2008-07-09 19:54:00 | Embassy Caracas | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON AMGT ALOW APER AFIN ABUD VE |
08CARACAS958 | MEDIA SKEPTICS SCOFF AT CHAVEZ' COMMENTS ABOUT [...] C) SUMMARY Major local media outlets gave prominent attention to President Chavez' remarks calling for greater counternarcotics cooperation between the United States and Venezuela. Three major newspapers ran editorial/analysis pieces on July 8th expressing a degree of skepticism with Chavez' [...] | 2008-07-10 17:26:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV VE |
08CARACAS968 | VENEZUELA'S CODEX COMMITTEE ATTEMPTS A COMEBACK [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) may attempt to revive its currently moribund interministerial Codex committee, and recall its former director. Reviving Venezuela's Codex committee will not be easy, because of the very problems that led to its demise a few years ago. [...] | 2008-07-14 11:57:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON ETRD PGOV VE |
08CARACAS969 | SPECIAL ENVOY RICKMAN VISIT TO VENEZUELA [...] (C) Summary: Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Gregg Rickman and special assistant Karen Paikin visited Venezuela June 29 - July 1. Catholic Church leaders, academics, Israeli Ambassador to Venezuela Shlomo Cohen, and a Venezuelan Ministry of the Interior's Office of Religion [...] | 2008-07-14 14:37:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF VE |
08CARACAS97 | OPPOSITION SIGNS UNITY PACT -- FOR NOW [...] (C) Summary. Nine opposition parties publicly pledged January 23 to field "unity" candidates against pro-government candidates in the late 2008 gubernatorial and mayoral elections. Opposition leaders tell us that they are confident that their parties can work together to pool -- and not divi [...] | 2008-01-25 15:57:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM VE |
08CARACAS986 | CHAVEZ AND URIBE'S UNEASY SUMMIT, A CARACAS READOUT [...] (C) SUMMARY: President Hugo Chavez met Colombian President Alvaro Uribe July 11 in the western Venezuelan city of Punto Fijo and announced that both countries were "ready to relaunch bilateral relations." However, in less than 48 hours Chavez took umbrage over comments by Colombian Defense [...] | 2008-07-17 15:32:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL CO VE |
08CARACAS987 | RESPONDING TO CHAVEZ' EFFORT TO RENEW COUNTER-DRUG [...] (C) On the margins of the July 5 Venezuelan Independence Day parade, President Chavez told the Ambassador, in front of the diplomatic corps and state media, that he wanted to renew counternarcotics cooperation with the USG (Reftel). Chavez' overture, reiterated in a Ministry of Communications [...] | 2008-07-17 18:15:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CARACAS989 | SUPREME COURT LEAK QUESTIONS BRV DISQUALIFICATION [...] (C) Summary. A draft ruling by Supreme Court (TSJ) Justice Pedro Rondon Haaz calls the disqualification of close to 300 candidates for Venezuela's gubernatorial and mayoral elections by Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russian unconstitutional. TSJ President Luisa Estella Morales told the lo [...] | 2008-07-17 21:42:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM VE |
08CARACAS991 | GENERAL MOTORS HALTING PRODUCTION IN VENEZUELA [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-18 15:56:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EINV ETRD EIND PGOV VE |
08CARACAS995 | STUDENT SHOOTING DEATH SPARKS WEEK-LONG PROTESTS [...] (C) SUMMARY. Students in several cities organized small, week-long demonstrations to protest the shooting death of University of the Andes (ULA) student Douglas Rojas Jimenez on July 9. Witnesses allege that a police officer fatally shot Rojas in the head during a student march in the univer [...] | 2008-07-18 18:45:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL VE |
08CARACAS997 | PSUV TAKES UP FIGHT TO EXTEND CHAVEZ' RULE [...] (SBU) Freddy Bernal, United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) national directorate member, announced plans during a July 17 broadcast of BRV news magazine "Al Momento," to work to make Hugo Chavez eligible for re-election in 2012/2013. (President Chavez is constitutionally prohibited from se [...] | 2008-07-18 21:46:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV VE |
08CARACAS998 | NEW BANKING SUPERINTENDENT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HEALTH [...] (C) Summary: Newly appointed Superintendent of Banks Maria Elena Fumero (strictly protect throughout) told Ecouncouns she believes the financial sector is generally in good shape. The structured notes (reftel) were problematic, she said, but did not represent a systemic threat to the sector [...] | 2008-07-18 23:01:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KTFN VE |
08CARACAS999 | BRV BLOWS HOT AND COLD ON A/S SHANNON AND [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro responded quickly and indignantly to WHA A/S Shannon's July 17 testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. Maduro declared the "imperial U.S. system" an "anachronism" and announced that Venezuelan drug seizures [...] | 2008-07-18 23:02:00 | Embassy Caracas | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL VE |
08CASABLANCA103 | VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2008 REPORTING PERIOD (FOLLOW-UP) [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met May 5, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on two persons arrested who had been harboring a [...] | 2008-05-23 09:53:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA104 | SOURCES OF WEALTH IN CASABLANCA - INTERNAL, EXTERNAL, ILLICIT [...] (SBU) Summary: In Casablanca, Morocco's largest city and economic capital, prosperity is increasingly on display, raising the question of where it comes from. Family money, the banking and real estate sectors, and a strong-performing stock market account for some wealth. Remittances from Moroccans [...] | 2008-05-23 16:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EINV KDEM MO |
08CASABLANCA107 | CHINA'S GROWING ECONOMIC INFLUENCE IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: Strong bilateral ties between China and Morocco have been bolstered in recent years by state and official visits. Commercial exchanges between the two countries have increased, and Chinese traders have begun to set up shop in Casablanca's largest commercial district. Although b [...] | 2008-05-29 16:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD PGOV XA CH MO |
08CASABLANCA113 | VISAS VIPER FOR MAY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met June 2, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by ACG, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on a recently uncovered terror network accused of plo [...] | 2008-06-03 12:16:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA115 | RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON FORCED LABOR AND [...] This cable responds to a request for information on the use of forced labor and exploitative child labor in the production of goods in Morocco. While Morocco does not have a record of forced child labor, child labor does exist and is used in the production of some goods, mainly in the handicr [...] | 2008-06-03 18:04:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM ECON SOCI MO |
08CASABLANCA142 | VISAS VIPER FOR JUNE 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met July 7, 2008. The meeting was attended by ACG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on the recent arrests of 35 individuals suspected of belonging to a network that [...] | 2008-07-09 14:52:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA144 | VISAS VIPER FOR June 2008 REPORTING PERIOD (follow up) [...] (U) The following information was provided by RAO on July 10 with respect to the recent arrests of 35 individuals suspected of belonging to a network that recruits volunteers on behalf of Al Qaeda in Iraq and Algeria. 2. (SBU) Hamid al-Bochibi: Moroccan citizen, DPOB: 15 Nov. 1983, Tetoua [...] | 2008-07-11 15:57:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA146 | MOROCCO CELEBRATES WORLD REFUGEE DAY: AN OVERVIEW [...] Summary: Although Morocco struggles with large populations of migrants and refugees, organizations such as UNHCR and the Friendship and Solidarity Organization (FSO) are moving towards further solidarity between Moroccan nationals and those who have adopted Morocco as their home. To this end, [...] | 2008-07-15 11:34:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM SMIG PREF PREL SOCI ELAB MO |
08CASABLANCA158 | VISAS VIPER FOR JULY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met August 4, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM, with RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. There are no submissions for the July reporting period but RAO is working with [...] | 2008-08-05 16:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA172 | VISAS VIPER FOR AUGUST 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met September 8, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM, with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. An additional six names were provided for the network that recruits [...] | 2008-09-09 11:00:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA193 | VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met October 6, 2008. The meeting was chaired by CG, with RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. Regional Consular Officer from Cairo also attended the meeting. 2. There are [...] | 2008-10-08 16:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA200 | THE JEWS OF CASABLANCA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Morocco is the only Arab country that promotes and protects its indigenous Jewish minority while fostering ties with the state of Israel and with Israeli citizens of Moroccan descent. Notwithstanding the unwavering support of King Mohammed VI, the Jewish community of Morocco con [...] | 2008-10-23 17:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | KIRF MO PHUM PGOV PREL |
08CASABLANCA206 | VISAS VIPER FOR OCTOBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met November 6, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, FCS and PD in attendance. 2. There are no submissions for the October 2008 reporting period. [...] | 2008-11-03 16:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA207 | MOROCCO AND ALGERIA'S QUIET ECONOMIC RAPPROCHEMENT [...] (C) Despite their closed land border, the Moroccan and Algerian economies have become increasingly interconnected in sectors ranging from energy to banking. Revenues for General Electric (GE) Morocco total 250 million USD per year in Algeria; the CEO of the National Office of Phosphates (OCP) [...] | 2008-11-04 07:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | AG ECIN ECON ENRG MO PGOV PREL |
08CASABLANCA209 | OFFSHORING - MOROCCO,S COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE [...] (SBU) Building on its natural advantage of both geographic and linguistic proximity to Europe, the "offshoring plank" of Morocco,s "Emergence" strategy has succeeded in making the country a premier destination for European firms seeking to shift their operations offshore. Beyond language, geo [...] | 2008-11-05 13:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EIND PGOV PREL AMCHAMS MO |
08CASABLANCA210 | MOROCCAN EFFORTS TO COUNTER ISLAMIC EXTREMISM: THE [...] (C) SUMMARY: A controversial fatwa, or religious opinion, by a Gulf-sponsored Imam was the trigger, or perhaps excuse, for the Government of Morocco (GOM) to crack down on independent, fundamentalist Islamic institutions. In late September a well-known Moroccan salafist, Sheikh Mohammed Al Ma [...] | 2008-11-05 15:55:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV KISL KOCI KWMN PREL MO |
08CASABLANCA213 | POLITICAL THEATER ENERGIZES THE BASE OF MOROCCO'S [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Casablanca regional congress of the Islamist Party for Justice and Development (PJD) illustrated why the PJD is the best organized and most popular political party in Morocco and the largest opposition in Parliament. On November 1st, the party employed both populist and Islami [...] | 2008-11-10 08:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KISL PTER MO |
08CASABLANCA222 | THE MARRIAGE OF MINORS, POLYGAMY AND DIVORCE: THE [...] SUMMARY: (U) Women,s groups and the media roundly criticized the government,s failure to implement some aspects of the Mudawana or family code nearly four years after the ground-breaking reforms were passed. The criticism was prompted by a recent report by the Democratic League for the Rights [...] | 2008-11-21 17:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV KWMN KTIP KISL MO |
08CASABLANCA224 | SCANDAL AT THE CASABLANCA STOCK EXCHANGE [...] (SBU) Summary: The Morocco Council for the Code of Ethics in Securities Markets, (CDVM) moved decisively the week of 17 November to address a simmering scandal at the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE),recommending to the Minister of Finance that the Exchange,s entire leadership be dismissed for [...] | 2008-11-26 17:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EINT MO PGOV |
08CASABLANCA227 | VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met December 2, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee approved the following cases submitted by L [...] | 2008-12-02 16:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA228 | VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met December 2, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee approved the following cases submitted by L [...] | 2008-12-02 16:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA232 | MOROCCO CONSIDERS A VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN LAW [...] (U) SUMMARY: Despite substantial advances to women's rights contained in the 2004 reform of the family code known as the Mudawana, the government of Morocco still lags behind its international commitments on the issue of violence against women. Reports by women's shelters provide only a limite [...] | 2008-12-12 17:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV KWMN MO |
08CASABLANCA235 | DIFFICULTIES IN MOROCCO'S MICROCREDIT SECTOR [...] (SBU) Summary: The Central Bank of Morocco and the National Federation of Microcredit Associations (FNAM) moved decisively the week of 8 December to address difficulties in Morocco's microcredit industry, recommending that a national credit bureau be established. The Central Bank reported tha [...] | 2008-12-15 17:13:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EINT MO PGOV |
08CASABLANCA268 | VISAS VIPER FOR DECEMBER 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met January 8, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, PD, POL, and RSO. 2. Discussion centered on the sentencing of members of the Ansar Al Mahdi cell on [...] | 2008-01-09 09:49:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA27 | EL FASSI'S FIRST 100 DAYS: TOO EARLY TO TELL, BUT TIME TO ACT [...] (SBU) Summary: 100 days into El Fassi's tenure as Prime Minister, many Casablancans feel they have little on which to judge the new government, though they feel it is time for action. Citizens expressed anger over the increase in value-added tax on cars, and a sense of urgency about the need t [...] | 2008-02-05 10:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
08CASABLANCA270 | DONKEY CARTS BY DIOR: CASABLANCA GOES UPSCALE [...] (SBU) Summary: An explosion of high-end stores has hit Casablanca in the past few years, causing one magazine to declare luxury a new sector in Morocco. While some view the luxury boom as evidence of newfound upward mobility, others believe the rich are just getting richer, though it is not a [...] | 2008-01-14 09:23:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
08CASABLANCA271 | EFFECTIVENESS OF UN EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION [...] (U) This cable responds to a request for information on MINURSO's efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) involving UN peacekeeping mission personnel in the Western Sahara and Moroccan peacekeepers in Cote d'Ivoire. This message was cleared with [...] | 2008-01-15 16:59:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL KPRO MO |
08CASABLANCA272 | U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE DIRECTOR GENERAL ISRAEL HERNANDEZ [...] (U) Summary: Director General and Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion Israel Hernandez visited Morocco December 5-7 to reinforce the important friendship and bilateral trade relationship between the U.S. and Morocco. He met separately with Minister of Industry, Commerce and New Technologi [...] | 2008-01-16 12:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | BEXP ECON ETRD BMGT PREL MO |
08CASABLANCA28 | NUMBER OF IRAQI REFUGEES IN MOROCCO GROWING [...] (SBU) During a January 29 meeting, UNHCR Chief of Mission Johannes Van Der Klaauw told poloff that nearly fifteen percent of UNHCR's recognized refugees in Morocco are Iraqi. Van Der Klaauw said the Iraqis began to arrive in significant numbers in early 2007. So far, he said, he has register [...] | 2008-02-05 12:40:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL PHUM PREF |
08CASABLANCA281 | CASABLANCA REFORMERS FOCUS ON EDUCATION, PARLIAMENT, [...] (SBU) Summary: At a reform advocates' luncheon for visiting DAS Kent Patton and Tunis MEPI Director Peter Mulrean on January 16, 2008 in Casablanca, discussion focused on three types of reform: educational, parliamentary and constitutional. The discussion preceded a letter calling for the defe [...] | 2008-01-29 11:14:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KDEM PGOV ECON SOCI MO |
08CASABLANCA282 | EXXONMOBIL SELLS SHARES IN MOROCCAN AFFILIATE [...] (SBU) Summary: ExxonMobil will announce on January 30 a strategic decision to sell its shares of Mobil Oil Maroc to Libya Oil Holdings Limited, a Libyan-government entity. The sale's impact on Morocco is expected to be minor. End Summary. --------------------------------------------- EXXON [...] | 2008-01-29 17:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EPET ENRG EFIN MO |
08CASABLANCA285 | CASABLANCANS REACT TO GAZA TROUBLES [...] (SBU) Summary: While many Casablancans have been thinking of little but Morocco's plight in soccer's Africa Cup Playoffs, others have been preoccupied with raising their voices about recent events in Gaza. Over the past week, three organizations organized progressively larger protests in oppo [...] | 2008-01-31 09:00:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI MO |
08CASABLANCA29 | VISAS VIPER FOR JANUARY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met February 4, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, PD, CG and RSO. 2. Discussion centered on procedures for reviewing information gained from press so [...] | 2008-02-06 10:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA33 | DEMARCHE DELIVERED:UN.GIFT AND VIENNA FORUM TO HUMAN [...] (C) On February 11, poloff discussed the UN.GIFT and Vienna Forum to Human Trafficking (reftel) with MFA Director of Consular and Social Affairs Ambassador Jaouad El Himid and encouraged Moroccan participation in the Forum. 2. (C) El Himdi informed poloff that a Moroccan delegation would be [...] | 2008-02-14 13:59:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREF SMIG KCRM KWMN MO |
08CASABLANCA35 | MOROCCANS STRIKE OVER RISING FOOD COSTS [...] (SBU) Summary: In recent weeks, Morocco has been hit by a number of national strikes protesting rising costs and other issues and it appears there may be more strikes on the horizon. The GOM, in an early attempt to preempt a national general strike, commenced talks with trade union represen [...] | 2008-02-21 14:21:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB ECON ETRD MO |
08CASABLANCA38 | DISMANTLED TERRORIST NETWORK ILLICITS SHOCK, BUT NOT [...] (C) Summary: Casablancans reacted to the news of the discovery of an extensive terrorist network in Morocco with shock, but not surprise. Casablancans were stunned that seemingly ordinary professionals were involved, and that large weapons caches were found. At the same time, volatile events [...] | 2008-02-25 16:48:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PINS PGOV KDEM MO |
08CASABLANCA39 | MOROCCO: 2008 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] (U) This cable responds to action request (reftel) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from April 2007 to March 2008. ------------------------------------- Morocco Headed in the Right Direction ------------------------------------- [...] | 2008-02-27 12:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREF ELAB SMIG KFRD KCRM KWMN MO |
08CASABLANCA45 | VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met March 3, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, POL and PD. 2. Discussion centered on the thirty five or thirty eight people recently arrested in [...] | 2008-03-10 16:01:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA50 | MOROCCAN APPAREL EXPERTS SPIN YARNS ABOUT TRADE WITH U.S. [...] (SBU) Summary: Experts in the Moroccan apparel sector say they have limited contact with U.S. clients as a result of stiff competition from Asian markets, American retailers' quest for higher profit margins, and the weak dollar. They question the benefits the FTA offers, but believe that maki [...] | 2008-03-11 14:51:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KTEX MO |
08CASABLANCA56 | Services, Safety and Management Ongoing Concerns in [...] (SBU) Summary: Six Americans have been arrested in Morocco in the past five months, more than were arrested in all of FY07. The recent increase has expanded Post's knowledge of the prison system and the issues Americans face while incarcerated, including few provisions for their basic needs, b [...] | 2008-03-28 15:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | CASC PINS PGOV MO |
08CASABLANCA59 | VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met March 3, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, POL and PD. 2. Discussion centered on the thirty five or thirty eight people recently arrested in [...] | 2008-04-02 15:07:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA62 | ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS IN CASABLANCA DO NOT DETER [...] (SBU) Summary: Following a series of seizures of pirated CDs and DVDs, Moroccan authorities destroyed some 80,000 discs on March 27 in Casablanca. Undeterred, illegal CD and DVD vendors remain in business, buoyed by strong demand and the knowledge that periodic raids are annoying, but not rui [...] | 2008-04-03 13:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
08CASABLANCA71 | CLANDESTINE MIGRANTS FACE GROWING ASSAULTS [...] (C) Summary: In recent weeks, assaults have plagued the sub-Saharan community in Rabat. In one case, according to reports, a Nigerian clandestine migrant resisted arrest during a periodic roundup and was severely beaten before being taken into custody. As a result of the beating, the migrant [...] | 2008-04-10 15:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PREF SMIG MO |
08CASABLANCA72 | RESPONSE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST NO. 200706444 [...] (SBU) Post has made the requested searched to retrieve all records responsive to requests outlined in reftel. Post was unable to locate any materials relevant to request. GREENE [...] | 2008-04-10 15:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | AINF |
08CASABLANCA73 | VISAS VIPER FOR MARCH 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met April 7, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, RSO, POL and PD. 2. Discussion centered on two persons arrested on terrorism related charges in th [...] | 2008-04-11 15:24:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA81 | MOROCCAN ROYAL FAMILY HOLDING ONA FIRES CEO [...] (SBU) Summary: Morocco's largest conglomerate, the palace-controlled ONA, dismissed its CEO on April 11, charging that he mismanaged Wana, the company's telecommunications subsidiary. The abrupt nature of the dismissal has been the talk of Casablanca business circles for the past week, and has refo [...] | 2008-04-24 11:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
08CASABLANCA86 | CASABLANCA FIRE MAKES SAFETY STANDARDS A BURNING ISSUE [...] (SBU) Summary: On April 26, fire erupted in a mattress factory in Casablanca, killing 58 of the 100 workers trapped inside. While the factory owner violated numerous safety regulations and will be prosecuted for his role in the tragedy, citizens also blame government authorities for failing to [...] | 2008-04-30 17:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ELAB KDEM PHUM MO |
08CASABLANCA92 | VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met May 5, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on two persons arrested along with one of the esc [...] | 2008-05-07 12:53:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
08CASABLANCA93 | STRIKES ON THE HORIZON DESPITE GOM OFFER [...] (SBU) Summary: Following a surprisingly weak turnout on what many though would be well attended May Day celebrations, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi announced that he would implement his offer to increase monthly minimum wage, lower some income taxes and increase other social benefits. In resp [...] | 2008-05-07 12:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB ECON ETRD MO |
08CHENGDU11 | GUIZHOU PARTY SECRETARY HOSTS LUNCH FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY [...] (SBU) Summary. During a lunch banquet hosted for the Deputy Secretary, Guizhou Party Secretary Shi Zongyuan described his SIPDIS professional challenges, especially the problems of economic development in the face of deep rural poverty. He urged more high-level visits to interior China, c [...] | 2008-01-23 01:15:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU122 | POST-QUAKE SICHUAN: A MANUFACTURER LEAVES FOR THE COAST? [...] (C) Summary: According to a well-connected local businessman, the famed Dongfang Electric Machinery Company based in Deyang, Sichuan Province, which sells billions of dollars in power generation equipment worldwide including to Iran and Pakistan, may move its hydroelectric power operations to [...] | 2008-06-04 04:00:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EIND PGOV CH |
08CHENGDU135 | ETHNIC TENSION REMAINS HIGH IN TIBETAN AREAS [...] (S/NF) Summary: Ethnic Tibetan cadres may be coming under increased scrutiny and suspicion by their Han colleagues and additional pressure not to participate in public religious observances. New Congen contacts relayed stories of alleged killings in Lhasa during March, as well as an incident [...] | 2008-06-20 10:30:00 | Consulate Chengdu | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PINR CH |
08CHENGDU140 | SECURITY CRACKDOWN IN CHENGDU'S "TIBET TOWN" [...] (S) Summary: Following several days of a progressively escalating People's Armed Police (PAP) presence in a Tibetan area of downtown Chengdu, a large-scale security sweep was conducted the evening of June 25. A growing floating population of ethnic Tibetans in the city, including monks who h [...] | 2008-06-26 09:38:00 | Consulate Chengdu | SECRET | PGOV PHUM PINR CH |
08CHENGDU156 | CHINA HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST KEEPS UP THE FIGHT [...] (C) Summary: Internationally-recognized HIV/AIDS campaigner Dr. Gao Yaojie discussed with Congenoff during a recent visit to Chengdu her ongoing work and the upcoming publication in Hong Kong of her politically-charged memoirs. She expects to travel through Guangdong and Hong Kong on her way [...] | 2008-07-18 02:36:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV KHIV CH |
08CHENGDU157 | CHINA HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST KEEPS UP THE FIGHT [...] (C) Summary: Internationally-recognized HIV/AIDS campaigner Dr. Gao Yaojie discussed with Congenoff during a recent visit to Chengdu her ongoing work and the upcoming publication in Hong Kong of her politically-charged memoirs. She expects to travel through Guangdong and Hong Kong on her way [...] | 2008-07-18 02:38:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV KHIV CH |
08CHENGDU158 | CHENGDU TRANSPORTATION EXPERT CRITICAL OF NEW INFRASTRUCTURE [...] (C) Summary: According to a former long-time transportation advisor to Chengdu party secretaries, it is highly unlikely the city will be able to recoup the costs of either a new light rail line to Dujiangyan, still scheduled to begin construction in late 2008 despite the recent earthquake, or [...] | 2008-07-18 02:54:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ELTN PGOV CH |
08CHENGDU17 | EAP DAS CHRISTENSEN VISIT TO CHENGDU: LOCAL SCHOLAR ON [...] (C) Summary: During a recent meeting in Chengdu with EAP DAS Christensen, noted Sichuan-Tibetan scholar Tsering Dhudrup frankly shared his concerns on the economic and political challenges faced by ethnic Tibetans in China. He complained that assistance funds directed by the central government [...] | 2008-02-11 01:59:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU171 | KUNMING BOMBINGS: SOME LOCAL PERSPECTIVES [...] (C) Summary: Following the July 21 bombing of two buses in Southwest China's Yunnan provincial capital of Kunming, security forces remain on alert with a noticeable stepped up presence in some downtown areas. Speculation in the city appears still focused, although not exclusively, on alleged [...] | 2008-08-01 08:20:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PTER PHUM ASEC CH |
08CHENGDU175 | TIBETAN PREFECTURE IN SOUTHWEST CHINA -- HIGH SUBSIDIES [...] (S) Summary: A series of internal government documents recently obtained by post provide an unusually detailed look into the internal workings of the poor and predominantly ethnic Tibetan prefecture of Ganzi in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Massive subsidies are being invested in infra [...] | 2008-08-07 05:42:00 | Consulate Chengdu | SECRET | PGOV ECON PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU183 | LHASA SECURITY: INTIMIDATING TIBETANS, REASSURING HANS [...] (C) Summary: Omnipresent People's Armed Police (PAP) patrols in Lhasa brandishing automatic weapons appear to serve the dual purpose of intimidating ethnic Tibetans while reassuring ethnic Han Chinese residents. Some Tibetans note the current heavy security presence in Lhasa was hidden during [...] | 2008-09-05 02:01:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU184 | LHASA MONKS DESCRIBE CURRENT RELIGIOUS CLIMATE [...] (C) Summary: According to Buddhist monks and Tibetans at religious centers in Lhasa visited by ConGenOff in late August, many monks remain in detention, and security officials continue to monitor closely and restrict the activities of monasteries. The 150 monks of the Jokhang Temple, Tibetan B [...] | 2008-09-05 09:28:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV CH |
08CHENGDU188 | LHASA: CONVERSATIONS WITH TAR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS [...] (C) Summary: In a week of meetings with Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) foreign affairs, religion, health, education, and tourism officials, ConGenOffs' interlocutors generally responded readily to questions but at times showed considerable unease. TAR officials apparently believe that the March [...] | 2008-09-10 07:09:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KHIV SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU189 | LHASA: FEAR CURTAILS VISITS TO TIBETAN HOMES [...] (C) During ConGenOff's August 25-30 visit to Lhasa (see refs),an ethnic Tibetan man invited ConGenOff to visit his home several blocks from the Johkang Temple. The man told ConGenOff in his apartment that constant patrols by People's Armed Police armed with machine guns make people feel they [...] | 2008-09-10 07:27:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV CH |
08CHENGDU197 | WITH MONKS IN SHANGRI-LA [...] (C) Summary: Monks at the Ganden Sumtsen Ling Monastery in Shangri-la County, Yunnan Province, told ConGenOff August 18 that monks from their monastery studying in the Tibetan Autonomous Region were all sent back to Yunnan after March 2008. Despite PRC compulsory education regulations that st [...] | 2008-09-19 06:46:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV CH |
08CHENGDU2 | HENAN AIDS CAMPAIGNER GAO YAOJIE'S MEMOIRS SET FOR EARLY [...] (C) Summary: Dr. Gao Yaojie's youngest sister discussed her two week stay with her sister in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. Gao is closely monitored and her family members regularly pressured. Gao's next two books -- on AIDS in Henan and her memoirs -- may tempt the authorities to deal more h [...] | 2008-01-03 09:02:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KHIV SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU210 | CHENGDU MANIPULATING AIR QUALITY DATA? [...] (SBU) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the Internet. 2. (SBU) Summary: Official data published on the Ministry of Environmental Protection website strongly suggests that Chengdu air quality data is being manipulated to appear cleaner [...] | 2008-09-29 09:49:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV ENRG ECON PREL CH |
08CHENGDU238 | NORTHWEST YUNNAN'S DIQING PREFECTURE: SNAPSHOT OF A QUIETER [...] (C) Summary: Northwest Yunnan's Tibetan Diqing Autonomous Prefecture (TAP) has been the calmest of all the ethnic Tibetan areas in China during 2008, likely due to a large presence of Han and other minorities (Tibetans only make up about a third of the population),the influence of its ethnic [...] | 2008-10-24 05:56:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM ECON SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU241 | SOUTHWEST CHINA'S REAL ESTATE CONTINUES PRE-QUAKE SLIDE [...] (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the internet. 2. (SBU) Summary: Land prices and housing prices in Chengdu and Chongqing, two major cities in southwest China, have been declining since late last year as government regulations have [...] | 2008-10-27 08:08:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ELAB CH |
08CHENGDU247 | SENIOR TIBETAN MONK ON SECURITY SITUATION IN WESTERN [...] (C) Summary: During the recent visit to Chengdu of G Special Assistant/Office of the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues/Jeannette Windon, a senior monk from the Yachen Gar Monastery in western Sichuan's Ganzi Prefecture discussed China's widespread security clampdown in Tibetan areas (in [...] | 2008-10-29 02:16:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU249 | SOUTHWEST CHINA: CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL COMMUNIST PARTY [...] (C) Summary: During recent discussions with ConGenOff in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, several Communist Party members shared their frustrations about local Party organizations. The head of a state enterprise complained of the emptiness of the Party's concept of "democracy" and t [...] | 2008-10-29 06:41:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV CH |
08CHENGDU251 | CHENGDU LEADERSHIP PORTRAITS AND THE PERILS OF POOR TIMING [...] (C) Summary: On the margins of several high-level events held in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu during late October, contacts shared their views about local political leaders and how their careers are developing. There was wide consensus that Chengdu Party Secretary Li Chuncheng's [...] | 2008-10-31 09:09:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR CH |
08CHENGDU263 | VETERANS: CHENGDU BURMA-INDIA OLD SOLDIERS REMEMBER [...] No summary [...] | 2008-11-14 07:21:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED | SOCI MARR PGOV |
08CHENGDU267 | CHENGDU YET TO SEE SURGE OF RETURNING WORKERS FROM CLOSED [...] (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the internet. 2. (SBU) Summary. While laid off workers from the coast returning to Sichuan may eventually boost unemployment in Sichuan Province, Chengdu labor experts have yet to see evidence of t [...] | 2008-11-26 08:53:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ELAB FCS PAS POL |
08CHENGDU275 | SOUTHWEST CHINA: MIGRANT LABOR, DIALECTICS, AND LIES [...] (C) Summary: An excursion arranged by an influential Southwest China businessman for some of his employees that ConGenOff was invited to join provided a rare opportunity for informal exchanges on challenges faced in a relatively underdeveloped part of eastern Sichuan Province. Many of the ar [...] | 2008-12-03 01:24:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB CH |
08CHENGDU286 | MCC ELIGIBILITY: THE CASE FOR TIMOR-LESTE [...] On December 12, the Ambassador briefed Finance Minister Pires, Foreign Minister da Costa, Vice Prime Minister Guterres, Acting Speaker of Parliament Guterres, the head of Timor's MCC team, and President Jose Ramos Horta on the MCC Board's decision to not reselect Timor-Leste as Compact eligibl [...] | 2008-12-15 09:10:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV MCC ECON EFIN TT |
08CHENGDU287 | SOUTHEAST TIBET: ETHNIC HAN TOWNSHIP FLOURISHES ON [...] (C) Summary: Massive government subsidies and military infrastructure improvements have doubled the size of Bayi Township (80 percent ethnic Han) in the southeast of China's Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) over the past decade. Large contributions on infrastructure and in kind "Help Tibet Ca [...] | 2008-12-15 09:58:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU288 | SOUTHEAST TIBET: TRAVELING WITH THE PARTY'S MINDERS [...] (C) Summary: A week spent in the Bayi capital of Linzhi Prefecture in China's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) with local authorities and "Help Tibet Cadres" yielded a number of insights on prevailing attitudes about government policies in the region and the personalities involved. The array of [...] | 2008-12-16 01:02:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR CH |
08CHENGDU289 | SOUTHEAST TIBET: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OVERVIEW [...] (C) Summary: According to Linzhi Prefecture officials in the southeast of China's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR),ninety percent of local government expenditures are subsidized by the central government as well as the provincial governments of Fujian and Guangdong. A major source of income fo [...] | 2008-12-16 01:40:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU293 | SOUTHWEST CHINA: QUAKE RECONSTRUCTION AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS [...] (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the internet. 2. (SBU) SUMMARY: According to two prominent researchers in Chengdu, the national-level economic stimulus plan will bolster Sichuan Province's economy during the two to three year windo [...] | 2008-12-18 09:16:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN CH |
08CHENGDU299 | ASSISTANCE TO RETURNING LABORERS IN SOUTHWEST CHINA'S [...] (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified information - not for distribution on the internet. 2. (SBU) SUMMARY. Authorities in southwest China's Guizhou province have set up booths at the capital city's train station to assist the thousands of migrant laborers who are returning [...] | 2008-12-31 08:25:00 | Consulate Chengdu | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN ELAB CH |
08CHENGDU30 | SOUTHWEST CHINA -- THE SATELLITES ARE HIGH AND THE EMPEROR [...] (C) Summary: Satellite television ties rural Chinese to urban culture and brings unjammed foreign broadcasts to a large audience throughout China. Simple satellite receiver dish packages selling for USD 50 bring central Chinese television to rural areas and the world to Chinese cities. To [...] | 2008-02-21 09:18:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | SOCI PHUM ECPS KIPR CH |
08CHENGDU36 | SOUTHWEST CHINA -- GUIZHOU SLOWLY RECOVERING FROM STORM [...] (C) Summary: In the aftermath of what provincial authorities claim was the worst winter storm since 1904, China's poorest province is struggling to deal with the provision of basic necessities to the countryside. Damage to the province's electrical power distribution system was particularly s [...] | 2008-02-26 09:37:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU39 | ISLAM ON THE TIBETAN PLATEAU - TWO LOCAL PERSPECTIVES [...] (C) Summary: According to a Tibetan active in Lhasa's Muslim community who studied Islam in Nepal and Pakistan, the inflow of Muslim businessmen and laborers from other parts of China into traditionally Tibetan areas has sometimes caused tension and "incidents" with local Buddhists, but for ec [...] | 2008-03-05 06:24:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU42 | LHASA CONVERSATIONS - WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE THINKING? [...] (C) Summary: A series of unscripted Consulate encounters in Lhasa, including with a Han teacher from Hebei, a Hui Muslim vendor of pirated DVDs from Gansu, a longtime resident Han barber from Sichuan, a lama recently arrived from Qinghai, university students from Chamdo (eastern Tibet),and B [...] | 2008-03-06 09:41:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU43 | TIBET: TOURISM, THE TRAIN, AND MIGRANT LABOR [...] (C) Summary: Local officials in charge of tourism, railroad, and labor issues in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) claim to be "unsure" how many people from inland China may be resettling in traditional Tibetan areas. In 2007, over four million tourists (mostly from inland China) visited t [...] | 2008-03-07 09:33:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU52 | TIP IN SOUTHWEST CHINA IMPROVING? AUTHORITIES SHED LITTLE [...] (C) Summary: Sichuan and Yunnan authorities insist that effective law enforcement, education campaigns, and victim assistance programs have dramatically reduced human trafficking in southwest China. But a healthy dose of skepticism seems to be in order. End Summary. 2. (SBU) Accompanied [...] | 2008-03-24 03:05:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | ELAB ECON PGOV SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU55 | SOUTHWEST CHINA: INSTABILITY AND RESENTMENT IN TIBETAN AREAS [...] (C) Summary: According to an influential Han Chinese businessman and patron of Buddhism in Chengdu, the Communist Party will likely have to purge many ethnic Tibetans from its ranks as they are sympathetic to the Dalai Lama. A high-ranking Tibetan administrator of a local university where st [...] | 2008-03-26 07:29:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU56 | SOUTHWEST CHINA: "PATRIOTIC EDUCATION" FOR TIBETANS -- [...] (C) Summary: Well prior to the recent outbreak of unrest, a "Patriotic Education Campaign" launched by the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP) in western Sichuan Province following a series of security incidents during the summer of 2007 provoked considerable resentment among the area's [...] | 2008-03-27 07:29:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU61 | SOUTHWEST CHINA: TRYING TO CONTROL FOREIGN NGOS IN A [...] (C) Summary: While it remains unclear what impact recent unrest in Tibetan areas of China will have on the work of foreign non-governmental organizations operating in the region, according to a limited-distribution government document obtained by the Consulate, Ganzi Prefecture in western Sich [...] | 2008-04-02 02:43:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU65 | GROWING UP A TIBETAN CADRE KID IN CHINA - DIALOGUE WITH HAN [...] (C) Summary: While not going into detail about recent unrest in western Sichuan and other Tibetan areas, a well-educated son of Communist Party officials shared with Post his experiences as a young ethnic Tibetan studying and working in inland China. An admirer of the banned Tibetan-Chinese w [...] | 2008-04-10 05:04:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM SOCI CH |
08CHENGDU78 | TIBETAN ECONOMIC DISCONTENT -- LHASA MERCHANT ON OBSTACLES [...] (C) Summary: According to a merchant from Lhasa, the overall poor education level of Tibetans, their lack of access to capital, and the "discrimination" they face from Han Chinese make it very hard for Tibetans to succeed in business. The merchant's comments are reflected in a Chinese academi [...] | 2008-04-22 07:39:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PHUM CH |
08CHENGDU98 | CHENGDU PETROCHINA PROJECT PROTEST [...] (C) Summary: Summoned by anonymous text messages, a crowd of 100 or more protestors gathered in Chengdu on May 4 to express their opposition to the construction of a large chemical plant north of the city. The project in question is a USD 5.5 billion joint investment by PetroChina and the Sic [...] | 2008-05-08 03:31:00 | Consulate Chengdu | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV SENV PHUM ECON CH |
08CHENNAI100 | NEW HYDERABAD AIRPORT STILL IN HOLDING PATTERN [...] (U) Sonia Gandhi, chair of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA),formally inaugurated the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGI) in Hyderabad on March 14, 2008, with much fanfare. The inauguration heralded the planned opening of the facility on March 16 (ref B). Almost immediately afte [...] | 2008-03-17 10:50:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EAIR ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV IN |
08CHENNAI103 | KERALA COMMUNISTS SLAM HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The recently released Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 (Human Rights Report) drew sharp rebukes from leftists in the South Indian state of Kerala. The state's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) described the report as an "imperialist strategy t [...] | 2008-03-19 10:34:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL PINR IN |
