Cablegate: Supporting Tunisia's Counter-Terrorism Effort: A

VZCZCXYZ1686
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0745 2791056
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061055Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE ASHDC 6856
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUWMFD/USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS TUNIS 00745

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM, NEA/MAG(HAYES) AND PM/PPA (PORRECA, KNOCH)
DOD FOR AFRICOM SSP/SC (CINNAMOND) AND OSD/ISA/NESA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MASS PTER KTIA TS
SUBJECT: SUPPORTING TUNISIA'S COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORT: A
FY10 1206 TRANCHE 1 PROPOSAL

REF: AFRICOM/SSP-PADDOCK E-MAIL EXCHANGE ENTITLED
"TUNISIA FY10 1206 TRANCHE 1 FOR TUNISIAN
FAST PATROL BOATS"

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

1. (SBU) OSC Tunisia is resubmitting its FY09 Section 1206
Tranche 2 proposal to AFRICOM Security Cooperation Division,
per
ref e-mail exchange. The proposal,entitled "Tunisian Maritime
Interdiction Operations (MIO) Vessel Enhancement Package,"
seeks to provide approximately $7.9 million in immediate
assistance to the Tunisian Navy for the acquisition of six
interdiction vessels necessary to counter the emerging
terrorist threat posed by Al Qaida in the Lands of the
Islamic
Maghreb (AQIM) and growing regional security threats linked
to
illicit weapons and smuggling drugs. As AQIM continues to
evolve
into a more effective and lethal organization capable of
developing new tactics, techniques and procedures to move and
employ personnel and materiel throughout the region, the
requirement to effectively and safely conduct fast-response
maritime interdiction/boarding operations is increasingly
important to U.S. security interests in the region.

2. (SBU) Specifically, this 1206 proposal seeks to provide
the Tunisian Navy with the vessels necessary to support fast
response interdiction operations into its economic exclusion
zone, support its transition from Level I/Level II
(compliant/non-compliant) boardings to Level IV (opposed)
boardings, and support its mission of force
protection/high-value asset protection. Due to a lack of
surface interdiction vessels with sufficient range, armament
and operability across all sea states, the Tunisian Navy is
currently unable to conduct sustained fast response missions
in
its economic exclusion zone and the type of opposed boardings
required to effectively conduct maritime counter-terrorism
operations. The addition of six high-speed boats with
improved range (doubling the range of Tunisia's current fast
response capability) and lethality will increase the
effectiveness of the Tunisian Navy's counter-terrorism
operations.

3. (SBU) The Ambassador, with the concurrence of the country
team, urges the Department and USAFRICOM to support this
proposal and continue to back the Tunisian Government's
efforts to combat the transnational terrorist threat posed by
AQIM as well as other illicit activities which could be
employed by AQIM to further its cause.
GRAY

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