US embassy cable - 04OTTAWA2961

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CONFIDENTIAL NOFORN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SERIAL:  (U)  IIR 6 815 0003 05. 
 
COUNTRY:  (U) CANADA (CA); ECUADOR (EC); COLOMBIA (CO); VENEZUELA (VE); 
 CHILE (CI); MEXICO (MX); JAMAICA (JM); PERU (PE); BRAZIL (BR); BOLIVIA 
 (BL); ARGENTINA (AR); URUGUAY; (UY); PARAGUAY (PA). 
 
IPSP:  (U) IFC1511; IFC1512; IFC1513. 
 
TAGS: PARM 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 815 0003 05/CANADIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD SIXTH 
DEFENSE MINISTERIAL OF THE AMERICAS (DMA) (U) 
 
 WARNING:  (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY 
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.  REPORT IS CLASSIFIED C O N F I D E N 
T I A L/NOFORN. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
                     DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
DOI:  (U) 20041103. 
 
REQS:  (U)  X-IAC-1510-0021-04. 
 
SOURCE:  A. (C)  //6 815 0358// SENIOR HOST NATION DEFENSE 
OFFICIAL WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE REPORTED INFORMATION WHO 
HAS REPORTED RELIABLY IN THE PAST. 
 
B. (C)  //6 815 0245// SENIOR HOST NATION DEFENSE OFFICIAL 
WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE REPORTED INFORMATION WHO HAS 
REPORTED RELIABLY IN THE PAST. 
 
SUMMARY:  (C)  CANADIAN REPRESENTATION TO DEFENSE MINISTERIAL 
OF THE AMERICAS (DMA) SEEKS TO MAKE THE FORUM MORE MEANINGFUL 
AND WORKS TO ENSURE SOLID ATTENDANCE AND SUBSTANTIVE AGENDA. 
 
TEXT.  1.  (C) THIS IIR RESPONDS TO CITED AHR ON THE DEFENSE 
MINISTERIAL OF THE AMERICAS (DMA).  CANADA IS KEEN ON SEEING 
DMA BE AN EFFECTIVE FORUM AND IS PROVIDING AIRBUS TRANSPORT 
TO CARIBBEAN BASIN COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THEIR 
ATTENDANCE.  CANADA WILL FLY AN AIRBUS TO MIAMI TO PICK UP 
MINISTERIAL CONFEREES BEFORE FLYING ON TO QUITO, EQUADOR FOR 
THE MINISTERIAL.  (FIELD COMMENT ) CANADA BELIEVED THAT 
WITHOUT FULLER PARTICIPATION, PARTICULARLY FROM CARIBBEAN 
BASIN COUNTRIES, THE DMA MIGHT NOT BE SUCCESSFUL). 
 
2. (C)  CANADA,S OBJECTIVES FOR DMA VI ARE FOCUSED ON 
DEVELOPING CONSENSUS AMONG MEMBER COUNTRIES ON THE 
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) DEVELOPING A JURIDICAL 
LINKAGE TO THE INTERAMERICAN DEFENSE BOARD (IADB).  SOURCE A 
SEES THIS AS BEING A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WITH 
CHILE WHO BELIEVES (ACCORDING TO SOURCE A) THAT THE IADB HAS 
OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS, IS INEFFECTUAL AND SHOULD BE ALLOWED 
TO WHITHER AWAY.  ACCORDING TO SOURCE B, CANADA WORKED TO 
ENSURE THE PRESIDENT OF THE IADB WAS INVITED TO DMA VI IN 
ORDER TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF THE IADB. 
 
3. (C)  ACCORDING TO SOURCE A, CANADIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND 
DEFENSE INSIDERS REMAIN TO BE CONVINCED THAT THE MONIKER 
NARCO-TERRORISM APPLIES TO THE COUNTERNARCOTICS ENVIRONMENT 
IN COLOMBIA.  THEY ARE CIRCUMSPECT AND BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT 
OF CANADA HAS FOCUSED ON BRINGING THEIR COUNTERNARCOTICS 
EFFORTS UNDER THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM TO GLEAN MORE 
RESOURCES FROM THE UNITED STATES AND GAIN MORE POLITICAL 
SUPPORT FOR THEIR BATTLE AGAINST NARCO-TERRORISM.  MANY 
CANADIANS VIEW THE COUNTERNARCOTICS CHALLENGES IN COLOMBIA AS 
A LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUE AND VIEW THE PRIMARY CHALLENGES AS 
ORGANIZED CRIME, MONEY LAUNDERING, COERCION, AND DRUG 
OPERATION FUNDING IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA.  WHILE COLOMBIAN 
OFFICIALS CLAIM NARCO-TERRORISM IS BEING EXPORTED OUTSIDE 
COLOMBIA, CANADiAN OFFICIALS SAY BORDERING NATIONS ARE LESS 
CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL NARCO-TERRORISM ORIGINATING FROM 
COLOMBIA; AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT MIGRATION AND REFUGEES 
FROM COLOMBIA, AND THE SPECTRE OF TRANSNATIONAL CRIME. 
 