08CHENNAI104 | HINDU NATIONALISTS TARGET STATE COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF IN [...] (SBU) Summary: A group of Hindu nationalists reportedly ransacked the home of the communist party chief in the South India state of Karnataka's on March 9. The attack was likely inspired by violence against Hindu nationalists by communists in the neighboring state of Kerala several days earli [...] | 2008-03-20 06:40:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM PINR IN |
08CHENNAI11 | BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: POST-SHIPMENT END-USE CHECK ON [...] (SBU) Mission personnel visited Park Controls & Communications (http://www.parkcontrols.com/index.htm) on December 17, and were granted full access to the site. Only one of the boxes containing the RCB-2000 Digital Receiver Systems had been unpacked at the time of our visit -- the company had [...] | 2008-01-09 13:00:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETTC KOMC IN |
08CHENNAI110 | ANDHRA PRADESH "GREYHOUNDS" DOG MAOISTS IN [...] (C) SUMMARY: Police contacts confirmed media reports of a joint counter-insurgency operation involving police units from the Indian states of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. 17 Maoists insurgents were killed in a March 18 raid, including at least one important Maoist leader, according to c [...] | 2008-03-25 07:19:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC IN PGOV PHUM PTER |
08CHENNAI113 | UNSEASONABLE RAINS DEVASTATE KERALA'S CROPS AND EXPOSE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: An unseasonable spell of rain hit the South India state of Kerala in mid-March as farmers were preparing to harvest rice causing an estimated crop loss of USD 45 million. The unusual downpours also caused political trouble for the state's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist [...] | 2008-03-28 04:25:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON IN |
08CHENNAI114 | SOUTH INDIA'S TIGERS ARE HANGING ON, BUT STILL IN DANGER [...] Summary: The number of tigers in South India dropped by about 30 percent in the last four years and the animals disappeared from 17 percent of the districts they previously inhabited, according to the Tiger Census Report (TCR) released in February by the central government's Ministry of Enviro [...] | 2008-03-31 10:05:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI119 | KARNATAKA HEADED FOR MAY POLLS [...] (U) Summary: The South India state of Karnataka will hold elections for its legislative assembly before May 28, according to a statement India's Chief Election Commissioner made to reporters on March 28 in Chennai. The precise date of the elections has not been set, but earlier reports sugges [...] | 2008-04-01 10:38:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL ECON IN |
08CHENNAI133 | RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: FROM CATTLE HERDING TO DATA [...] SUMMARY: Local government and non-governmental organizations have established innovative rural development initiatives in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. An entrepreneurial district administrator has used pre-existing development funds to establish India's first-ever rural business pro [...] | 2008-04-11 07:37:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINT EIND PGOV PHUM PTER IN |
08CHENNAI134 | BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: POST-LICENSE PRE-SHIPMENT CHECK ON [...] (SBU) Summary: Post does not recommend approval of this license. Both the foreign consignee and end-user have been difficult or impossible to contact, and much of the contact information on the license check request is erroneous. The end-user has also been evasive and non-cooperative. We ha [...] | 2008-04-11 07:41:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETTC KOMC IN |
08CHENNAI15 | MAYAWATI ON THE MOVE IN SOUTH INDIA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, is moving into South India. BSP previously had little presence in the south, but has recently increased its visibility in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with Mayawati holding rallies in both states' capit [...] | 2008-01-14 11:16:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV IN |
08CHENNAI153 | MORE OF THE SAME: COMMUNIST NATIONAL MEET OUTLINES FUTURE [...] (U) Summary: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) held its nineteenth Party Congress in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu from March 29 - April 3. The CPM promised continued opposition to U.S.-India bilateral ties, which it characterized as a subjugation of India's national interests. The party [...] | 2008-04-24 07:58:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL PINR IN |
08CHENNAI157 | IRAQI LABOR ACTIVIST'S ANTI-U.S. COMMENTS DRAW MEDIA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Abdulla Muhsin, described as a labor activist from Iraq, grabbed media attention in the South India state of Kerala with sharp comments against American multinational companies "looting billions and billions of dollars worth of oil under the guise of the U.S. occupation of Iraq." [...] | 2008-05-01 06:35:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV ELAB IN IZ |
08CHENNAI163 | BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: APPLICATION 05-050095903 PRE-LICENSE [...] (U) We have no objection to this application. 2. (SBU) We spoke by telephone on April 30 with K.S. Manjunath, Senior Stores Officer at the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) in Bangalore. Manjunath confirmed that DARE had placed the order for the items listed in reftel, para 5. [...] | 2008-05-05 05:18:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETTC KOMC IN IS |
08CHENNAI167 | AN ELECTION PRIMER FOR INDIA'S NEXT BIG VOTE: SHOWTIME IN [...] Summary: Voters in the South Indian state of Karnataka head to the polls in May to select 224 members of the state's legislative assembly. More than 10,000 candidates are vying for these seats in elections that will take place in three stages, from May 10 to May 22. The main contest will ta [...] | 2008-05-07 08:41:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PINR KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI168 | KARNATAKA'S ELECTIONS: CONGRESS SHOULD WIN, BUT [...] (SBU) Summary: All Indian political eyes are on the South Indian state of Karnataka as it heads toward legislative assembly elections that begin on May 10 (ref A). A key pre-election poll published by one of South India's leading dailies shows that the Congress Party looks set to win a signi [...] | 2008-05-08 10:06:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PINR KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI170 | A NIGHT ON KARNATAKA'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL [...] (U) Summary: Elections for the South India state of Karnataka's legislative assembly begin on May 10 (refs A and B),and new interpretations of the restrictions on what candidates may -- and may not -- do have changed how campaigns are conducted. No longer can candidates spend unaccounted-for [...] | 2008-05-09 11:27:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PINR KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI192 | CONGRESS REELING AFTER BIG BJP WIN IN KARNATAKA [...] (SBU) Summary: The May 25 announcement of the state assembly election results in Karnataka gave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a major victory. The party took 110 of the 224 seats in the assembly, leaving it three seats shy of an absolute majority. The BJP quickly secured the support of f [...] | 2008-05-28 11:03:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL ECON KIRF KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI197 | CONGRESS, TDP BEAT EXPECTATIONS IN ANDHRA PRADESH [...] (SBU) Summary: The results of the May 29 by-elections in Andhra Pradesh dealt a blow to separatist aspirations in the southern state's Telangana region. The separatist Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) underperformed despite high expectations, winning only 7 of the 16 seats in the state legislativ [...] | 2008-06-04 10:41:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI20 | MODI FLIRTS WITH JAYA, SPECULATION OF BJP-AIADMK ALLIANCE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On January 15, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi visited Chennai. Modi's visit, cloaked under heavy security, sparked several protests. His lunch with J Jayalalithaa, leader of Tamil Nadu's opposition AIADMK, fueled speculation of an AIADMK-BJP alliance in future elections. [...] | 2008-01-17 11:24:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KIRF IN |
08CHENNAI203 | ANDHRA PRADESH COP SEES HYDERABAD LINK TO JAIPUR [...] (C) Summary: One of Andhra Pradesh's top anti-terrorist cops said the trail of evidence in the May 13 Jaipur bombings leads to Hyderabad. The detonators used in Jaipur have been traced to the district adjoining Hyderabad and the shapes of the charges used in Jaipur are similar to the August [...] | 2008-06-10 07:54:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC IN KISL PGOV PREL PTER |
08CHENNAI21 | FIGHT WITH CHRISTIAN GROUPS FURTHER WEAKENS KERALA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Leftist political leaders have been engaged in a months-long war of words with Syrian Christian leaders in the South Indian state Kerala. The Syrian Christians' anger at government proposals that would reduce their church's autonomy to manage its schools has pushed them into dir [...] | 2008-01-17 11:24:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KIRF IN |
08CHENNAI213 | DMK WON'T BREAK WITH CONGRESS BUT WILL URGE SONIA [...] (C) Summary: Tamil Nadu's DMK party will not abandon Congress in the upcoming national elections according to one of the party's senior strategists and a confidante of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The strategist emphasized the need for the Congress party to project its prime mi [...] | 2008-06-18 09:39:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | IN PGOV |
08CHENNAI214 | ANDHRA PRADESH: AN ANTI-TRAFFICKING MODEL FOR INDIA [...] Summary: The South Indian state Andhra Pradesh has made great strides in combating trafficking in persons. In what anti-trafficking NGOs describe as a "paradigm shift," the police, prosecutors, and the judiciary have all actively participated in training programs sponsored by the United Nati [...] | 2008-06-25 11:01:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | KWMN KCRM ELAB PGOV PHUM PREF SOCI IN |
08CHENNAI22 | SOUTH INDIA PREPARES TO DEFEND AGAINST AVIAN INFLUENZA [...] (SBU) Summary: The preparedness of India's southern states to manage a potential outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) in the region is mixed. Tamil Nadu appears better prepared than the other southern states, but a severe outbreak is likely to stretch both the state and national governments' abil [...] | 2008-01-23 11:49:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFLU TBIO EAGR CASC SENV ECON ETRD AMED IN |
08CHENNAI223 | DMK WON'T BREAK WITH CONGRESS BUT WILL URGE SONIA [...] (C) Summary: Tamil Nadu's DMK party will not abandon Congress in the upcoming national elections according to one of the party's senior strategists and a confidante of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The strategist emphasized the need for the Congress party to project its prime mi [...] | 2008-06-26 05:06:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | IN PGOV |
08CHENNAI224 | DMK COALITION SHRINKS, EXPECT EVEN CLOSER TIES TO CONGRESS [...] (SBU) Summary: On June 17 Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party finally broke its contentious alliance with the PMK, another Tamil Nadu-based regional party. The allies had been feuding for more than a year, but it appears that the DMK preemptively broke ties when it heard that the PMK wanted to ali [...] | 2008-06-27 10:47:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI229 | ANDRHA'S TDP ROCKED BY SECOND-IN-COMMAND'S RESIGNATION [...] (SBU) Summary: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP),a major regional party based in the South Indian state Andhra Pradesh, suffered a serious blow when the party's second-in-command, T. Devender Goud, resigned on June 23. Goud, who had been a member of the party since 1987, broke with the TDP to pro [...] | 2008-07-02 10:10:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV IN |
08CHENNAI231 | MAYAWATI GIVES HER PARTY'S NATIONAL SECRETARY THE BOOT [...] (U) Summary: General Secretary of the Bhujan Samaj Party (BSP) P.G.R. Sindhia was unceremoniously tossed from his office by party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on June 24. Sindhia's defenestration followed the party's dismal performance in recently concluded legislative as [...] | 2008-07-03 08:33:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI234 | MAOIST AMBUSH OF ELITE UNIT STRIKES A BLOW TO [...] (SBU) Summary: Maoist (also known as Naxalite) rebels ambushed an elite Indian police unit in the eastern state Orissa, striking a major blow to the India's counter-insurgency effort. Thirty-two members of the Andhra Pradesh-based "Greyhounds" unit, which was conducting joint operations with [...] | 2008-07-08 11:06:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PTER ASEC IN |
08CHENNAI235 | BJP DECLARES OPEN SEASON FOR POACHING KARNATAKA'S [...] (SBU) Summary: Closer cooperation between the two opposition parties in the South Indian state of Karnataka has, as expected, led the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to start encouraging opposition party members to defect. Four members of the legislative assembly (MLAs),two from the Congr [...] | 2008-07-10 11:06:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI239 | MUSLIM RIOTING IN BANGALORE HANDLED WELL BY NEW BJP [...] (SBU) Riots broke out in one of Bangalore's Muslim districts on July 11 following the desecration of two mosques and some hot-headed agitation. Police apparently acted professionally to quell the violence. This may help calm some Muslim concerns about the attitude of Karnataka's newly elected [...] | 2008-07-16 10:40:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KIRF KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI240 | SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT VISITS IMPORTANT SOUTH INDIAN HINDU [...] (SBU) Summary: On July 11 - 12, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited one of South India's most important Hindu temples. Sri Lankan officials said the visit was "personal," except for a hastily thrown together press conference. Embassy contacts said that although President Rajapaks [...] | 2008-07-17 10:25:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER IN CE |
08CHENNAI251 | EXPLOSIONS REPORTED IN BANGALORE; NO REPORTS OF AMERICAN [...] (U) A series of explosions (media reports indicate from three to nine) rocked Bangalore at approximately 1330 on July 25. Initial reports indicate that at least one person was killed and 15 injured by the blasts, which occurred within 12 minutes of each other. Media also reports that the blast [...] | 2008-07-25 09:39:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PTER PREL ASEC CACS IN |
08CHENNAI254 | BANGALORE RECOVERING FROM TERROR ATTACKS AS INVESTIGATION [...] (SBU) Summary: A sense of normalcy is returning to Bangalore following the series of eight explosions on July 25 that killed one person and injured eight. A ninth device that failed to explode is providing city police insights on the bombs' construction. No Americans were killed or injured i [...] | 2008-07-29 02:46:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER PGOV PREL ASEC CACS IN |
08CHENNAI256 | POLICE FOIL ALLEGED PLOT TO BOMB TARGETS IN CHENNAI [...] (SBU) Summary: Following bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad (reftels),Tamil Nadu police have arrested several men in connection with alleged plans to bomb targets in Chennai and around the state, according to media reports confirmed to us by both police and government sources. The targets o [...] | 2008-07-30 05:26:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER PGOV PREL ASEC CACS IN |
08CHENNAI260 | SOUTH INDIA HELPS UPA IN CONFIDENCE VOTE, BUT TROUBLE AHEAD [...] (SBU) Summary: When the dust settled after the gripping July 22 trust vote in India's parliament (ref A),South Indians found the regional political landscape altered. Andhra Pradesh's Telugu Desam Party (TDP),a UPA opponent, fell further into disarray when two of its five Members of Parlia [...] | 2008-08-05 09:49:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL ECON ENRG IN |
08CHENNAI263 | TAMIL NADU EXPERIENCES POWER SHORTAGES, INEVITABLE [...] (SBU) Summary: Decades of under-investment in power generation have finally caught up with the South India state of Tamil Nadu, which is currently experiencing unprecedented disruptions of electricity supply. This under-investment, combined with strong economic growth and accompanying demand [...] | 2008-08-07 08:48:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ENRG TRGY KNNP ECON EINV PGOV EFIN IN RS |
08CHENNAI272 | WHAT WOULD LENIN DO? KERALA CPM SAYS "SEEK OUT FDI" [...] (SBU) Summary: Political Counselor and Consulate staff surveyed Kerala's political and economic scene in conversations with political and business leaders, journalists, and academics during an August 11 -12 visit to the South Indian state's capital, Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). In a majo [...] | 2008-08-18 10:06:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM ECON ENRG IN |
08CHENNAI28 | SEPARATIST SENTIMENT PUTS ANDHRA PRADESH'S MAJOR PARTIES ON [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Demands for separate statehood for Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region have set the state's politics on edge again. The historically underdeveloped region has long harbored separatist demands, which in 2001 led to a split in the state's major regional political player, the Telugu [...] | 2008-01-25 10:47:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM ECON PREL IN |
08CHENNAI289 | FILM STAR SHAKES UP ANDHRA PRADESH POLITICS [...] (SBU) Summary: After years of speculation about his intentions, Telugu film superstar Chiranjeevi finally formed a political party, which he dubbed the "Praja Rajayam" (People's Party). Chiranjeevi, who aspires to be the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, unveiled the party's name at a mammot [...] | 2008-08-29 09:29:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI298 | RE-PUBLICATION OF CONTROVERSIAL DANISH CARTOON SPURS MUSLIM [...] (SBU) Summary: Hundreds of Muslims angry over a newspaper's September 2 re-publication of the controversial Danish cartoon caricaturing the Prophet Mohammed demonstrated in several locations in the South Indian state Tamil Nadu. In Vellore, approximately 145 kilometers from Chennai, demonst [...] | 2008-09-05 10:11:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER KISL IN |
08CHENNAI299 | KERALA'S COMMUNIST CHIEF MINISTER CALLS FOR FOREIGN [...] (U) Principal Officer Andrew Simkin traveled to Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram),the capital of the South Indian state Kerala, on August 29-30 where he held introductory meetings with senior government officials and other key contacts. During his trip he met with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthana [...] | 2008-09-05 10:20:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL ECON EINV IN |
08CHENNAI30 | KARNATAKA GOVERNOR WANTS STATE ELECTIONS BY MAY 28 [...] (U) Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur, speaking to reporters in Bangalore on January 23, said that he wants to see state elections happen before May 28. (Thakur has administered the state since the imposition of "President's Rule" in November, when the state's legislature demonstrated that i [...] | 2008-01-25 10:47:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM ECON PREL IN |
08CHENNAI315 | MILITANT HINDUS ATTACK CHURCHES IN SOUTHERN KARNATAKA [...] Summary: Militant Hindu groups attacked three churches and six prayer houses located in three southern districts of Karnataka on September 14. The attacks took place between 10:15 and 10:30 as Sunday morning services were in progress. According to Christian groups three individuals including [...] | 2008-09-16 04:42:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KIRF IN |
08CHENNAI32 | KERALA COMMUNISTS LEAVE U.S. COMPANY'S DONATED BOATS HIGH [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Twenty fishing boats lie unused sixteen months after they were donated by an American company to help rehabilitate a tsunami-affected coastal fishing community in the South Indian state of Kerala. Even though a tsunami-affected fishing community is standing by in need of boats [...] | 2008-01-29 09:13:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON EAID PREL IN |
08CHENNAI322 | ANDHRA PRADESH ANTI-MAOIST STRATEGY SUCCESSFUL, BUT TOUGH [...] (SBU) Summary: The South India state Andhra Pradesh, which was once a hotbed of Maoist activity, has made substantial progress in quelling the leftist insurgency within its borders. The state's success can be attributed to improved governance, both in terms of more effective policing and the [...] | 2008-09-23 04:09:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PTER ECON PHUM ASEC IN |
08CHENNAI326 | INCIDENTS AGAINST CHURCHES IN KARNATAKA CONTINUE AS [...] (SBU) Summary: In the wake of another round of apparent attacks on churches in Karnataka on September 21, Consul General Andrew Simkin visited Bangalore September 23-24. The CG used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of protecting religious freedom to a wide variety of interlocutors, [...] | 2008-09-25 09:57:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM ASEC PINR KIRF SOCI IN |
08CHENNAI33 | HHS SECRETARY SWINGS THROUGH SOUTH INDIA [...] (SBU) Summary: The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),visited three of South India's largest cities from January 7-9, 2008. The visit provided the Secretary an opportunity to promote the importance of assuring SIPDIS product safety in an increa [...] | 2008-01-29 10:47:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL ECON TBIO SENV AMED KSCA PHUM KCRM SOCI IN |
08CHENNAI330 | CONGRESS CONSIDERING BANNING HINDU FUNDAMENTALIST BAJRANG [...] (SBU) Summary: A prominent Catholic voice in the Congress party came away from a recent meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Indian National Security Advisor MK Narayanan feeling that India will probably ban the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal as a result of the violence in Oriss [...] | 2008-09-29 09:56:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM ASEC PINR KIRF SOCI IN |
08CHENNAI342 | SHADOWY NGO'S TERRORIST TIES WORRY KERALA OBSERVERS [...] (C) Summary: The National Development Front (NDF),a shadowy, self-described human rights organization is causing alarm in north Kerala. A wide range of interlocutors alleged that the group has connections to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and a history of violent activ [...] | 2008-10-07 08:12:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC KISL PGOV PTER |
08CHENNAI344 | TAMIL NADU'S MAJOR PARTIES PRESSURE GOI TO INTERVENE IN [...] (SBU) Summary: An "all-party meeting" held on October 14 under the chairmanship of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi resolved that the Members of Parliament (MPs) from Tamil Nadu would resign if the Government of India does not ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka within two weeks. The "all-pa [...] | 2008-10-15 10:04:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PINR PTER IN CE |
08CHENNAI350 | CHRISTIANS STILL NERVOUS IN SOUTH INDIA [...] (SBU) Several of South India's Christian leaders expressed their continuing fear of anti-Christian violence to Joannella Morales, an officer in the Department's Office of International Religious Freedom, during her visit to Chennai and Bangalore on October 7 and 10. While violence on the scal [...] | 2008-10-17 04:29:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KIRF IN |
08CHENNAI356 | INDIA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES LUNAR ORBITER [...] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the Chandrayaan-1 (C-1) lunar orbiter on October 22 at 0622 hours local from its facility on Sriharikota Island in southern Andhra Pradesh, some 90 kilometers north of Chennai. All stages of the launch vehicle appeared to func [...] | 2008-10-22 06:57:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | TSPA PREL EIND SENV KSCA IN |
08CHENNAI359 | FALLOUT FROM GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS HITTING SOUTH INDIA, [...] (SBU) Summary: Our contacts in South India remain largely optimistic about the longer-term trajectory of the region's economy, but they are bracing for a rough ride in the short-term. Banks are tightening credit, importers are facing rising costs as the rupee drops, and exporters are not benef [...] | 2008-10-24 00:47:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN EINV ETRD IN |
08CHENNAI36 | HARDLINE KERALA COMMUNISTS LOSING OUT, BUT PARTY STILL [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: As Kerala's Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) prepare to hold its State Conference February 11 - 14, insiders say that the party's conservatives, led by Chief Minister Achuthanandan, will face a major defeat in the elections to the party's state committee. State Sec [...] | 2008-02-04 04:55:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PARM KNNP IN |
08CHENNAI362 | DMK PRESSURE TACTICS EMBARRASS CONGRESS; SUSPENSE CONTINUES [...] (SBU) Summary: After setting a two-week deadline for the Government of India to force a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party is going full steam on a campaign in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. The DMK's 20 Members of Parliament have handed over resignations to Chief Minister Kar [...] | 2008-10-24 10:05:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PINR PTER IN |
08CHENNAI364 | DMK CALLS OFF THREAT TO PULL SUPPORT FROM UPA OVER SRI [...] (SBU) Summary: Chief Minister Karunanidhi backed down from his threat to have Tamil Nadu's Members of Parliament resign if India did not force a ceasefire in Sri Lanka before October 28. The resignation drama has helped distract attention from the DMK party's woes in advance of next years P [...] | 2008-11-03 05:11:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PTER IN CE |
08CHENNAI378 | INVESTMENT IN SOUTH INDIA CONTINUES, AS DO JITTERS ABOUT [...] (SBU) Assistant US Trade Representative Michael Delaney met on November 10 with business leaders from key sectors of South India's economy, urging progress on the WTO Doha Round and assessing how the region's business are weathering the current economic slowdown. While all of Delaney's interloc [...] | 2008-11-14 07:45:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN ENRG ETRD EINV PGOV IN RU |
08CHENNAI379 | ANDHRA PRADESH POLICE KILL KEY MAOIST LEADERS [...] (SBU) Consulate sources say police in Andhra Pradesh struck a significant blow against Maoist (also known as Naxalite) efforts to reinvigorate the declining insurgency in the South Indian state. On October 28 Andhra Pradesh police killed two members of the Maoists' Andhra Pradesh Special Comm [...] | 2008-11-14 07:48:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PTER PHUM IN |
08CHENNAI385 | POLICE KILL SUSPECTED MAOISTS IN KARNATAKA [...] (SBU) Summary: State police ambushed a group of four suspected Maoist insurgents (also known as Naxalites) before dawn on November 19, killing three, according to press reports. The fourth, reported to be a woman, escaped the ambush, which took place in southwestern Karnataka. Press reports [...] | 2008-11-20 08:27:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER PGOV ASEC PINS PHUM IN |
08CHENNAI387 | SRI LANKAN REFUGEES STILL ARRIVING, POST RECOMMENDS PRM [...] (U) This is an action request. See paragraphs 12 and 13. 2. (SBU) Summary: The recent escalation of Sri Lanka's war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has not resulted in the expected flood of new refugees to India. Nonetheless, refugees continue to arrive at a steady, but mod [...] | 2008-11-24 08:13:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF PGOV PTER PHUM SOCI IN CE |
08CHENNAI389 | POLLING OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE DATES FOR KARNATAKA'S [...] (U) Karnataka state election officials announced on November 23 that by-elections for seven seats in the state's legislative assembly will take place on December 27. Six of these seats were held by assembly members who have left their original party (either Congress or the Janata Dal Secular P [...] | 2008-11-25 03:23:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI39 | LITTLE SUPPORT FOR TAMIL TIGERS IN INDIA DESPITE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Recent events in Sri Lanka, including the Sri Lankan government's decision to formally withdraw from the ceasefire agreement and target the Tamil Tiger leadership, have been widely covered in Tamil Nadu media. Despite the coverage, India's Tamils remain lukewarm to the occasion [...] | 2008-02-04 10:52:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PTER IN CE |
08CHENNAI394 | ANDHRA PRADESH CONGRESS USES IRRIGATION PROJECT TO WOO [...] (SBU) Summary: The Chief Minister of South India's Andhra Pradesh state recently laid the ceremonial foundation stone for what would be India's largest lift irrigation project. With 437 miles of canals and tunnels, the $7.7 billion project seeks to irrigate 1.64 million acres of drought-pron [...] | 2008-12-05 07:57:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV EAGR PGOV IN |
08CHENNAI395 | SOUTH INDIA PLANS TO BOOST SECURITY FORCES IN WAKE OF [...] (SBU) Summary: The attacks in Mumbai have concentrated minds in South India. Karnataka state officials in Bangalore are apparently close to finalizing plans to create two new security forces. One will be a 700-member S.W.A.T.-style commando squad; the other will be a 4500-member unit designe [...] | 2008-12-05 08:19:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL ASEC ETTC IN |
08CHENNAI398 | STATE FAILS TO NOTIFY CONSULATE OF SPECIFIC TERRORIST THREAT [...] (C) Summary: Two contacts casually mentioned to us that the government of Tamil Nadu had recently increased security due to a ""specific threat"" against the Consulate. The Consulate received no advance notification of the threat; we only came to know due to the two informal after-the-fact refer [...] | 2008-12-08 07:22:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC KISL PGOV PTER IN |
08CHENNAI399 | India and the Maoist Threat [...] (SBU) Summary: Lieutenant General K.M. Seth, a retired counter-insurgency expert and the former Governor of Chhattisgarh, gave a November 21 lecture entitled "Naxalism: Threat to Internal Security" to the Chennai-based Centre for Security Analysis. Seth, who served as Chhattisgarh's Governo [...] | 2008-12-08 08:03:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PTER PHUM IN |
08CHENNAI405 | COMMUNIST ALLIANCE WITH KEY REGIONAL PARTY LEAVES BJP OUT [...] (SBU) Summary: The the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have agreed to an alliance with Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party, the AIADMK, for next year's elections to the Indian parliament. The communists' decision to join with the AIADMK hurt [...] | 2008-12-11 06:03:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM IN |
08CHENNAI408 | ABANDONED BOATS STOKE FEARS OF LTTE OPERATIVES FLEEING INTO [...] (SBU) Summary: Six abandoned Sri Lankan boats, some marked with bullet holes and blood stains, recently washed up on Tamil Nadu shores. Tamil Nadu police claim the boats drifted to India after a recent cyclone, but this explanation has not convinced Indian Navy officials. Security analysts s [...] | 2008-12-18 02:04:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PTER PHUM IN CE |
08CHENNAI413 | BJP SET TO TIGHTEN ITS GRIP ON KARNATAK IN DECEMBER 27 [...] (SBU) Summary: The Bharthiya Janata Party (BJP) looks poised to tightenits grip on the reins of Karnataka's government onDecember 27, when the state holds seven by-electons (ref A). The BJP currently has 110 of the 224 seats in the legislative assembly, and was able to form a government (beco [...] | 2008-12-23 07:36:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI416 | BJP THE BIG WINNER IN KARNATAKA'S BY-ELECTIONS [...] (SBU) Summary: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won five of the eight Karnataka legislative assembly seats contested in by-elections on December 27. The victory gives the BJP an absolute majority of 115 seats in Karnataka's 224-seat legislative assembly, the first time the BJP has accomplishe [...] | 2008-12-30 08:08:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI51 | FIRST EVER USG VISIT TO INDIAN CAMPS FOR SRI LANKAN [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On January 30, Consulate staff visited two camps for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, marking the first official visit to the camps by representatives of the U.S. government. The visit reflects the growing openness of Indian government authorities, particularl [...] | 2008-02-14 03:18:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREF PREL IN |
08CHENNAI55 | POLICE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE TERRORISTS [...] (C) Summary: Police officials in the South India state of Karnataka arrested two individuals on January 9 who have since made statements suggesting that they are involved in plotting terror attacks in India. At least one of the suspects claimed to have received training at a Lashkar-e-Tayyib [...] | 2008-02-14 08:50:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PREL PGOV KTFN PK BG NP SA IN PINR |
08CHENNAI69 | FORMER IT MINISTER MARAN SAYS INDIA'S RULING COALITION IN TROUBLE [...] (C) SUMMARY: DMK Member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran spoke candidly about India's current political scene. He said the upcoming budget will provide clues as to whether the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) expects early elections. Maran was pessimistic about the UPA's electoral pr [...] | 2008-02-23 07:38:00 | Consulate Chennai | CONFIDENTIAL | IN PGOV PREL |
08CHENNAI73 | INDIA'S THIRD FRONT LOOKS TO AN ALLIANCE WITH LEFT PARTIES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: A senior leader of the United National Progressive Alliance (the "UNPA" or "Third Front") told post that they are moving towards an alliance with India's Left parties. Former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu explained that the UNPA and Left parties are motivat [...] | 2008-02-26 11:11:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM ECON IN |
08CHENNAI77 | COMMUNISTS WANT A "THIRD ALTERNATIVE" TO BJP AND CONGRESS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) politburo member from Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan, told post that his party would work to form "a third alternative" to the coalitions led by the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before India's next par [...] | 2008-02-29 04:49:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL ENRG IN |
08CHENNAI81 | FILM STAR SET TO SHAKE UP ANDHRA PRADESH POLITICS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Andhra Pradesh's media is rife with rumors that Telugu film superstar Chiranjeevi is set to form his own political party. With an enormous and dedicated fan base the action hero will immediately be a force to be reckoned with. In a recent meeting with Consulate officers, Chir [...] | 2008-03-05 07:19:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL IN |
08CHENNAI86 | DMK INSIDER SAYS CIV-NUKE WILL GO FORWARD; EXPECTS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity and Rural Industry Arcot Veerasamy told post that he expects the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to move forward on the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. Veerasamy's comments merit attention because he is DMK leader M. [...] | 2008-03-07 09:52:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL ECON ENRG IN |
08CHENNAI97 | U.S. NUCLEAR TEAM VISITS SOUTH INDIA ATOMIC RESEARCH [...] (SBU) Summary: A six-member delegation from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) visited on March 3-4 the Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR) near Chennai as part of a 10-day visit to India that also included a stop in Mumbai to discuss nuclear safety issues with counterpa [...] | 2008-03-14 06:56:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ENRG ECON PARM KNNP PGOV TRGY IN |
08CHENNAI99 | NEW AIRPORTS IN HYDERABAD AND BANGALORE WILL BRING [...] (SBU) Summary: The new airports slated to open in the next several weeks in both Hyderabad and Bangalore promise to bring world-class modernity and comfort to air travelers in South India. The opening of the new airports will also close the cities' current airports for commercial aviation, one [...] | 2008-03-14 10:46:00 | Consulate Chennai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EAIR ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV IN |
08CHIANGMAI10 | STAFFDEL YEO FOCUSES ON REFUGEES, IDPS AND BURMESE POLITICAL [...] (C) In meetings with Staffdel Yeo, some politically active Burmese exile groups requested stronger U.S. sanctions against Burma, claimed to play a significant role in organizing recent protests inside Burma, and asked for U.S. support for a constitution they drafted as an alternative to the Bu [...] | 2008-01-14 09:00:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PREF PHUM PGOV SOCI TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI11 | BFIF REQUEST FOR CHIANG MAI, VIENTIANE, AND PHNOM PENH [...] The Greater Mekong Subregion's North-South and East-West corridors form a "golden gateway" linking southern China and all the countries of mainland Southeast Asia. This vast market provides significant opportunities for U.S. businesses. At the heart of the Greater Mekong Subregion are three U [...] | 2008-01-22 14:22:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP BTIO TH LA CB CH |
08CHIANGMAI110 | BURMESE ASYLUM SEEKERS FORCIBLY RETURNED; NOT HANDED OVER TO [...] (C) Though the precise timing of events is still unclear, the Thai Government returned some 70 Burmese asylum seekers from two refugee camps to Burma sometime between the evening of July 16 and the morning of July 17. Thai authorities escorted the group to the Eh Tu Ta camp for internally disp [...] | 2008-07-17 11:15:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREF PREL PGOV PHUM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI114 | THAI MARKET TURNS TO AFRICAN RUBIES AS SMUGGLING OF BURMESE [...] (SBU) The long and porous border of the Mae Sot area with Burma, and proximity to the Burmese gem mines, have made this region historically a center for the smuggling of Burmese gems. However, imported African rubies now dominate local markets in Mae Sot. Retailers say Burmese rubies are too e [...] | 2008-07-22 09:50:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV ECON ETRD PGOV EINV TH BM CH |
08CHIANGMAI120 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: IMPLEMENTATION STALLED ON IDEAS FROM [...] (S/NF) Consul General met for the first time since late May with Mark Tamthai, the Thai Government's point-man for secret talks between the RTG and southern insurgents. Tamthai said: -- implementation of a pilot "peace zone" in Yala city, worked out during the talks in May, is stalled due [...] | 2008-08-14 09:03:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PREL PINR KDEM PTER PHUM TH |
08CHIANGMAI125 | THA-BURMA CROP SUBSTITUTION PROPOSAL ADVANCING, SLOWLY [...] (C) Thai and Burmese officials met in mid-August to explore a Burmese request for Thai assistance in crop substitution and poverty alleviation in drug-producing border areas. While the project reportedly has the backing of the Thai King, progress is slow as the Burmese have yet to meet the Th [...] | 2008-08-21 06:26:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SNAR PHUM PREF TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI126 | PUTTING THE NEW TIP LAW TO ITS FIRST TEST [...] (C) Criminal proceedings have begun in what Thai NGOs and authorities are highlighting as the first case under the new trafficking in persons (TIP) law passed by the Thai Parliament in December 2007 (Reftel). The two suspects in the case have been charged with selling the sexual services of si [...] | 2008-08-25 07:15:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | KCRM KWMN SMIG PHUM TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI127 | CITIZENSHIP HARDSHIPS GREATER FOR HIGHLAND WOMEN THAN MEN [...] (SBU) Though the Thai government has increased its efforts to streamline the naturalization process for members of hill tribes, corruption at the tribal and local government level and inherent ethnic biases have delayed progress, especially for women. Because most hill tribes are located in re [...] | 2008-08-25 10:14:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV KWMN SOCI TH |
08CHIANGMAI128 | NORTHERN THAILAND CREATES A SPACE FOR U.S. INVESTMENT [...] Northern Thailand boasts many attributes that are attractive to foreign investors, including low labor and land costs, making the region an inviting alternative to the growing costs of operating in Bangkok. Moreover, favorable tax incentives in the north, combined with sophisticated transporta [...] | 2008-08-26 09:51:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EAGR ECIN ECPS EFIN EIND EINV ELAB ELTN CH |
08CHIANGMAI13 | LESE MAJESTE, CENSORSHIP OPENLY CRITICIZED AT THAI STUDIES [...] (C) Despite suspecting they were under the eyes of Thai intelligence officers, Thai students and academics discussed and debated the monarchy and legal prohibitions on lese majeste in an open setting at Thammasat University. Though a taboo topic in Thailand, participants in the bi-annual Thai [...] | 2008-01-31 01:50:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR TH |
08CHIANGMAI133 | NORTHERN LABOR UNIONS, STUDENTS AND MEDIA DIVIDED OVER PAD [...] (SBU) Labor unions in northern Thailand are split, with some supporting the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and others supporting Prime Minister Samak's government, though the more vocal ones support PAD. Over 1,000 PAD supporters have traveled from the north to Bangkok [...] | 2008-09-03 10:08:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ELAB SOCI TH |
08CHIANGMAI136 | ANALYTICAL EXILES FAVOR LIMITED U.S. ENGAGEMENT WITH BURMESE [...] (C) In a subtle shift, influential Burmese political pundits based in northern Thailand have begun advocating limited U.S. engagement with the Burmese regime over the past few months, likely spurred on by the acceleration of Burma's sham roadmap and the regime's bungled response to Cyclone Nar [...] | 2008-09-04 09:05:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI140 | RELOCATIONS HURT HILL TRIBE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY, [...] (SBU) Agriculturally-dependent hill tribe or highland people in northern Thailand have become economically strained by forest conservation and drug control policies adopted by the Thai government in the last several decades. These policies have had success in conservation and counternarcotics [...] | 2008-09-10 07:18:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON SOCI SNAR PHUM TH |
08CHIANGMAI141 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: SEARCHING FOR WAYS AHEAD [...] (S/NF) Mark Tamthai, the RTG's point-man for secret talks with southern insurgents, told CG September 15 of his efforts to move ahead with a pilot peace zone plan in Yala despite the distraction of ongoing political crisis in Bangkok. He aims to implement this as a "local" operation via the R [...] | 2008-09-15 08:44:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PREL PINR KDEM PTER PHUM TH |
08CHIANGMAI144 | LOWER NORTH'S TAKE ON NEW GOVERNMENT: NEXT MOVE WILL COME [...] (C) Consul General discussed Thailand's national political impasse with parliamentarians and governors during a recent trip to two lower north provinces. While all interlocutors, including two opposition MPs, saw new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat as an improvement over his mercurial predec [...] | 2008-09-29 08:38:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PINR KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI145 | VIOLENT CLASH BETWEEN PRO AND ANTI-THAKSIN GROUPS IN CHIANG [...] (SBU) A violent clash in Chiang Mai between members of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the pro-government United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) resulted in two injuries on the evening of Sunday, September 28. Police response was initially slow, but [...] | 2008-09-29 10:32:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI147 | PM'S VISIT TO CHIANG MAI: NOT AS SMOOTH AS SILK [...] (SBU) Despite concerted efforts by provincial and local officials, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's October 1-2 visit to Chiang Mai met with some unwelcome disruptions. Meanwhile, tensions between the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD),and the pro-government United Front [...] | 2008-10-03 09:43:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI149 | CONSULATE PROMOTES ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NORTHERN THAILAND [...] Post promoted entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise (SME) development in northern Thailand through a one-day seminar entitled "Encourage Entrepreneurship: Promoting SMEs in Northern Thailand." Business leaders, CG, and econoff addressed an audience of 80 students and faculty and 30 [...] | 2008-10-08 03:57:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ETRD TH |
