VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHPE #3136 2602253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 172253Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6860
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 5087
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7587
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0781
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP QUITO 1458
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1486
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
UNCLAS LIMA 003136
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
PM/WRS EDWARD TRIMAKAS, PM/RSAT SARAH WOLF, WHA/AND BARBARA
THOMAS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MCAP MASS MARR AFIN AMGT PE
SUBJECT: GOP FORMALLY REQUESTS HUMANITARIAN DEMINING
ASSISTANCE
1. (U) Summary: On August 1, the GOP formally requested USG
assistance for humanitarian demining efforts. Post strongly
supports the request and assesses that GOP interest and
commitment to the program is high. Demining assistance would
contribute to the overall USG foreign policy objective of
deepening military co-operation with Peru. Post requests a
Policy Assessment Visit as soon as possible to evaluate
Peru's land mine situation and to report back to the
inter-agency Policy Coordinating Committee. End Summary.
2. (U) On August 1, the MFA sent a diplomatic note requesting
USG assistance for ongoing humanitarian demining efforts.
The note follows a request for assistance made by the MOD's
Director of Policy and Strategy, Ambassador Bellina, to DAS
Coulter at the bilateral military talks held in Peru June 26.
Bellina repeated the request to the Embassy's military group
commander after the Ambassador's September 7 meeting with
Minister of Defense Wagner and assured Emboffs that the
problems associated with the program in the past would not be
repeated.
3. (U) The diplomatic note reports that Peru has destroyed
1,635 mines since demining efforts resumed one year ago.
More than 29,000 anti-personnel mines remain in a 200,000
meter area bordering Ecuador in the departments of the
Amazonas and Cajamarca. The program is managed by the
Peruvian Anti-Personal Mine Action Center, which includes
representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Relations,
Defense, Interior, Education, and Health.
4. (U) The note describes demining efforts as a "joint
Peruvian-Ecuadorian process" and points out that during
bilateral talks held on July 6, Peru and Ecuador signed an
Act of Understanding creating a joint medical evacuation plan
to support demining efforts. (Comment: The area of
operations is inaccessible by road from Peru; Peruvian
demining teams enter the area through Ecuador with
transportation provided by the Ecuadorian military. End
Comment)
5. (U) Post's political/military committee, chaired by
Ambassador McKinley, met on September 4 and strongly endorsed
the GOP request. The team noted that Peru has shown genuine
interest in deepening military cooperation with the US on a
number of issues and has significantly strengthened
diplomatic ties with Ecuador to prevent the kind of
cross-border disputes that caused earlier Peruvian efforts at
demining to fail.
6. (U) Post requests a Policy Assessment visit to travel to
Peru as soon as possible to evaluate the landmine situation
and to report back to the inter-agency Policy Coordination
Committee about the potential for resuming a Humanitarian
Demining Project. Post accepts the responsibility for
providing logistical assistance to the team and for offering
administrative support for follow-on visits.
7. (U) Post POC is Pol/Mil officer David Boyle, 511-618-2517.
Post appreciates the assistance provided by PM/WRA's Edmund
Trimakas in facilitating this request.
NEALON