4. (C)  CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE HAS NO 
POSITION ON VENEZUELA AND, ACCORDING TO SOURCE B, HAS NOT 
SEEN OR HEARD OF A FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOCUS ON VENEZUELAN 
PRESIDENT HUGO ((CHAVEZ)).  SOURCE BELIEVES CANADA HAS NO 
PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH THE U.S. POSITION ON CHAVEZ AND HIS 
&BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION.8 
 
5. (U)  COMPOSITION OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION: 
 
A. (U)  DELEGATION WILL BE LED BY MINISTER OF NATIONAL 
DEFENCE (MND) WILLIAM ((GRAHAM)) ACCOMPANIED BY HIS SPOUSE, 
CHIEF OF STAFF EUGEN &GENE8 ((LANG)), COMMUNICATIONS 
ADVISOR MRS ISABELLE ((SAVARD)), POLICY ADVISOR MS MICHELLE 
((LOBO)), AND MILITARY ASSISTANT LCDR TOM ((MILLER)). 
 
B. (U)  ONE OR TWO PARLIAMENTARIANS (TBD) FROM OPPOSITION 
PARTIES WILL ACCOMPANY MND TO ENSURE MND,S ABSENCE FROM 
PARLIAMENT DOES NOT PUT THE MINORITY GOVERNMENT AT RISK. 
 
C. (U)  DIRECTOR GENERAL INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY REAR 
ADMIRAL DREW ((ROBERTSON)). 
D. (U)  DR HAL ((KLEPAK)), PROFESSOR, ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE, 
KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA. 
 
E. (U)  LT COL ROSS ((STRUTHERS)), CANADIAN DEFENCE ATTACHE 
TO COLOMBIA AND EQUADOR. 
 
F. (U)  SERGEANT ANGELA ((TEMPLE)), ASST DATT, COLOMBIA. 
 
G. (U)  MS VALERIE ((KEYES)), LATIN AMERICAN DESK OFFICER, 
DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY. 
 
H. (U)  LT GENERAL RICK ((HILLIER)), CHIEF OF THE CANADIAN 
FORCES LAND (ARMY) STAFF WITH AIDE-DE-CAMP. 
 
I. (U) COLONEL RICHARD ((RYAN)), DEPUTY HEAD OF CANADIAN 
DELEGATION TO IADB. 
 
J. (U)  COLONEL RENE ((GERVAIS)), CANADIAN DEFENSE ATTACHE TO 
MEXICO. 
 
K. (U)  MRS SARAH ((FOUNTAIN-SMITH)), ACTING DIRECTOR, 
REGIONAL SECURITY, FOREIGN AFFAIRS CANADA. 
 
L. (U)  MR PATRICK ((HEBERT)), FOREIGN AFFAIRS CANADA 
REGIONAL SECURITY. 
 
M. (U)  MR DOUG ((FRASER)), COUNSELOR, CANADIAN PERMANENT 
MISSION TO THE OAS, WASHINGTON. 
 
N. (U)  AMBASSADOR BRIAN ((OAK)) CANADAIAN AMBASSADOR TO 
EQUADOR ACCOMPANIED BY HIS SPOUSE LYDIA, CONSUL LISA 
((ALMOND)), VICE-CONSUL MARK ((RICHARDSON)), AND SECRETARY 
VERONICA ((FIERRO)). 
 
O. (U)  SUPPORT STAFF OF TEN DRIVERS AND INTERPRETERS NFI. 
 
COMMENTS:  1.  (C)  FIELD COMMENTS.  CANADIAN DATT TO 
WASHINGTON RADM IAN ((MACK)) HAS BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE IADB 
FOR OVER A YEAR ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THE ORGANIZATION MORE 
EFFECTIVE AND FUNCTIONAL. 
 
2.  (U)  SOURCE REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER 
EXPLOITATION. 
 
3.  (U)  DHO-1 POINT OF CONTACT, STU III (703) 907-0569; AND 
GREY 981-7197. 
 
4.  (C) THIS IIR RESPONDS TO PRIORITY 2 AHR 
X-IAC-1510-0021-04. 
 
COLL:  (U) AB; AI; MM. 
INSTR:  (U) US NO. 
PREP:  (U) 6-03048. 
ACQ:  (U)  CANADA, OTTAWA (20041102). 
DISSEM:  (U) FIELD:  AMEMB OTTAWA. 
WARNING: (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED C O N F I D E N T I A L/NOT 
RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS. 
DRV FROM:  DO HUMINT SCG SEP 2003 
DECL ON:  X1