08CHIANGMAI150 | CONSULATE PROMOTES ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NORTHERN THAILAND [...] Post promoted entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise (SME) development in northern Thailand through a one-day seminar entitled "Encourage Entrepreneurship: Promoting SMEs in Northern Thailand." Business leaders, CG, and econoff addressed an audience of 80 students and faculty and 30 [...] | 2008-10-08 03:58:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ETRD TH |
08CHIANGMAI151 | CONSULATE PROMOTES ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NORTHERN THAILAND [...] Post promoted entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise (SME) development in northern Thailand through a one-day seminar entitled "Encourage Entrepreneurship: Promoting SMEs in Northern Thailand." Business leaders, CG, and econoff addressed an audience of 80 students and faculty and 30 [...] | 2008-10-08 03:58:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ETRD TH |
08CHIANGMAI152 | PAY-OFF DISPUTE SPARKS MINOR CLASH ON THAI-BURMA BORDER [...] (C) The October 3 border incursion by the Burmese junta-backed Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) into Thai territory in Tak Province was a small-scale action sparked by a dispute over farming pay-offs. The action, which involved fewer than a dozen DKBA troops, damaged the house of a Thais [...] | 2008-10-08 07:57:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV MOPS BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI154 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: CHAVALIT FOLDS; WHO'S DEALING NOW? [...] (S) Mark Tamthai, the RTG's point-man for secret talks with southern insurgents, told CG October 8 that Deputy PM Chavalit had resigned after being undercut by the Prime Minister, the Army, and faction leaders inside his own party. Tamthai expressed little regret over his departure and the ac [...] | 2008-10-09 09:21:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PTER TH |
08CHIANGMAI156 | PILOT PROJECT TACKLES CORRUPTION AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL [...] (SBU) Provincial Counter-Corruption Commissions in Lamphun and Sukhothai, launched a year ago as part of a pilot project that includes six other provinces, have had modest success in raising grassroots awareness to counter local government corruption. The project will ultimately be replicated [...] | 2008-10-15 04:04:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON KCRM KJUS BTIO TH |
08CHIANGMAI160 | HIGH-TECH LAMPHUN SHOWS COMPETITIVE POTENTIAL AND INVESTMENT [...] As host to many foreign high-tech manufacturing firms, the Northern Regional Industrial Estate (NRIE) of Lamphun province is both a model for the potential of northern Thailand as a producer of sophisticated electronics products as well as a reality check of the challenges foreign investors fac [...] | 2008-10-17 06:53:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ETRD ELAB EIND CH TH |
08CHIANGMAI161 | TV NEWS PROGRAM FOR BURMESE YOUTH LAUNCHED [...] (SBU) The exile media group Democratic Voice of Burma marked the official launch of its news program by and for Burmese youth on October 3 in Chiang Mai. Youth Voice is the result of a collaborative effort between several NGOs and governments, and is a first for Burma, giving youth a chance to [...] | 2008-10-17 07:12:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SCUL SOCI ECPS PROP TSPA BM TH NL NO |
08CHIANGMAI163 | TOURISM SECTOR TRIES TO WEATHER POLITICAL STORM AT HOME, [...] The Chiang Mai tourism sector, thought of as one of the cornerstones of the local economy, is preparing to struggle through the upcoming tourist season expected to be affected by both the on-going political instability in Bangkok and the financial troubles abroad. Local hotels and tour compani [...] | 2008-10-24 14:01:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV EFIN ETRD PGOV PREL TH |
08CHIANGMAI166 | NEW CONSULATE OPENS IN NORTHERN THAILAND [...] Consul General and five staff engaged in "soft diplomacy" while operating as "ConGen Chiang Rai" during a two-day road show to the city October 29-30. Based at the brand new Le Meridien Hotel - which is managed by the U.S. firm Starwood - CG hosted a reception and U.S. wine promotion for 80 l [...] | 2008-11-04 02:17:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | KPAO SCUL PREL BEXP OEXC |
08CHIANGMAI168 | POLITICAL TEMPERATURE IN CHIANG MAI ON THE RISE [...] (SBU) Over the past six days, a bombing targeting a key People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader, and the siege of the Chiang Mai Thai Public Broadcasting Service station by pro-government supporters have upped the political tension in Chiang Mai. Though the bomb did not injure anyone, an [...] | 2008-11-04 11:15:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV PHUM PROP KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI169 | CROSS-BORDER MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE EXPANDS WITH GREATER MEKONG [...] (U) With the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) highway infrastructure project nearing completion, movement of persons and trade in services - not only trade in goods - across the northern Thai border is increasing. While the number of persons entering Thailand at Chiang Khong, the border point fo [...] | 2008-11-07 07:51:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ECPS EINV ELAB ELTN ETRD PREL EWWT BM CH |
08CHIANGMAI17 | KARENNI REFUGEE CAMP FEELING SQUEEZED [...] (C) At the Karenni refugee camp where a violent clash with security forces last December left one refugee dead, order has been restored but follow-up actions promised by local officials have proceeded unevenly. A post-clash formal dialogue involving camp residents, local Thai authorities, and [...] | 2008-02-01 02:43:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREF PREL PHUM SOCI TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI173 | BURMESE EXILES TELL STAFFDEL GROVE HUMANITARIAN SPACE WON'T [...] (C) Increased space for humanitarian relief work in the Irrawaddy Delta won't speed up political change, and the U.S. needs a strategy for change in Burma involving regional actors -- these were the two main messages prominent Burmese exiles conveyed to StaffDel Grove during his brief November [...] | 2008-11-14 09:22:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EAID ECON SOCI BM CH TH |
08CHIANGMAI174 | WITHOUT BURMA, EAST-WEST CORRIDOR IS UNDERUSED AND [...] (SBU) Stretching 1,056 miles from Rangoon, Burma to Da Nang, Vietnam, the R2 highway remains incomplete, underused, and with little economic value to date. Though the Asian Development Bank (ADB),the mind behind this highway and the larger Greater Mekong Subregion infrastructure project, cons [...] | 2008-11-17 01:08:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ELTN ECIN EINV ELAB ETRD EWWT PREL BM VM |
08CHIANGMAI175 | THAIS SEE ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM CONTRACT FARMING IN BURMA [...] (C) Thai contract farming is a growing feature of the Thai-Burmese bilateral economic relationship. The activity remains concentrated in the border areas, however. Thai businesspeople who engage in contract farming in Burma are generally individuals who conduct their business informally with [...] | 2008-11-20 10:01:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PINR ECON EAGR EAID ECIN EINV ETRD PREL BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI177 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: DEMISE OF SECRET PEACE DIALOGUE [...] (S) Mark Tamthai, the RTG's point-man for secret talks with southern insurgents, confirmed to visiting DCM that the RTG committee charged with running the dialogue has now been disbanded following several months of inaction due to a funding cut-off. The ensuing vacuum remains unfilled, despit [...] | 2008-11-25 02:31:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PTER TH MY |
08CHIANGMAI178 | PRO AND ANTI-THAKSIN GROUPS IN CHIANG MAI: A PROFILE [...] (C) There are two anti-Thaksin groups, but only one main pro-Thaksin group based in Chiang Mai, according to journalists and members of the three groups. The pro-Thaksin group is financed by Thaksin himself, while the two People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)-sympathetic groups are self-funde [...] | 2008-11-25 11:52:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI184 | LOWER NORTH LEADERS SAY NATIONAL STALEMATE HARDENING; DON'T [...] (C) Consul General discussed Thailand's national political impasse with local politicians during a trip to two lower north provinces just prior to the December 2 court ruling dissolving the governing People's Power Party. All interlocutors, in a trend reflective of similar conversations in th [...] | 2008-12-03 07:38:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM KJUS ASEC CASC ECON EINV TH |
08CHIANGMAI185 | THE NORTH KOREA-THAILAND REFUGEE PIPELINE: A TALE OF TWO [...] (C) The number of North Koreans seeking resettlement to a third country via Thailand is expected to continue to rise, despite a drop in the number of North Koreans arrested in early 2008, according to officials in Chiang Rai Province, which borders both Laos and Burma. Though these same inter [...] | 2008-12-04 07:09:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREF PREL PHUM PINR BM LA CH KS KN TH |
08CHIANGMAI186 | 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION VOTING OUTREACH SUMMARY REPORT [...] Post assisted an estimated 200 voters to register as absentee voters and several hundred more with other voting inquiries during the 2008 election cycle. Through voter registration open houses, cooperation with political party groups, and an advertising campaign throughout northern Thailand, p [...] | 2008-12-08 04:53:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | TH |
08CHIANGMAI191 | BURMESE MONKS' VIEWS ON BURMA'S INTERNAL SITUATION [...] (C) Monks will not be the leading agents for change; the populace is waiting for Aung San Suu Kyi to come to power; the regime continues to keep close tabs on Buddhist clergy; the general public complains about worsening economic conditions; and monastic education is suffering, according to Bu [...] | 2008-12-19 04:21:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM PINS BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI192 | MINORITY HILL TRIBES STILL PLAGUED BY STATELESSNESS, THOUGH [...] Roughly half of Thailand's estimated 900,000 hill tribe minorities lack citizenship. This statelessness contributes significantly to their disadvantaged status. In recent years the Royal Thai Government (RTG) has made strides to improve citizenship eligibility for highlanders, including pass [...] | 2008-12-19 09:39:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM SMIG PREF PGOV PREL KDEM SNAR KCRM KWMN TH |
08CHIANGMAI193 | KNU WILLING TO TALK?; ETHNIC ALLIANCES IN TROUBLE [...] (C) The Karen National Union (KNU) is interested in a just peace with the Burmese regime if a mutually acceptable agreement can be reached, and a major regime offensive in Karen State may not take place this dry season, according to KNU contacts. Other Burmese exile interlocutors told us separ [...] | 2008-12-19 09:43:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV MOPS BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI2 | DEATH OF KARENNI REFUGEE HIGHLIGHTS UNDERLYING CAMP [...] (C) The December 15 shooting death of a Karenni refugee at Ban Nai Soi Camp highlights underlying, on-going tensions in the camp between residents and Thai security officials, according to the camp commander and Thai National Intelligence Agency contacts. Though the camp commander has been tra [...] | 2008-01-03 07:30:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREF PHUM MOPS BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI21 | CHANGE IN BURMA: NOW, OR IN THE DISTANT FUTURE? [...] (C) Change will not come to Burma for another 20 years if it does not come soon, was the prevailing sentiment among Burmese exiles over lunch with the Ambassador. Though there was disagreement among the group over whether steps could be taken to help effect short-term change, and whether the [...] | 2008-02-06 10:54:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV ECON SOCI TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI24 | RECENTLY ARRIVED BURMESE MONKS TELL THEIR STORY [...] (C) The demonstrations in Burma in August and September 2007 were spontaneous and organized mainly from inside the country, according to several participants who recently migrated to Thailand. Many monks were detained and sent to labor camps, they told StaffDel Yeo and visiting Rangoon PolOff [...] | 2008-02-08 09:41:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREF PREL PGOV PHUM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI27 | KNU SECRETARY GENERAL ASSASSINATED [...] (C) Though the assassination of Karen National Union Secretary General Mahn Sha is most likely the result of SIPDIS infighting among Karen groups, we cannot discount entirely the possible involvement of elements of the Burmese military and perhaps local Thai officials. The Thai police are [...] | 2008-02-15 10:18:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MOPS PREL PREF PHUM SNAR BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI29 | SPDC BLAMED FOR KNU ASSASSINATION AS TENSIONS RISE [...] (C) An increasing number of interlocutors are blaming the Burmese regime for the February 14 assassination of Karen National Union Secretary General Mahn Sha. Thai officials' investigation has turned up a regime connection to the killing, as well as a private Thai link to the plot and photos o [...] | 2008-02-21 09:51:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI30 | BURMA SEEKS THAI HELP FOR CROP SUBSTITUTION IN [...] (C) Thai and Burmese officials are exploring Thai assistance to northeastern Burma's Shan State in the form of crop substitution and poverty alleviation in drug-producing areas. This would mirror a previous program that had some success in Shan State from 2002-05 before abruptly ending shortly [...] | 2008-02-28 08:13:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SNAR TH BM PHUM PREF |
08CHIANGMAI32 | SNAPSHOT OF NORTHERN KAREN STATE PROVIDES LITTLE HOPE [...] (C) A snapshot of Burma's northern Karen State provided by a recently returned Free Burma Rangers relief mission provides an overall bleak assessment for the local populace there. The ethnic Karen, although not facing an increase in fighting with Burma Army troops, are contending with contin [...] | 2008-03-03 07:53:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MOPS PHUM PREF TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI34 | THAI-LAO BORDER CHECKPOINT GIVES GLIMPSE INTO [...] (C) A visit to a small Thai-Lao border checkpoint revealed good cross-border cooperation, predictable trade patterns, and little or no illegal migration. However, the local Thai military commander reported that narcotics trafficking networks in the region were increasingly shifting their tran [...] | 2008-03-04 09:16:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL SNAR PREF ETRD TH LA |
08CHIANGMAI35 | SMALL U.S. FIRM FINDS HIGH-END GARMENT NICHE IN RURAL [...] RICO International is a small, U.S.-owned garment-maker in a remote corner of northern Thailand. It produces expensive hand-knit sweaters for sale in the U.S. to high-end clothiers. By staying in this high-end niche and keeping production volume low, RICO turns a profit despite competing with [...] | 2008-03-05 04:19:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ETRD EINV BTIO TH CH |
08CHIANGMAI37 | THOUGHTS ON BURMA'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM FROM A [...] (C) Burma's constitutional referendum presents a choice between perpetuating military rule and finding a way forward, asserted Aung Zaw, editor of the widely-circulated Irrawaddy news magazine. Several groups are unlikely to oppose the Constitution, he opined, due to the fact that if approved, [...] | 2008-03-07 10:11:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI40 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: PEACE DIALOGUE AWAITS SIGNAL FROM NEW [...] (S/NF) PM Samak's month-old government has yet to signal its approach to the secret peace process launched by its predecessor to address the violence in southern Thailand, we were told by Mark Tamthai, advisor to former PM Surayud. Samak's security policy team is still taking shape, and it is [...] | 2008-03-11 09:26:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PTER KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI43 | ETHNIC GROUPS TO OPPOSE REFERRENDUM, CONDUCT EXIT POLL [...] (C) Ethnic exile groups based in Thailand are encouraging their contacts inside Burma to reject the draft Constitution in the upcoming referendum. Though they have next to no funding available, they are organizing ethnic youth, ceasefire, and other political groups in Burma's seven ethnic sta [...] | 2008-03-14 10:39:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KDEM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI47 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: AS NEXT ROUND OF PEACE TALKS BEGINS, [...] (S/NF) Notwithstanding his inopportune public comments last week, Prime Minister Samak has reportedly blessed the next round of "secret" peace talks between the government and southern insurgents set for the coming days. Our source, a Chiang Mai-based academic involved in the peace process, r [...] | 2008-03-25 10:19:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PTER KDEM TH |
08CHIANGMAI50 | HAZARDOUS AIR QUALITY ON THE RISE IN NORTHERN THAILAND [...] With poor air quality levels surpassing the safety threshold, Chiang Mai and the northern provinces of Thailand are facing another hazy March. Small dust particle (PM10) measurements have peaked at hazardous levels sparking a concerned response from the Royal household. Post staff and familie [...] | 2008-03-28 00:40:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV EAGR AMED TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI51 | SKILLED LABOR SHORTAGE, HIGH TRANSPORT COSTS HINDER [...] In meetings with the Ambassador March 18, business leaders highlighted a shortage of highly skilled labor and unusually high transportation costs as key obstacles to expanding development and American investment in northern Thailand. Local Thai business leaders echoed the calls of American fir [...] | 2008-03-28 09:27:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ELTN ETRD ETTC SOCI TH |
08CHIANGMAI52 | REGIONAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE ON LOGISTICS BRINGS TOGETHER [...] In an effort to promote development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) logistics and transportation sectors and to underscore U.S. interest in deepening investment in the region, post hosted a conference on March 18-19 bringing together public and private sector representatives from across t [...] | 2008-03-28 09:40:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ELTN ECIN ETRD EWWT PREL TH BM CH LA CB |
08CHIANGMAI53 | CORRECTED COPY: SKILLED LABOR SHORTAGE, HIGH TRANSPORT COSTS [...] In meetings with the Ambassador March 18, business leaders highlighted a shortage of highly skilled labor and unusually high transportation costs as key obstacles to expanding development and American investment in northern Thailand. Local Thai business leaders echoed the calls of American fir [...] | 2008-03-28 09:47:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ELTN ETRD ETTC SOCI TH |
08CHIANGMAI57 | AN NGO PERSPECTIVE ON ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS IN NORTHERN [...] (SBU) Most Burmese who become trafficking victims knowingly enter Thailand illegally, but fall prey to deception and coercion after crossing the border, according to the head of a key anti-trafficking NGO operating in the region. Child prostitution has diminished significantly in northern Tha [...] | 2008-04-03 02:36:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KCRM KWMN SMIG PHUM TH |
08CHIANGMAI60 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: NEW NSC CHIEF SEEN AS THREAT TO PEACE [...] (S/NF) Thai Government point-man for secret talks with southern insurgents Mark Tamthai fears the newly announced National Security Council chief prefers harsh tactics over conciliation. Tamthai sees the next few weeks before the new chief takes office as a window for outreach directly to Pri [...] | 2008-04-10 03:16:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PINR PREL KDEM PTER TH |
08CHIANGMAI63 | BURMESE EXILES RALLY AROUND VOTE NO, BUT STRATEGY LACKING [...] (C) Though opposition to Burma's draft constitution and a "vote no" campaign have unprecedentedly united Burmese exile groups in Thailand, the exiles have so far failed to plan strategically for the post-referendum political environment. The exiles have outlined three scenarios for what will h [...] | 2008-04-22 09:05:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI65 | KACHIN STATE: A SNAPSHOT OF REFERENDUM ACTIVITIES [...] (C) Kachin National Organization (KNO) contacts in Thailand told us that, despite KNO efforts to mount a "vote no" campaign in Burma's upcoming constitutional referendum, they nonetheless expect most Kachin voters to check the "yes" box. Many would do so out of fear, our interlocutors asserted [...] | 2008-04-30 07:34:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI69 | MILITARY DETENTION OF AMCIT UNDERSCORES SHIFT IN THAI POLICY [...] (C) Amcit and Free Burma Rangers (FBR) head David Eubank, together with his wife and children, was detained by the military under martial law provisions April 29-May 1. This detention, like the tactics used in last month's raids by Thai security organs against Burmese exile groups, are a depar [...] | 2008-05-01 12:19:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM CASC BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI72 | AS PRICES RISE, THE NORTHERN RICE BOWL EXPANDS [...] Northern Thai farmers expressed joy to us about rising rice prices during a recent trip by ECON staff to the lower northern provinces of Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, and Phichit, collectively known as the "Rice Bowl of the North." Farmers and rice mill managers cited an over 50% increase in rice pr [...] | 2008-05-08 08:13:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR EAID ETRD ECON PGOV PREL TH |
08CHIANGMAI73 | CHINESE LANGUAGE STUDY RISING IN NORTHERN THAILAND, BUT NOT [...] Though not at the cost of English language students, Chinese language learning is growing more popular across northern Thailand, from high school students to Royal Thai Government (RTG) officials. Despite this trend, English study continues to be the students' preference as it comes with the h [...] | 2008-05-12 10:31:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | SCUL ETRD PREL TH CH |
08CHIANGMAI74 | BURMA'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM DOMINATED BY [...] (C) Voting irregularities in Burma's constitutional referendum were blatant, wide-spread, and intentional, according to Burmese exile groups based on the Thai-Burma border. By the morning of May 10, they had already catalogued over 100 reports of irregularities covering both advanced voting an [...] | 2008-05-14 04:28:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM PGOV KDEM BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI75 | EXILES SEE OPPORTUNITY FOR POLITICAL CHANGE IN NARGIS [...] (C) The Burmese regime's mishandling of the relief effort in the wake of Cyclone Nargis has the potential to boil over into mass uprising, according to Thailand-based Burmese exiles. Given the correct confluence of factors, demonstrations could even possibly lead to the downfall of the regime, [...] | 2008-05-15 09:49:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM SOCI BM TH |
08CHIANGMAI76 | CHINA-FOCUSED CHRISTIAN GROUP CAUGHT UP IN PRC'S POST-TIBET [...] (C) The "Friends of China" (FOC) NGO - which has been placing teachers and rural developmental workers in China for 20 years - reports that Beijing authorities recently shut down its office in Qinghai Province that oversees assistance projects with ethnic Tibetans there. FOC believes this is [...] | 2008-05-29 04:01:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL KIRF SOCI CH TH |
08CHIANGMAI79 | SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: THAILAND'S POLITICAL TURBULENCE PUSHES [...] (S/NF) A late-May round of secret talks between the Thai Government and southern insurgents yielded good progress on a proposal to create pilot "peace zones" in specific conflict areas, according to Mark Tamthai, RTG point-man for the talks. However, making the proposal operational anytime soo [...] | 2008-05-30 09:12:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PREL PINR KDEM PTER PHUM TH |
08CHIANGMAI80 | A "THIRD WAY" TO AVOID A CRISIS? [...] (C) Over 130 academics from across the country have launched a campaign to find a way out of the current political stalemate. Their plan calls for a more complete constitutional amendment process than the one currently underway, resulting in an entirely new constitution that would have to be [...] | 2008-06-02 02:33:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM TH |
08CHIANGMAI86 | PIRATED GOODS DOMINATE NORTHERN THAI MARKETS [...] With sales of licensed intellectual property dropping 50 percent so far this year, pirated goods are deepening their stronghold in the Chiang Mai and upper northern Thai markets. Risks remain low for merchants to engage in the piracy business; thus, the legal market for DVDs, CDs, and software [...] | 2008-06-04 11:15:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ETRD PGOV TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI91 | REDUCED BURNING LESSENED AIR POLLUTION DURING DRY SEASON [...] Chiang Mai's notoriously polluted dry season showed markedly improved air quality conditions from last year. Although the causes of March and April pollution remain the same (crop burning, forest fires, and vehicle emissions),government efforts to make the public more aware of the dangers of [...] | 2008-06-09 10:13:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV ECON EAGR ECIN TH BM CH LA |
08CHIANGMAI96 | AFTER NARGIS, A BORDER TRADE BOOM IN THAILAND'S FAVOR [...] (C) Trade activity on the Thai-Burma border is bustling as demand for relief supplies remains high in Burma after cyclone Nargis. Thai exports to Burma through Mae Sot increased 75% last month compared to May 2007, and officials do not expect export volumes to drop to normal levels anytime soo [...] | 2008-06-23 07:03:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD PREL EINV EAID EAGR TH BM |
08CHIANGMAI97 | REMITTANCES FROM THAILAND LIFT INCOMES IN BURMA [...] (SBU) Remittances transferred from the one-to-two million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand are an important source of income for their families in Burma. With migrant workers transferring about half of their incomes to their relatives in Burma, anywhere from $375 million to $1 billion could [...] | 2008-06-23 09:59:00 | Consulate Chiang Mai | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN PREL PHUM EAID EIND ELAB ETRD TH BM |
08CHISINAU100 | PARLIAMENT TO TAKE IRAQ TROOPS DECISION MID-FEBRUARY [...] (C) DATT and Pol/Econ Chief met February 1 with Iurie Stoicov, head of Moldova's Parliamentary Committee on Security Issues, to discuss Moldova's troop contributions to Iraq. DATT expressed the USG's appreciation for Moldova's continuing support to the coalition, and commented that Moldovan de [...] | 2008-02-01 14:21:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MARR MOPS MD |
08CHISINAU1001 | MOLDOVA: FINANCING FOR DEVELOMENT [...] No summary [...] | 2008-10-07 11:53:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID ECON EFIN PREL MD |
08CHISINAU1008 | PRESIDENT VORONIN WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE "INCIDENT" PROVOKED [...] (C) Summary: In an October 7 meeting President Voronin told DAS David Merkel that he was more concerned about Transnistria now than at any point in his presidency. Voronin believed that Russia wanted to take over the negotiating process to the exclusion of the other 5-plus-2 members. Russia [...] | 2008-10-09 05:46:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS PINR RS MD |
08CHISINAU1016 | PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSES MOLDOVAN-U.S. [...] (C) Summary: During an October 8 meeting with DAS David Merkel, Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii underlined the importance of moving forward on an MCC Compact agreement as soon as possible. Merkel discussed Moldova's trafficking in persons (TIP) efforts; the Prime Minister vowed the GOM woul [...] | 2008-10-09 15:06:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ECON EAID KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU1017 | ECONOMY MINISTER DESCRIBES PROGESS AND [...] (C) Summary: During Ambassador Chaudhry's October 6 courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Igor Dodon, the Minister explained that the GOM had privatized over 90 percent of land and 80 percent of enterprises following independence. Since then Moldova had succeeded in [...] | 2008-10-10 05:47:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EPET RS MD |
08CHISINAU1034 | SPEAKER LUPU DEFENDS ELECTION LAW [...] (C) Summary: In his first official meeting with the Ambassador on October 6, Parliamentary Speaker Marian Lupu said he expected that the upcoming (and last) session of the Parliament would review economic legislation and monitor implementation of judicial reform, but would leave the January [...] | 2008-10-14 15:12:00 | Embassy Chisinau | SECRET | PGOV KDEM PBTS RS MD |
08CHISINAU1038 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE RE GITMO [...] No summary [...] | 2008-10-17 14:29:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL MOPS PTER PHUM KAWK KISL |
08CHISINAU105 | Anti-Russian Christian Democrat Leader Also Critical of [...] (C) Summary: In a February 1 meeting with Ambassador Kirby, Christian Democrat (PPCD) leader Iurie Rosca sought assurances that the USG would not "guarantee" Moldovan neutrality. The Ambassador explained that the U.S. was not in a position to guarantee the neutrality of another sovereign nati [...] | 2008-02-04 13:36:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU107 | MOLDOVANS, RUSSIANS AGREE TO NEUTRALITY LANGUAGE AS BASIS [...] (U) This is an action message. See para. 8. 2. (C) Summary: In a state of "cautious optimism" about his consultations in Moscow, Presidential Advisor Marc Tkaciuk described the outlines of a three-paragraph agreement on neutrality that Moldovan officials reached with their Russian counterp [...] | 2008-02-04 16:15:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS MARR MD RU |
08CHISINAU1075 | MOLDOVA FM: SOLVING TRANSNISTRIA WOULD [...] (C) Summary: In an October 24 meeting with Ambassador, Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan underlined Moldova's European aspirations. The Ambassador noted that Moldova had to live up to European standards in democracy and development. Finding a settlement to the Transnistria problem would speed [...] | 2008-10-29 14:29:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EU MD |
08CHISINAU1078 | EUROPEN COMMISSION HEAD DOWNBEAT ON [...] (C) Summary: 1. In an October 9 meeting with Ambassador Chaudhry, the head of he European Commission delegation to Moldova, Ceare de Montis, gave a disapproving assessment of political and economic developments in Moldova. He painted a generally negative picture of MoldoaQs prospects for rea [...] | 2008-10-31 08:27:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU1079 | HUNGARY PLAYS ROLE ASSISTING MOLDOVA'S [...] (C) Summary: In an October 27 courtesy call, Hungarian Ambassador Gyorgy Varga discussed Hungary's active role in assisting Moldova's European integration. The Hungarian Ambassador favored a firm EU decision to bring Moldova into the EU club, and suggested giving Moldova associate member st [...] | 2008-10-31 08:31:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EAID RS EU HU MD |
08CHISINAU1084 | TRANSNISTRIAN BORDER GUARDS REFUSE [...] (C) Summary: On November 3, Minister for Reintegration Vasile Sova convened the Ambassador to inform him about an incident that had taken place earlier that morning. Transnistrian "border" guards had denied President Voronin access to his home village of Corjova, a central-government-control [...] | 2008-11-03 15:43:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU1085 | US AMBASSADORQS INITIAL MEETING WITH [...] (U) Summary: In an October 30 meeting, Ambassador Chaudhry and Minister of Defense Vitalie Vrabie discussed Moldova's peacekeeping activities, the signing of an MCC compact agreement, U.S. and Moldovan central government security engagement with Transnistria, and the purchase of Ministry [...] | 2008-11-03 15:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV MARR PBTS EU MD |
08CHISINAU1095 | UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR ON BORDER DISPUTES AND [...] (C) Summary: In an October 28 meeting with Ambassador Chaudhry, Ukrainian Ambassador Serhiy Pirozhkov underscored his desire for close cooperation with the U.S. and coordination on 5- plus-2. He reviewed three troublesome issues in border delineation that remain unresolved irritants to Ukra [...] | 2008-11-06 14:37:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS UK MD |
08CHISINAU1100 | PRIME MINISTER GRECEANII POSITIVE ON TIP [...] (C) Summary: In a November 6 meeting, Ambassador Chaudhry explained the next steps on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) to Prime Minister Greceanii, who reacted positively and described changes in high-level GOM responsibilities for TIP. The PM was concerned that the MCC report card was a harbin [...] | 2008-11-07 14:20:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM KTIP AMGT MD |
08CHISINAU1101 | COUNCIL OF EUROPE GROUP [...] (C) Summary: In an October 29 meeting Vladimir Ristovski, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (COE) in Moldova, briefed the Ambassador about the recent visit of a Council of Europe delegation. Ristovski stated that overall the visiting group left with a [...] | 2008-11-07 14:21:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV EAID COE EU EUN MD |
08CHISINAU1106 | ODESSA 5-PLUS-2 DISCUSSES CONFIDENCE- [...] (C) Summary: At the informal 5-plus-2 meeting in Odessa November 8, European Union Special Representative Kalman Mizsei put forth a package of confidence-building measures, to be undertaken by Chisinau and Tiraspol. Though Minister for Reintegration Sova said he was ready to sign on to all [...] | 2008-11-12 15:43:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU1107 | MOLDOVA RECEIVED DEMARCHE CONCERNING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-11-13 05:32:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC IR GM PREL PARM EFIN MD |
08CHISINAU1108 | MOLDOVA: 2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS [...] Summary: Moldova continues to grow as a drug- transit country and drug-related crime rates continue to increase. In 2008, Moldovan law enforcement seized unprecedented quantities of heroin and cocaine. Moldova does not produce a significant amount of narcotics or precursor chemicals. Despi [...] | 2008-11-13 07:26:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | SNAR MD |
08CHISINAU112 | BUDGET LOSSES RESULT IN PERSONAL PROFITS [...] (SBU) Summary: One of the issues that will be on the agenda in any comprehensive Transnistrian (TN) peace settlement will be the resumption of railway traffic. TN authorities recently presented a railroad initiative, which appears to be a response to President Voronin's October 2007 proposal t [...] | 2008-02-06 05:49:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PBTS ELTN PINR MD |
08CHISINAU1126 | MOLDOVA: 2008-2009 INTERNATIONAL [...] No summary [...] | 2008-11-19 14:44:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN SNAR KCRM KTFN ASEC MD |
08CHISINAU1127 | CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA [...] (U) Embassy has received the following congratulatory message for President-elect Obama. Original copies, with both English and Romanian versions included, will be sent via diplomatic pouch under Registry No. 4460364. 2. (U) Begin text: Your Excellency Mr. President Barack Obama We w [...] | 2008-11-20 10:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC PREL OVIP MO |
08CHISINAU1128 | CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT- [...] (U) Embassy has received the following congratulatory message for President-elect Obama. Original copies will be sent via diplomatic pouch under Registry No. 4460364. 2. (U) Begin text: To: Mr. Asif J. Chaudhry Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Moldova You [...] | 2008-11-20 10:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC PREL OVIP MO |
08CHISINAU1129 | CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FOR [...] (U) Embassy has received the following congratulatory message for President-elect Obama addressed to Ambassador Chaudhry. Original copies will be sent via diplomatic pouch under Registry No. 4460364. 2. (U) Begin text: Excellency, On behalf of the Moldovan scientific community and [...] | 2008-11-20 10:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | OPDC PREL OVIP MO |
08CHISINAU113 | MOLDOVA'S ECONOMY RESILIENT IN 2007 [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Moldova's economy remained resilient in 2007, overcoming the negative impacts of Russian trade bans, higher tariffs for natural gas and a devastating drought. Although GDP growth was less than forecast (below 4 percent) and inflation was higher than projected (13.1 percent),for [...] | 2008-02-06 14:14:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU1130 | CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT- [...] (U) Embassy has received the following press release from the Office of President Vladimir Voronin to President-elect Barack Obama. 2. (U) Begin text: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Moldova Press release The President of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, c [...] | 2008-11-20 10:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | OPCD PREL OVIP MO |
08CHISINAU1144 | ECONOMIC MINISTER DESCRIBES MINIMAL [...] (C) Summary: During Ambassador Chaudhry's November 13 meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Igor Dodon, the Minister explained that the global financial crisis had not affected Moldova initially. Moldova might face the return of some citizens working abroad in the EU a [...] | 2008-11-21 12:39:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EPET RS MD |
08CHISINAU1155 | AMBASSADOR PRODS CORRUPTION CZAR ON [...] (C) Summary: In a November 21 meeting, Ambassador Chaudhry pushed Deputy Prime Minister Valentin Mejinschi to change the selection process for the Civilian Monitoring Board (CMB) that was created to monitor the Center for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (CCECC). He also updated Mej [...] | 2008-11-28 10:52:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PINR MD |
08CHISINAU1156 | ECONOMIC MINISTER DISCUSSES ACQUISITION [...] (C) Summary: On November 13 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Igor Dodon, and U.S. Ambassador Asif J. Chaudhry met to discuss the acquisition of a five-hectare site located at 28 Vasile Lupu for a New Embassy Compound (NEC) for the USG. The GOM had suggested this five- hectare [...] | 2008-11-28 10:52:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ABLD MD |
08CHISINAU1158 | MOLDOVA RECEIVED DEMARCHE CONCERNING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-11-28 13:47:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL UNGA IS PA LE SY MD |
08CHISINAU1159 | MOLDOVA RECEIVED DEMARCHE CONCERNING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-11-28 13:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EAGR TBIO EAID PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU1160 | MOLDOVA RECEIVED DEMARCHE CONCERNING U.S. [...] No summary [...] | 2008-11-28 13:49:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MNUC PARM PREL UNGA MD |
08CHISINAU1161 | MOLDOVA RECEIVED DEMARCHE CONCERNING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-12-01 05:59:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN KTFN PTER PREL UNSC PINR MD |
08CHISINAU1168 | CHISINAU MAYOR COMPLAINS TO AMBASSADOR [...] (C) Summary: In a November 25 meeting, Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca complained to Ambassador Chaudhry about central government use of the Termocom heating issue to try to embarrass him, stated his implacable opposition to unrepentant Communists, and agreed to cooperate with the Embassy on [...] | 2008-12-03 13:08:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PINR AMGT MD |
08CHISINAU1206 | MEETING THE TRANSNISTRIANS IN TIRASPOL [...] (C) Summary: During his first working visit to Transnistria on November 24, Ambassador Chaudhry met separately with "President" Smirnov, Speaker Shevchuk, and Acting "Foreign Minister" Yastrebchak, and held a press conference with local media. The visit combined initial courtesy calls with [...] | 2008-12-09 13:44:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU123 | FEW OUTSTANDING ISSUES BLOCK MOLDOVAN-ROMANIAN BORDER AND [...] (C) Summary: Treaty specialists from the MFA Legal Department and the Romanian DCM explained Moldovan and Romanian views of the outstanding issues on the draft border and political treaties currently under negotiation. Only minor differences in wording remain. If the political will existed on [...] | 2008-02-08 10:46:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS MD RO |
08CHISINAU1235 | Ambassador Presses Senior Presidential [...] (C) Summary: In a December 8 meeting, Ambassador Chaudhry pressed senior presidential advisor Sergiu Stati to end GOM harassment and renew the work and residence permit of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Country Director Alex Grigorievs. Stati said the issue would be solved in a few day [...] | 2008-12-15 14:01:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS PINR MD |
08CHISINAU1246 | MOLDOVA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM [...] Moldova is not a safe haven for terrorists or terrorist groups. No acts of international terrorism of major significance have occurred in Moldova. Moldova is not designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. The Moldovan government continued to manage its counterterrorism strategy based on M [...] | 2008-12-22 06:49:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER ASEC MD |
08CHISINAU1257 | LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS RELIEVE PRESSURE ON PRO [...] (SBU) Summary: The Audiovisual Coordinating Council decided on December 19 to extend the broadcasting license of PRO TV and 11 other media outlets to an undetermined date after the upcoming elections. The decision recognized that any action taken against these media would be viewed as politic [...] | 2008-12-22 13:12:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU1258 | Urechean's Implausible Presidential [...] (C) Summary: In a December 17 meeting with Ambassador Chaudhry, Our Moldova Alliance (AMN) party leader Serafim Urechean criticized his political enemies, lamented Moldova's decline under Voronin's rule, predicted his own election as president in the 2009 elections (despite ruling- party dir [...] | 2008-12-22 14:15:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM PBTS PINR MD |
08CHISINAU1260 | IURIE ROSCA CLAIMS DEATH THREATS [...] (C) Summary: As part of a series of courtesy calls on political party leaders, the Ambassador met on December 17 with Iurie Rosca, chairman of the People's Christian Democratic Party (PPCD). In a rambling 2-1/2 hour long meeting, Rosca described his fundamental political position opposing Rus [...] | 2008-12-23 12:54:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU1266 | TRANSNISTRIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL TO FACILITATE [...] (SBU) Summary: The Transnistrian Supreme Soviet passed a bill on December 19, 2008, providing for a simplified travel regime for foreign diplomats. According to the new law, diplomats accredited in Chisinau would be able to travel to Transnistria without prior notification or coordination with [...] | 2008-12-24 09:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PGOV PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU127 | CHANGING THE ELECTION COMMISSION, AND THE RULES OF THE [...] (SBU) Summary: Unhappy with opposition party dominance of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC),the ruling Communist Party may be planning to take legal measures to ensure itself a dominant position in the electoral-administration body for the 2009 parliamentary elections. Revising existing [...] | 2008-02-11 05:45:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU1270 | MOLDOVA NOT PLEASED WITH ITS PLACEMENT IN [...] (SBU) Summary: Moldova is unhappy with a European Commission offer that puts it on the path to closer ties to the EU, but only in association with other CIS countries. On December 3, the European Commission officially proposed an Eastern Partnership to promote upgraded political and economi [...] | 2008-12-29 08:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV EUN MD |
08CHISINAU1273 | GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS IN MOLDOVA [...] Summary: Moldova's underdeveloped banking sector and stock market and the absence of speculative capital have enabled the country to avoid any initial shock from the global economic crisis. Quite the opposite, the country is set to finish 2008 with seven percent GDP growth and record high l [...] | 2008-12-30 08:22:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EAGR EINV EFIN ETRD PGOV KTDB MD |
