US embassy cable - 04PANAMA2087

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 002087 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PDA, and INL/LP 
DOD FOR ISA/WHA ROGER PARDO-MAURER 
NDU FOR PAS SECURITY (S) 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, SNAR, PM, LABOR, HUMAN RIGHTS,POLMIL 
SUBJECT:  NATIONAL SECURITY PLANNING WORKSHOP LAUNCHES U.S.- 
PANAMA STRATEGIC DIALOGUE 
 
 
REF:   A) PANAMA 898,  B) PANAMA 1701 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  Senior members of Panama's newly elected 
leadership met with counterparts from the Embassy and other 
USG interlocutors in an August 11 - 13 workshop to discuss 
the incoming PRD administration's national security 
strategy.  With the assistance of facilitators from the 
Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, USG and Panamanian 
officials discussed responses to threats to maritime 
security, border security, citizen security, and counter 
narcotics and terrorism. Coming just weeks prior to their 
taking office on September 1, this NAS-sponsored event 
provided a unique and timely opportunity for the incoming 
administration to discuss national security strategy, both 
internally and with U.S. counterparts. Discussion focused on 
the need to provide strategic leadership, ensure interagency 
and international cooperation, and provide adequate 
resources and performance measurement when planning security 
policy. The event received widespread and positive press 
coverage, with both sides looking forward to a close 
bilateral security relationship. End Summary. 
 
 
National Security Planning Workshop Comes Together 
 
 
2. (SBU) As previewed reftels, a group of 35 senior national 
security officials from the incoming PRD government met with 
Embassy and USG counterparts August 11 - 13 outside Panama 
City for a workshop on National Security planning sponsored 
by the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) in collaboration with 
the National Defense University's Center for Hemispheric 
Defense Studies (CHDS).  Panama's President-elect Martin 
Torrijos and Ambassador Watt opened the workshop on August 
11 heralding a common desire for a closer and more mature 
security relationship between Panama and the United States 
in the coming years. 
 
 
3. (SBU) The Panamanian team was coordinated by Minister of 
Government and Justice designate Hector Aleman, and included 
other members of the incoming cabinet, including both Vice 
Presidents elect, and the future Ministers of the Presidency 
and Finance. Other participants included Panama's Ambassador- 
designate to the U.S., the heads of Panama's Public Force 
and other agencies with a national security and/or law 
enforcement focus. While not all participants had yet been 
formally appointed to positions in the new government, it 
was clear that this group represented the PRD's national 
security braintrust. 
 
 
4.  (SBU) The U.S. side included members of the Embassy's 
law enforcement and security working group as well as 
several senior Washington representatives. Prominent among 
the latter were Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Roger 
Pardo-Mauer and Coast Guard Director of Operations Policy 
Rear Admiral J.W. Underwood. Southcom Director of Operations 
BG Benjamin Mixon also addressed the group and held 
discussions with President-elect Torrijos.  Representatives 
from the Department of State, Department of Defense, and 
Department of Homeland Security rounded out the U.S. side. 
 
 
Discussion Focuses on Priority Areas 
 
 
5. (SBU) At the request of our Panamanian counterparts, the 
U.S. and Panamanian participants were broken down into four 
working groups that corresponded to the pillars of the 
Torrijos administration's national security policy. These 
included Citizen Security, Border Security, Maritime and 
Canal Security, and Counter Narcotics and Counter Terrorism. 
Minister-designate Aleman further developed these themes and 
their centrality in the Torrijos Administration's governing 
plans in a speech to the group August 12.  Each working 
group developed proposed courses of action for the new 
administration that will be further refined by the Ministry 
of Government and Justice in the coming weeks. 
 
 
6. (SBU) The participants were aided in their discussions by 
presentations organized by CHDS experts in the areas of 
Strategic Leadership, Interagency Coordination, 
International Cooperation, and Budgeting and Performance 
Measurement. The CHDS presenters and facilitators guided the 
Panamanian participants in translating their strategic 
objectives into concrete policy options.  Discussion in both 
the open sessions and the working groups was lively, with 
participants clearly grappling with the complexity of the 
issues involved. While many of the Panamanian participants 
came into the workshop with some National Security 
experience, others did not. For both groups, however, this 
was a unique opportunity to discuss the inter-relationship 
of the issues confronting the new government. 
 
 
Building Teamwork 
 
 
7.  (SBU) In addition to the substantive discussions, the 
workshop had been intended as an opportunity to build 
personal and professional relationships between Panamanian 
and U.S. participants. The consensus from participants on 
both sides following the event was that this goal had been 
realized. Given the complex history of the PRD and its 
relationship with the United States, it was particularly 
gratifying to see barriers beginning to come down between 
some of the party's "old guard" and USG counterparts. The 
workshop also succeeded in helping to build the Panamanian 
team and will hopefully set the tone for positive working 
relationships after September 1. 
 
 
Looking Towards the Future 
 
 
8.  (SBU) From the beginning, Ambassador Watt and other 
participants emphasized that this workshop would only be the 
beginning of a strategic dialogue between the United States 
and the Torrijos government. The event received widespread 
and positive press coverage from both the print and 
broadcast media, who interpreted the event as a USG vote of 
confidence in the Torrijos administration.  As the 
government takes office on September 1 and the individuals 
who participated in the workshop take over their ministries 
and agencies, we will look for future opportunities to 
engage with them on issues of mutual concern.  Embassy would 
like to express its appreciation to all those involved in 
making this workshop a success, in particular our colleagues 
from CHDS. 
 
 
Watt