VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBU #1709 2412017
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 292017Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6500
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6357
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9074
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/USSOCOM SCSO J3 MACDILL AFB FL
RULSDMK/NSA US WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001709
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
WHA FOR CHRIS MCMULLEN, DEBORAH MCCARTHY, CAROLINE CROFT,
BRUCE FRIENDMAN AND KENDALL MOSS
S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA
FBI FOR COUNTERTERROISM DIVISION AND OFFICE OF
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT FOR ICE/OIS H
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KTFN AR BR PA
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE MINISTER OPEN TO BROADER 3 + 1 DIALOGUE
REF: BUENOS AIRES 1685
Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ANTHONY WAYNE FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)
1. (C) Ambassador asked Argentine Minister of the Interior
(MOI) Anibal Fernandez August 27 about his views on dealing
with terrorist threats and other serious problems in the
Tri-border area (TBA). He asked the Ministe his views on
the potential benefits of addressing a broader scope of
issues in the 3 1 Working Group. MOI Fernandez reacted
positively, indicating that the GOA was open to discussing
""any pertinent issues."" MOI Fernandez acknowledged that
problems of terrorism, narcotics, arms trafficking,
trafficking in persons, and money laundering are often
interrelated and that the same groups are often involved in
many of these activities at the same time.
2. (C) MOI Fernandez was also candid about the challenges
of working in the TBA. Argentina has a good working
relationship with Brazil on these issues and sees Brazil as a
valuable and serious partner. Paraguay, alternatively, is
not a reliable partner. MOI Fernandez referred to Paraguay
as a ""plastic"" country, with institutions that are much less
than what they seem, and fraudulent documents readily
available. He urged caution in dealing with Paraguayan
authorities. He also acknowledged, however, that Paraguay is
the source of many of the problems in the TBA region, so that
its role in regional TBA efforts, including the 3 1
mechanism, was critically important.
3. (C) The Ambasador also noted recent reports of numerous
unauthorized flights entering Argentine air space,
particularly in the TBA. MOI Fernandez acknowledged the
problem, particularly as it relates to the entry of narcotics
into the country, and the paucity of the GOA's response.
Dismissing Argentine radar as ""artisinal"" (""hand- made""), he
complained that Argentina does not have the contemporaty
radar technology needed to aggressively confront the issue.
He also noted that the corruption on both the Argentine and
Paraguayan sides of the border make this a particularly
difficult problem.
KELLY
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