08CHISINAU1277 | THE CHANGING NATURE OF TRAFFICKING IN [...] (SBU) Summary: Two of Moldova's most experienced anti-TIP activists met Ambassador Chaudhry on December 19. They described subtle but profound changes in the methods used to recruit and trap victims of trafficking, and the challenges that these "kinder, gentler" methods posed to police and [...] | 2008-12-31 10:00:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTIP PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU130 | MORE TRANSNISTRIAN LEGAL TRADE IN 2007 [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Throughout 2007 the Government of Moldova (GOM) honored its commitment to facilitate legal Transnistrian (TN) trade. The GOM's final 2007 TN trade data document increases in certified exports and imports, increases in the numbers of companies registered with Chisinau, and increa [...] | 2008-02-11 12:18:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PREL PGOV ETRD OSCE MD |
08CHISINAU132 | VORONIN: LOTS OF TALK, NO TRACTION ON TRANSNISTRIA [...] (C) Summary: On February 12, the Ambassador met with President Voronin and, separately, with Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan to discuss Transnistria (TN),Article 98, relations with Romania and Ukraine, and the upcoming Gagauzia parliamentary elections. Voronin discussed Moldovan neutrality a [...] | 2008-02-13 10:03:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS EAID MARR MD RO UP |
08CHISINAU134 | PROPOSALS FOR G/TIP FUNDING [...] (SBU) Summary: In response to the Solicitation for Proposals received by email from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking (G/TIP),Embassy Chisinau has reviewed and vetted three proposals, from the International Organization for Migration (IOM),La Strada, and Winrock International. Po [...] | 2008-02-13 12:33:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SMIG KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL OPRC MD |
08CHISINAU151 | MOLDOVA: TROUBLE ON THE DANUBE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Progress at the port of Giurgiulesti, Moldova's sole access to the Danube River, continues with the construction of additional berths for unloading bulk cargo and grains, and a grain storage facility. In 2007, the port's oil terminal opened, receiving the first shipment of gasol [...] | 2008-02-14 12:21:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EWWT PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU171 | MOLDOVA: CHISINAU CAUGHT IN A COMMUNIST TRAP [...] (C) SUMMARY: The opposition-controlled Chisinau municipal government is struggling with the decision of its Communist Party (PCRM) predecessor to increase and subsidize heating tariffs for all residents of the capital city. Although the current Chisinau city council attempted to cancel these [...] | 2008-02-21 08:37:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU172 | MOLDOVA FACES KOSOVO DILEMMA OVER TRANSNISTRIA ANALOGY: [...] (SBU) Summary: The Government of Moldova (GOM) and all major parties reacted to Kosovo's proclamation of independence with concerns that the analogy of Kosovo might be applied to Transnistria. Tiraspol authorities gladly accepted Kosovo's independence and said it should be a precedent for the [...] | 2008-02-21 12:18:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PNAT PREL PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU174 | SCENE-SETTER FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN MOLDOVA'S [...] (SBU) Summary: Legislative elections in Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia have been scheduled for March 16. Lack of funding has created uncertainty about whether the elections may have to be cancelled, but Gagauz leaders are still working on reaching an agreement with the central govern [...] | 2008-02-21 14:47:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL MD |
08CHISINAU175 | MOLDOVA: EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT [...] (U) Responses are keyed to questions in ref A, which requests post's contribution to the eighth annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. 2. (SBU) Summary: Anti-TIP efforts in the Republic of Moldova mostly were undertaken by NGOs and international organizations (IOs),primarily because [...] | 2008-02-21 14:52:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV KWMN ELAB SMIG KFRD KCRM PREF MD |
08CHISINAU190 | TRANSNISTRIAN BUDGET BATTLE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On February 20, the Transnistrian (TN) Supreme Soviet (parliament) voted to override the Executive's partial veto of the 2008 budget law (reftel). The Supreme Soviet stood firm on measures which limit the Executive, forcing the transfer of revenues generated by ministries and ex [...] | 2008-02-25 08:35:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PBTS PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU191 | CHANGE IN CUBA: MOLDOVA WILL DELIVER PRO FORMA NOTE OF [...] No summary [...] | 2008-02-25 13:09:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL EU CU MD |
08CHISINAU211 | RECALL OF MOLDOVAN AMBASSADOR TO UN REFLECTS POLITICAL [...] (U) On February 27, the Cabinet recalled Ambassador Alexei Tulbure, Moldova's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Though the ambassador was appointed only 18 months ago, Deputy Foreign Minister Kistruga, who attended the Cabinet meeting, told the press it was just a regular rotation [...] | 2008-02-29 12:26:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PINR UN MD |
08CHISINAU214 | NO CURRENT PARLIAMENTARY DECISION ON IRAQ TROOPS; MOLDOVA [...] (C) Pol/Econ Chief and DATT met February 29 with Iurie Stoicov, head of Moldova's Parliamentary Committee on Security Issues, to discuss Moldova's troop contributions to Iraq and inquire about planning for 2009. As requested by Ref A, we raised the question of Moldova's possibilities for parti [...] | 2008-02-29 14:04:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MARR MOPS MD |
08CHISINAU221 | MOLDOVA SUPPORTS UNSCR 1803 [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-04 09:36:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PARM IR MD |
08CHISINAU222 | MOLDOVA SUPPORTS U.S. VIEWS ON IAEA DG REPORT [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-04 09:37:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PARM IR IAEA MD |
08CHISINAU223 | MOLDOVA SUPPORTS U.S. POSITION ON IAEA BRIEFING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-04 09:37:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA IR MD |
08CHISINAU248 | RELIGIOUS LEADERS GATHER AT AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE [...] (SBU) Summary: At the second annual reception in honor of religious freedom on February 28, leaders of 11 religious groups networked on social and spiritual issues, described bureaucratic barriers to registration, and appreciated the venue (the Ambassador's residence),while regretting that ecu [...] | 2008-03-06 07:56:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL KIRF MD |
08CHISINAU249 | PRESIDENT REJECTS DUAL-CITIZENSHIP BAN FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS: [...] (C) Summary: To the surprise of many, President Voronin sent back to Parliament the draft law banning public officials from holding dual (read Moldovan and Romanian) citizenship. Most observers believe that Voronin, as the prime mover of the bill, had come to understand that the law would invo [...] | 2008-03-06 08:20:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU262 | Shevchuk Wants MCC Roadwork Project; while Litskai Too Ill [...] (C) SUMMARY: Transnistrian Speaker Shevchuk expressed strong interest in the proposed MCC road reconstruction projects, which would make an important contribution to the Transnistrian transportation corridor linking Chisinau and the west with Ukraine. Sheriff Company Director Ilya Kazmaly comp [...] | 2008-03-07 16:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS PINR EAID ETRN MD |
08CHISINAU264 | TERRORISM FINANCE, ABU GHADIYAH--MOLDOVA WILL BLOCK AND [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-11 11:10:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN KTFN PTER ETTC PREL UNSC IZ SY MD |
08CHISINAU267 | Gagauzia Facing 3-Way Legislative Race on March 16 [...] (C) SUMMARY: A March 3 pre-electoral visit to Gagauzia found the administration still scrambling to solve the problem of funding the March 16 elections for the Gagauz People's Assembly. Gagauz Governor (Bashkan) Mikhail Formuzal hoped to prove to the population that Gagauzia could solve its p [...] | 2008-03-11 11:51:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM PINR MD |
08CHISINAU268 | MOLDOVA: AVIAN INFLUENZA AND TRANSNISTRIA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: USDA'S Foreign Agricultural Service has approved funding for a targeted technical assistance project on Avian Influenza (AI) in the Transnistrian (TN) region of Moldova. Although we face political constraints, TN officials are receptive to the idea, acknowledging that they are no [...] | 2008-03-11 12:04:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL EAGR KFLU TBIO MD |
08CHISINAU270 | MOLDOVAN LEU UP AGAINST THE U.S. DOLLAR [...] (SBU) The Moldovan Leu (MDL) continues its steady appreciation against the USD. On March 11, the National Bank of Moldova's (NBM) official exchange rate (set for accounting purposes) was MDL 10.9357 per USD and MDL 16.7924 per Euro. Year-on-year the MDL has appreciated 16.7 percent against th [...] | 2008-03-11 13:58:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AFIN ECON EFIN PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU272 | GOM WILLING TO BUY ELECTRICITY FROM TRANSNISTRIA [...] (C) SUMMARY: Minister of Industry Vladimir Antosii said that the Moldovan Government (GOM) was willing to buy electricity from Transnistria (TN) and that price, not politics, would drive any future decision to do so. Antosii confirmed that Moldova's contract with Ukraine for supplies of elect [...] | 2008-03-12 12:12:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG PGOV PREL PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU295 | Gagauz Legislative Elections Go Well [...] (SBU) Summary: With international observers and a strong American contingent watching widely and carefully, March 16 elections for the 161 candidates contesting 35 positions in the Gagauz autonomous region's People's Assembly proceeded for the most part without incident. Problems that did occ [...] | 2008-03-17 15:29:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU304 | AMBASSADOR ENCOURAGES OPPOSITION LEADERS TO COOPERATE ON [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-19 12:35:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU305 | AMBASSADOR ENCOURAGES OPPOSITION LEADERS TO COOPERATE ON [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador Kirby met leaders of the three largest opposition parties to discuss recent 3+2 talks in Vienna and to discuss a future, acceptable settlement on Transnistria. The Ambassador shared his view that any durable solution would require broad political support, including tha [...] | 2008-03-19 14:42:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU306 | MOLDOVA: ECONOMIC SQUEEZE NON-COMMUNIST LEADERS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Over the past several months, the Communist Party of Moldova (PCRM) seems to have used economic pressure to punish and hamper the ability of non-Communist leaders to govern. Demanding payment for historic debts incurred by a Communist predecessor and manipulating the non-transpare [...] | 2008-03-19 15:23:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU307 | Moldovan Prime Minister Resigns, Cabinet Dismissed [...] (C) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Tarlev resigned March 19 and as a result the cabinet resigned as required by Moldovan law. Reportedly, Tarlev only learned about his resignation this morning when President Voronin asked him to resign. President Voronin presented Tarlev with a government award to [...] | 2008-03-19 16:25:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM PINR MD |
08CHISINAU312 | AMBASSADOR GETS POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM MINISTER OF JUSTICE [...] (C) Summary: In a March 19 meeting on religious freedom with the Minister of Justice, Ambassador Kirby received a positive response to our concerns, and promises that the Ministry would set up a roundtable with religious leaders and publish templates for registration procedures. Pirlog frequen [...] | 2008-03-20 07:38:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL KIRF PINR MD |
08CHISINAU314 | MINISTER OF JUSTICE ENCOURAGING ON ARTICLE 98 [...] (C) Summary: Moldovan Minister of Justice Vitalie Pirlog told us on March 19 that he was optimistic about Moldova's signing Article 98. Working-level meetings on March 20 confirm the optimism, but concerns about Moldova's inter-agency process and EU reaction remain. End summary. 2. (C) A [...] | 2008-03-20 11:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | KICC MARR PREL PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU315 | COMMUNIST PARTY MODERNIZES, CAREFULLY [...] (C) Summary: Moldova's Communist Party held a congress which stressed unity, modernizing gradualism, and ideological tweaks to its policies. Decentralized seating, open sessions, and a mild condemnation of Soviet practices, added some interest to what was otherwise a dull event. The more int [...] | 2008-03-20 14:05:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU324 | NEW PRIME MINISTER GRECEANII: SOMEONE WE CAN WORK WITH [...] (C) Summary: On March 21, President Voronin nominated First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii to be Prime Minister. She will present her cabinet and program within 15 days, and easily win a Parliamentary vote of confidence. We look forward to working with her, with all her paradoxes. [...] | 2008-03-21 13:30:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU34 | CHRISTMAS TREE FIGHT DERAILS MOLDOVAN GOVERNMENT [...] (C) Summary: An ecumenical outreach by the Government of Moldova (GOM),which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration planned to propose to Prime Minister Tarlev, was thwarted by the Christmas Tree fight (ref A) between the GOM and Chisinau's city government, and by an atmosp [...] | 2008-01-11 12:36:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF KDEM PINR MD |
08CHISINAU358 | Gagauz Legislative Elections Conducted Reasonably Well in [...] (SBU) Summary: Three Embassy teams monitored the March 30 runoff elections for the 17 undecided seats for the 35-seat Gagauz People's Assembly. In most constituencies, voters cast their secret ballots in well-run polling stations, but two victories could have been won with the aid of suspect [...] | 2008-04-01 13:27:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU369 | NEW MOLDOVAN CABINET: FEW CHANGES, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON [...] (C) This contains an information request for Embassy London. Please see para. 5. 2. (C) Summary: The new 20-member Moldovan cabinet of Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii, approved by Parliament on March 31, contains 14 holdovers from the Tarlev administration, five new ministers in establish [...] | 2008-04-02 12:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU370 | REINTEGRATION MINISTER AGREES FIVE-PLUS-TWO REQUIRES CBM'S [...] (C) Summary: Minister of Reintegration Sova agreed with the Ambassador that a successful "long Five-plus-Two" requires preparation, confidence-building measures (CBM's),and goals. While drawing red lines on troop withdrawal and the integrity of the state, he declared himself flexible and read [...] | 2008-04-02 12:10:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU371 | VORONIN PLEASED WITH BUSH'S SUPPORT OF MOLDOVAN SOVEREIGNTY [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador Kirby met with President Voronin on April 2 to review the Bucharest NATO Summit, an Article 98 agreement, a Moldovan contingent to Iraq, and the resignation of the NATO Information and Documentation Center head. Voronin didn't lose this opportunity to reiterate Moldova [...] | 2008-04-02 12:20:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU372 | MOLDOVA'S NEW ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW [...] (C) SUMMARY: In July 2007, in response to concerns from the international community about insufficient anti-money laundering (AML) safeguards in the Government of Moldova's (GOM) tax and capital amnesty law, Parliament adopted USG-drafted amendments and a new, modern AML law. The GOM and regu [...] | 2008-04-02 12:30:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PREL PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU379 | AMBASSADOR RECEIVES SOS MESSAGE FROM AMN'S URECHEAN [...] (C) Summary: Our Moldova Alliance (AMN) leader Serafim Urechean reiterated his self-anointing as the leader of the opposition, dodged discussion of the new Prime Minister, and speculated on his chances of doing well enough in 2009 elections to attract the Christian Democrats and the Democratic [...] | 2008-04-03 11:45:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL PINR MD |
08CHISINAU39 | MOLDOVA 2008 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT [...] Embassy Chisinau submits the 2008 Investment Climate Statement in response to reftel. Openness to Foreign Investment ------------------------------ 2. Moldova continues to take steps toward developing a stronger economy, reforming a cumbersome regulatory framework, combating corruption a [...] | 2008-01-15 12:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV EFIN ETRD PGOV KTDB OPIC USTR MD |
08CHISINAU396 | MOLDOVA WILL PUT PROLIFERATORS ON ITS LISTS [...] No summary [...] | 2008-04-07 13:27:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC UNSC IR MD |
08CHISINAU398 | AMBASSADOR MEETS VLAD FILAT, HEAD OF NEW PARTY WITH HIGH [...] (C) Summary: Leader of the six-month-old Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) Vlad Filat briefed Ambassador Kirby on the PLDM's attractiveness to the politically uninvolved, his plans for 2009 parliamentary elections, and his promotion of a referendum to change presidential and parliamentary electio [...] | 2008-04-08 12:11:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL PINR MD |
08CHISINAU399 | MOLDOVA: WHEN VORONIN CALLED SMIRNOV [...] (SBU) On Monday, April 7 the Presidential press office publicly confirmed that President Vladimir Voronin had telephoned Transnistrian (TN) leader Igor Smirnov earlier that day. This phone call, the first direct contact the two leaders have had in years, represents an historic breakthrough. A [...] | 2008-04-08 15:05:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU400 | NEW PRIME MINISTER GRECEANII - A VOTE FOR REFORM [...] (C) Summary: In an April 8 meeting with the new Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii, the Ambassador expressed his confidence that her appointment was a vote for reform. The two discussed the new government, President Voronin's progress with Transnistrian leader Smirnov and trafficking in persons [...] | 2008-04-09 14:31:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS NATO MD |
08CHISINAU401 | FM STRATAN: SEES PROGRESS ON TRANSNISTRIA; IS UNHAPPY ABOUT [...] (C) Summary: In an April 8 meeting with the Ambassador Foreign Minister Stratan discussed President Voronin's recent phone call to Transnistrian leader Smirnov, the NATO Summit, resignation of the NATO Documentation center leader and the EU Action Plan. The Ambassador asked whether the GOM wo [...] | 2008-04-09 14:35:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS NATO MD |
08CHISINAU416 | DAS MERKEL AND AMBASSADOR DISCUSS TRANSNISTRIA, MCC, [...] (C) Summary: On April 14, in a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Stratan, DAS David Merkel discussed possibilities for a Transnistrian settlement, and warned against locking in neutrality. He encouraged Moldova to make progress on MCC, Article 98, and bo [...] | 2008-04-16 14:19:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU417 | PRESIDENT VORONIN PUSHING FORWARD ON TRANSNISTRA SETTLEMENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: In an April 14 meeting with DAS David Merkel and the Ambassador, President Voronin focused predominantly on Transnistria, underlining repeatedly that settling this conflict was Moldova's most pressing issue. Voronin said he had presented proposals for confidence-building measures [...] | 2008-04-16 14:25:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS ECON MD |
08CHISINAU418 | FIRST QUARTER TRANSNISTRIAN TRADE GROWS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Government of Moldova's (GOM) Transnistrian (TN) trade data show significant increases in certified exports (+30%) and imports (+22%) documented by the Moldovan Customs Service (MCS) in the first quarter. Since January, 26 more TN companies have registered with Chisinau, inc [...] | 2008-04-16 14:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV PBTS ETRD MD |
08CHISINAU419 | MOLDOVA: DAS MERKEL'S MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER [...] (C) SUMMARY: In an April 14 meeting with Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii, DAS David Merkel expressed the USG's continued support for Moldova and a resolution to the Transnistrian (TN) conflict, noted Greceanii's positive reputation in Washington and Brussels as a reformer, and thanked her for [...] | 2008-04-16 14:53:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS ECON MD |
08CHISINAU427 | MOLDOVA: GAZPROM INCREASES GAS PRICES [...] (C) SUMMARY: On April 15, the Moldovan national energy regulator (ANRE) confirmed that Gazprom had increased the price of natural gas supplied to Moldova from USD 191 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to USD 213 per tcm, an 11% increase. ANRE also noted that consumer tariffs would not increase [...] | 2008-04-17 13:32:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PBTS ENRG MD |
08CHISINAU428 | AMBASSADOR GETS POSITIVE RESPONSE ON TIP FROM DEPUTY PM [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador Kirby's April 16 meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Victor Stepaniuc resulted in promises of closer cooperation on anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) efforts and better Government reporting on crime and punishment statistics. End summary. 2. (C) Victor Stepaniuc, ap [...] | 2008-04-17 14:01:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KWMN PINR MD |
08CHISINAU434 | MD WILL DISCUSS RUSSIAN "MECHANISMS" IN ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH [...] No summary [...] | 2008-04-21 12:31:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL GG RS MD |
08CHISINAU438 | MOLDOVA SEES NO BARRIER TO SIGNING US-EU PRISONERS OF [...] No summary [...] | 2008-04-23 05:56:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EUN PHUM PREL MD |
08CHISINAU457 | Supporting Democracy and Human Rights Activists [...] In response to questions raised in reftel, post notes that we have not encountered democracy and human rights activists from un-free nations who are living in exile, or seeking asylum, in Moldova. We cooperate, regularly and frequently, with Moldovan democracy and human rights activists in the [...] | 2008-04-30 11:14:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL MD |
08CHISINAU466 | THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SMIRNOV [...] (C) Summary: Transnistrian (TN) "president" Igor Smirnov took advantage of the April 30 meeting, the first with an American Ambassador to Moldova since 2001, to declaim Transnistria's Russianness and separateness from Moldova, to expound on Transnistrians' distrust of Moldovan President Voroni [...] | 2008-05-02 13:28:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL EAID MD |
08CHISINAU467 | MOLDOVA SUPPORTS U.S. NPT GOALS [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-02 13:40:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PREL NPT IAEA MD |
08CHISINAU469 | UPDATE ON FORCED AND CHILD LABOR IN MOLDOVAN GOODS [...] According to figures from the Moldovan Labor Inspection Unit (LIU),collected by ILO in Chisinau, no cases of forced labor, including forced child labor, were discovered in Moldova in 2006 or 2007. However, of 371 cases of child labor investigated in 2007, 73 involved no violations, and 298 [...] | 2008-05-02 14:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI MD |
08CHISINAU48 | TRANSNISTRIAN BUDGET AND RUSSIAN AID: POLITICAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The gap between Transnistria's (TN) legislature (Supreme Soviet) and President Igor Smirnov widened further, as the Supreme Soviet reduced appropriations for the Executive in the 2008 budget. Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk and his Obnovlenie (Renewal) party continue to ascend, enjoying [...] | 2008-01-17 09:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PBTS PREL MD |
08CHISINAU49 | TRANSNISTRIAN BUDGET AND RUSSIAN AID: POLITICAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The gap between Transnistria's (TN) legislature (Supreme Soviet) and President Igor Smirnov widened further, as the Supreme Soviet reduced appropriations for the Executive in the 2008 budget. Speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk and his Obnovlenie (Renewal) party continue to ascend, enjoying [...] | 2008-01-17 09:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PBTS PREL MD |
08CHISINAU494 | MOLDOVAN ANTI-CORRUPTION OFFICIALS LEARN TO MEET THE PRESS [...] (SBU) Summary: A three-day assistance program in Chisinau boosted the ability of Moldova's anti-corruption bureau, the Center for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption (CCECC),to meet Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Country Plan (MCC TCP) goals of transparency, integrity and acco [...] | 2008-05-08 11:18:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL |
08CHISINAU496 | TN SUPPORTS WORKING GROUPS NOT FULL PACKAGE [...] (C) Summary: In a May 7 meeting, Charge Keiderling and P/E Chief Daria Fane met Transnistrian (TN) "Deputy Foreign Ministers" Yastrebchak and Simonenko to discuss TN participation in the working groups and USG assistance. The Transnistrians complained about one-sided discussions in the working [...] | 2008-05-08 15:11:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS EAID PINR MD |
08CHISINAU497 | SOVA ON THE WORLD OF SMIRNOV [...] (C) Summary: Charge d'Affaires Keiderling and P/E Chief Daria Fane met with Minister for Reintegration Vasile Sova and Reintegration Vice Minister Ion Stavila on May 1 to brief them on Ambassador Kirby's April 30 meeting with Transnistrian (TN) "President" Igor Smirnov (reftel). Sova said tha [...] | 2008-05-08 15:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS PINR MD |
08CHISINAU508 | MOLDOVA: APPLICATION FOR OPIC FINANCE [...] (SBU) The Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF),established by the U.S. Congress, is well and favorably known to the Embassy. FinComBank, a leading universal bank, has 14 branches and 35 offices in Moldova, and over 74,000 clients. WNISEF acquired 25 percent of FinComBank in late 2007. In [...] | 2008-05-13 08:01:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV MD |
08CHISINAU510 | MOLDOVA SEES NO PROBLEM WITH VOTING FOR HULEBAK AT THIS [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-13 09:44:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAGR ECON ETRD TRIO KPAO PREL MD |
08CHISINAU511 | MOLDOVA WILL REPORT ON UNSCR 1803 COMPLIANCE [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-13 14:30:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN AORC ETRD TRGY KNNP UNSC IR MD |
08CHISINAU522 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES INVITATION TO TALINN MEETING OF GLOBAL [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-19 14:22:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM PTER KGIC PREL MD |
08CHISINAU523 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES INVITATION TO FRIENDS OF IRAQ CONFERENCE [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-20 05:50:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MARR MOPS OTRA PREL MD |
08CHISINAU524 | MOLDOVAN SOCIETY FAILS GAY PRIDE TOLERANCE TEST [...] (SBU) Summary: Some 400-500 representatives of Moldovan Christian groups, veterans of Afghan and Transnistrian wars and radical skinheads blocked attempts to hold a gay pride march in Chisinau on May 11. Under the terms of a recently adopted law with liberal provisions on public assembly, th [...] | 2008-05-20 05:50:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU535 | AFTER RUSSIA'S BAN: MOLDOVAN WINE FLOWING [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Bolstered by the resolution of the Russian wine ban, Moldovan wine exports were up three-fold in the first quarter of 2008 compared with 2007. Exports to Ukraine and Belarus, which increased substantially in 2007, continue to grow. Preferential trade access granted by the EU p [...] | 2008-05-21 13:49:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV MD |
08CHISINAU536 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES THE PRESIDENT'S GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-21 14:14:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETRD EAGR EAID ECON TBIO MD |
08CHISINAU537 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES REQUEST TO END FOOD STAPLE EXPORT [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-21 14:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETRD EAGR ECON TBIO MD |
08CHISINAU538 | LARGEST OPPOSITION RALLY EVER IN TRANSNISTRIA [...] (SBU) Summary: On May 17, some 2,000-3,000 people gathered in central Tiraspol to protest rising prices of food and utilities. The demonstrators adopted a resolution calling for Smirnov's dismissal and demanding early elections. The rally was organized by the Transnistrian Communist Party and [...] | 2008-05-22 05:44:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PGOV PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU539 | CUBA OP-ED PLACED IN MOLDOVAN PRESS [...] (U) Embassy Chisinau supported the U.S. effort to promote peaceful democratic change in Cuba by placing the Op-Ed "Day of Solidarity with the Cuban People" in the local press. 2. (U) Ambassador Kirby's signed Op-Ed "Day of Solidarity with the Cuban People" was featured in "Flux" newspape [...] | 2008-05-22 05:45:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED | KDEM PHUM PREL EUN CU MD |
08CHISINAU552 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES REQUEST RELATED TO THE CONVENTION ON [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-27 08:40:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP TRGY ENRG KSTC IAEA PARM MD |
08CHISINAU553 | NEW NATIONAL SECURITY CONCEPT PASSES WITH A NARROW [...] (SBU) Summary: Moldova's new National Security Concept (NSC) passed in Parliament on May 22. The document provides for neutrality as the cornerstone of Moldova's national security. Unlike the previous 1995 version, the new document focuses more on social and economic threats to national secur [...] | 2008-05-27 09:53:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PINS PBTS PARM PREL PTER PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU554 | MOLDOVA IS INCLINED TO SUPPORT SWING AS IOM DIRECTOR [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-27 10:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PREF SMIG AORC MD |
08CHISINAU556 | MOLDOVA AND ROMANIA RESUME TALKS ON BORDER ISSUES [...] (SBU) Summary: Moldova and Romania resumed talks on the Border and Framework Treaties on May 14-15. These discussions are influenced by debates over the Local Border Traffic Convention proposed by Romania, which would establish a visa-free travel regime for residents of a 30-km zone along the [...] | 2008-05-28 12:42:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PREL PGOV MD RO |
08CHISINAU564 | NEW MOLDOVAN FINANCE MINISTER WANTS TO CUT SPENDING [...] (C) SUMMARY: Moldova's new Finance Minister, Mariana Durlesteanu, a reformer appointed by Prime Minister Greceanii, faces the challenge of rising inflation and an opaque budget process. A non-partisan technocrat, she wants to balance the government's budget and rationalize expenditures accord [...] | 2008-05-30 13:03:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU579 | UKRAINE AND MOLDOVA SOLVE THAT DAM PROBLEM [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Moldova and Ukraine reached a settlement on the disputed ownership of the Novodnestrovsk hydroelectric power plant, which spans the Dniester River and partially sits on Moldovan territory. In return for Chisinau's recognition of Ukraine's full ownership of the power plant, Kyi [...] | 2008-06-03 10:43:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PREL ENRG ECON UA MD |
08CHISINAU580 | New Opposition Party Alleges High Levels of Intimidation [...] (SBU) Summary: The National Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM),established in January, has accused the ruling Party of Communists of harassment, and the Christian Democrats and Democratic Party of false charges of corruption and member-buying. End Summary. 2. (SBU) Sniping began [...] | 2008-06-04 12:14:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU583 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES NON-PAPER REGARDING IAEA'S LATEST REPORT [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-04 14:10:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PARM IR IAEA MD |
08CHISINAU585 | Moldova Deputy PM Promises Action and Cooperation on TIP [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-05 09:29:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL ELAB KCRM MD |
08CHISINAU602 | MINISTER OF REINTEGRATION ON 3 PLUS 2 MEETING, OSTROVSKY [...] (C) Summary. Ambassador Kirby met with Minister of Reintegration Vasile Sova on May 29 to review progress on confidence-building measures. Sova shared details about his meeting with Russian Duma deputy Aleksei Ostrovsky. Sova stressed that the 5 plus 2 format was the only way to resolve the [...] | 2008-06-06 14:46:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PBTS PGOV PREL RS MD |
08CHISINAU619 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES REFTEL TALKING POINTS ON U.S. DOMESTIC [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-13 14:33:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTFN EFIN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC BA QA MD |
08CHISINAU620 | EMBASSY CHISINAU INPUT FOR OSCE HUMAN DIMENSION MEETING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-13 14:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM OSCE KDEM PREL MD |
08CHISINAU625 | LEFT-BANK COMMUNIST PARTY MOUNTS NEW PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS [...] (SBU) Summary: The Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) Communist Party is facing opposition from Transnistrian authorities in its attempts to demonstrate in favor of the dismissal of Transnistrian "President" Smirnov and the holding of new elections. While Transnistrian demonstrators have mustered i [...] | 2008-06-16 11:25:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PGOV PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU634 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES UPDATED COPY OF P5-plus-1 PACKAGE FOR [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-17 10:09:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PARM IR MD |
08CHISINAU637 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES TALKING POINTS ON DESIGNATION OF NAMES [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-18 13:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN KTFN ETTC PTER PREL CVIS KVPR MD |
08CHISINAU639 | NEW PRO-RUSSIA PARTY LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED [...] (SBU) Summary: A new pro-Russian political party in Moldova is promoting identity politics and Soviet nostalgia. Despite high-level support, it may be too late on the scene, and too ethnically centered, to establish itself as a significant player before the March 2009 parliamentary elections. [...] | 2008-06-18 13:23:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU645 | MOLDOVA RECEIVED TALKING POINTS ON U.S. DOMESTIC [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-19 12:45:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTFN EFIN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC KU MD |
08CHISINAU663 | SOVA URGES MCC ROADS IN TRANSNISTRIA [...] (C) Summary: Minister for Reintegration Vasile Sova urged the USG to move ahead with including Transnistrian (TN) roads in the Moldovan MCC compact. Sova said the biggest disappointment for TN "President" Smirnov would be a U.S. decision to finance these roads. Such a decision could turn t [...] | 2008-06-24 12:57:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS PINR KMCA MD |
08CHISINAU67 | MOST TRANSNISTRIANS HOLD MOLDOVAN PASSPORTS [...] (SBU) Summary: On January 16 the Government of Moldova adopted a decree prolonging until July 1 the free issuance of internal passports for Transnistrian residents. Since free issuance was introduced in 2005, an additional hundred thousand TN residents have signed up for citizenship papers. T [...] | 2008-01-25 12:29:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU677 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE ON VENEZUELA-BASED HIZBALLAH [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-27 09:45:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTFN EFIN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC VE LE MD |
08CHISINAU68 | TRANSNISTRIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY: THE CASE OF MMZ [...] (C) SUMMARY: Despite the economic and political challenges of doing business in Transnistria (TN),Moldova Metal Works (MMZ) managed to produce a record volume of steel in 2007. The case of MMZ highlights the complicating role that economic interests play in negotiating a resolution to the TN [...] | 2008-01-25 14:44:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PBTS PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU687 | TRANSNISTRIAN 5-PLUS-2 NEGOTIATOR LITSKAI OUT [...] (SBU) Transnistrian and Russian press have reported that Transnistrian "Foreign Minister" Valery Litskai has been temporarily replaced by his First Deputy Vladimir Yastrebchak, who was officially named "Acting Foreign Minister" on June 26. Yastrebchak had informally begun assuming Litskai's du [...] | 2008-07-01 07:11:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PBTS PREL PGOV PINR MD |
08CHISINAU690 | MiG JETFIGHTERS: PASAT CASE RISES FROM THE ASHES [...] (SBU) Summary: Former Minister of Defense Valeriu Pasat could be in the dock again in July, after the Supreme Court quashed his July 2007 acquittal in the case of Pasat's allegedly illegal sale of MiG 29s to the U.S. The court's decision, and a dissenting opinion, both criticized the 2007 dec [...] | 2008-07-01 08:52:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MASS PINR PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU707 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE ON HUMAN RIGHTS [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-03 08:43:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC UN NGO PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU71 | SOVA: READY FOR NEXT STEPS AFTER VORONIN'S MEETING [...] (C) SUMMARY: Apparently, no major Transnistria (TN) initiatives flowed from the January 21-22 Putin-Voronin talks in Moscow. Minister Sova recently talked twice with Transnistrian "Foreign Minister" Litskai, who confidentially warned Sova that Smirnov or his inner circle may stage a provocat [...] | 2008-01-28 10:58:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS OSCE RU UK MD |
08CHISINAU711 | CHISINAU CITY COUNCIL SHIFTS FROM OPPOSITION TO COMMUNIST [...] (SBU) Summary: One year after the Liberal Party won Chisinau's mayoralty and made its president Chairman of the Chisinau Municipal Council, the Party of Communists (PCRM) has created a new alliance within the council that has deposed the former chairman and installed a new chairman in his place [...] | 2008-07-03 09:50:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PINR MD |
08CHISINAU730 | IRI/NDI CRITICIZED IN MOLDOVAN PRESS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Government-controlled television and press gave long play July 3 and 4 to a story critical of IRI and NDI. In response to these articles, Embassy convened a meeting July 8 with representatives of both organizations. Embassy plans no public statement at this time, but IRI (whi [...] | 2008-07-08 15:24:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU731 | GOM CONSIDERING EXPELLING IRI AND NDI [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Government of Moldova (GOM)is planning to ask IRI and NDI to leave the country. The decision was taken at a Presidential meeting July 8. Deputy Foreign Minister Ostalep called in Embassy rep and suggested that President Voronin might change his mind if warned directly of t [...] | 2008-07-09 13:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU735 | ROMANIAN FM VISIT A STEP FORWARD IN A [...] (C) SUMMARY: Romanian Foreign Minister Comanescu's July 7 visit to Moldova was viewed in Chisinau as a successful step forward in bilateral relations. Though no decisions were made on signing a border treaty, President Voronin said he would agree to the Romanian request to open a consulate [...] | 2008-07-10 11:57:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MD RO |
08CHISINAU744 | MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES IRAQ CONTINGENT [...] (U) On July 10 the Moldovan Parliament adopted a decision to send a sixth contingent of troops to Iraq for a period of six months. The contingent will consist of twenty service members - sixteen engineer deminers and four staff officers to work on planning and managing humanitarian operations. [...] | 2008-07-11 12:27:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV MARR MOPS MD |
08CHISINAU745 | CCTIP PROPOSES CANDIDATE FOR CCTIP [...] (C) On July 10, the Ministry of Internal Affairs presented Embassy with the nomination of Valeriu Tudor Hincu for the position of Director of the Moldovan Center for Combating Trafficking in Persons (CCTIP). Pursuant to the dual bilateral Letter of Agreement between the USG and the GOM on Na [...] | 2008-07-11 14:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KWMN MD |
08CHISINAU746 | TRANSNISTRIAN POWER STRUGGLES OVER [...] (C) SUMMARY: Two succession-related power struggles are currently taking place in Transnistria. The first is the struggle to determine who will succeed Valeri Litskai as Transnistrian "Minister" for Foreign Affairs. Political insiders who attended the Embassy's 4th of July reception categor [...] | 2008-07-11 14:29:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS OSCE PGOV PINR MD |
08CHISINAU751 | MEDIA ABUSES INCREASE AS ELECTIONS [...] (SBU) Summary: Government interference with media abuse is increasing as the Spring 2009 parliamentary elections approach in Moldova. Government harassment of independent and pro- opposition journalists has been reported. Direct sponsorship of some major outlets and denial of information to o [...] | 2008-07-15 10:56:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREL IIP KPAO KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU752 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE ON KOSOVO [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-15 11:07:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL UN UNMIK PGOV YI EU KPKO KV MD |
08CHISINAU753 | MOLDOVA DOWNPLAYING GUAM BUT NO PLANS TO [...] (C) SUMMARY: According to Moldovan FM Stratan, President Voronin's failure to attend the GUAM Summit in Batumi was an attempt to reassure the Russians, rather than a signal of Moldovan plans to leave GUAM. Moldova was trying to downplay GUAM participation in hopes of securing Russian suppor [...] | 2008-07-15 13:58:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU762 | SOVA WANT 5-PLUS-2 TO TACKLE STATUS [...] (C) Minister for Reintegration Sova believes 5-plus-2 needs to begin work on the status of Transnistria. He had hoped for concrete results in time for Moldova's elections and was disappointed with the slipping time frame. Sova reports that the fire has gone out of Smirnov's eyes, and that t [...] | 2008-07-18 11:37:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU765 | A TOUR D'HORIZON WITH PRESIDENT VORONIN [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-18 13:35:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS ECON PINR KWMN MD |
08CHISINAU776 | MOLDOVA NOT CERTAIN ON ATTENDANCE AT PRISONERS OF [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-23 08:46:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EUN PHUM PREL KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU777 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES NON-PAPERS FOR UPCOMING OSCE HUMAN [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-23 08:47:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MD OSCE PREL PHUM KDEM |
08CHISINAU781 | FM STRATAN SAYS BALL IS IN ROMANIAN, UKRAINIAN, AND EUROPEAN [...] (C) Summary: At his April 21 meeting with EUR DAS Merkel and CDA Perina, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Stratan stressed that Moldova had worked hard to make progress with Romania (on border and political treaties and consulates),Ukraine (on power plants and the D [...] | 2008-07-24 13:54:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL SENV PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU786 | 3-PLUS-2 MEETING GIVES IMPULSE TO [...] (C) Summary: The July 21-23 meeting of observers and mediators to the 5-plus-2 process (known as the 3-plus-2) was successful in giving greater impulse to the working groups. The US, EU, OSCE, and to a lesser extent Ukraine reps repeatedly stressed the need for starting work on the political [...] | 2008-07-28 12:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PBTS ECON OSCE MD |
08CHISINAU787 | PRESIDENT VORONIN WANTS 5-PLUS-2 [...] (C) In a July 21 bilateral meeting with DAS Merkel before the start of 3-plus-2, President Voronin pressed for getting the negotiators to consider the Moldovan package proposal on Transnistria's status. Voronin believes that Russian President Medvedev personally wants to solve the Transnistria [...] | 2008-07-28 13:01:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PBTS KWMN MD |
