Cablegate: Vancouver Olympic Security Update - Coordination

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001231

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ASEC PTER KOLY CA
SUBJECT: VANCOUVER OLYMPIC SECURITY UPDATE - COORDINATION
REQUIRED

1. (SBU) Summary: The February 12-28 2010 Olympic Games in
Vancouver will present Canada, and the United States, with
complex multi-jurisdictional security challenges. The RCMP
has the security lead, but is planning for the Canadian
Forces (CF) to render military support of civilian security
agencies should the need arise. North American Aerospace
Defense Command (NORAD) will coordinate air defense
operations, and U.S. civilian agency and military assistance
might be required in the event of a natural or man-made
disaster. The Canadian government shares Mission Canada's
appreciation of the important coordination role of the
Department of State's International Athletic Event Security
Coordination Group (IAESCG), and Mission Canada will
additionally strive to ensure that all U.S. government
personnel seeking to conduct Olympics-related business in
Canada must seek and receive country clearance before
departing the United States. End summary.

2. (U) Vancouver 2010 Olympics Security Coordinator Ward
Elcock presented Canada's national security plan for the
Olympics to delegates attending the Conference of Defense
Ministers of the Americas in Banff on September 5. Elcock,
who heads the Privy Council Office's (PCO) Office of the
Coordinator for the 2010 Olympics and G8 Security, emphasized
that Canada is in the throes of planning a "cultural and
sporting event with a significant security aspect," rather
than a security event with an athletic competition. He noted
that while the Vancouver Winter Games would draw 5,000
athletes, 10,000 members of the media, 25,000 volunteers, and
many more fans, it would be half the size of a typical summer
games and therefore somewhat more manageable despite numerous
multi-jurisdictional challenges.

3. (U) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is leading
Olympics security preparation, with support from the Canadian
Forces (CF) and a range of federal, provincial, and municipal
agencies and police departments, Elcock explained. The RCMP
therefore has the responsibility for fleshing out the
government's security vision and developing the Olympics
security operational plan, identifying shortfalls and gaps,
and determining which national security tools best overcome
these shortfalls and gaps. The RCMP, with PCO support, will
then initiate appropriate requests for support from civilian
agencies and the CF.

4. (U) Elcock said that Canada would coordinate Olympics
security at a single command center with two divisions
reflecting the games' "two footprints," one for Vancouver,
Qreflecting the games' "two footprints," one for Vancouver,
and a second for the alpine venues 125 kilometers away at
Whistler, a mountain resort. Canadian authorities are
planning for a "medium threat" environment but will be able
to adapt quickly to higher or lower level security
requirements, Elcock observed. Air zones extend into the
United States, he noted, requiring close coordination by the
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Navigation
Canada (NavCan). Similarly, some of the ferries plying the
seaways from Vancouver Island to the British Columbia
mainland traverse U.S. waters, and this will require
multi-jurisdictional coordination.

6. (U) Current Canadian RCMP planning envisions two
concentric circles of RCMP provided security, a Controlled
Access Zone surrounded by an Interdiction Zone, and a third
Outside Surveillance Zone provided by the military, according
to Elcock. Should the need for additional emergency CF
support of civilian security agencies arise, Canada's
Minister of Public Safety (who is responsible for the RCMP

OTTAWA 00001231 002 OF 002

and other national security agencies) would request support
from the Minister of National Defence who, in turn, would
delegate the authority to act on the request to the Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS). The CDS would further delegate
authority to Commander, Canada Command and his subordinate
commanders of CF Joint Task Force Pacific (JTF/P) and JTF
Games (JTF/G). If called upon, the two JTFs could take on
direct oversight of maritime, land, and Canadian air
operations, engaging at the operational level with their
civilian counterpart, the RCMP's 2010 Olympics Integrated
Security Unit (RCMP/ISU).

7. (U) The JTFs would also coordinate air defense operations
with NORAD, Elcock explained, which will have AWACs
capability ready to assign to the airspace over the games and
be able to deploy additional Canadian and U.S. aviation
assets to meet any threats that arise. In this context,
Elcock made specific reference to Canadian F-18 and U.S. F-16
fighter aircraft. Canada is also coordinating closely with
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State
of Washington, Elcock added, as well as with NATO in case
chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear (CBRNE)
"special capabilities" are required on a large scale.
Elcock observed that Canadian authorities have already run
numerous tests on elements of security plan in order to
"break things," and are on track to run a final exercise to
test and certify operational preparedness in late fall 2009.
The RCMP and its partner agencies meanwhile will begin to
deploy police officers and other agency support to the
Olympics site in late December 2009 and early January 2010,
at least one month in advance of the February 12-28 games.

Comment
-------

8. (SBU) The Canadian government shares Mission Canada's
appreciation of the important coordination function of the
Department of State's International Athletic Event Security
Coordination Group (IAESCG) in preparation for the 2010
Winter Olympics. Embassy Ottawa has additionally instructed
all U.S. agencies at Mission Canada to remind their home
offices that all personnel must seek and receive country
clearance before traveling abroad to Canada on
Olympics-related business.

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