INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Jiatf-W Training Assistance Request

Published: Wed 8 Aug 2007 09:07 AM
VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHGP #1470/01 2200907
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080907Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RHMCSUU/JIATF WEST
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIAO/HQ ICE IAO WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3732
RHMCSUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS SINGAPORE 001470
SIPDIS
HQ ICE IAO WASHDC PASS TO DHS/ICE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS -
FOREIGN OPERATIONS - ASIA DESK OFFICER ROBERT J. COOKE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958
TAGS: KHLS ASEC DHSX SN
SUBJECT: JIATF-W TRAINING ASSISTANCE REQUEST
1. (SBU) Summary. Post requests Joint Interagency Task Force-West
(JIATF-West) assistance in sponsoring joint Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) / Department of Defense (DOD) training in
Singapore focused on forensic document examination and the
international legal issues involved in border enforcement and
transportation security.
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BACKGROUND
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2. (SBU) The United States has been supporting and collaborating
with the Government of Singapore (GOS) in combating terrorism and
transnational criminal organizations, ensuring migration integrity
and transportation security in Southeast Asia for a number of years.
Such efforts have yielded significant positive results, due in part
to the ability of the United States to focus on the expertise and
authorities of all relevant U.S. organizations and agencies on this
mission. There remains a need for the United States to continue to
focus interagency efforts on this mission and maintain our
outstanding working relations with GOS law enforcement agencies.
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ICE/JIATF-West Training
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3. (SBU) ICE has identified forensic document examination as a
specific skill useful to GOS law enforcement entities, specifically
to the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoint Authority. ICE is
particularly well positioned to provide forensic document
examination training by bringing to bear the expertise of the
examiners at the ICE Forensic Document Laboratory (FDL) in McLean,
Virginia. The ICE FDL is unique within the U.S. government in two
ways. It is the only crime laboratory within the federal government
dedicated exclusively to detecting and deterring travel and identity
document fraud. The FDL also has an operational intelligence
section intended to help develop document examination skills for
field officers who do not have forensic experience. The FDL
provides extensive document examination and fraud detection training
to domestic and international law enforcement agencies as part of
its mission to combat the document fraud and misuse of travel and
identity documents often used in transnational crime, trafficking in
persons, as well as in furtherance of terrorist plots.
4. (SBU) Most training provided by the Forensic Document Laboratory
is geared towards officers who are responsible for verifying
documents, including border control personnel, police officers and
passport and residence adjudicators. Training courses are tailored
to the requirements and preferences of the requesting agencies, but
all courses attempt to combine information on forensic examination
techniques using basic field equipment with other methods of
examination that can be used outside of a laboratory setting.
5. (SBU) Topics can be adjusted according to the needs of the
requesting agency. A typical two-day course includes the following
topics:
-- Document security features and document construction
-- Basic document examination
-- Identifying counterfeiting techniques
-- Fraud with stolen blank documents
-- Identification of impostors
Each section discusses some of the challenges faced by enforcement
officers and provides information that can be applied by front-line
officers to their main responsibilities.
6. (SBU) These modules are supplemented with specialized
information on specific documents of interest to the attendees, as
well as discussion of how particular criminal groups abuse certain
types of documents to smuggle people across borders. Whenever
possible the FDL training includes "hands on" exercises designed to
allow participants direct experience with document examination.
7. (SBU) JIATF-West has the unique authority to sponsor and
facilitate joint ICE/DOD training of this type. The goal of this
training is to increase the proficiency of GOS law enforcement
(Immigration and Checkpoint Authority) in forensic document
examination and the exploitation of intelligence and evidence
gathered during the course of inspecting identity and travel
documents and interviewing travelers entering into and transiting
Singapore.
8. (SBU) Post requests that ICE Attache Singapore and the ICE FDL,
under the sponsorship of JIATF-West, execute a two day training
event for GOS law enforcement (Immigration and Checkpoint Authority)
in Singapore on the subject of Forensic Document Examination and the
international legal issues involved in border enforcement and
transportation security. Post requests that the training be
conducted prior to the conclusion of FY 07. If such training proves
successful and forces and funding are available, it may be
appropriate to continue this training program in FY08.
9. (U) Post's Law Enforcement Council have reviewed and concurred
with this request.
HERBOLD
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