08CHISINAU788 | Moldovan Concern about Gazprom Takeover of Union Fenosa [...] (C) Moldovan Prime Minister Greceanii (please protect) asked for an urgent one-on-one meeting with CDA July 28 to voice her concern about possible Gazprom takeover of the Spanish firm Union Fenosa, which controls about 70 percent of electricity distribution in Moldova. 2. (C) Greceanii sai [...] | 2008-07-28 14:38:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG PGOV MD |
08CHISINAU794 | MOLDOVA TAKES STEPS TO REVERSE ITS TIER [...] (C) Summary: In meetings with the G/TIP assessment team, Government of Moldova officials noted that though originally surprised by the Tier 3 placement, they now acknowledged it as both accurate and as a needed spur to improving their record on trafficking. In each meeting, officials noted [...] | 2008-07-30 14:45:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KWMN PINR MD |
08CHISINAU795 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE REGARDING THE 63RD UN GENERAL [...] No summary [...] | 2008-08-01 08:51:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL OTRA OVIP KSEP UNGA MD |
08CHISINAU825 | GOM TO IGNORE TRANSNISTRIAN ANNOUNCEMENT [...] (C) Summary: The Transnistrian "Foreign Ministry" issued a declaration August 12 announcing that it would sever links with the Moldovan government until Chisinau issued a decisive statement condemning Georgian "aggression" against South Ossetia. Minister Sova told Embassy that the GOM plans [...] | 2008-08-14 12:52:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS RS MD |
08CHISINAU829 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE REGARDING THE DESIGNATION OF [...] No summary [...] | 2008-08-18 07:18:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN KTFN PTER ETTC PREL PINR UNSC AG MD |
08CHISINAU830 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE REGARDING USG [...] No summary [...] | 2008-08-18 08:16:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KGHG KSCA SENV AORC MD |
08CHISINAU846 | RUSSIAN ENERGY GIANT COMPLETES TAKEOVER [...] (C) Summary: On August 1, Russian energy giant Inter RAO EES announced that it had completed acquisition of 100 per cent of shares in the Moldovan State Power Plant located in Kuchurgan, Transnistria, landing yet another major Transnistrian industrial site in Russian hands. This transaction [...] | 2008-08-20 14:19:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG EPET PREL PBTS RS MD |
08CHISINAU847 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE REGARDING [...] No summary [...] | 2008-08-22 06:38:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP EFIN PARM IR MD |
08CHISINAU85 | Embassy Begins Preparation for Elections 2009 [...] (SBU) Summary: On January 22, Ambassador Kirby convened six USAID implementers to discuss USG assistance in advance of the 2009 national parliamentary elections: political party organization, campaign skills, training community activists, voter motivation and education, long- and short-term o [...] | 2008-01-29 11:43:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU850 | Moldova Receives Demarche on Designation of Additional [...] No summary [...] | 2008-08-22 12:27:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PREL PARM EFIN IR GM MD |
08CHISINAU851 | No Moldovan Candidates for Maktoum Entrepreneurs' [...] No summary [...] | 2008-08-22 12:31:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU854 | SIXTH MOLDOVAN DEMINING CONTINGENT EN ROUTE TO IRAQ; [...] (C) Summary: The sixth Moldovan Army demining contingent left Moldova on August 19, en route to a week's trainup in Kuwait before a six-months' deployment in Iraq. The Government of Moldova (GOM) notes that 86 deminers in the previous five contingents have destroyed 30,000 tons of ordnance i [...] | 2008-08-22 12:59:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV MARR PARM MD |
08CHISINAU855 | AFTER FIVE MONTHS GAGAUZ PEOPLES' [...] (SBU) Summary: Five months after Peoples' Assembly (PA) elections in Gagauzia, and after five attempts to elect a Speaker, PA members, including most of the Communists, elected a PA Speaker by a comfortable majority. The apparently friendly final capitulation by the Party of Communists fina [...] | 2008-08-22 13:37:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU871 | GEORGIA DEMARCHES HEARD BY INTERESTED EARS [...] (C) Charge d'Affaires delivered reftel demarches on the Georgian crisis to Foreign Minister Stratan on August 28. The Foreign Minister promised to inform President Voronin of the USG position. Stratan said that Moldova found itself in a delicate situation, needing Russian assistance to resolve [...] | 2008-08-29 13:25:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS RS MD |
08CHISINAU872 | MOLDOVA OPPOSES RECOGNITION OF SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA [...] (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 8. 2. (C) Summary: In an August 28 meeting Minister for Reintegration Vasile Sova stressed categorically that Moldova would not recognize South Ossetia or Abkhazia. President Voronin emerged from his August 25 meeting with Medvedev believing [...] | 2008-08-29 14:04:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS MD |
08CHISINAU881 | MOLDOVA GENERALLY SUPPORTS USG IN THIRD [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-04 12:33:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL UN MD |
08CHISINAU882 | Moldova Agrees that ICJ is Wrong Place to Discuss Kosovo's [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-04 14:15:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL UN UNGA KV MD |
08CHISINAU883 | Moldova Agrees with Non-Recognition of South Ossetia and [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-04 14:15:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV GG RU MD |
08CHISINAU89 | MOLDOVA INCREASES TARIFFS, GAZPROM TO RAISE PRICES [...] (C) SUMMARY: Following Gazprom's price increase on January 1, Moldova was forced to increase tariffs for electricity, heating and natural gas for power generators and consumers. Moldova now pays USD 191 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) for natural gas, up from USD 170/tcm in 2007 (reftel). Howe [...] | 2008-01-30 12:36:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG PGOV PREL MD |
08CHISINAU9 | ELECTORAL CHANGES GIVE ADVANTAGES TO RULING PARTY [...] (SBU) Summary: Changes to the electoral system that recently passed in Parliament will limit the playing field and build into the electoral code terms that give further advantages to the established majority Communist Party (PCRM). A new law on Political Parties adopted in the second reading [...] | 2008-01-02 13:20:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM PHUM MD |
08CHISINAU90 | GAZPROM AND MOLDOVAN (TRANSNISTRIAN) GAS DEBTS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Gazprom continues to press Moldova to repay its debts to Gazprom, which have been mostly accrued by Transnistria (TN). One possible solution, a debt-for-share swap with Gazprom's obtaining more MoldovaGaz shares is gaining momentum. Gazprom remains concerned about property right [...] | 2008-01-30 12:44:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG PBTS PGOV PREL MD RU |
08CHISINAU906 | Foreign Minister Reiterates Moldova's [...] (C) Summary: During the Ambassador's first meeting with Foreign Minister (FM) Andrei Stratan, on September 8, the Foreign Minister reiterated Moldova's well-known policy positions. Moldovan officials would discuss the Transnistria (TN) conflict with Russian officials, but any final settleme [...] | 2008-09-11 11:24:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS MD EU |
08CHISINAU910 | MOLDOVA ATTENDANCE AT AVIAN INFLUENZA MINISTRIAL [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-12 10:23:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFLU AORC TBIO EAGR EAID PREL MD |
08CHISINAU931 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-16 13:11:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL UN MD |
08CHISINAU933 | RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV TAKES INITIATIVE BUT [...] (SBU) Summary: While a formal 5-plus-2 meeting is now planned for early October, Russian President Medvedev has been pursuing his own initiatives with both Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov. Medvedev has secured an agreement that left- and right-bank le [...] | 2008-09-17 06:12:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PBTS PREL RU MD |
08CHISINAU950 | MOLDOVA GENERALLY SUPPORTS USG IN IAEA [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-23 12:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | IAEA MD PARM MNUC |
08CHISINAU951 | AN UNEXPECTEDLY WELCOMING TRANSNISTRIAN [...] (C) We don't expect broad smiles from Transnistrian (TN) "deputy foreign minister" Sergey Simonenko, who some Chisinau officials claim reports back-channel to Transnistrian Minister for State Security (and all-around bad guy) Vladimir Antiufeyev. But that's what USAID Assistant Administrator [...] | 2008-09-23 14:48:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PBTS PGOV EAID RS MD |
08CHISINAU953 | CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT LEADER LAUNCHES SMEAR [...] (SBU) Summary: Facing dwindling poll numbers, Christian Democratic Party (PPCD) leader Iurie Rosca initiated a lurid smear campaign against two opposition parties with which he competes for second place behind the Party of Communists (PCRM). Running a negative smear campaign could cost him [...] | 2008-09-24 13:10:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU954 | CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT LEADER LAUNCHES SMEAR [...] (SBU) Summary: Facing dwindling poll numbers, Christian Democratic Party (PPCD) leader Iurie Rosca initiated a lurid smear campaign against two opposition parties with which he competes for second place behind the Party of Communists (PCRM). Running a negative smear campaign could cost him [...] | 2008-09-24 13:13:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM KDEM MD |
08CHISINAU958 | VORONIN-SMIRNOV: THE MEETING THAT DIDN'T [...] (C) Summary: Although a Voronin-Smirnov meeting was scheduled for September 25, on September 24 SmirnovQs press office announced that the meeting would be postponed because the sides could not agree upon a venue. The Transnistrian side attempted to blame the GOM for Chisinau's inflexibility [...] | 2008-09-25 14:53:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PBTS PREL PINR RU MD |
08CHISINAU967 | MOLDOVA RECEIVES DEMARCHE ON UNFC RESOLUTION ON COMPLIANCE WITH NONPROLIFERATION [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-30 09:53:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | CDG PARM PREL UNGA MD |
08CHISINAU971 | PRESIDENT VORONIN: RELYING ON 5-PLUS-2 TO AVOID RUSSIAN TRAP [...] (C) Summary: In his first meeting with Ambassador, President Voronin expressed his commitment to solving the Transnistria conflict only in the 5-plus-2 format. He wanted to avoid falling into any Russian "traps" that could appear if he negotiated directly with the Russians. Outside interests [...] | 2008-09-30 13:39:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS PINR AMGT RU MD |
08CHISINAU977 | Ambassador Discusses MCC, P.L. 480, Corruption and TIP, and [...] (C) Summary: In his first meeting with Prime Minister Greceanii, Ambassador Asif Chaudhry explained delays in the signing of a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact agreement; discussed P.L. debt; pressed on the issue of civilian oversight for the Center to Combat Economic Crimes and [...] | 2008-10-01 13:33:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PINR KTIP MD |
08CHISINAU979 | MOLDOVA VIGILANT FOR RUSSIAN TRAPS, SAYS REINTEGATION [...] (C) Summary: In his first meeting with Minister for Reintegration Vasile Sova, Ambassador Chaudhry found broad agreement on the basic issues: removing foreign troops from Moldovan territory, reforming the peacekeeping force, continuing confidence-building measures (CBMs),increasing EU partici [...] | 2008-10-01 13:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PBTS EAID PINR MD RS |
08CHISINAU983 | KALMAN MISZEI BELIEVES MOLDOVA NEEDS 5- [...] (C) Summary: In a September 29 meeting EU Special Envoy Kalman Mizsei told Ambassador that he did not believe the Russians were committed to a 5-plus-2 meeting. Mizsei opined that Moldova needed the transparency of the 5-plus-2 process to protect it from walking into a Russian trap. The U.S [...] | 2008-10-02 11:34:00 | Embassy Chisinau | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PBTS PINR RS MD |
08CHISINAU985 | UPDATE REGARDING MOLDOVA'S POSITION TOWARDS DEMARCHE ON UNFC RESOLUTION ON COMPLIANCE WITH NONPROLIFERATION [...] No summary [...] | 2008-10-02 12:51:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PARM PREL UNGA MD |
08CHISINAU999 | MOLDOVA: FINANCING FOR DEVELOMENT DEMARCHE [...] No summary [...] | 2008-10-07 09:24:00 | Embassy Chisinau | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID ECON EFIN PREL MD |
08CIUDADJUAREZ1100 | RAIL TRAFFIC DOWN, AND LINES OF POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR BYPASS [...] Summary: In recent days, President Felipe Calderon surprised local officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border by throwing his political weight behind a plan to build a series of underpasses to facilitate the flow of rail traffic through the center of Ciudad Juarez. Mayors John Cook an [...] | 2008-12-09 23:17:00 | Consulate Ciudad Juarez | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP ELTN PGOV MX |
08CIUDADJUAREZ980 | EPIDEMIC PREPAREDNESS: COOPERATION BETWEEN CHIHUAHUA, NEW [...] Summary: The state of Chihuahua has been working closely with Texas and New Mexico health departments for three years to coordinate preparations for a potential outbreak of a highly contagious influenza or similar illness. However, New Mexico and Texas state officials report that their work h [...] | 2008-10-01 21:19:00 | Consulate Ciudad Juarez | UNCLASSIFIED | KFLU PGOV MX |
08CIUDADJUAREZ989 | SECRETARY TELLEZ CALLS FOR FAST ACTION ON BORDER CROSSING [...] Summary: During a September 30 meeting organized by Governor Bill Richardson to discuss a proposed international railroad crossing at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transportation Luis Tellez Kuenzler said he hoped a "conditional" presidential permit for the [...] | 2008-10-04 00:11:00 | Consulate Ciudad Juarez | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP ELTN PGOV MX |
08COLOMBO100 | MALDIVES: IN RUNUP TO ELECTION, INFIGHTING SLOWS [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Special Majlis has resumed work on the final two chapters of the constitution, but President Gayoom's DRP party and the opposition alliance NUA continue to battle over the specifics of two chapters, including the nature of the executive and transitional arrangements to a new g [...] | 2008-01-28 11:39:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM KDEM MV |
08COLOMBO1022 | MALDIVES: MAJLIS PROVISIONALLY CONFIRMS NEW 14-MEMBER [...] (U) SUMMARY: On November 12 President Nasheed secured approval for his new 14 minister cabinet. The cabinet represents each of the six parties and groupings that make up the ruling coalition. The cabinet's approval came amidst a power struggle between Nasheed and former President Gayoom's DRP [...] | 2008-11-13 12:35:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PINR PREL KDEM MV |
08COLOMBO1023 | SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES: POSITION ON UNGA THIRD [...] (U) On November 6, Ambassador conveyed reftel points to Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona. Ambassador sought Sri Lanka's support and vote for upcoming human rights resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly's Third Committee and stated U.S. opposition to "no-action" motions [...] | 2008-11-13 13:27:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL CE |
08COLOMBO1034 | TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT FOR SRI LANKA [...] Post assesses that the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) has taken many positive steps to address Sri Lanka's trafficking problem. These efforts have mainly focused on the foreign employment of Sri Lankans, building awareness of trafficking, and increasing interagency coordination to counter traffi [...] | 2008-11-17 10:30:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | KTIP KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM SMIG CE |
08COLOMBO1040 | Sri Lanka: Scenesetter for the Visit of Deputy Assistant [...] (SBU) Summary: Your visit comes at a critical time, with Sri Lanka's 25-year ethnic conflict entering a possibly decisive phase. Government forces have made significant progress against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the last several months, gaining a large swath of territory i [...] | 2008-11-18 11:32:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | MARR PGOV PHUM PREL CE |
08COLOMBO1042 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT FORCES TAKING CONTROL OF [...] (C) SUMMARY: The recent fall of Pooneryn and the crossroads town of Mankulam to government forces has greatly improved the government's military position and put the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in a strategic bind. Government forces now control virtually all of Sri Lanka's western coastli [...] | 2008-11-18 14:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MOPS PTER CE |
08COLOMBO1044 | MALDIVES WILL VOTE WITH U.S. IN UNGA THIRD [...] (SBU) Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed reported to Ambassador that Maldives would vote against the no-action resolutions on Burma and DPRK and vote in favor of the resolutions. However, citing a common stand taken by the Organization of Islamic Countries, Shaheed said Maldives would not be abl [...] | 2008-11-19 09:03:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM UNGA BM KN IR MV |
08COLOMBO1046 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 11/19/2008 REGARDING [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on November 19, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture and security for the official and expatriate American communities vis-a-vis possible Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist attacks [...] | 2008-11-19 12:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO1049 | SRI LANKA: TERRORISM TRIAL OF JOURNALIST [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The trial on terrorism charges of journalist J.S. Tissainayagam has entered a critical phase. The testimony in the case has not gone well for the government, with the officer who took Tissainayagam's confession conceding errors. The Judicial Medical officer who examined Tissa [...] | 2008-11-20 13:46:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PTER PREL CE |
08COLOMBO1055 | SRI LANKA: AVIAN INFLUENZA PREPARATIONS CONTINUE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Sri Lankan health officials continue preparations to prevent an Avian Influenza (AI) outbreak in country. Repeated incidence of the disease in the region places Sri Lanka at risk of AI. Animal health authorities maintain monitoring activities while the Ministry of Health has [...] | 2008-11-24 11:27:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFLU TBIO KSTH ECON PREL SOCI EAGR CASC WHO CE |
08COLOMBO1056 | UNGA ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS: POSITIVE MOVEMENT [...] (SBU) Maldivian Foreign Minister Shaheed assured Ambassador that Maldives could probably shift "to a more reasonable stance" on the anti-Israel resolutions. He indicated, however, that MFA would have to look at each resolution on a case-by-case basis. He also reported that he had instructed [...] | 2008-11-24 12:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL UNGA IS PA CE MV |
08COLOMBO1062 | GUIDANCE NEEDED ON 699(G) RESTRICTIONS APPLIED TO [...] (C) In a meeting with Ambassador on November 25, Foreign Minister Bogollagama informed post that two U.S. defense contractors, a Kuwaiti company affiliated with the U.S.-based Oshkosh Corp and DynCorp International, had instituted hiring restrictions on Sri Lankan expatriate workers in Kuwait [...] | 2008-11-26 04:55:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL ECON SMIG KTIP ELAB CE |
08COLOMBO1063 | AUSTR DELANEY'S VISIT TO SRI LANKA [...] (U) Summary: Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South Asia Michael Delaney visited Sri Lanka November 11-14 to engage with key government and business leaders, to discuss issues related to U.S.- Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework Agreement talks, and to review labor issues raised in [...] | 2008-11-26 07:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN ETRD EINV PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO1070 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSADOR REVIEWS PROBLEMS IN EASTERN [...] (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting on November 25, Ambassador discussed current U.S. concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka with Foreign Minister Bogollagama. After praising GSL cooperation with the UN and ICRC over delivering food supplies to the population of the Vanni, Ambassador noted that incr [...] | 2008-11-26 11:21:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM MOPS PREF CE |
08COLOMBO1071 | Internally Displaced Persons in Mannar Living in Detention [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Government of Sri Lanka's push to regain military control over Mannar district met with success in early 2008. The government may soon approve return of displaced persons to their homes within the district. However, over 800 persons, most originating from Jaffna and Kilin [...] | 2008-11-26 11:55:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF PHUM PGOV EAID PREL CE |
08COLOMBO1073 | SRI LANKA: AUSTR DELANEY DISCUSSES LABOR AND THE AFL-CIO [...] (U) Summary: During a November 11-14 visit, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (AUSTR) Michael Delaney met with key Sri Lankan government officials and local trade union representatives to discuss the June 2008 AFL-CIO petition to USTR that alleges Sri Lanka's labor laws do not comply with i [...] | 2008-11-28 03:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB ECON ETRD EINV EAID PGOV KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO1074 | SRI LANKA: RESULTS OF COLOMBO PLAN NOVEMBER 20 MEETING [...] (U) SUMMARY: At Colombo Plan's 262nd Council meeting on November 20, 2008, participating delegates deferred a decision on whether to grant Burma a three-year moratorium on payment of the annual membership fee and on two requests from Bangladesh to both have its arrears waived and obtain a temp [...] | 2008-11-28 04:23:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC CPCTC SNAR UNODC CE |
08COLOMBO1075 | MALDIVES 2009 BUDGET PRESENTED; 2008 DEFICIT INCREASES [...] (SBU) On November 25, Ali Hashim, Maldives Minister of Finance and Treasury, presented the GORM budget for 2009, proposing a total expenditure of Rf 13.6 billion (approx. USD 1.1 billion). Revenue is estimated at Rf 7.9 billion (USD 0.6 billion),resulting in a deficit of about Rf 5.8 billion [...] | 2008-11-28 05:57:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EAID MV |
08COLOMBO1076 | MALDIVIAN PRESIDENT NASHEED REQUESTS $8-10 MILLION [...] (U) This is an Action Request. Please see paragraph 5. 2. (C) Maldivian President Nasheed telephoned Ambassador the morning of November 27 to request a USG loan of 8 to 10 million U.S. dollars to help bridge a financial shortfall the Maldivian Government faces to meet its budgetary obligat [...] | 2008-11-28 06:30:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN PREL ECON EAID MV |
08COLOMBO1077 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETS ON 11/28/2008 RE MUMBAI [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on November 28, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture in light of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India on November 27. The EAC concurred that there was no threat information indicating that the [...] | 2008-11-28 07:03:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO1078 | SRI LANKA: DASD CLAD TOLD EASTERN PROBLEMS LIKELY [...] (C) SUMMARY: During a visit to Sri Lanka on November 22-23, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense James Clad discussed the Sri Lankan Army's military progress against the LTTE, future political arrangements in Sri Lanka's north, demobilization of the TMVP, and child soldiers with Defense Secr [...] | 2008-11-28 09:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO1079 | SRI LANKA: LTTE CHIEF PRAISES INDIA, CALLS SRI [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: In his annual "Heroes' Day" speech, a defiant LTTE supremo Prabhakaran professed his commitment to a peaceful solution of the conflict, but labeled the government's pursuit of a military solution racist and genocidal. He criticized "so-called Peace Sponsors" who "impaired" neg [...] | 2008-11-28 09:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO108 | FY08 BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH STRATEGY AND DEPARTMENT [...] Post appreciates the opportunity to request funding for biotechnology outreach programs in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is at a turning point with respect to biotechnology. The country has regulations to label, regulate and control the import of Genetically Modified (GM) foods, as well as to regulat [...] | 2008-01-29 11:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO KPAO |
08COLOMBO1082 | Sri Lanka Northern Districts Floods Disaster [...] The week of November 24, 2008, heavy rains pelted northern and eastern districts of Sri Lanka affecting more than 240,000 people. These heavy rains, caused by a cyclonic weather system, further aggravated the already challenging humanitarian situation in these same districts into a crisis aff [...] | 2008-12-01 03:17:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PREF CE |
08COLOMBO1093 | SRI LANKA LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN ARF DISASTER [...] (U) MFA Director General for Asia Pamela Deen confirmed to Poloff that Sri Lanka would participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum Voluntary Demonstration of Response on Disaster Relief in May 2009. Deen also reported that Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management Mahinda Samarasinghe would [...] | 2008-12-02 12:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ARF EAID MARR MOPS PREL CE RP |
08COLOMBO1094 | SRI LANKA: ANTI-CONVERSION BILL STALLED IN [...] (C) After a meeting at the Peace Secretariat (SCOPP) on December 1, Secretary to the Ministry of Human Rights and Disaster Management Rajiva Wijesinghe reported to Charge that the anti-conversion bill currently being debated in Parliament is likely to remain in a standing committee and not com [...] | 2008-12-02 12:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | KIRF PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO1099 | SRI LANKA: SECURITY DETERIORATES IN EASTERN [...] (C) SUMMARY: Over the past three weeks the security situation in the East has deteriorated as LTTE cadres and TMVP members loyal to Karuna have conducted a series of killings. In response, the government imposed a curfew on Batticaloa and the Chief Minister and Mayor of Batticaloa went on a o [...] | 2008-12-03 05:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO1102 | SRI LANKA: TMVP, GSL, AND UNICEF SIGN MOU ON CHILD [...] (C) SUMMARY: On December 1 the Government, the TMVP and UNICEF signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that committed each party to end the use and recruitment of child soldiers by the TMVP. Karuna signed on behalf of the TMVP, "as leader of the TMVP in the presence of the Chief Minister o [...] | 2008-12-03 12:38:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO1106 | MALDIVES: HOME MINISTER QASIM IBRAHIM RESIGNS [...] (U) SUMMARY: Home Minister Qasim Ibrahim has resigned following a police brutality scandal at a five-star resort. Qasim's Republican Party has not decided on its continued participation in the MDP-led government. Upcoming Parliamentary elections in February will determine the extent to which [...] | 2008-12-04 11:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB MV |
08COLOMBO1108 | SRI LANKA: VERBAL AGREEMENT REACHED ON TMVP [...] (SBU) According to IOM Chief of Party Mohammed Abdiker, on December 1 at a meeting convened by Secretary of Defense Gothabaya Rajapaksa, TMVP Commander and Member of Parliament Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan ("Karuna Amman") and Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chadrakant [...] | 2008-12-04 13:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM MOPS EAID CE |
08COLOMBO111 | SRI LANKA: DISAPPOINTMENT AT LIMITED SCOPE OF [...] (C) SUMMARY: While the international response to the unveiling of the government proposals for limited devolution of powers to the provinces under Sri Lanka's 13th Amendment was cautiously positive, reactions from the minority Tamils and Muslims have ranged from disappointment to scathing rej [...] | 2008-01-29 15:02:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO1113 | SRI LANKA: RELIGIOUS LEADERS FACE OBSTACLES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On November 23, international and Sri Lankan religious leaders held a conference in Anuradhapura at which they sought to facilitate the opening of a humanitarian corridor for the IDP population of the Vanni. Following the conference they met with the President who offered his [...] | 2008-12-08 05:38:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV MOPS PINR CE |
08COLOMBO1117 | SRI LANKA: TRIAL OF JOURNALIST ON TERRORISM [...] (U) The inquiry to determine whether the confession of journalist J.S. Tissainayagam was voluntary or forced was held on December 5 at the High Court of Colombo before High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundera. The court ruled that it was voluntary. The future direction of this high-profile case [...] | 2008-12-08 12:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV PREL TERAA CE |
08COLOMBO1118 | SRI LANKA LIKELY SUPPORTIVE OF PROPOSED GLOBAL [...] Econ Chief delivered reftel points to Additional Secretary for Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services AAR Ratnayake on December 8. Although Ratnayake could not pledge full GSL support for the Global Partnership for Agriculture and Food (GPAF),she stated Sri Lanka would be in favor of [...] | 2008-12-09 01:35:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR EAID ECON ETRD PGOV TBIO CE |
08COLOMBO1123 | SRI LANKA PASSES 2009 BUDGET [...] Summary: (SBU) Parliament easily passed the 2009 GSL budget on December 8, one month following President Rajapaksa's presentation of the draft on November 6. This is Rajapaksa's fourth budget since coming into office in 2005 on a platform of poverty reduction, steering investment to disadvan [...] | 2008-12-09 11:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN PGOV MARR KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO1127 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSDOR EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT [...] (SBU) Ambassador met with Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal on December 9 to express concern about the Supreme Court's interim order halting CPC hedge payments to banks (reftel). Ambassador noted that the ruling not only causes difficulty for Citibank and the other banks involved, but coul [...] | 2008-12-10 11:36:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET | ECON EINV PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO113 | AMBASSADOR IN SRI LANKA'S EAST: DISARM PARAMILITARY GROUPS [...] Ambassador and AID officer visited Batticaloa in Sri Lanka's volatile Eastern Province on January 22-24 to attend the opening of a vocational training center funded by private American donations; open two USAID funded facilities; and meet with local officials, donors, and INGO representatives. [...] | 2008-01-30 11:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PREF EAID PINS CE |
08COLOMBO1133 | SRI LANKA: FINANCING HARDSHIPS IN NEW YEAR [...] (SBU) Summary: Sri Lanka's macroeconomic outlook for 2009 is weakening. In November Central Bank reserves declined, for the fourth straight month, to around $2 billion, or less than 2 months of imports. The trade deficit in the first ten months expanded by 78%, and the Central Bank (CB) expe [...] | 2008-12-15 11:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN PGOV KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO1139 | DEMARCHE SRI LANKA: UNITED NATIONS HARMONIZATION [...] No summary [...] | 2008-12-17 08:09:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AMGT AORC APER PREL UNGA CE |
08COLOMBO114 | SRI LANKA: RISING VIOLENCE IN NORTH KILLS STUDENTS [...] (C) SUMMARY: An LTTE artillery bombardment of the Palaly base near Jaffna thwarted an attempt by Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka to land there on January 28, forcing their aircraft to return to Colombo. Government forces responded by bombing the LTTE a [...] | 2008-01-30 11:46:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO1140 | IRAN VOTE: DEMARCHE TO MALDIVES [...] (SBU) On December 16, 2008, Ambassador conveyed ref A letter from Secretary Rice to Foreign Minister Shaheed thanking him for Maldives' helpful shift in stance on the Third Committee resolution in Iran (and the associated no-action motion). Ambassador requested that Maldives vote in acordanc [...] | 2008-12-17 08:33:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM UNGA MV CE |
08COLOMBO1143 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING DECEMBER 17, 2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on December 17, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture in light of the information provided reftel. The EAC discussed the current threat environment, the need to have RSO staff present in Colombo d [...] | 2008-12-17 11:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO1144 | SRI LANKA: RESPONSE TO LEGISLATIVE RESTRICTIONS FOR [...] (U) On (December 8 EconOff informed Colombo Plan Secretariat of the legislative restrictions for interest on external borrowing on FY 2009 assessed contributions to international organizations and assessed invoicing for FY 2009, per reftel request. Colombo Plan Secretary General informed post [...] | 2008-12-17 11:36:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AORC KUNR AFIN CE |
08COLOMBO1145 | USAID TSUNAMI RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM IN SRI LANKA [...] USAID /Sri Lanka has completed all projects related to the tsunami disaster of 2004, and funds of $134.6 million have been fully expended. The initial response to the tsunami during the first few months immediately following the disaster focused on emergency relief, providing basic necessitie [...] | 2008-12-18 05:47:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PHUM PREF EAID CE |
08COLOMBO1146 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 12/17/2008 - [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on December 17, 2008. In addition to discussing post's security posture during the upcoming holiday period, the EAC reviewed proposed revisions to post's restricted travel zone and travel policy. The EAC-re [...] | 2008-12-19 08:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO1153 | 2008 Country Reports on Terrorism [...] (U) Here is the 2008 Country Report on Terrorism for Sri Lanka. The point of contact for this cable is Ben Barry. His e-mail address is BarryBG@state.gov. 2. (U) BEGIN TEXT: More than 7,000 people were killed and many thousands more displaced in 2008 as the Sri Lankan government continue [...] | 2008-12-23 08:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO1161 | SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 8 OUTSIDE OF CIVIL [...] (U) At about 8:45 a.m. on December 28, a presumed LTTE suicide bomber killed himself, seven Civil Defense Force (CDF) personnel and one civilian in an attack on a CDF office in Wattala, a northern Colombo suburb. (Note: the Civil Defense Force, formerly the Home Guards, are roughly analagous t [...] | 2008-12-29 12:39:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PTER ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO1163 | STAFFDEL AHUJA BRIEFED ON HUMANITARIAN SITUATION [...] (U) SUMMARY: During her December 11-16 visit, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) staff member Jasmeet Ahuja met with Government of Sri Lanka, NGO, UN, and international organization representatives to assess the humanitarian situation in the North. Humanitarian access issues for the UN and [...] | 2008-12-31 06:28:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO120 | SRI LANKA: TOURISM DOWN 12% IN 2007; COULD HAVE BEEN [...] Summary: The escalating ethnic conflict continues to hurt the Sri Lankan tourism industry, which experienced a 12% decrease in visitors in 2007 compared to 2006. Industry representatives have mixed assessments of the possible impact of the recent escalation of violence and the consequent bad [...] | 2008-01-31 10:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN PTER CE |
08COLOMBO126 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 02/01/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on February 1, 2008. The EAC discussed Post,s security posture in light of possible attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in retaliation for a bombing in LTTE controlled Mannar District and [...] | 2008-02-01 10:32:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO133 | MALDIVES ECONOMY GREW BY 6.6% IN 2007 [...] (SBU) Summary: In 2007, Maldives economy grew by 6.6%, marking a return to its pre-tsunami growth path. Tourism drove the growth, with visitors up 12% to over 675,000. Tourism-related activities, such as transport and communications, and construction of new resorts, also contributed to growt [...] | 2008-02-05 10:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EAID MV |
08COLOMBO134 | DIPLOMATIC NOTE RECALLING DR. MOHAMED LATHEEF FROM [...] (SBU) Post received the following diplomatic note with reference number (F2) EA-US/B/2008/2 informing us of Dr. Mohamed Latheef's recall from his post as Non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and seeking agrement for his designated successor, Mr. Mohamed Hussain Maniku as [...] | 2008-02-05 10:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV PINR MV |
08COLOMBO135 | SRI LANKA: SPIKE IN DEADLY ATTACKS CONTINUES TO [...] (C) SUMMARY: Sri Lanka experienced a spike in terrorist attacks prior to its February Independence Day celebrations. On February 2, a bomb exploded on a civilian bus in Dambulla, in north central Sri Lanka, killing 20. On February 3, an LTTE suicide cadre killed herself and 14 others at the Fo [...] | 2008-02-05 12:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO136 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 02/05/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on February 5, 2008. The EAC discussed Post's security posture in light of terrorist attacks on February 2, 3 and 4 (the weekend prior to, and the day of, Sri Lankan Independence Day). The EAC recommended, an [...] | 2008-02-05 13:21:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO137 | MALDIVES UPDATE: UN ELECTION MISSION DELAYED [...] (SBU) Summary: In a series of meetings on January 30, the Embassy learned that the Special Majlis considering constitutional reform has not yet resolved the section on transitional arrangements, because of disputes over whether President Gayoom should be allowed to run and whether a transitio [...] | 2008-02-05 13:59:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM KISL AORC ML |
08COLOMBO14 | ADMIRAL KEATING'S MEETING WITH MALDIVIAN PRESIDENT [...] (C) Summary: In a friendly courtesy call with Maldivian President Gayoom on November 21, Pacific Commander Admiral Timothy Keating told the President his visit had reinforced the partnership between the U.S. and Maldives. He outlined for Gayoom plans the two militaries have to share more inf [...] | 2008-01-03 11:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO142 | SRI LANKA: OPPOSITION AND MINORITY PARTIES SEARCH [...] (C) SUMMARY: Sri Lanka's main opposition and minority parties have resigned themselves to working another year under the SLFP-led government. The opposition and minority parties remain frustrated with the SLFP-led government, but recognize they have few options for replacing the current admi [...] | 2008-02-07 08:33:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO144 | SRI LANKA: SURGE IN VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Intimidation and attacks on the media in Sri Lanka have risen sharply since the beginning of the year. The International Federation of Journalists ranked Sri Lanka as the fifth deadliest country for journalists based on 2007 incidents that included six recorded deaths. January [...] | 2008-02-07 12:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PTER SCUL CE |
08COLOMBO149 | SRI LANKA: MINISTER'S STRATEGY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador met Human Rights Minster Mahinda Samarasinghe on January 25 to discuss a range of U.S. concerns about Sri Lanka's human rights situation, including recent incidents. Samarasinghe explained Sri Lanka's strategy for engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, emphasiz [...] | 2008-02-11 08:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO15 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO ANNUL CEASE-FIRE [...] (C) Summary. On January 2, Sri Lanka's cabinet voted unanimously to end the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) signed between the GSL and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2002. Norway, the CFA's facilitator, issued a statement regretting the decision and noting that the Sri Lankan Mo [...] | 2008-01-03 12:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO152 | SRI LANKA: PARLIAMENTARIANS TO ATTEND THE UN.GIFT [...] No summary [...] | 2008-02-11 10:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | KCRM KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG CE |
08COLOMBO153 | SRI LANKA: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS PROPOSALS FOR [...] Post, following G/TIP instructions in reftel, solicited anti-trafficking project proposals from local and regional organizations and received three proposals. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) proposal includes improving the GSL's capacity to prosecute trafficking crimes and to [...] | 2008-02-11 10:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC ELAB PHUM PREL SMIG KCRM CE |
08COLOMBO156 | SRI LANKA: DEMARCHE ON GSL REPRESENTATIVE'S [...] No summary [...] | 2008-02-12 09:46:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PARM MNUC UN CE |
08COLOMBO157 | SRI LANKA UNDECIDED ON KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE [...] (C) Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama on February 11, urging the Government of Sri Lanka to recognize Kosovo's independence if Kosovo issues such a declaration. Ambassador noted that the U.S. does not consider Kosovo independence [...] | 2008-02-12 09:50:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL UN UNMIK YI CE |
08COLOMBO162 | SRI LANKA: FIGHTING INTENSIFIES IN THE NORTH [...] (C) Summary: Fighting between Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and LTTE forces has intensified, particularly in Mannar district. On February 12, the LTTE attacked the Thallady brigade command center in Mannar district killing several soldiers and damaging a nearby church. On February 11, 10 government [...] | 2008-02-13 12:46:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO166 | SRI LANKA: GERMAN AID MINISTER CALLS FOR EU TO [...] (C) Summary: German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul told the German press this week that she would urge the EU to withdraw Sri Lanka's eligibility for tariff-free exports to the EU under the GSP program if Sri Lanka continues to pursue a military res [...] | 2008-02-15 10:26:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | EAID ETRD CE |
08COLOMBO167 | 02/15/2008, EAC MEETING REGARDING SECURITY [...] (S/NF) Summary: In response to information provided reftel, AmEmbassy Colombo convened a meeting of the core Emergency Action Committee (EAC). The EAC concurred that the death of the Hizballah leader was unlikely to affect Post's security profile, and therefore the EAC felt that it was not nec [...] | 2008-02-15 10:26:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET//NOFORN | ASEC PTER CASC |
08COLOMBO17 | SRI LANKA: GSL BLAMES CFA ABROGATION ON LTTE; [...] (C) Summary. On January 3, the GSL submitted to Norwegian Ambassador Tore Hattrem formal notification, dated January 2, of its intent to withdraw from the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama briefed Co-Chair Ambassadors on the evening of January 3 and the broad [...] | 2008-01-04 10:50:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO172 | MGKV01: SRI LANKA REJECTS RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO [...] (U) On February 17, Sri Lanka rejected Kosovo's declaration of independence, citing its potential to set an "unmanageable" precedent, and claiming that it violates the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. 2. (U) In a statement issued on February 17, the Foreign Ministry state [...] | 2008-02-20 02:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL UN UNMIK YI EU KV CE |
08COLOMBO177 | NGOS IN LTTE-CONTROLLED AREA BRIEF ON GROWING [...] (SBU) Summary: In a February 19 briefing at the EU Commission for selected Heads of Mission, international NGOs operating in the northern area of the Vanni still controlled by the LTTE reported growing constraints on their operations, including increasing restrictions on access both to and w [...] | 2008-02-20 10:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PREL PTER CE |
08COLOMBO180 | INPUT FOR NEW REQUIRED REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON ENERGY [...] No summary [...] | 2008-02-21 04:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ENRG SENV APER ABUD CE |
