US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1625

S E C R E T COLOMBO 001625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DS FOR DS/ICI/CI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2029 
TAGS: ASEC, CE, MIssion Security 
SUBJECT: HUMAN INTELLIGENCE THREAT REVIEW FOR COLOMBO 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 189044 
     B. COLOMBO 0605 
     C. COLOMBO 1570 
     D. 00 COLOMBO 0911 
     E. COLOMBO 8485 
 
Classified By: RSO Alex Moore - Reason: 1.4 (c and d) 
 
1. (S/NF)  Embassy Colombo convened a Counterintelligence 
Working Group (CIWG) meeting on 9/28/04.  The purpose of the 
meeting was to respond to the annual Human Intelligence 
(HUMINT) Threat Review outlined in Ref A.  In attendance were 
AMB, DCM, RSO, ARSO, POL, DAO, and IPO.   The Colombo CIWG 
provided the following responses. 
 
2. (S/NF) Assessment of Relations between Sri Lanka and U.S. 
 
a. Security/Defense Agreements - Good 
b. Law Enforcement/Intel Exchanges - At the most senior 
levels, law enforcement cooperation is excellent.  At the 
patrol officer level, RSO noted several instances where 
police interest/skills/capabilities were found lacking. 
Intel exchanges are good. 
c. Host Country Protection - Good 
 
3. (S/NF) Review of incidents in the past year 
 
a. Physical Surveillance - In Nov 2003 and again in April 
2004, two men on a motorcycle were detected "observing" 
outside the DCM residence (Ref B).  The motorcycle was found 
to be registered to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The 
reason for these incidents is unknown. 
b. Audio-Visual Surveillance - A number of incidents 
involving video/photographs being taken of the Embassy 
perimeter, none definitively CI related (Ref C). 
c. Harassment - No CI related incidents. 
d. Clandestine entries - None 
e. Provocations - None 
f. Use of Informants - In May 2000, a former mailroom 
employee believed to have been co-opted by host government 
intelligence services was fired (Ref D). 
g. Targeting operations against Americans - None 
h. Computer Tampering - None 
i. Telephone Taps, Mail, or email intercepts - In March 2003, 
Embassy Colombo discovered that unclassified mail shipped to 
the U.S. using DHL had been opened on two different 
occasions.  In those instances, both the DHL envelope and 
some U.S.-bound personal letters were found opened.  Some 
employees reported checks sent through DHL were never 
deposited or cashed.  An investigation was conducted with 
inconclusive results.  Mail delivery through DHL was 
discontinued in Sri Lanka and no further incidents have 
occurred. 
j. Pouch Tampering - In August, an unclassified pouch was 
delivered to the Embassy with the seal missing (Ref E). 
Nothing unusual was detected inside the pouch, other than the 
fact that it weighed only 15.3 kilos when compared to the 
documented weight of 16 kilos.  Investigation revealed no 
further information. 
k. Active measures - No indication 
l. Unusual Knowledge of Facts by Government Officials - None 
 
4. (S/NF) Critical Threat Countries in Sri Lanka and Size of 
Mission 
 
China - Large 
Cuba - Small 
Iran - Medium 
Iraq - Officially closed, however, the former COM is still 
in-country. 
Libya - Small 
Russia - Large 
Palestine - Small 
 
RSO note on India - India has a large presence in Sri Lanka, 
and the SL Directorate of Military Intelligence has reported 
to DATT that the Indian Resource and Analysis Wing (RAW) 
targets U.S. interests in Sri Lanka. 
 
5. (S/NF) There are no known non-governmental entities 
in-country that conduct classic intelligence operations 
against the U.S. mission in Sri Lanka. 
 
6. (S/NF) In conclusion, the CIWG reviewed the HUMINT threat 
rating in Sri Lanka and concurs with the current SETL rating 
of LOW. 
 
7.  (SBU) POC is RSO Alex Moore (94) (11) 244-8007. 
LUNSTEAD