08COLOMBO184 | SRI LANKA: FIGHTING CONTINUES IN MANNAR DISTRICT; [...] (U) On February 20 at 11:00 AM, three soldiers were shot and killed in Buttala, an area deep in Sri Lanka's south. The Defense Ministry blamed the attack on the LTTE and deployed additional troops to conduct a search operation. Following the attack, the Defense Ministry replaced the military [...] | 2008-02-21 11:44:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO193 | SRI LANKA: EXPORTS TO U.S. DECLINE BUT STILL NINE TIMES [...] (U) Summary: The United States merchandise trade deficit with Sri Lanka in 2007 was $1.84 billion. Sri Lanka's exports to the United States were $2.1 billion, while U.S. exports to Sri Lanka were $227 million -- a ratio of about nine-to-one. The EU replaced the United States as Sri Lanka's l [...] | 2008-02-25 11:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EFIN EAID CE |
08COLOMBO197 | SRI LANKA: BOMB BLASTS IN COLOMBO SUBURB AND [...] (SBU) On February 23, a bomb blast injured 18 people at a bus stop in Mount Lavinia, a southern suburb of Colombo. According to press reports, a passenger who spotted an unattended parcel in the back of the bus alerted the driver, who evacuated the bus just before the explosion. Eight Tamils [...] | 2008-02-26 05:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PGOV PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO198 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT CIRCUMVENTS CONSTITUTIONAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: Parliament adopted the 17th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution in 2001, intending it to be a significant check on the powers of the Executive President. The 17th Amendment mandates an independent Constitutional Council (CC) responsible for nominating members to key public [...] | 2008-02-26 05:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO199 | SRI LANKA: LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN EAST FACE [...] (C) SUMMARY: The GSL's plan of holding local government elections in nine constituencies in Batticaloa faces many challenges. Interlocutors from a variety of political parties and civil society organizations believe that holding a credible, free and fair election will be difficult, given the [...] | 2008-02-26 05:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PTER PHUM PREL MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO207 | SRI LANKA: CARE INTERNATIONAL LOCAL EMPLOYEE [...] (SBU) On February 26, the Country Director of CARE International in Sri Lanka (headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia) contacted Ambassador about the abduction of a CARE International staff member from a police checkpoint in Colombo on the evening of February 25. Three of CARE's staff from Ampara a [...] | 2008-02-26 12:04:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO211 | SRI LANKA: RARE MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT AND [...] (C) SUMMARY: President Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had their first meeting in months, but Wickremesinghe called the meeting inconclusive. He rebuffed the President's attempt to encourage the UNP to rejoin the APRC discussions. However, Wickremesinghe said that the UN [...] | 2008-02-27 11:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO212 | SRI LANKA: ABDUCTED CARE INTERNATIONAL LOCAL [...] (SBU) Country Director for CARE International in Sri Lanka Nick Osborne told Ambassador on February 27 that the CARE employee abducted on February 25 (reftel) called CARE-Colombo from an unidentified location in Kandy to report that he was safe and on his way to the CARE office in Ampara. Th [...] | 2008-02-27 11:59:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO213 | CHILD SOLDIERS IN SRI LANKA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On February 28, Ambassador delivered to Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama reftel demarche on the possible restriction of U.S. Foreign Military Financing to the Government of Sri Lanka, due to the recruitment and use of child soldiers by government-backed [...] | 2008-02-28 12:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM PGOV PTER MASS CE |
08COLOMBO215 | SRI LANKA: THE EIGHTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] (U) Mission's submission for the eighth annual Anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for Sri Lanka follows. Responses are keyed to questions in Reftel. Mission point of contact is poloff Amy Trimble, telephone +94-11-249-8822, fax +94-11-249-8820. Paragraph 27: Sri Lanka Overview ----- [...] | 2008-02-29 07:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM ELAB ASEC PREF KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD CE |
08COLOMBO216 | EXPLOSION IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA NEIGHBORHOOD [...] (U) An alleged LTTE member detonated a bomb around 0615 hr. local on 02/29/2008 in a northern Colombo neighborhood. Police stated that the SUBJECT initiated the bomb as police officers, acting on a tip, attempted to search his room in a lodge on Aluth Mawatha in Modara, located in Colombo 15. A [...] | 2008-03-01 01:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC PTER |
08COLOMBO22 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING JANUARY 7, 2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on January 7, 2008. The EAC discussed Post's security profile and security for American citizens in general in light of the Government of Sri Lanka's (GSL) abrogation (ref A) of the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement [...] | 2008-01-07 13:13:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC PTER CASC |
08COLOMBO222 | SRI LANKAN NAVY RESCUES 71 STRANDED AT SEA; LTTE [...] (U) On March 3, the Sri Lankan Navy rescued 71 Myanmar and Bangladeshi survivors on a large wooden trawler found drifting 140 nautical miles off Mullaitivu, on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. According to press reports, the vessel set off on February 9 from Cox's Bazaar, near the Myanmar-B [...] | 2008-03-04 11:09:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO231 | BASIL RAJAPAKSA DISCUSSES ELECTIONS IN EAST, APRC, [...] (C) Summary: At a March 5 lunch with Co-Chair Ambassadors, Basil Rajapaksa, the President's brother, senior political advisor, and coordinator for the stabilization and development of the East, said that the President had insisted to all the parties and the paramilitary TMVP that the March 10t [...] | 2008-03-06 11:37:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO237 | MALDIVES: FISCAL TRANSPARENCY REPORT [...] (U) The following is the text of Embassy Colombo's fiscal transparency report for Maldives. 2. (SBU) Begin text: The Government of Maldives practices generally good economic management. It has not achieved a high degree of budgetary transparency, but this is due to capacity limitations, [...] | 2008-03-10 11:47:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID ECON PGOV PREL MV |
08COLOMBO238 | SRI LANKA: FISCAL TRANSPARENCY REPORT [...] (U) The following is the text of Embassy Colombo's fiscal transparency report for Sri Lanka. 2. (SBU) Begin text: Sri Lanka has achieved a substantial degree of fiscal transparency in areas such as legal and administrative framework, compilation and reporting of fiscal accounts for the ce [...] | 2008-03-10 11:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | EAID ECON PGOV PREL CE |
08COLOMBO244 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT-BACKED EX-TIGERS SWEEP LOCAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The March 10 local elections in Batticaloa District in eastern Sri Lanka went off without any serious violations or incidents of violence. The TMVP, a government-backed anti-LTTE Tamil paramilitary, swept the elections, winning 8 of 9 local bodies (and in a coalition with the r [...] | 2008-03-11 14:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO245 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT-BACKED EX-TIGERS SWEEP LOCAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The March 10 local elections in Batticaloa District in eastern Sri Lanka went off without any serious violations or incidents of violence. The TMVP, a government-backed anti-LTTE Tamil paramilitary, swept the elections, winning 8 of 9 local bodies (and in a coalition with the r [...] | 2008-03-11 15:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO246 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT-BACKED EX-TIGERS SWEEP LOCAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The March 10 local elections in Batticaloa District in eastern Sri Lanka went off without any serious violations or incidents of violence. The TMVP, a government-backed anti-LTTE Tamil paramilitary, swept the elections, winning 8 of 9 local bodies (and in a coalition with the r [...] | 2008-03-11 15:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO247 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT-BACKED EX-TIGERS SWEEP LOCAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The March 10 local elections in Batticaloa District in eastern Sri Lanka went off without any serious violations or incidents of violence. The TMVP, a government-backed anti-LTTE Tamil paramilitary, swept the elections, winning 8 of 9 local bodies (and in a coalition with the r [...] | 2008-03-11 15:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO248 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT-BACKED EX-TIGERS SWEEP LOCAL [...] (C) SUMMARY: The March 10 local elections in Batticaloa District in eastern Sri Lanka went off without any serious violations or incidents of violence. The TMVP, a government-backed anti-LTTE Tamil paramilitary, swept the elections, winning 8 of 9 local bodies (and in a coalition with the r [...] | 2008-03-11 15:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO249 | SRI LANKA: DEFENSE SECRETARY DEFENDS SPECIAL [...] (C) On March 11, Ambassador delivered reftel (a) points to Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, highlighting our desire to clarify U.S. vetting policy to the GSL while at the same time preserving our long-term relationship with the Sri Lankan military. Ambassador invited Gothabaya to provi [...] | 2008-03-11 15:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL MASS PGOV MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO250 | MALDIVES: CONSTITUTION NEAR COMPLETION; COUNTRY [...] (C) SUMMARY: On February 20, visiting Staffdel from the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Poloff called on Maldivian government officials to discuss the political reform process and upcoming multi-party elections. Staffdel consisted of Professional Staff Member Manpreet Anand, Senior PSM H [...] | 2008-03-12 03:59:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MV |
08COLOMBO26 | MALDIVIAN PRESIDENT SURVIVES ATTACK [...] (U) The Maldivian Deputy High Commissioner in Sri Lanka telephoned Ambassador on January 8 to inform us that President Gayoum had been attacked earlier in the day by an unknown Maldivian assailant with a knife during a visit by Gayoum to the island of Huvarafushi in the northern atoll of Haa- [...] | 2008-01-08 09:47:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PTER ML |
08COLOMBO264 | SRI LANKA: EMINENT PERSONS REITERATE PROBLEMS [...] (C) SUMMARY: The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) issued its fifth public statement on March 6, reiterating its concerns about the Commission of Inquiry's (COI) lack of progress and failure to adhere to international norms. The statement also announced IIGEP's decis [...] | 2008-03-14 05:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO272 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT REACTS SHARPLY TO HUMAN [...] (C) SUMMARY: On March 14, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama called in the Ambassador to register strong protest to the U.S. State Department's 2007 Human Rights Report on Sri Lanka. The Minister objected to the report's sourcing and its negative conclusions, and to the State Department pr [...] | 2008-03-17 12:06:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM PGOV MOPS PTER CE |
08COLOMBO279 | AMBASSADOR PRESSES SRI LANKAN JUSTICE SECRETARY ON [...] (C) SUMMARY: On March 17, Ambassador and DCM met the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice Suhada Gamalath to urge SIPDIS that the GSL, in the face of restrictions on U.S. Foreign Military Financing to Sri Lanka (ref A),take swift and effective measures to demobilize and rehabilitate child [...] | 2008-03-18 11:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM PTER MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO280 | SRI LANKA: TAMIL JOURNALISTS DETAINED FOR ALLEGED [...] (C) SUMMARY: J.S. Tissainayagam, a columnist for the Sunday Times, and two other journalists were arrested on March 7 by the Sri Lanka Police's Terrorism Investigation Division. Police also arrested B. Jasikaran, owner of the printing press that prints the Tamil weekly Sarinihar, his busine [...] | 2008-03-18 12:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV PTER PREL CE |
08COLOMBO281 | SRI LANKA: CITIBANK BLOCKS SRI LANKAN AIRLINE [...] (SBU) Summary: Citibank Sri Lanka has blocked a $250,000 transaction between Sri Lankan Airlines and Iranian Bank Melli, in accordance with Executive Order 13382 sanctions against Bank Melli. The blocked transaction was intended to pay for routine civil aviation overflight fees due to the gov [...] | 2008-03-19 01:08:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | KTFN EFIN KNNP CE IR |
08COLOMBO286 | EU TROIKA VISIT TO COLOMBO YIELDS LITTLE [...] (C) Summary: In a briefing to Co-Chair Ambassadors at the conclusion of their March 17-18 visit to Colombo, EU Troika members noted they: pressed the Government of Sri Lanka to allow access to the Vanni for the Norwegian facilitators; noted the GSL's intention to implement the 13th Amendmen [...] | 2008-03-19 12:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO287 | SRI LANKA: COORDINATING HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY WITH [...] (C) SUMMARY: On March 18, Ambassador hosted a meeting of representatives of missions that have contributed to the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) to discuss how to maintain a strategy of continued engagement with the GSL on human rights following IIGEP's decision to [...] | 2008-03-19 12:57:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO288 | SRI LANKA: PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS RISK [...] (C) SUMMARY: During EmbOffs' visit to Batticaloa before the March 10 district-wide local council elections, political parties reiterated their concerns that the elections would not be free or fair. Paramilitaries contesting as political parties claimed to have disarmed, but local residents fe [...] | 2008-03-19 13:56:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO297 | SRI LANKAN NAVY CRAFT SUNK IN NORTHEAST; CONTINUED [...] (U) On March 22, a Sri Lankan Navy "Dvora" fast attack craft was sunk around 2:00 am while on patrol near Nayaru, south of Mullaitivu, the Defense Ministry said. Ten of 16 crew members were missing. Pro-Tamil Tiger sources claimed that suicide Sea Tiger crafts destroyed the Navy boat after a [...] | 2008-03-24 11:28:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV MOPS PTER PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO306 | SRI LANKA NONCOMMITTAL ON SUPPORTING SPECIAL [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-25 10:28:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM UNHCR CE |
08COLOMBO313 | UNSCR 1803: SRI LANKA REVIEWING "LINE BY LINE" [...] (C) Summary: Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Central Bank both responded to post's demarches on UN Security Council Resolution 1803 with assurances that Sri Lanka would meet its international obligations with respect to sanctions against Iran. The MFA acting Director General for U [...] | 2008-03-27 10:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN KNNP UNSC IAEA IR CE |
08COLOMBO314 | SRI LANKA: EMBASSY DISCUSSES CHILD SOLDIERS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador and DCM called on Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona on March 24 to discuss Embassy SIPDIS suggestions for a roadmap to address child soldiers. Ambassador recommended any progress on the issue be verified by UNICEF and noted that the Embassy would remain engaged in t [...] | 2008-03-27 11:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PTER PREL MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO316 | SRI LANKA: SAARC SUMMIT IN COLOMBO JULY 27 - [...] (SBU) The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Protocol Chief confirmed to DCM the following dates for the 15th SAARC Summit, to be held in Colombo July 27 to August 3: July 27-28: 32nd session, SAARC Programming Committee (DG level) July 29-30: 35th session, SAARC Standing Committee (Foreig [...] | 2008-03-27 12:33:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV OVIP CE |
08COLOMBO328 | MALDIVES: THE EIGHTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] (U) Mission's submission for the eighth annual Anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for Maldives follows. Responses are keyed to questions in reftel. Mission point of contact is Poloff Amy Trimble, telephone +94-11-249-8822, fax +94-11-249-8820. Paragraph 27: Maldives Overview ------- [...] | 2008-04-01 00:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM ELAB ASEC PREF KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD MV |
08COLOMBO335 | SRI LANKAN AIRLINES APPLICATION TO OFAC TO RELEASE [...] (C) Summary and recommendation: Sri Lankan Airlines has submitted a license application to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) requesting release of a Pounds Sterling 125,124.70 payment that Citibank's Sri Lanka branch blocked in accordance with Executive Order 13382 because the r [...] | 2008-04-01 12:20:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN KNNP KTFN IR CE |
08COLOMBO34 | SRI LANKA: TIGER ATTACK KILLS MINISTER OUTSIDE [...] (C) Summary. On January 8, non-cabinet Minister of Nation Building D.M. Dassanayake was killed in a roadside bomb attack just outside of Colombo. Initial indications are that Dassanayake was likely a target of opportunity for the LTTE. This incident is the first successful assassination of [...] | 2008-01-08 12:00:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO341 | SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION AND MUSLIM CONGRESS [...] (U) On April 1, the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) and Rauff Hakeem's Sri Lankan Muslim Congress agreed to contest the Eastern Provincial Council elections jointly in all three eastern districts - Ampara, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa. SLMC General Secreta [...] | 2008-04-02 09:37:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO344 | SRI LANKA: REPORT BLAMES GOVERNMENT FOR "TRINCO 5" [...] (C) Summary: On April 1, the prominent Sri Lankan human rights group University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) released a lengthy report on two cases that have received significant international attention: the murders of five Tamil youths in Trincomalee in January 2006, and the killing of [...] | 2008-04-03 11:43:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO345 | SRI LANKA: BISHOP OF MANNAR APPEALS TO STOP CHURCH [...] (U) On April 3, the Bishop of Mannar faxed to Ambassador a press release calling on both the LTTE and Sri Lankan military to stop shelling the premises of a venerated Catholic shrine in Madhu, and to respect it as a zone of peace. TamilNet reported that the LTTE said the SLA was shelling the [...] | 2008-04-03 11:48:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO346 | SRI LANKA RESUMES MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL CARRIER AND [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: The government of Sri Lanka resumed management control of the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines on April 1. The government has appointed Treasury Secretary (and mastermind of the Sri Lankan economy) P.B. Jayasundera to be chairman of the Sri Lankan Board of Direc [...] | 2008-04-04 06:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAIR EINV CE |
08COLOMBO347 | SRI LANKA: MFA ISSUES HARSH REBUTTAL TO U.S. HUMAN [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On March 31, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released publicly a detailed response to the U.S. Human Rights Report, defending Sri Lanka's human rights record and challenging much of the information cited in the U.S. report. The preamble to the GSL paper charges that the HRR i [...] | 2008-04-04 09:48:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM PGOV PTER MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO352 | SRI LANKA: LTTE ATTACK KILLS MINISTER, 13 OTHERS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Sri Lanka's Minister for Highways (and Chief Government Whip in Parliament),Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, and 13 others were killed by a suicide bomb blast on April 6 at about 8 am local time, just before the start of a marathon race about 25 kilometers northeast of Colombo. Also kil [...] | 2008-04-07 10:50:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER ASEC PGOV PHUM PREL CE |
08COLOMBO36 | SRI LANKA: SMALL BLAST IN COLOMBO, NO INJURIES [...] On January 8, around 7:30 pm, a small bomb exploded in the Colombo Fort area, opposite the government owned publishing house Lake House. No injuries or casualties were reported. The bomb, approximately 75 grams of C-4, according to police contacts, was placed inside a phone booth on the gro [...] | 2008-01-09 10:37:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO363 | SRI LANKA: JVP RIFT RESULTS IN SUSPENSION OF [...] (C) Summary. On April 6, local press reported that the JVP, in a March 21 Central Committee meeting, had decided to suspend Parliamentary Group Leader and Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa from the party. Weerawansa reportedly upset fellow JVP leaders by publicly contradicting the party' [...] | 2008-04-09 10:52:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO366 | SRI LANKA: 2007 GDP GROWTH REPORTEDLY 6.8%; FITCH [...] (SBU) Summary: Sri Lanka continued its healthy economic growth in 2007, reporting a 6.8% increase in real gross domestic product for the year. Weaknesses in the government's statistical methodology suggest the actual growth figure may have been lower, probably closer to 6%. The reported outco [...] | 2008-04-09 11:00:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV EFIN KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO368 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSADOR OPENS USAID PROJECTS IN THE [...] SUMMARY: Ambassador visited Galle on April 4 to open two USAID projects and meet local officials. Party leaders expressed concern about Southern Province's disproportionate share of the war burden, a growing drug problem, a shortage of labor for traditional industries. A representative of t [...] | 2008-04-09 11:23:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ELAB KCRM CE |
08COLOMBO369 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT-BACKED PARAMILITARY RELEASES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Eleven TMVP child soldiers were released on April 7 to police custody in Batticaloa. They were transported on April 8 to a temporary holding facility in Pallekele, near Kandy, where they were met by Justice Secretary Suhada Gamalath, who chairs the GSL committee on SIPDIS c [...] | 2008-04-09 12:36:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO370 | SRI LANKA: RAIN HURTS RICE CROP; PRICES RISE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Torrential rains are damaging paddy yields in the main rice growing areas of Sri Lanka, with as many as 15,000 hectares lost. Domestic prices are up in wholesale markets and sharp increases in retail prices have started and will continue unless international supplies can be as [...] | 2008-04-10 02:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV KCOR KMCA PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO372 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 04/09/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on April 9, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture in light of a recent assassination of a government minister and the upcoming Sinhala/Tamil New Year celebrations. The EAC agreed that current secu [...] | 2008-04-10 09:37:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET//NOFORN | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO385 | MALDIVES: CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY STALLED OVER [...] (C) SUMMARY: Intense debate continues between the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and ruling Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) on the draft constitution's chapter on transitional arrangements. Drafting is stalled after DRP MPs walked out of the Special Majlis on April 6, protestin [...] | 2008-04-11 05:58:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MV |
08COLOMBO39 | BFIF FY08 PROPOSALS FOR SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES [...] Post expresses its appreciation for continued BFIF support of commercial activities in Sri Lanka and Maldives. Post has witnessed considerable success from BFIF support for the "American Pavilion" at the annual Maldives trade show (ref B); the Ambassador and post's Econ/Commercial Section str [...] | 2008-01-10 05:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP ETRD KIPR CE MV |
08COLOMBO394 | SRI LANKA: SCENESETTER FOR PDAS CAMP'S VISIT TO [...] (C) INTRODUCTION: Your visit comes at a time when our relations with Sri Lanka are beginning to show signs of strain from the increasing pressure we have applied on key issues, particularly human rights and military cooperation. Nonetheless, we continue to have access at the highest levels [...] | 2008-04-17 11:26:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO407 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS [...] (C) Summary: Ambassador met Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda for a debrief of the Minister's recent visit to Washington. President Rajapaksa recently designated Moragoda as a special envoy on external military relations with the US, India and possibly other countries. Ambassador suggested [...] | 2008-04-24 12:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREL PTER MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO409 | SRI LANKA: IIGEP COMES TO END; HOPE REMAINS FOR [...] (C) SUMMARY: The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) has ended its work in country and released its final public statement on April 15. The statement concluded that the Commission of Inquiry's (COI) work has not met international standards, detailed the reasons for th [...] | 2008-04-25 06:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO410 | SRI LANKA: TMVP RELEASES 28 CHILD SOLDIERS [...] (SBU) Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe informed Ambassador the evening of April 24 that the TMVP (a government-backed paramilitary in the East) released 28 child soldiers earlier in the day in Batticaloa. This second release follows the release of 11 chil [...] | 2008-04-25 06:53:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO412 | SRI LANKA: PDAS CAMP ENCOURAGES PROGRESS ON HUMAN [...] (C) Summary. During his April 21-22 visit to Colombo, SCA PDAS Don Camp highlighted to GSL officials that despite the long-standing friendship between our countries, continuing human rights abuses place limits on our cooperation. PDAS Camp pressed for the release of TMVP child soldiers and [...] | 2008-04-28 04:02:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ECON CE |
08COLOMBO417 | SRI LANKA: BUS BOMBING KILLS 26 [...] (U) On April 25, a bomb exploded on a packed, evening rush-hour bus in Piliyandala, a suburb 15 km south of Colombo. Twenty-six people were killed, and 64 injured. The bus was traveling from the outskirts of Colombo to Kahapola, a village east of the city. Police have arrested nine suspect [...] | 2008-04-28 11:41:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO423 | SRI LANKA: POLICE ARREST CHILD TRAFFICKING [...] On April 28, the National Child Protection Authority disclosed the arrest of four suspects involved in trafficking more than 20 children to Singapore over an extended period of time. NCPA Chairman Jagath Wellawatta said that in January, three Sri Lankan children, ages 11,13, and 14, were foun [...] | 2008-04-29 13:13:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL ELAB SMIG KCRM KFRD KWMN CE |
08COLOMBO424 | G/TIP FY06 PROGRAMS: MONITORING REPORT (SRI LANKA) [...] No summary [...] | 2008-04-30 06:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL SMIG KCRM KFRD KWMN CE |
08COLOMBO428 | RESPONSE: IMPACT OF RISING FOOD PRICES - SRI LANKA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The impact of rising food prices is affecting all households in Sri Lanka. Recent jumps in prices of rice and other food commodities have come on top of 20% domestic inflation rates. In the past year, food commodity prices are up 50-100%, and the trend is continuing. On averag [...] | 2008-04-30 11:37:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV EAGR KMCA PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO429 | SRI LANKA: NO SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE ON NPT PREPCOM [...] Post delivered ref A and B demarches to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs UN and Multilateral Affairs Division on April 25 and 30, respectively. Deputy DG Samantha Pathirana told Econoff April 30 that he was familiar with the NPT PrepCom II process and asked which countries we expect [...] | 2008-04-30 11:47:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PREL NPT IAEA CE |
08COLOMBO441 | SRI LANKA: GSL ACHIEVES PROGRESS ON CHILD SOLDIERS [...] (C) SUMMARY: UNICEF reported that in April, the number of child soldiers with the TMVP on whom it has files dropped by 55, to a total of 76. The actual number still with the TMVP is likely higher, possibly 200-250. Nevertheless, the GSL is clearly pushing the TMVP to release child soldiers, [...] | 2008-05-06 12:27:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO448 | SRI LANKA: MAY 10 EASTERN POLLS SEEN AS REFERENDUM [...] (C) SUMMARY: The May 10 Eastern Provincial Council elections are the first provincial-level polls in the East in twenty years. A relatively free, fair, and peaceful election would help bring back normalcy in the East, lay the groundwork for democratic administrative structures, and reinforce [...] | 2008-05-08 13:25:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO449 | SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT PROROGUES PARLIAMENT [...] (C) On May 6, President Rajapaksa abruptly prorogued (suspended) Parliament until June 5. All parliamentary committees must be reconstituted and pending legislation must be re-introduced when Parliament reconvenes. Presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weera [...] | 2008-05-08 13:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO450 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT SEEKS LOWER BORROWING COSTS BY [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: Seeking to reduce government borrowing costs, Sri Lanka opened ten percent of its short-term local currency Treasury bill market to foreign investors. The Central Bank calculates, accurately it appears after the first day of trading, that offering the 3-12 month de [...] | 2008-05-09 04:59:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN ECON EINV KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO453 | SRI LANKA SAYS PURCHASE OF BURMESE RICE WILL GO THROUGH; [...] (SBU) Summary: Sri Lanka's Secretary of Trade and Commerce assured the public that he expected a purchase of 22,000 metric tons of rice from Burma to go ahead, despite the impact of Cyclone Nargis. The purchase was part of Sri Lanka's effort to fill a domestic shortage of about 300,000 metric [...] | 2008-05-09 07:50:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EAGR EAID BM CE |
08COLOMBO459 | REQUEST TO SRI LANKA TO PROVIDE AVIATION SUPPORT [...] (C) Ambassador and ODC Chief Orozco met with Sri Lankan Secretary of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on May 12 to request that Sri Lanka offer Mi-8 or Mi-24 helicopters to support the UN-AU peacekeeping operation in Darfur. Drawing on the background in para 4 of reftel, Ambassador noted that Suda [...] | 2008-05-12 11:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL KPKO CE |
08COLOMBO461 | SRI LANKA: POLICE RAID VENDORS OF PIRATED SOFTWARE [...] (SBU) Summary: On May 6, Sri Lankan police raided software dealers in a popular shopping mall in Colombo. The raid was Sri Lanka's first intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement action against pirated software dealers. With uncommon swiftness, offenders were raided, charged, pleaded g [...] | 2008-05-12 11:48:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KIPR EAID CE |
08COLOMBO462 | SRI LANKA: KARUNA RELEASED FROM UK PRISON; MAY BE [...] (C) Summary. Former LTTE-breakaway faction leader Karuna was released from prison on May 8 after serving half of his prison sentence for entering the United Kingdom on a false diplomatic passport, likely supplied by the Sri Lankan government (ref B). Karuna is currently being held in an im [...] | 2008-05-12 12:25:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET//NOFORN | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO463 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT WINS EASTERN POLLS BY NARROW [...] (C) Summary: The ruling UPFA won the Eastern Provincial Council elections on May 10, amidst criticism by the opposition parties and observer groups of large scale election malpractices. The UPFA-TMVP won 18 seats plus 2 bonus seats, the UNP-SLMC won 15, and the JVP and TDNA won one each. Re [...] | 2008-05-12 13:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO465 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES PROSPECTS FOR [...] (C) On May 12 Ambassador met with V. Anandasangaree, President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) to discuss devolution of power and prospects for peace. Anandasangaree stressed that the LTTE is not the sole representative of the Tamil people, and that the government should talk with [...] | 2008-05-13 12:16:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO47 | SRI LANKA: EMIRATES AIRLINES TERMINATES MANAGEMENT OF [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: Emirates Airlines announced on January 7 that it would not seek to renew its management contract with national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines, of which it owns 44 percent. Emirates' decision followed poor progress in negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka on ren [...] | 2008-01-10 11:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAIR EINV CE |
08COLOMBO471 | SRI LANKA: MIHIN LANKA LOSES MONEY, SUSPENDS OPERATIONS, [...] (SBU) Summary: Mihin Lanka, a budget airline started by the government of Sri Lanka a year ago, has been hemorrhaging public money. The airline stopped flying on May 1 when the last of its two wet-leased aircraft was reclaimed after Mihin was unable to make lease payments, but plans to resume [...] | 2008-05-15 09:28:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAIR EINV EFIN CE |
08COLOMBO473 | MALDIVES: CONSTITUTION DRAFTING COMPLETE; [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Maldives is now in the midst of final frenetic preparations to ratify its new constitution and then hold the first truly free presidential elections in the country's history in August of this year. The final chapter of Maldives' new constitution passed in the Special Majlis [...] | 2008-05-15 11:58:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM MV |
08COLOMBO475 | SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS AT LEAST EIGHT IN CENTRAL [...] A suicide bomber on a motorbike detonated himself next to a police bus in downtown Colombo on May 16 at 12:00 noon. According to Defense Ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, six policemen and two civilians were killed and 75 to 80 persons were injured. Subsequent media reports put the fi [...] | 2008-05-16 09:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO476 | DARFUR HELICOPTERS: SRI LANKANS HOPE THEY CAN HELP [...] (C) Ambassador spoke on May 16 with Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to seek an update on the Government of Sri Lanka's response to our request that Sri Lanka provide helicopters to support the UN-AU peacekeeping operation in Darfur (reftel). Rajapaksa said he had spoken with Air Force [...] | 2008-05-16 10:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL KPKO CE |
08COLOMBO477 | DARFUR HELICOPTERS: SRI LANKANS HOPE THEY CAN HELP [...] (C) Ambassador spoke on May 16 with Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to seek an update on the Government of Sri Lanka's response to our request that Sri Lanka provide helicopters to support the UN-AU peacekeeping operation in Darfur (reftel). Rajapaksa said he had spoken with Air Force [...] | 2008-05-16 10:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL KPKO CE |
08COLOMBO478 | SRI LANKA: SCENESETTER FOR DAS ERICA [...] (C) Summary and Introduction: Your visit comes at a time when our relations with Sri Lanka are strong, but show some strain from the pressure we have applied on key issues, particularly human rights. Nonetheless, we continue to have access at the highest levels of the GSL and to play an imp [...] | 2008-05-16 10:57:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM MOPS PTER CE |
08COLOMBO479 | MALDIVES: EXPRESSION OF SYMPATHY FOR U.S. TORNADO [...] Post received a fax of the following message dated May 12, 2008, addressed to His Excellency Mr. George W. Bush, President of the United States, via Diplomatic Note (D2)EA-US/B-2008/17 dated May 13, 2008. The original text will be forwarded to S/ES-CR when received. 2. BEGIN TEXT: Your [...] | 2008-05-16 12:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV PHUM MV |
08COLOMBO480 | SRI LANKA: PILLAIYAN IS CHOICE FOR CHIEF MINISTER [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The government's game plan for organizing the newly elected Eastern Provincial Council and naming the province's new Chief Minister may be unravelling. TMVP leader "Pillaiyan" and M.L.M. Hisbullah, both elected to the council for the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA),lay [...] | 2008-05-16 12:17:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO483 | SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT NAMES PILLAIYAN CHIEF [...] (C) SUMMARY: President Rajapaksa swore in the TMVP leader "Pillaiyan" as new Chief Minister of the Eastern Province on May 16. However, it is still unclear whether a block of a few Muslim Provincial Councilors led by M.L.M. Hisbullah will assure Pillaiyan of a majority by supporting him in th [...] | 2008-05-20 12:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM MASS MOPS PTER CE |
08COLOMBO489 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 05/21/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on May 21, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture in light of the most recent bombing incident in Colombo (refs A and B). The EAC recommended that Embassy personnel use routes that minimize exposure [...] | 2008-05-21 11:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO491 | SRI LANKA REMITTANCES UP AGAIN IN 2007 [...] (SBU) Summary: Sri Lankan migrant worker remittances rose 15% to $2.5 billion in 2007. Remittances are the second largest source of foreign exchange earnings to the country, after garment exports. Each year, over 200,000 Sri Lankans -- about one percent of the population -- leave to work abr [...] | 2008-05-21 11:50:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB EFIN KWMN KCRM PGOV PHUM SOCI SMIG CE |
08COLOMBO492 | AMBASSADOR URGES MALDIVIAN PRESIDENT TO FINISH NEW [...] (SBU) Summary: Ambassador and US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Bone met on May 19 with Maldivian President Gayoom on the margins of the "Partnering for a Safer Sea" conference hosted by the Government of Maldives at Sun Island Resort, Maldives. The President noted the need for a South Asian Re [...] | 2008-05-22 02:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO493 | SRI LANKA: COMMISSION REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FOR [...] (C) SUMMARY: On May 6, Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry Udalagama formally requested assistance in continuing video conference testimony from abroad. Embassy and USAID have agreed that support of this effort would be the most appropriate use of unused U.S. funds which had been designat [...] | 2008-05-22 04:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO495 | SRI LANKA: SENIOR LTTE COMMANDER BALRAJ DIES OF [...] (U) The LTTE announced on Tuesday that Balasegaram Kandiah, alias Balraj, a senior commander in the LTTE, died from a heart attack on May 20 in the Tiger-held Vanni. The 43 year old Balraj was one of an estimated 6 senior leaders directly below LTTE Chief Prabakharan. Balraj's duties includ [...] | 2008-05-22 10:33:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV PHUM MASS MOPS PTER CE |
08COLOMBO496 | TIGHT TIMETABLE TO PREPARE FOR PRESIDENTIAL [...] (C) Summary: Excitement and expectations are building for what Maldivians hope will be their country's first ever free and fair Presidential elections in the fall of 2008. Opposition parties failed to agree on a single "Alliance" candidate to contest against the presumptive ruling DRP party ca [...] | 2008-05-22 11:36:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO499 | SRI LANKA: TENSIONS RISE FOLLOWING SEVERAL [...] (C) On May 22, a TMVP member named Santhan and his bodyguard were shot dead near the Divisional Secretary's office in Kattankudy (Batticaloa District),the home electorate of Pillaiyan's chief rival for the post of Chief Minister, M.L.A.M. Hisbullah. Santhan's wife successfully contested th [...] | 2008-05-22 12:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO503 | SRI LANKA: IRAN REFINERY OFFER GOING AHEAD, BUT IN WHOSE [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: Iran's offer of concessionary financing for a major expansion of Sri Lanka's sole oil refinery was firmed up with the late April visit of President Ahmadinejad to Sri Lanka. Iran has promised to lend Sri Lanka 70% of the estimated $1.2 billion project cost, at a conc [...] | 2008-05-27 04:16:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ENRG PREL CE IR CH |
08COLOMBO504 | ICAO'S NINETEENTH AVIATION SECURITY PANEL MEETING - SRI [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-27 05:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | EAIR ECON ETRD PREL PTER CE |
08COLOMBO506 | SRI LANKA: PARCEL BOMB ON TRAIN KILLS NINE AT SUBURBAN [...] (U) SUMMARY: A parcel bomb on a train detonated at a suburban Colombo station on May 26 causing nine deaths and wounding more than seventy. It was unclear whether the bomb was triggered by a remote control (such as a cell phone) or a timer. The government of Sri Lanka blamed the attack on t [...] | 2008-05-27 11:37:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER ASEC PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO507 | SRI LANKA: DEFENSE JOURNALIST ABDUCTED, BEATEN AND [...] (C) SUMMARY: Keith Noyahr, a prominent journalist and defense analyst, was abducted and severely beaten by unidentified men on the night of May 22. The next day, hundreds of journalists protested the attack and demanded a full investigation. Some of the victim's journalist colleagues specula [...] | 2008-05-27 12:00:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL PTER CE |
08COLOMBO509 | SRI LANKA: EMBASSY MAKES HEADWAY ON LETTERS OF CREDIT FOR [...] (SBU) Summary: Following Ambassador's intervention with senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa, the Government of Sri Lanka has acted to resolve its longstanding failure to provide standby letters of credit to U.S. investor AES. AES operates a $104 million 163 megawatt power plant in Co [...] | 2008-05-28 11:21:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV PGOV PREL CE |
08COLOMBO510 | SRI LANKA: DISCUSSIONS ON NEXT STEPS AFTER EASTERN [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassadors or Heads of Mission of the U.S., France, Norway, India, and U.K., and the Resident Representatives of the UN, World Bank and Asian Development Bank met on May 21 to discuss policy responses to the recent elections for the Provincial Council in the east. Most agreed [...] | 2008-05-28 12:13:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER MARR PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO516 | SRI LANKA OFFERS TO PROVIDE ONE HELICOPTER FOR [...] (C) In response to Ambassador's May 12 meeting with Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa (ref B) and follow-up conversations May 16 (ref A) and May 23, post today received written confimation, dated May 27, that the Government of Sri Lanka is prepared to make available one Bell 212 helicop [...] | 2008-05-29 12:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | KPKO MARR PREL |
08COLOMBO517 | SRI LANKA TO CONSIDER SUPPORTING IOM DG CANDIDATE [...] No summary [...] | 2008-05-30 05:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL AORC PREF SMIG CE |
08COLOMBO527 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT RAISES FUEL PRICES BY RECORD AMOUNTS [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: On May 25, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Sri Lanka's state-owned oil company, raised diesel and gasoline prices by an unprecedented 37% and 23% respectively. This is the second CPC fuel price increase in 2008, bringing prices to double the level of two years ago [...] | 2008-06-02 11:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV EAGR PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO528 | SRI LANKA: DEFENSE MINISTRY MOBILIZES AGAINST [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Defense Secretary summoned two media workers from the government-owned publishing house. He reportedly harangued them for over two hours for participating in a rally to protest the abduction and beating of defense journalist Keith Noyahr. The journalists told us that Gothab [...] | 2008-06-02 13:14:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PTER MOPS PREL CE |
08COLOMBO534 | MALDIVES HOSTS INDIAN OCEAN COUNTRIES FOR U.S. COAST [...] (SBU) Summary: In conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Government of Maldives hosted the "Partnering for a Safer Sea" conference May 19-22, at which Indian Ocean national and private maritime security and maritime industry stakeholders discussed regional security trends and issues. Offi [...] | 2008-06-03 06:06:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EWWT MARR PREL PTER BG CN IN MA MP MU MV PK SL |
08COLOMBO536 | SRI LANKA'S CHILD SOLDIERS: INITIAL STEPS WELCOME, [...] (C) SUMMARY: In May 22-23 meetings, DRL DAS Barks-Ruggles obtained an update on the government's efforts to release child soldiers. She urged Justice Secretary Gamalath to put in place effective measures to combat the problem, and pressed the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of the Disast [...] | 2008-06-03 10:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM PTER MASS CE |
08COLOMBO539 | SRI LANKA: ETHNIC DIVIDE IN ATTITUDES ON THE [...] (C) SUMMARY: In May 22-24 meetings with visiting DAS Barks-Ruggles, representatives from the ICRC, the UN, and a leading local think tank described a deteriorating human rights situation. Human Rights Ministry Secretary Amarasinghe highlighted the limited steps the government has taken to rec [...] | 2008-06-03 10:39:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL PTER CE |
08COLOMBO546 | MALDIVES COAST GUARD REQUESTS TRAINING FROM U.S. [...] (C) U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Craig E. Bone, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District Eleven, met Major General Mohamed Zahir, Chief of Staff Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) and Embassy Colombo ODC Chief Orozco on May 9 in Maldives. 2. (C) Major General Zahir requested from Ad [...] | 2008-06-05 03:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | MAS MV PGOV PREL |
08COLOMBO55 | SRI LANKA: PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR WELCOMES USG [...] (C) Summary. On January 8, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa outlined for Ambassador and the visiting 1210 team the GSL's ambitious development agenda for the East and welcomed USG assistance on a wide range of policy initiatives. Rajapaksa highlighted the government's progress i [...] | 2008-01-11 08:00:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO551 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT BLOCKS VIDEO TESTIMONY TO [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Presidential Secretariat has directed the Commission of Inquiry to suspend all further hearing of video testimony from protected witnesses abroad in the cases of five Tamil students slain in January 2006 in Trincomalee and the massacre of 17 humanitarian workers of the French [...] | 2008-06-05 11:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO552 | SRI LANKA'S EASTERN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL CONVENES; [...] (C) SUMMARY: Sri Lanka's new Eastern Provincial Council was sworn in June 4 despite an opposition boycott. Since the announcement of Chief Minister Pillaiyan's appointment, tensions have remained high between the Muslim and Tamil communities in the East with targeted political assassination [...] | 2008-06-05 12:10:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PINR EAID PTER PHUM MOPS ECON EINV |
08COLOMBO554 | SRI LANKA: BOMB BLAST SOUTH OF COLOMBO KILLS 21, [...] (SBU) At around 7:30am on June 6, a bomb exploded targeting a crowded public transport bus in the Katubedda area on the Moratuwa-Piliyandala road (25 kilometers south of Colombo). Police at the scene confirmed to Emboff that it was a roadside claymore mine. Twenty-one people were killed an [...] | 2008-06-06 06:39:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO56 | MALDIVES: PRESIDENT AND AMBASSADOR LAUNCH PILOT RENEWABLE [...] (SBU) Summary: Ambassador joined Maldives President Gayoom January 7 for the commissioning of a pilot renewable energy project that uses turbines produced by U.S. company Southwest Windpower. The hybrid wind/solar/diesel micro-grid power systems replace the inefficient generators that most Mal [...] | 2008-01-11 08:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETRD EINV SENV PREL MV |
08COLOMBO563 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 06/09/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on June 9, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture and advice to the general American community in light of the most recent terrorist attacks attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) [...] | 2008-06-09 11:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO564 | SRI LANKA: FOREIGN MINISTRY CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-09 12:41:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL AORC PREF SMIG CE |
08COLOMBO568 | SRI LANKA: TIP REPORT DELIVERED TO MFA [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-10 09:45:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PHUM ELAB SMIG KCRM KPAO KWMN CEA |
08COLOMBO57 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT PROMISES DEVOLUTION PACKAGE [...] (C) SUMMARY: The government has announced a new deadline for presenting a proposal for a political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic problem. The President and Council of Ministers have asked the All-Party Representative Committee to endorse enhanced powers for the Northern and Eastern Province [...] | 2008-01-11 09:27:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO571 | SRI LANKA: TWO PROVINCIAL COUNCILS DISSOLVED; [...] (U) At midnight on June 10, the government dissolved the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provincial Councils. Both councils' terms were scheduled to end in August 2009. North Central Chief Minister (CM) Bertie Premalal Dissanayake and Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Mahipala Herath confirmed tha [...] | 2008-06-11 11:51:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO572 | MALDIVES: FIU WANTS AND NEEDS USG ASSISTANCE IN [...] (SBU) Summary: Despite the lack of a developed Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU),Maldives -- a moderate, pro-U.S. Islamic state -- is taking steps to combat financial crimes and enact legislation that will make it more difficult for money launderers or terrorist financing networks to abuse [...] | 2008-06-11 11:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN PTER ETTC PREL MV |
08COLOMBO578 | SRI LANKA'S CHILD SOLDIERS: GSL AGREES TO JOINT [...] (C) SUMMARY: At a dinner on June 10, Defense Secretary Rajapaksa, Justice Secretary Gamalath and UNICEF Country Representative Duamelle agreed to a joint verification plan in which UNICEF officials and Justice Ministry staff would seek to identify the whereabouts of the approximately 70 child [...] | 2008-06-12 11:58:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL MASS CE |
08COLOMBO58 | INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT, 2008 - MALDIVES [...] Per reftel, below is the investment climate statement for Maldives for 2008. INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT-MALDIVES FEBRUARY 2008 Investment Climate --Introduction Maldives is comprised of over 1,190 islands, of which 198 are inhabited and 95 are exclusive resort islands. The popu [...] | 2008-01-14 02:57:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | KTDB OPIC ECON USTR EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB PGOV MV |
08COLOMBO581 | SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT TELLS PRESS TO TOE THE LINE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Two senior journalists told Embassy that President Rajapaksa called in the heads of Sri Lanka's major media outlets on June 6 to criticize their coverage of the war and instructed them to avoid publishing any sensitive or derogatory military information. The President implied that [...] | 2008-06-13 03:26:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PTER MOPS PREL CE |
08COLOMBO585 | SRI LANKA: NO DELEGATE TO MADRID GLOBAL INITIATIVE [...] No summary [...] | 2008-06-13 07:58:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PARM PREL PTER KGIC KNNP CE |
08COLOMBO588 | SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BLAST KILLS 12 POLICEMEN, [...] (U) A little after 7:00 am on June 16 a suicide bomber on a motorbike killed himself and 12 police personnel in front of the Senior Superintendent of Police's (SSP) office in Vavuniya. RSO FSN's contacts reported that 19 additional police personnel were admitted to the general hospital in V [...] | 2008-06-16 10:53:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO595 | SRI LANKA: LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR NORTHERN TASK [...] (U) Summary. On April 30, the Cabinet approved President Rajapaksa's proposal for a Special Task Force (STF) for Northern Development to administer the Northern Province. He appointed Minister of Social Welfare and Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) leader Douglas Devananda as Chairman [...] | 2008-06-17 10:45:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO6 | BOMB BLAST IN COLOMBO TARGETS ARMY BUS [...] A bomb exploded in the "Slave Island" area of Colombo 2 around 9:30 am on January 2. The apparent target was a bus carrying Sri Lanka Army troops. The director of the Colombo National Hospital has confirmed five deaths, at least two of which were SLA personnel, and over 25 injuries. A nearb [...] | 2008-01-02 11:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO600 | SRI LANKA: SEVERAL TRACK 2 AND 1.5 INITIATIVES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Prominent Sri Lankans and interested members of the international community are pursuing a number of Track 1.5 and 2 initiatives to resolve Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict. The One Text Initiative (OTI) appears to have progressed the most. Other initiatives are either embryonic o [...] | 2008-06-20 07:28:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO601 | (S) REQUEST FOR SHARING OF INTELLIGENCE ON [...] (S) Charge, accompanied by DATT, met with Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) Commander Karunagoda on June 20 to receive the Sri Lankan Navy's request for location and tracking information on one or more LTTE motherships believed to be carrying weapons to a location approximately 190 miles off the Indian co [...] | 2008-06-20 13:25:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET | CE MARR MOPS PINR PREL PTER |
08COLOMBO604 | SRI LANKA: COLOMBO PLAN BUDGET PROPOSAL STILL PENDING [...] SUMMARY: In a meeting convened solely to approve the budget, the Colombo Plan failed to approve a proposed budget increase. Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. objected to the increase in membership dues. The remaining participating countries supported the increase. (Note: Burma lac [...] | 2008-06-23 09:45:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SNAR CPCTC UNODC CE |
08COLOMBO609 | SRI LANKA: U.S. INVESTOR AES RECEIVES LONG- OVERDUE LETTERS [...] (SBU) Summary: U.S. power producer AES has received two long-overdue standby letters of credit to protect against non-payment by the state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board. Issuance of the letters of credit mostly resolves the Embassy's top priority advocacy case, which Ambassador has pressed [...] | 2008-06-24 11:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV PGOV PREL CE |
08COLOMBO61 | INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT, 2008 - SRI LANKA [...] No summary [...] | 2008-01-14 10:32:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | CE ECON EFIN EINV ELAB ETRD KTDB OPIC PGOV USTR |
08COLOMBO610 | SRI LANKA: HIGH LEVEL INDIAN DELEGATION URGES [...] (C) Summary. Indian Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Defense Secretary Vijay Singh made an unannounced, two-day visit to Colombo from June 20-21 to meet with Sri Lankan officials, military service chiefs, and Tamil political party leaders. Indian DC [...] | 2008-06-24 11:33:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO619 | CLOSING CAC AT AMEMBASSY COLOMBO DUE TO WHITE [...] (SBU) Summary: At approximately 1000 hrs. local on June 25, 2008, RSO Colombo received a report that a mailroom clerk had opened an envelope containing a white, powdery substance while conducting a secondary screening of the envelope in post's mail screening room. Further inquiries revealed tha [...] | 2008-06-25 13:03:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER AMED CE |
08COLOMBO62 | OPPOSITION LEADER PROVIDES GLOOMY ASSESSMENT TO [...] (C) Summary: In a meeting with Co-Chair and other key Ambassadors on January 11, Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe criticized the GSL for abrogating the cease-fire agreement, failing to come forward with a devolution package, and continued human rights abuses. He predicted the [...] | 2008-01-14 11:30:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO620 | SRI LANKA: SCENESETTER FOR DAS FEIGENBAUM'S VISIT [...] (C) Sri Lanka: Your visit comes at a time when our relations with Sri Lanka are showing signs of strain from the increasing pressure we have applied on key issues, particularly human rights. Nonetheless, we continue to have access at the highest levels of the GSL and to play an important [...] | 2008-06-25 13:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE MV |
08COLOMBO631 | Colombo: Powder not Dangerous, Embassy Resumes Normal [...] (SBU) On June 30, 2008, the Medical Research Institute Department of Bacteriology returned a negative report for anthrax for the sample from the suspicious powder incident of June 25 (see reftel for details). 2. (U) The Embassy has re-opened the Compound Access Control (CAC) inspection ar [...] | 2008-06-30 11:21:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER AMED CE |
08COLOMBO632 | MALDIVES: INTERNATIONAL DONORS MEET TO PLAN [...] (U) Summary. Representatives from interested donor countries met in Colombo on June 20 to review the status of preparation for Maldives' presidential election in Fall 2008, discuss the assistance plans of the UN, Commonwealth Secretariat (CS) and European Union, and identify individual dono [...] | 2008-06-30 11:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PHUM MV |
08COLOMBO637 | SRI LANKA: LARGE SEARCH OF TAMILS IN COLOMBO [...] (C) On July 2, in an early morning operation Sri Lankan army, police, and STF forces cordoned off and searched Kimbula Ela, a predominantly Tamil area of Colombo. According to an Embassy mail room employee who lives in the area, 800 people (including the Embassy employee) were told to leave [...] | 2008-07-02 10:36:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO638 | SRI LANKA: POWER SECTOR BADLY NEEDS REFORM, [...] Summary: The state owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is the primary provider of electricity to Sri Lanka. The company is plagued with inefficiencies and a spiraling debt. Sri Lanka is dependent on petroleum products to produce 60 percent of its electricity. The price of production is sky [...] | 2008-07-02 11:36:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ENRG EINV KCOR KMCA PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO646 | SRI LANKA: TMVP LEADER ASSURES COOPERATION ON [...] (C) SUMMARY: In his first meeting with USG officials, new Eastern Province Chief Minister and TMVP head Pillaiyan pledged his cooperation to release the TMVP's remaining child soldiers. He was less forthcoming about the near-term disarmament of all TMVP cadres, arguing that the LTTE had re-i [...] | 2008-07-07 07:33:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO648 | SRI LANKA OIL EXPLORATION: CAIRN INDIA GETS FIRST BLOCK [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: Sri Lanka, in its first ever offshore oil exploration licensing round, will award a block to Cairn India Ltd. The round attracted six bids from three companies (none American),for the three blocks on offer. Against the advice of the Petroleum Resources Development [...] | 2008-07-07 08:43:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EPET ECON EINV CE |
08COLOMBO65 | SRI LANKA TO SUPPORT US CANDIDATE FOR CERD ELECTION [...] No summary [...] | 2008-01-14 11:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PHUM UNGA CE |
08COLOMBO650 | SRI LANKA: DAS FEIGENBAUM CONFRONTS GSL'S [...] (C) SUMMARY: In a series of June 30 meetings with GSL officials, SCA Deputy Assistant Secretary Evan Feigenbaum stressed that Sri Lanka has many friends in Washington, but a growing sense of frustration, even despair, now prevails that the political track has not kept up with the military track [...] | 2008-07-08 08:47:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS EAID CE |
08COLOMBO652 | MALDIVES: DAS FEIGENBAUM ENCOURAGES REFORM AND [...] (C) Summary. On July 2, SCA Deputy Assistant Secretary Evan Feigenbaum held meetings in Male' with government officials, civil society, the UN, and opposition groups to urge progress on democratic reform and free and fair multi-party elections in coming months. Government officials, includ [...] | 2008-07-08 09:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM EINV ECON MV |
08COLOMBO653 | SRI LANKA: TWO PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS SET [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Sri Lankan Election Commission set August 23rd as the date for two Provincial Council elections in the North Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. The campaigns in both provinces are likely to revolve around the government's war strategy versus the opposition's emphasis on poc [...] | 2008-07-08 09:28:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO654 | KARUNA RETURNS TO SRI LANKA [...] (U) SUMMARY: Former TMVP head Karuna Amman was deported from the UK and returned to Sri Lanka on July 3rd after spending the last three months in a UK detention center after the Crown Prosecution Service announced it had insufficient evidence to charge him with gross human rights violations. C [...] | 2008-07-08 09:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO656 | MALDIVES: DAS FEIGENBAUM ENCOURAGES REFORM AND [...] (C) Summary. On July 2, SCA Deputy Assistant Secretary Evan Feigenbaum held meetings in Male' with government officials, civil society, the UN, and opposition groups to urge progress on democratic reform and free and fair multi-party elections in coming months. Government officials, includ [...] | 2008-07-08 10:56:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM EINV ECON MV |
08COLOMBO659 | SRI LANKA: FONSEKA MOVES GOALPOSTS ON VICTORY AGAIN [...] (U) In a June 30 interview widely reported in the Sri Lankan press, Army Chief Sarath Fonseka estimated LTTE strength at 5,000 cadres and stated "maybe a maximum of a year from now the LTTE should lose large areas." He also said "Even if we finish the war, capture the whole of the north, stil [...] | 2008-07-09 10:35:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO66 | SCENESETTER FOR ADMIRAL WILLARD'S VISIT TO SRI [...] (C) INTRODUCTION: Your visit comes at a defining juncture for Sri Lanka. With the abrogation of the 2002 Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA),we expect to see an escalation in fighting and further deterioration of the human rights situation in the coming months. The Sri Lankan military is a key pla [...] | 2008-01-14 12:01:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | MARR PREL PHUM EAID CE |
08COLOMBO660 | SRI LANKA: GSL FLOATS IDEA THAT PEACE TALKS MUST [...] (U) On July 8, English language newspaper The Daily Mirror quoted Government Peace Secretariat chief Rajiva Wijesingha saying the "Government has conveyed to the LTTE it must leave aside its weaponry for future peace talks." The article also stated that the Government was insisting that all T [...] | 2008-07-09 10:55:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV PTER MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO662 | SRI LANKA: INDIAN GOVERNMENT AND FIRMS INVEST IN SRI LANKA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Indian government and Indian parastatal and private firms are lending to or investing in a number of major infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka. Projects that have been in the discussion stage for some time are gaining momentum as the two sides prepare deliverables for the [...] | 2008-07-10 10:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV PREL CE IN CH |
08COLOMBO666 | SRI LANKA: GENERAL STRIKE BRINGS INCONVENIENCES [...] (U) SUMMARY: Public sector unions, led by the JVP, had only modest impact with a planned general strike July 10, with most public and private service functioning nearly normally. The unions sought higher wage increases than what the government was willing to give. While high inflation is the [...] | 2008-07-10 11:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM ECON CE |
08COLOMBO668 | SRI LANKA: CHALLENGE ISSUED AND WITHDRAWN TO [...] (U) Summary: Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has faced the third challenge to his leadership since 2000. In June, a group of senior UNP MPs threatened to boycott the upcoming Provincial Council (PC) election campaigns (Ref A) if Wickremesinghe di [...] | 2008-07-11 09:05:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO681 | SRI LANKA: RAJAPAKSA GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT BASE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Despite economic troubles and democratic lapses, President Rajapaksa continues to enjoy popular support among the Sinhalese majority, even as opinions differ radically among the minority communities. Minister of Environment Ranawaka reflected GSL's approach to the conflict in a [...] | 2008-07-16 04:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PHUM PTER CE |
08COLOMBO682 | SRI LANKA: ARF DISASTER RELIEF PREPAREDNESS [...] (SBU) On July 16 PolOff delivered non-paper on improving ARF disaster relief preparedness (ref A) to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for East Asia and Pacific Dissanayake and urged Sri Lanka to support language in the Chairman's Statement at the ARF ministerial on July 24. Dissana [...] | 2008-07-16 09:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL EAID PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO686 | MALDIVES: AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOR SPEEDY [...] (C) Summary: In a meeting with the Ambassador on July 15, Foreign Minister Shahid stressed the need for additional enabling legislation -- in advance of President Gayoom's signature on the constitution -- that will allow the police forces to continue to legally operate. He said the President [...] | 2008-07-18 05:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV PHUM ECON MV |
08COLOMBO694 | SRI LANKA: DESIGNATION OF ADDITIONAL IRANIAN [...] (U) On July 21 Ambassador spoke with Foreign Secretary Palith Kohona following Post's transmittal of the non-paper concerning the additional Iranian entities designated under E.O. 13382 (ref A) and information on Ambassador Burns' participation in the in the P5 1 talks with the Iranians (ref B [...] | 2008-07-21 10:52:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN PARM PREL KNNP IR CE |
08COLOMBO695 | SRI LANKA: TENSION IN THE TMVP: KARUNA AND [...] (U) SUMMARY: On July 12 in Colombo, Karuna and Pillaiyan held their first face to face meeting since Karuna's return to the country July 3. The TMVP spokesman characterized the meeting positively, yet two days later Karuna appeared in Batticaloa unannounced causing deep concern for Pillaiyan a [...] | 2008-07-21 11:05:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO696 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSADOR CONTINUES EFFORTS ON BEHALF [...] (C) On July 16 Ambassador met with Ronnate Tissainayagam, wife of detained journalist and two time IVP participant J.S. Tissainayagam (Ref B). Mrs. Tissainayagam reported that the four and a half month detention had severely affected her husband's mental capacity and he was now hardly able to [...] | 2008-07-21 11:11:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO7 | MODERATE TAMIL POLITICIAN ASSASSINATED IN COLOMBO [...] (C) Summary. United National Party (UNP) member of parliament T. Maheswaran was shot and killed on January 1 while attending New Year's Day ceremonies at a Hindu temple in Colombo. Sri Lanka Police officials say that the suspected assailant, who they claim was working for the LTTE, was am [...] | 2008-01-02 12:12:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO706 | SRI LANKA: LTTE DECLARES UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE FOR [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The LTTE announced that it will observe a unilateral ceasefire during the SAARC summit from July 26 to August 4, but warned that it would continue to respond to any government offensives with defensive actions. The Sri Lankan government has reacted warily to the ceasefire declar [...] | 2008-07-22 12:04:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO713 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 07/23/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on July 23, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture in light of the upcoming South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference, hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) in Colombo [...] | 2008-07-24 08:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET//NOFORN | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO719 | MALDIVES: EMPLOYMENT BILL RATIFIED AMID CONCERNS [...] (U) Summary: The President of Maldives recently ratified an employment bill which sets new rights and responsibilities for workers including a minimum wage, a limit on weekly working hours, and the establishment of an institution to resolve employment-related disputes. The legislation was cri [...] | 2008-07-25 05:19:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ELAB EAID ETRD PHUM SOCI MV |
08COLOMBO721 | SCENESETTER FOR A/S BOUCHER'S VISIT FOR THE 15TH [...] (C) Summary and Introduction: Your visit for the 15th SAARC Summit finds most SAARC member countries preoccupied with domestic issues. After surviving a no-confidence vote, the Indian government is looking ahead to national elections next year, and frustrated that last minute objections from [...] | 2008-07-25 08:04:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS PINR ECON CE MV |
08COLOMBO723 | SRI LANKA: APRC RECOMMENCES MEETINGS, JOINED BY [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador met with All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Chairman Tissa Vitharana to discuss the devolution process and encourage the APRC to invite the Opposition to reach a consensus on a post-conflict political solution. Vitharana told Ambassador that the APRC's main dif [...] | 2008-07-28 08:53:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO725 | SRI LANKA: AMBASSADOR ASKS FOR GSL SUPPORT FOR [...] No summary [...] | 2008-07-28 13:24:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | IAEA KNNP PREL KZ SY AORC CE |
08COLOMBO730 | SRI LANKA: TREASURY SECRETARY OFFERS TO RESIGN FOLLOWING [...] (SBU) Summary: On July 28, P. B. Jayasundera, Treasury Secretary, handed in his resignation following a Supreme Court judgment that severely criticized his role in the privatization of Lanka Marine Services (LMS),a government-owned bunkering company. Jayasundera, Rajapakse's primary economic [...] | 2008-07-29 12:38:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | ECON EINV KCOR KMCA PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO733 | SAARC SUMMIT: BOUCHER AND GILANI FOLLOW UP [...] (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting on the margins of the SAARC summit, Prime Minister Gilani told Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher that he felt his recent meetings in Washington had gone well. Foreign Minister Qureshi objected to Afghanistan's withdrawal from pla [...] | 2008-08-04 09:04:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL MOPS PINR PGOV PTER KNNP PARM IN AF PK |
08COLOMBO735 | Pakistan-Sri Lanka FTA Presents Opportunities for U.S. [...] (U) Summary: Trade between Pakistan and Sri Lanka has increased significantly following signing of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement in June 2005. Total trade in 2004 was valued at USD 147.4 million; by 2007 it grew to USD 233.4 million, an increase of 58 percent. As tariffs are re [...] | 2008-08-04 09:31:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ETRD EAID CE PK |
08COLOMBO74 | AKASHI READOUT OF VISIT TO COLOMBO [...] (C) Summary: In a briefing for the Co-Chair and Indian Ambassadors on January 15, Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi reported that he conveyed to President Rajapaksa and other interlocutors Japan's deep concern about the abrogation of the cease-fire and the likelihood of intensified hosti [...] | 2008-01-16 10:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO744 | MALDIVES: PRESIDENT GAYOOM RATIFIES NEW [...] (U) As expected, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ratified Maldives' new constitution on August 7, providing a legal foundation for the first multi-party presidential elections in Maldives' history. The new constitution sets up a framework for several politically independent bodies, most signi [...] | 2008-08-07 11:42:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV PREL MV |
08COLOMBO746 | MALDIVES: SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN PAVILION AT MAJOR HOTEL AND [...] This is an action request for EEB/CBA. Please see para six. 2. Summary: Post is pleased to report the successful conclusion of the embassy-organized American Pavilion at an international trade fair in Maldives July 15-17, 2008. The American Pavilion once again helped to increase U.S. ex [...] | 2008-08-07 12:00:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | BEXP BTIO ENIV ABUD ECON MV |
08COLOMBO747 | SRI LANKA: BOUCHER PRESSES DEFENSE SECRETARY ON [...] (C) SUMMARY: Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher and Ambassador Blake met Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa on August 1 to discuss bilateral security cooperation, the progress of the government's war against the separatist Tamil Tigers, and humanitarian and hum [...] | 2008-08-08 10:21:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO748 | SAARC SUMMIT: PROGRESS ON DELIVERABLES DESPITE [...] (C) SUMMARY: The margins of the 15th South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation summit served as a venue for Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan to address the fallout of the embassy attack in Kabul and other recent incidents productively. For the first time in the Association's history th [...] | 2008-08-08 10:32:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO75 | SRI LANKA: LTTE STRIKES CIVILIAN BUS IN THE [...] (C) On January 16 at 7:30 am, a claymore mine exploded near Buttala, in Sri Lanka's southeastern Uva Province, hitting a civilian bus. At least 24 people were killed, including several women and children, and more than 60 were wounded. Chief of Defense Staff Donald Perera confirmed to Amba [...] | 2008-01-16 11:35:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE |
08COLOMBO753 | SRI LANKA: GSL WEAKENS CORRUPTION OVERSIGHT BY APPOINTING [...] (SBU) Summary: In a move that is likely to encourage further government corruption, chairmanships of Sri Lanka's parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) were recently awarded to government ministers. These committees have been traditionally [...] | 2008-08-13 08:55:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EINV KCOR PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO754 | POLICE DETAIN SUSPECT IN JUNE WHITE POWDER [...] (SBU) Summary - The Sri Lanka Police Service (SLPS),working at the behest of RSO Colombo, located and detained a subject believed to have delivered the envelope containing the white powder (ref B and C) that closed AmEmbassy Colombo for normal business for a week in June. Subsequent to his de [...] | 2008-08-13 09:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER AMED |
08COLOMBO76 | SRI LANKA: INFLATION 17.5% IN 2007; CENTRAL BANK SAYS [...] (SBU) Summary and comment: Sri Lanka's inflation remained high in 2007, averaging 17.5% for the year after spiking to around 20% at times. Consumers and business both felt the impact, with food and fuel prices rising most steeply. Correspondingly high interest rates compounded the pain. The [...] | 2008-01-16 11:58:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN EAID CE |
08COLOMBO763 | ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST NEAR AMEMBASSY COLOMBO [...] At approximately 1630 hr. local time, August 14, 2008, an anti-government demonstration took place near the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. A group of approximately 3000 protesters reached the Colpetty Junction, approximately 150 meters south of the Embassy's main gate. The protesters from two student [...] | 2008-08-14 14:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC |
08COLOMBO765 | MALDIVES: BOUCHER VISITS MALDIVES FOR FIRST BIG [...] (C) SUMMARY: Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher visited Male August 6, a day before President Gayoom signed the new constitution (ref A) which provides the legal framework for the first multi-party presidential elections in Maldives' history. Pres [...] | 2008-08-15 05:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL MV |
08COLOMBO766 | SRI LANKA: BOUCHER FINDS COMMITMENT TO MILITARY [...] (C) SUMMARY: During Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher's visit to Colombo for the SAARC summit on August 1-4, Sri Lankan government interlocutors made clear they were committed to a military solution to the conflict. The President, the Foreign Minister, th [...] | 2008-08-15 06:43:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS EAID CE |
08COLOMBO779 | MALDIVES: DESIGNATION OF IRANIAN ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS [...] (SBU) We conveyed on August 21 reftel points on the U.S. Treasury's designation of five Iranian nuclear and missile entities to Mohamed Niyaz, Third Secretary at the Maldives High Commission in Colombo, and asked that the Maldives seek to identify and freeze any assets related to these entities [...] | 2008-08-22 05:05:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PREL PARM EFIN MV IR GM |
08COLOMBO780 | SRI LANKA: DESIGNATION OF IRANIAN ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS [...] (SBU) We conveyed on August 21 reftel points on the U.S. Treasury's designation of five Iranian nuclear and missile entities to Gihan Indragupta, Assistant Director of UN and Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and asked that the GSL seek to identify and freeze any assets related [...] | 2008-08-22 05:06:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KNNP MNUC PREL PARM EFIN CE IR GM |
08COLOMBO783 | SRI LANKA: DUE DILIGENCE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S 2008 [...] We appreciate the continued consideration of Virtusa as a candidate for the Secretary's Awards for Corporate Excellence. We continue to support fully this company for the ACE. 2. Our response to ref A is keyed to the questions in para 4: A) The Embassy knows of no downside to Virtusa beco [...] | 2008-08-22 05:54:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | BEXP ECON AMGT ELAB ETRD SENV AFIN KSEP CE |
08COLOMBO80 | BOGOLLAGAMA SEEKS U.S. ADVICE ON WAY FORWARD [...] (C) Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama convoked the Ambassador on January to hear the Ambassador's thoughts on steps Sri Lanka should take on issues of concern to the U.S. and others. With respect to the intensified conflict, which the US and other countries oppose, the Ambassador urged the [...] | 2008-01-18 08:47:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO801 | SRI LANKA: JOURNALIST TISSAINAYAGAM CHARGED UNDER [...] (C) SUMMARY: State prosecutors charged detained journalist J.S. Tissainayagam on August 25 in High Court under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for conspiracy to discredit the government, intent to aid and abet a terrorist organization, and accepting money from non-governmental organizations to [...] | 2008-08-26 14:52:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO807 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 08/27/2008 IN WAKE OF [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened a meeting of the Emergency Action Committee (EAC) on August 27, 2008 to discuss post's security posture in light of an attack on a Sri Lanka naval base in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. The attack occurred during the evening of August 26, 2008. GSL police and [...] | 2008-08-27 10:35:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC CE MARR PTER |
08COLOMBO81 | SRI LANKA: APRC RESISTING GSL PRESSURE [...] (C) SUMMARY: On January 17, Ambassador called on All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) Chairman Tissa Vitharana to discuss the current status of the APRC process. Vitharana said the President has encouraged the APRC to focus its report on full implementation of the 13th amendment. Vit [...] | 2008-01-18 08:58:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO811 | MALDIVES DEMARCHE DELIVERED: INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCUSS PSIDS [...] (SBU) We conveyed on August 21 reftel points on our position on the Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS) resolution to Third Secretary Mohamed Niyaz at the Maldives High Commission in Colombo. We followed up this week with First Secretary Lauza Ali for a substantive response on Augu [...] | 2008-08-28 09:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | UNGA SENV AORC KGHG PREL ECON CE |
08COLOMBO812 | MALDIVES DEMARCHE DELIVERED: INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCUSS PSIDS [...] (SBU) We conveyed on August 21 reftel points on our position on the Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS) resolution to Third Secretary Mohamed Niyaz at the Maldives High Commission in Colombo. We followed up this week with First Secretary Lauza Ali for a substantive response on Augu [...] | 2008-08-28 09:49:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | UNGA SENV AORC KGHG PREL ECON CE |
08COLOMBO821 | SRI LANKA: IMF CONCERNED ABOUT ECONOMIC POLICY [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: During a meeting with Econoffs, IMF officials visiting Sri Lanka for "Article IV" consultations privately expressed concerns about Sri Lanka's persistently high inflation, various fiscal problems, and external imbalances. Taken together, these signs from the Sri Lankan economy [...] | 2008-09-02 01:59:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN EINV ECON KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO825 | UN CHIEF REPORTS HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN NORTH [...] (C) Summary: UN Resident Representative Neil Buhne provided Ambassador a readout of a quiet two-day trip he took to Kilinochchi August 27-29. Buhne told the Ambassador the humanitarian situation was worse than expected. He met some families that had been forced to move up to 20 times as a res [...] | 2008-09-02 11:08:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PREF PHUM PGOV EAID CE |
08COLOMBO849 | GSL ORDERS ALL INGOS AND UN OUT OF VANNI FOR [...] (SBU) Summary: At the September 8 Consultative Committee of Humanitarian Affairs (CCHA),the Government of Sri Lanka confirmed that all UN and international NGO expatriate staff will have to leave the LTTE-controlled areas effective immediately with their key equipment (vehicles, communication [...] | 2008-09-09 08:26:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF PHUM PGOV EAID CE |
08COLOMBO850 | SRI LANKA VENTURES INTO NANOTECHNOLOGY [...] Summary: The Sri Lankan business community and the government will establish Sri Lanka's first-ever attempt at public-private partnership in research and development with the establishment of a nanotechnology research and development institute and a nanotechnology park. The venture, which aim [...] | 2008-09-09 10:40:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV ETRD PREL CE |
08COLOMBO851 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 09/03/2008 IN WAKE OF [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened a meeting of the Emergency Action Committee (EAC) on September 3, 2008 to discuss post's security posture in light of the bombing incident that occurred on August 30, 2008 in the Pettah district, Colombo 11. The detonation of an improvised explosive de [...] | 2008-09-09 11:23:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO854 | MALDIVES: MAJOR STEPS TAKEN AS DEADLINE NEARS FOR [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Government has achieved significant, if still insufficient, progress on preparations for the first multi-party presidential elections in Maldivian history. Elections Commissioner Ibrahim announced that if the Parliament can pass two critical pieces of legislation by Septemb [...] | 2008-09-11 02:04:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL MV |
08COLOMBO86 | SRI LANKA: US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION STIRRING [...] (C) Summary. Recent comments by US Presidential candidates Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have been a catalyst for open discussion over what the US presidential election will mean for Sri Lanka. Tamil press and politicians have generally favored the perceived nuanced positi [...] | 2008-01-23 07:25:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER OREP CE |
08COLOMBO860 | AMBASSADOR REVIEWS US CONCERNS REGARDING SITUATION [...] (C) Summary: In a September 11 meeting, the Ambassador briefed the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bogollogama on US concerns regarding the rapidly evolving situation in northern Sri Lanka. He expressed concern that the Government Agents would not be able to replace the UN in managing the massive [...] | 2008-09-11 11:43:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PREF PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO868 | DEFENSE SECRETARY AND PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR SHARE [...] No summary [...] | 2008-09-15 11:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | PREL PREF EAID CE |
08COLOMBO880 | MALDIVES: FIRST ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS [...] (U) On September 16, the Election Commission announced that the first round of Maldives' first ever multi-party Presidential Elections will take place October 8. The announcement came after the Majlis passed the Presidential Elections Bill earlier the same day, clearing the last major legisla [...] | 2008-09-17 12:22:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL MV |
08COLOMBO882 | CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN [...] (SBU) Summary: A Sri Lankan Civil Society Group that traveled to Vavuniya September 11 and 12 to assess conditions for establishing a humanitarian hub for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the north, reported to Colombo-based diplomats that an increasing number of abductions, disappeara [...] | 2008-09-18 05:35:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREF PHUM PGOV EAID CE |
08COLOMBO883 | HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SRI LANKA'S NORTHERN PROVINCE: [...] (U) Summary: As the Sri Lankan military makes headway into the Northern Province, UN Agencies and INGOs have been requested by the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) to pull back to Vavuniya as their safety and security cannot be guaranteed. As a result, the security and humanitarian situation f [...] | 2008-09-18 06:16:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID PREF PGOV PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO888 | PREPARING FOR GC VOTE ON MESA GROUP SEAT ON IAEA [...] (S) DCM met on September 22 with MFA Director General for Multilateral Affairs Aruni Wijewardena to convey Ref A points. DCM emphasized that it would be inappropriate for either Iran or Syria to serve on the IAEA Board of Governors due to their lack of cooperation with the IAEA's investigat [...] | 2008-09-22 10:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | SECRET | IAEA KNNP PREL KZ SY AORC CE |
08COLOMBO889 | EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 09/22/2008 [...] (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on September 22, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture in light of the recent terrorist attack of the US Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen and the suicide bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. [...] | 2008-09-22 12:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO902 | Sri Lanka: Journalists Face Continued Pressure [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Munza Mushtaq, news editor the English-language, independent daily "The Nation," resigned on August 30, 2008 to protest a spate of recent actions by the publication's new management to curb journalistic and editorial independence. The change in management and in editorial oien [...] | 2008-09-26 02:38:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PROP CE |
08COLOMBO907 | SRI LANKA: GRENADE ATTACK AGAINST HOME OF HUMAN [...] (U) On Saturday September 27, 2008 at approximately 11:30 p.m., two grenades were thrown at the residence of Mr. J.C. Weliamuna in Kohuwela, a Colombo suburb. Weliamuna is a well-known human rights lawyer and also Director of Transparency International (Sri Lanka). One of the two grenades d [...] | 2008-09-29 11:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO917 | MALDIVES SET TO VOTE OCTOBER 8 IN FIRST ROUND OF [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: On September 22, the Elections Commission declared six candidates eligible to stand in Maldives' first-ever multi-party Presidential election. Five opponents are challenging President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the ruling DRP: the Maldives Democratic Party's Mohamed Nasheed ("An [...] | 2008-10-03 09:43:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM MV |
08COLOMBO92 | SRI LANKA: TEXTILE AND APPAREL SECTOR CONCERNS FOR 2008: [...] (U) Summary: Sri Lanka's garment sector remains healthy, but is concerned about the possible impact of a U.S. recession. An even more pressing worry is the possibility of losing preferential access to the EU market under the EU's GSP+ program. The industry is frustrated that the government [...] | 2008-01-24 11:39:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KTEX CE |
08COLOMBO921 | SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BOMBING KILLS ABOUT 27, [...] (C) An apparent suicide attack took the lives of at least 27 people and wounded about 90 in government-controlled territory in northern Sri Lanka. Reports state that a suicide bomber dressed in business attire walked into an office of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in Anurad [...] | 2008-10-06 12:18:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PREL PHUM MOPS PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO922 | SRI LANKA: ECONOMY GROWING, BUT PROBLEMS REMAIN [...] (U) Summary: Despite the war, Sri Lanka's GDP grew by a respectable 6.6% in the first half of 2008. The Sri Lankan rupee (SLR) remains relatively steady due to Central Bank intervention. Other key macro indicators weakened. Inflation remains high at 24.3%. The trade deficit expanded sharply [...] | 2008-10-07 11:50:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN ETRD KMCA CE |
08COLOMBO929 | MINISTER OUTLINES PROGRESS ON LANGUAGE TRAINING; [...] (C) Summary: In an October 8 meeting with Ambassador, Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Dew Gunasekera described the progress his Ministry is making to increase Tamil language training for Sinhalese-speaking civil servants, police and Buddhist monks to help promote [...] | 2008-10-09 11:15:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO93 | SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT UNVEILS PROPOSAL FOR FIRST [...] (C) SUMMARY: The All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) complied with a Presidential instruction to produce a devolution plan based on full implementation of the 1988 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's Constitution. In effect, it submitted to the President a draft reportedly dictated largely b [...] | 2008-01-24 13:44:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM CE |
08COLOMBO930 | SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BOMBER MISSES MINISTER SIRISENA [...] (U) On October 9 a suicide bomber targeted the motorcade of Minister of Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Development Maithripala Sirisena 15 kilometers south of central Colombo. One person was killed and five were injured including Deputy Minister Gamlath and the Minister's priv [...] | 2008-10-09 11:42:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PTER CE |
08COLOMBO933 | MALDIVES: GAYOOM IS TOP VOTE-GETTER, BUT FACES [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Final results of the first round of Maldives' first-ever multiparty presidential election (ref a) showed that incumbent President Gayoom took just over 40% of the vote, with five challengers splitting the rest. There were technical flaws in the election, including problems with [...] | 2008-10-10 11:02:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE |
08COLOMBO976 | PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA AND AMBASSADOR DISCUSS [...] (C) Summary: On the margins of ceremonies opening a USAID-funded vocational training center in President Rajapaksa's hometown of Tangalle on October 26, Ambassador and the President discussed a range of important issues. The President indicated he wants to become more personally involved in h [...] | 2008-10-27 09:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM CE |
08COLOMBO981 | AMEMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETS REGARDING SECURITY [...] (SBU) Summary: On October 29, 2008, AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting in response to guidance provided reftel. The EAC considered potential threats, if any, to post's planned election day representational event. RSO informed the EAC of the security measures [...] | 2008-10-29 10:04:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER AMGT |
08COLOMBO984 | SRI LANKA/MALDIVES: DESIGNATION OF IRANIAN [...] (SBU) On October 28 the Ambassador delivered reftel points and FATF 1803 guidelines to Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona. The Ambassador strongly urged the GSL to take local action against the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI) and to cease any activities the GSL may have with this instit [...] | 2008-10-30 07:03:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EFIN MNUC PREL PARM KNNP CE MV |
08COLOMBO985 | CO-CHAIRS MEET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER TO ON [...] (C) Summary: At the request of Co-Chair Ambassadors, Foreign Minister Bogollagama met with the Co-Chair Ambassadors on October 29 to discuss the humanitarian situation in the north and progress towards a political solution to Sri Lanka's conflict. The Co-Chairs urged continued humanitarian acc [...] | 2008-10-30 08:29:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PREF PGOV CE |
08COLOMBO989 | AMEMBASSY COLOMBO EAC ADDRESSES LTTE "AIR TIGER" [...] (SBU) Summary: On October 29, 2008, AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting to discuss security for the official and expatriate American communities in light of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) "Air Tiger" attacks on the evening of October 28, 2008. T [...] | 2008-10-31 04:17:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ASEC CASC PTER |
08COLOMBO990 | MALDIVES: INVITATION TO INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF [...] U.S. Embassy Colombo received the following diplomatic note from the Maldives Foreign Ministry. 2. BEGIN TEXT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives presents its compliments to all Diplomatic/Consular Missions, Offices of the United Nations System and other Represe [...] | 2008-10-31 09:34:00 | Embassy Colombo | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL OVIP KDEM MV |
08COLOMBO994 | BASIL RAJAPAKSA DISCUSSES INDIA TRIP, [...] (C) Summary: In a November 3 meeting with Ambassador, Presidential senior advisor Basil Rajapaksa agreed security remains a problem in eastern Sri Lanka and agreed to discuss with the Defense Secretary a timetable for demobilizing paramilitaries there. Regarding his recent trip to India, he sa [...] | 2008-11-04 12:25:00 | Embassy Colombo | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL PHUM IN CE |
08CONAKRY10 | CIVIL DISTURBANCES IN GUINEA'S CAPITAL - UNIONS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. A number of demonstrations and civil disturbances flared across Conakry between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on January 4, following the president's January 3 dismissal of the Minister of Communication. The PM convened an extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting while political part [...] | 2008-01-04 15:20:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ELAB ASEC KDEM PREL GV |
08CONAKRY100 | PAO CONAKRY MEETS WITH DIRECTOR OF MEDIA [...] (U) Summary: The Public Affairs Officer (PAO) met with the new controversial director of the Commission National de la Communication (CNC),the government body that enforces press standards and guarantees press freedom in Guinea. The director talked about his vision for the CNC, his views of [...] | 2008-04-16 11:56:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | OEXC PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO GV |
08CONAKRY104 | NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS, BUT NOT MUCH [...] (C) Aboubacar Sompare, President of the National Assembly, officially opened the spring legislative session on April 7. Despite speaking for 30 minutes, Sompare did not say much substantively, instead focusing on broad-based themes without going into much depth. He made no reference to upco [...] | 2008-04-16 14:35:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB PHUM KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY105 | FIRST LADY SAYS ALL IS WELL [...] (S) SUMMARY. During a private meeting with Poloff on April 15, the First Lady emphasized that all is well in Guinea. She said that relations between the president and the prime minister are "fine," that the president is making his own decisions without undue influence from his entourage, an [...] | 2008-04-16 14:42:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PREL CVIS ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY108 | EDUCATION MINISTER IS GUINEA,S NEW OFFICIAL [...] (U) Over national radio on February 7, Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate announced that the Minister of Education, Ousmane Souare, is the Guinean Government,s new official spokesperson. The former Minister of Communication, Justin Morel Jr., served in that capacity until he was dismissed by Pre [...] | 2008-02-11 15:08:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY109 | THE AUDITS ARE OUT - SORT OF [...] (U) Following an alleged order from President Conte calling for the PM to release the results of ministerial audits by February 6, Acting Government Spokesperson Saidou Diallo, who is also the Minister of Economic Control, announced that the final results of the Guinean Government,s ministeri [...] | 2008-02-11 15:09:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ECON PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY11 | WITH OR WITHOUT THE PRESIDENT - GUINEA'S POLITICAL [...] (S) SUMMARY. With two weeks remaining before Guinea faces the March 31 deadline for resuming a nationwide labor strike, various political actors are working quietly behind the scenes to define the next stage of the country's ongoing political and economic struggle. A parallel dialogue process [...] | 2008-03-19 14:24:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV ELAB PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY110 | GUINEA ASKS FOR HELP TO ALLEVIATE ECONOMIC [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Guinean Minister of Foreign Affairs urgently requested a meeting with the Ambassador in order to request help in dealing with rising prices for basic foodstuffs. The Ambassador responded with tough questions about corruption and the government's new export ban on foodstuffs [...] | 2008-04-17 12:34:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | ASEC EAGR EAID ECON EPET ETRD GV PGOV PREL |
08CONAKRY112 | HYPERDYNAMICS, A FIRM AT ODDS WITH ITSELF [...] (C) SUMMARY. Divisions are becoming apparent at Hyperdynamics, while concerns about possible FCPA violations continue to surface. The top management of the company know little about what is going on in Guinea and have virtually ignored political insights provided by the Embassy. With virtu [...] | 2008-02-12 12:09:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | ECON EPET PGOV KCRM PREL GV |
08CONAKRY113 | WHO'S INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATION DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] Pursuant to REFTEL, on April 16, Econoff met with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Momo Camara, regarding the status of Guinea's implementation of the World Health Organization's International Health Regulations (IHR). 2. Econoff inquired about the status of implementat [...] | 2008-04-17 15:27:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV AORC PREL TBIO WHO GV |
08CONAKRY114 | GUINEA'S POWER COMPANY SHORTING OUT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. A tour of Conakry's main power plant and meetings with The Electric Company of Guinea illustrate the extent of the country's electricity problem and why it is nearly impossible to meet popular demands. The company's equipment is old, unreliable, and for the most part, broken [...] | 2008-04-18 05:28:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY115 | MINORITY PARLIAMENTARY PARTY CONCERNED ABOUT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Although leaders of the UPR opposition political parties see elections as an important political element, they remain pessimistic as to whether elections can be organized transparently and in a timely fashion. They were circumspect with regards to Guinea,s current political e [...] | 2008-02-12 14:59:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY117 | ANOTHER VIEW ON THE PRESIDENT'S HEALTH [...] (S) When out for walkS in a residential neighborhood, an Embassy EFM staff member often chats with an older Guinean neighbor claiming to be President Conte's cousin. The neighbor said that he goes to see the president once or twice a week and that his job is to "make him laugh" since Conte d [...] | 2008-04-18 11:30:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY120 | HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF INQUIRY READY TO LAUNCH [...] (SBU) Guinea's Human Rights Commission is planning to officially launch its investigation on May 5 of the human rights abuses allegedly committed by security forces during the civil unrest in early 2007. The president of the Commission, Mounir Houssein Mohamed told Poloff on April 18 that he [...] | 2008-04-18 13:40:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY121 | CURRENT PERSPECTIVE FROM THE RULING PARTY [...] (C) SUMMARY. A recent discussion with a leading member of the ruling Party for Unity and Progress (PUP) provides some insights as to the current thinking of the party's leadership. Contact is firmly behind the president and sees the PUP as a powerful and significant political player. At the [...] | 2008-04-18 14:31:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY123 | GUINEA: 2008 PARIS CLUB DEBT REDUCTION AGREEMENT, [...] (SBU) Pursuant to REFTEL, ON April 8, Econoff gave a copy of the draft debt reduction agreement to the point of contact at the Ministry of Finance, Hamzata Diakite. Mr. Diakite has reviewed the draft and raised questions about some debt figures in the annex to the draft. These proposed chang [...] | 2008-04-21 05:22:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV EFIN KTIA GV |
08CONAKRY126 | ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SEURITY ACT INFORMATION [...] (U) Pursuant to REFTEL, Embassy Conakry provides the following requested information. 2. (U) QUESTION: Which sections of Embassy Conakry handle energy matter? RESPONSE: Energy matters are handled by the Ambassador, the Pol/Econ section, and by the DCM. 3. (U) QUESTION: What is the to [...] | 2008-02-15 12:35:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ENRG SENV APER ABUD GV |
08CONAKRY129 | DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE [...] (C) On April 22, Econoff met with the Chef de Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alpha Oumar Diallo, regararding support for the U.S. EU declaration regarding prisoners of conscience (REFTEL). Econoff also supplied Mr. Diallo with a copy of the diplomatic note on the same subject [...] | 2008-02-21 10:32:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL EUN PHUM GV |
08CONAKRY13 | POLICE ARREST AND DETAIN FRIEND OF THE PRESIDENT [...] (SBU) Guinea's judicial police arrested Mme Chantal Colle on March 18 reportedly for inflammatory remarks against the prime minister during a press conference at the Novotel on March 17. According to police contacts, three police officers brought Mme Colle to the Director of the Judicial Polic [...] | 2008-03-19 15:32:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY131 | OUSMANE BAH - IN OR OUT OF UPR? [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Local press reports that Ousmane Bah ws relieved of his position as President of the UPR. The UPR thinks otherwise. Meanwhile, a rival politician reportedly is pulling the strings. END SUMMARY. 2. (SBU) On April 21, several press reports stated that Ousamne Bah had been r [...] | 2008-04-23 13:52:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY133 | UPDATE TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY ACT INFORMATION [...] (U) Post sends additional information to supplement the report we sent (reftel B) in response to reftel A request. 2. (U) QUESTION: Please provide the amounts of State Department funds, spent by Post in FY 2007 on energy-related activities in two categories: Personnel and Programs. RESPO [...] | 2008-02-26 07:00:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON ENRG SENV APER ABUD GV |
08CONAKRY134 | END OF GAS SUBSIDY NOT NIRVANA FOR GUINEA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. The termination of the gasoline subsidy on April 1 has not led to the projected increase in revenue to the government. END SUMMARY. 2. (SBU) ) On April 23, Econoff met with Elhadj Alpha Yaya Diallo, the Chef de Bureau for the gasoline depot in Conakry. Diallo stated that [...] | 2008-04-24 13:42:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EPET PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY14 | POLITICAL SITUATION TENSE, BUT GENERALLY CALM [...] (U) While political tensions remain high, business continued much as usual over the weekend. There were isolated demonstrations in a few neighborhoods, but things were generally quiet. Residents were seen in the markets stocking up on basic goods in anticipation of the nationwide strike, sc [...] | 2008-01-08 05:47:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ELAB ECON KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY147 | SIERRA LEONE DIPLOMAT OFFERS NEW PERSPECTIVE ON ALLEGED [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Per Reftel, four women were stopped near Forecariah in June 2007 for allegedly attempting to traffic ten children from Guinea to Sierra Leone. DCM discussed the incident during a meeting with ALhaji ALie Badara Kamara of the Sierra Leonean Embassy in Guinea on April 15, 2008. Mr [...] | 2008-04-30 10:30:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY15 | RULING PARTY DECLARES SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT CONTE [...] (U) The Party for Unity and Progress (PUP) issued a declaration on January 6 affirming party support for its long time leader, President Lansana Conte. Sekou Konate, PUP General Secretary, who reportedly signed the document, called on PUP supporters to 'mobilize in order to safeguard national [...] | 2008-01-08 05:49:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM PREL GV |
08CONAKRY151 | UNION LEADER HAS NO HOPE FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION [...] (S) SUMMARY. During a meeting with Poloff on April 29, union leader Rabiatou presented a gloomy outlook on Guinea's current political situation. She said that it is impossible to find a solution as long as President Conte remains in power, and literally scoffed at the idea that transparent [...] | 2008-05-02 11:40:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | ELAB PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY152 | SYLLAH IN, SYLLAH OUT - WHO RUNS THE PATRONAT? [...] (U) SUMMARY. A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Mamadou Syllah as the head of the government's official delegation to the International Labor Conference in Geneva. On April 26, the MFA retracted the designation following heavy criticism from the media, the population [...] | 2008-05-02 11:40:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL ELAB ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY153 | AMBASSADOR VISITS FOREST REGION - LACKLUSTER [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador Carter visited N,Zerekore during the week of April 20-25 to familiarize himself with Guinea,s forest region and evaluate local progress towards legislative elections later this year. Both local government authorities and the Prefectoral Independent Electoral Commissio [...] | 2008-05-02 11:40:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV ELAB PHUM KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY154 | RESPONSE - CHINA'S ENGAGEMENT IN GUINEA [...] The below information is in response to reftel request regarding China's engagement in Guinea. ------------- CHINESE FOCUS ------------- 2. China's interest in Guinea is primarily economic with significant investment in the following sectors: energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructu [...] | 2008-05-02 11:40:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV EAGR ECPS EFIN MARR PREL SENV TRGY XA |
08CONAKRY16 | YOUTH SAY STRIKES ARE A BAD IDEA [...] (C) SUMMARY. According to a Conakry youth leader, Guinea,s young people do not support the unions, plan to resume a nationwide labor strike on January 10, which could prematurely escalate political tension. Many of Conakry,s youth reportedly do not think that the prime minister has effectiv [...] | 2008-01-08 05:57:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY162 | PRESIDENCY STIRS UP CONTROVERSY AGAIN - APPOINTS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. While Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate was off strengthening bilateral ties with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea last week, the presidency took advantage of the PM,s absence to stir up controversy once again. On March 1, Conte issued two presidential decrees, one naming a new prefec [...] | 2008-03-04 15:16:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY163 | A PRIVATE CHAT WITH GUINEAN PRIME MINISTER LANSANA [...] (C) SUMMARY: On May 3, Ambassador Carter met with Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate at the EMR for 90 minutes. Kouyate, who was traveling to Kuwait that evening, had just come from a meeting with President Conte at his farm in Dubreka where the PM discussed plans for a possible cabinet reshuffle, and [...] | 2008-05-05 14:50:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | EAGR ECON GV PGOV PHUM SNAR |
08CONAKRY164 | UNIONS BLOCK PM ON FUEL - UNION LEADER SAYS [...] (C) SUMMARY. Guinea,s labor unions are attempting to block GoG efforts to reduce or eliminate the country,s economically unsustainable fuel subsidy program as they call for consultations. Despite having a doctorate in economics, union leader Ibrahima Fofana demonstrated an appalling lack of [...] | 2008-03-05 08:53:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY166 | US AND BRITISH AMBASSADORS MEET WITH INTERIOR [...] (SBU) On Friday, May 2, Ambassador Carter and British Ambassador John McManus called on the Minister of Interior and Security, Beau Keita, to discuss their mutual concerns of increased narcotics trafficking in Guinea for European markets. Noting the recent article in the local newspaper, Le L [...] | 2008-05-06 15:09:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | SNAR PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY169 | HUMAN REMAINS UNEARTHED AT CENTRAL PRISON, EMBASSY [...] (C) SUMMARY. A Guinean prisoner advocacy NGO has reportedly unearthed human skeletal remains under a former trash heap at Conakry's central prison. Although most of the skulls and large bones were reportedly stolen in the middle of the night, Poloff saw several bone fragments sticking up out [...] | 2008-05-07 11:44:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY170 | GUINEA'S HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION BLOCKED AGAIN [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. After finally receiving long-awaited government funding to launch an investigation into the human rights abuses allegedly committed by security forces in early 2007, Guinea's Human Rights Association is blocked again. The Central Bank has frozen the Commission's bank account, a [...] | 2008-05-07 11:45:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY176 | REGIONAL PRICE SURVEY - INSIGHTS INTO REGIONAL TRADE [...] (U) SUMMARY. An inter-Embassy regional price survey of select necessities in Guinea and its neighboring countries shows that while there is a rough parity in prices, significant differences remain. With respect to Guinea, the data illustrates why the GOG's newly imposed export ban is bad econo [...] | 2008-05-08 12:51:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EPET PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY178 | PLANT VISIT - TIMBER EXPLOITATION IN GUINEA'S FOREST [...] (U) On April 20, Ambassador Carter visited Foret Forte facilities in the heart of Guinea's forest region, about an hour outside the provincial capital of N'Zerekore. The Taiwanese-owned company has been harshly criticized for its alleged environmentally harmful logging practices as well as its [...] | 2008-05-09 10:16:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | GV EAGR ECON ETRD ELAB |
08CONAKRY179 | MASS TRANSIT BUSES FINALLY ARRIVE [...] (U) On May 9, local internet media reported that on May 8 the 100 long-awaited mass transit buses arrived in Conakry (REFTELS). Econoff witnessed the parade of at least 50 empty, freshly painted buses as they were being driven on a tour of Conakry. (NOTE: The tour of the buses also contribute [...] | 2008-05-09 10:18:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EPET PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY18 | LOCAL STAFF WORRIED ABOUT ONGOING POLITICAL [...] (C) Poloff and Econoff held an informal discussion with a group of senior LES staff from USAID, Management, RSO, Peace Corps, and PAO on March 13 to exchange thoughts on Guinea's current political situation a the upcoming March 31 deadline for negotiations set by the country's la unions (refte [...] | 2008-03-21 11:59:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY182 | GUINEA - AN ASSESSMENT, PART II [...] No summary [...] | 2008-03-05 15:34:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV ECON PREL EAID SOCI SNAR PHUM KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY184 | SEIZED DRUGS FINALLY INCINERATED...OR WERE THEY? [...] (S) SUMMARY: On April 11, 2008, Guinean police seized a shipment of cocaine, exact quantity unknown, and detained six suspects believed to be of Latin American origin (Reftel A, B). All USG requests for additional information regarding the details of the seizure or the suspects have gone unanswer [...] | 2008-03-06 14:33:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | ASEC GV PGOV DEA PREL SNAR |
08CONAKRY185 | GUINEA'S FUEL SUBSIDY: SOMETHING AFOOT - MAYBE [...] (SBU) According to a letter dated March 4, from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance, Karamokobe Camara, to the National Director of Customs, the Government of Guinea is extending the fuel subsidy only through Saturday, March 8. The last subsidy contract ended February 29 and they [...] | 2008-03-06 15:26:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EPET PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY19 | GUINEA SWEARS IN NEW MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION [...] (U) Guinea,s new Minister of Communication, Issa Conde, was sworn into office on January 7 by the Secretary General of the Presidency, Sam Soumah. Contrary to protocol and tradition, the previous Minister, Justin Morel Jr., who was fired by President Conte on January 3 (reftel),was not in a [...] | 2008-01-09 05:44:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY190 | GUINEA PRESENTS ELECTIONS BUDGET, CALLS FOR DONOR SUPPORT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. The GoG held a formal meeting with the international donor community on March 6 in order to distribute its proposed elections budget. While some of the line items still raise questions, the overall budget appears to be relatively realistic and a significant improvement over th [...] | 2008-03-07 13:29:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY194 | GUINEA - FISCAL TRANSPARENCY REPORT [...] Pursuant to REFTEL, Embassy Conakry provides the following requested information: 2. The Government of Guinea publishes budget and financial data, and systems are in place to record and report budget expenditures. The 2008 budget is published in book form, and is not/not available on the [...] | 2008-03-10 09:22:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EAID PREL GV |
08CONAKRY195 | AGOA DEMARCHE DELIVERED [...] Pursuant to REFTEL, on April 13, Econoff met with the Secretary General at the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Falilou Barry, regarding the upcoming AGOA Forum to be held July 14-16 in Washington, D.C. 2. The Secretary General expressed his gratitude for the information and stated that he would c [...] | 2008-05-14 13:42:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ETRD EINV EFIN EAID GV |
08CONAKRY196 | CHILD TRAFFICKING IN GUINEA'S FOREST REGION [...] (U) SUMMARY. Local NGOs tell Embassy officials that the Forest Region is a transit hub for the trafficking of children from Guinea to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, highlighting the need for cross-border coordination and information sharing. Specific cases provide examples of how these c [...] | 2008-05-15 11:11:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY197 | CHILD TRAFFICKING IN EASTERN MARITIME GUINEA [...] (U) SUMMARY. The Prefect in Forecariah continues her efforts to combat child trafficking on the border with Sierra Leone, although her methods have drawn some criticism. Despite the increase in trafficking cases, not all officials in the region agree that child trafficking is a problem and some [...] | 2008-05-15 13:54:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY199 | BUREAU VERITAS - RUMORS AND REALITY [...] SUMMARY. Guinea signed a contract with an international firm for the provision of transactional customs valuation services, which should increase customs collections and reduce fraudulent import practices. Meanwhile, a local business association is protesting the new service, because they sa [...] | 2008-05-16 11:36:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECIN EFIN ECON PTER EWWT GV |
08CONAKRY2 | LIVING ON LESS THAN $1 PER DAY - WHY ENDS DON'T MEET [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. From shoe shiners to accountants, an informal Embassy survey demonstrates just why Guinea is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. This snapshot of average salaries in both the private and public sectors illustrates all too clearly the substantial economic hards [...] | 2008-01-02 09:02:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECIN EFIN ECON EMIN GV |
08CONAKRY20 | WATCHDOG COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE AND [...] (C) SUMMARY. Guinea's Watchdog Committee, a group that was originally formed in January 2007 in response to civil unrest, reconvened on January 7 at the People's Palace. With union leaders visibly absent, the meeting played out as an attempt by Conte supporters to undermine the Prime Ministe [...] | 2008-01-09 05:49:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB PREL KDEM GV |
08CONAKRY201 | (S) ONE KILO OF "COCAINE" DELIVERED TO EMBASSY [...] (S) SUMMARY: On May 10, 2008 Ambassador and ARSO attended the alleged incineration of several kilos of narcotics seized by Guinean police. USG,s request for a random sample of the cocaine was denied (Reftel A). On May 14, 2008, the former director of the anti-drug unit delivered a kilo of a [...] | 2008-05-19 05:33:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | SNAR ASEC PREL PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY202 | (S) NOT THE CONTE I KNOW [...] (S) During a March 12 meeting with Poloff, opposition leader Sidya Toure of the Union Force Republican (UFR) party shared his observations regarding his Monday courtesy call on President Lansana Conte. Toure said that it was the first time he had seen Conte in over eight years and that Conte [...] | 2008-03-12 15:27:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY203 | FULANI VILLAGERS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECONOMY [...] SUMMARY. A recent road trip into villages throughout Middle Guinea reveals that villagers just thirty minutes off the main road are unaware that the Guinean Government is organizing legislative elections in six months. Villagers were generally preoccupied with basic cost of living issues an [...] | 2008-05-19 14:34:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ECON KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY208 | GUINEA EAC - PRIME MINISTER KOUYATE DISMISSED [...] The Deputy Chief of Mission convened Post's Emergency Action Committee Wedneday, May 21 to discuss the announced dismissal of PM Kouyate last night and potential public reaction to this event. Representatives from MGT, CA, RO, DAO, USAID, PC, PAO, POL and RSO were present 2. The dismissal o [...] | 2008-05-21 06:58:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY209 | PRESIDENT SACKS GUINEAN PRIME MINISTER LANSANA [...] (U) SUMMARY. President Conte fired Guinean Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate on May 20 and replaced him with a cabinet member from a previous government, Dr. Ahmed Tidiane Souare. Public support for Kouyate has been steadily waning and the public reaction has been relatively quiet, although there [...] | 2008-05-21 11:07:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM ASEC PREL GV |
08CONAKRY21 | GUINEA CUTS FUEL DELIVERIES BY 40% [...] On March 14, Economic LES spoke with Elhadj Alpha Yaya Diallo, the chef de bureau for the gasoline depot in Conakry. Yaya Diallo stated that the Minister of Commerce issued a written instruction to Customs authorizing the delivery of only 600,000 liters of gas per day from the gas depot to c [...] | 2008-03-21 13:30:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EPET PGOV GV |
08CONAKRY210 | UNDAUNTED BY INTERNAL DISCORD, UPR OPPOSITION [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. The president of the UPR opposition party assured Poloff that he remains the party's legitimate leader, irregardless of recent party declarations to the contrary. He attributes the internal dissension to a handful of members who want to ally with the UFDG and Cellou Diallo. Hav [...] | 2008-03-14 12:25:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY211 | FORMER PM HOLDS MEETING ON ELECTIONS - DEMANDS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. On May 13, former Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate held a three and a half hour meeting with political parties to discuss progress towards Guinea's legislative elections later this year. The discussion focused on four central issues: the need for donor community support to cov [...] | 2008-03-14 12:40:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY212 | CLOSE FRIEND OF NEW PM SHARES INSIGHTS [...] (C) Returning to Conakry from a trip to Middle Guinea, Econoff stopped in Mamou on May 21 to visit the local prefect, Mr. Safioulaye Bah, in order to discuss recent political developments (reftel). Bah told Econoff that he is a close personal friend of the new prime minister, Dr. Ahmed Tidia [...] | 2008-05-21 14:21:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY213 | PLOTTING KOUYATE'S DEMISE [...] (S) SUMMARY. An LES staff member provides useful insights into an alleged plot orchestrated by former members of government against Guinea's former PM, Lansana Kouyate. Inside information suggests that the PM's demise was well planned and well orchestrated. END SUMMARY. 2. (S) A senior LES [...] | 2008-05-21 14:29:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY218 | LABOR UNIONS REJECT NEW PRIME MINISTER [...] (U) Guinea's trade unions issued two separate declarations on May 22 criticizing President Conte's decision to appoint Dr. Ahmed Tidiane Souare as the country's new prime minister (reftel). The Unions-Intersyndicale, which is an umbrella organization representing four independent trade union [...] | 2008-05-23 13:10:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | ELAB PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY219 | SOUARE SWORN IN AS NEW PRIME MINISTER OF GUINEA [...] (SBU) Dr. Ahmed Tidiane Souare was officially sworn in as the new prime minister of Guinea around 1:30 PM on May 23. The ceremony was originally scheduled to begin at 11:00, but was reportedly delayed in order to wait for the arrival and participation of the former prime minister, Lansana Kouy [...] | 2008-05-23 13:16:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY22 | HOW CAN THE PRESIDENT CONTINUE TO WORK UNDER THESE [...] Summary. On January 8, Ambassador Carter met with the President of the National Assembly and several senior officials to discuss the political standoff between President Lansana Conte and Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate and the threat of a general strike January 10. The Assembly leaders displ [...] | 2008-01-09 07:42:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV ECON ELAB GV |
08CONAKRY220 | RECENT CHILD TRAFFICKING INCIDENTS ON GUINEA'S NORTHERN [...] SUMMARY: (U) Local media reported two alleged child trafficking incidents on Guinea's borders with Mali and Senegal. The first incident involved 22 children being transported to Mali, and the second, 11 children being transported to Senegal. In both cases, Koranic teachers, also known as marabo [...] | 2008-05-23 13:24:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC ML GV |
08CONAKRY223 | GUINEA EAC MEETING, MAY 27, 2008 [...] Embassy Conakry convened an EAC meeting May 27 to review the security environment following further reports of mutinous military activity at Camp Alpha Yaya. The mutineers' first demand is that the president remove the minister of defense. They have threatened to march on Camp Samory Toure, Co [...] | 2008-05-27 08:54:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY224 | EMBASSY CONAKRY SITUATION REPORT 1 [...] (C) The 12:00 deadline given by the military mutineers for the dismissal of the Minister of Defense has passed. One Embassy source reported that soldiers have left Camp Alpha Yaya Diallo and have begun marching towards Camp Touare. However, RSO contacts on the ground have not observed any si [...] | 2008-05-27 10:47:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ASEC PMIL GV |
08CONAKRY225 | SOLDIERS MUTINY, THREATEN MARCH ON CENTRAL BASE [...] (C) SUMMARY. A group of soldiers, which appears to be fairly well organized with significant internal backing, seized control of the military camp Alpha Yaya Diallo late on May 25. There has been intermittent shooting in Conakry's military camps, as well as reports of similar activity in up [...] | 2008-05-27 11:31:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ASEC PMIL PREL GV |
08CONAKRY226 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 2 [...] (C) Embassy sources report that a delegation representing the mutineers at Camp Alpha Yaya are on their way to Camp Touare. They will reportedly demand the immediate dismissal of the current Minister of Defense, General Baillo Diallo. There have been no further reports of large military move [...] | 2008-05-27 11:32:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ASEC PMIL GV |
08CONAKRY227 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 3 [...] (C) At about 2:30 PM, President Conte reportedly signed a decree dismissing General Baillo Diallo from his post as Minister of Defense, meeting the mutineers' immediate demand. No replacement has been named. The GoG announced Diallo's dismissal publicly during a 3:00 PM broadcast by RTG. [...] | 2008-05-27 12:54:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ASEC PMIL GV |
08CONAKRY228 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 4 [...] (C) After continued incidents of sporadic gunfire in Camp Alpha Yaha despite the removal of General Baillo Diallo as Minister of Defense, the GoG appears to have given in to all of the mutineers' demands (reftel A). 2. (C) Contacts report that the GoG has agreed to pay each soldier the 5 [...] | 2008-05-27 13:58:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ASEC PMIL GV |
08CONAKRY229 | GUINEA'S NEW PRIME MINISTER ASSURES AMBASSADOR [...] (C) Summary: In a friendly and informative hour-long meeting with Guinea's new Prime Minister, Ambassador Carter highlighted U.S. policy priorities, and urged Prime Minister Souare to improve communication with the populace and move towards election and economic reform. The Prime Minister admi [...] | 2008-05-27 15:11:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PGOV PREL GV |
08CONAKRY23 | CHANTAL COLLE DEPORTED, CONTE RUMORED TO BE IN A [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Following her March 18 arrest, close presidential confidant Mme Chantal Colle left the country late on March 19 under a deportation order signed by the Minister of Interior and Security. Meanwhile, rumors of President Conte,s deteriorating medical condition have been rampant [...] | 2008-03-21 13:35:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KDEM PHUM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY231 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 5 [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Soldiers were celebrating into the night yesterday after winning government concessions to all mutineer demands. Celebratory activities included intermittent firing of guns into the air, some armed muggings, and looting of several businesses. The media reports that at least [...] | 2008-05-28 10:17:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY233 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 6 [...] (C) Embassy sources report that mutineers have modified their initial demands to the Guinean Government (GoG) and have given a 12:00 deadline for meeting those demands. Mutineers are now reportedly insisting on immediate payment of the promised 5 million GnF to each soldier, rather than recei [...] | 2008-05-28 11:24:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY236 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 7 [...] (C) Embassy sources close to the negotiations report that things are "much better." Negotiations have reportedly ended for the day and the prime minister is expected to make an announcement this evening on the national news network. Sources indicate that the mutineers will likely release Gen [...] | 2008-05-28 14:23:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY237 | COMMENTS FROM FORMER PRIME MINISTER DIALLO, HEAD [...] SUMMARY. Former Prime Minister Cellou Diallo, who is also the current president of the UFDG opposition political party, says he will support the new PM as long as he commits to continued progress towards improved governance, legislative elections, and economic reforms. He was highly critical [...] | 2008-05-28 14:25:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY238 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 8 [...] (U) SUMMARY. The following reports are a round-up of various events yesterday evening. END SUMMARY. ------------------------------------------- FLIGHTS DIVERTED FROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ------------------------------------------- 2. (S) A routine Embassy support flight carrying clas [...] | 2008-05-29 08:46:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY24 | LAWYERS TAKE SIDES IN GUINEA,S POWER STRUGGLE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. Two public declarations allegedly coming from Guinea,s Bar Association show that the Bar is just as divided internally as most of the other actors in Guinea,s emerging political drama. The President of the Bar Association came out in strong support of President Conte and under [...] | 2008-01-09 14:24:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV KDEM PHUM ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY240 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 9 [...] (SBU) Conakry remains relatively calm. There were reports of intermittent gunfire into the evening, but a gusty thunder and lightning storm around midnight muted any further activities. Several Embassy contacts reported that mutineers were going through the city last night looking for senior [...] | 2008-05-29 09:50:00 | Embassy Conakry | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY243 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 10 [...] (C) SUMMARY. There have been reports of an increased military presence outside the military camps, roadblocks manned by presidential loyalists, as well as possible movements of mutineers. Visual evidence suggests that there is some truth to these reports, but the extent of military movement [...] | 2008-05-29 12:33:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY244 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 11 [...] (C) Embassy received several reports from different sources of gunfire in the downtown area around 15:00, specifically around the Castro Bridge and the British Ambassador's residence. Sources reported hearing heavier fire, such as from grenades and/or Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs),but no [...] | 2008-05-29 15:19:00 | Embassy Conakry | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |
08CONAKRY247 | EMBASSY CONAKRY - SITUATION REPORT 12 [...] (SBU) The streets of Conakry are quiet this morning, and there have been no reports of gunfire. Stores, markets, and fuel stations remain closed. There are a few people on the streets waiting for taxis, but the roads are virtually empty due to lack of transportation. Poloff saw children and [...] | 2008-05-30 09:19:00 | Embassy Conakry | SECRET | PGOV PMIL ASEC GV |