US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI750

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 000750 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, PTER, KNNP, PREL, PGOV, TPHY, TRGY, KSCA, IN, Counter-Terrorism 
SUBJECT:  Bio-Terrorism Tabletop and Bio-Security 
Initiatives With India 
 
1.  Summary:  On January 7, 2005, OES/DAS Morin met with the 
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Health and 
Family Welfare (MOH) and the Ministry of External Affairs 
(MEA) officials to present US - India Counterterrorism Joint 
Working Group (CTJWG) on a bio-terrorism tabletop exercise 
and on strengthening bio-security.  Ministry Officials 
response to these Washington-funded proposals was tepid. 
Mission will follow-up in mid-February to determine status 
of the proposals.  MEA official also told Morin that India 
would like to participate in the ITER project.  End summary. 
 
Bio-Terrorism Tabletop Exercise:  Ministry of Home Affairs 
(MHA) 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
2.  On January 7, 2005, DAS Lee Morin met with Mr. S.K. 
Swami, Director, Disaster Management Division, Ministry of 
Home Affairs, to present to Mr. Swami the CTJWG proposal on 
a bio-terrorism tabletop exercise.  The meeting took place 
in the room that had been set up at the Ministry of Home 
Affairs as a command center for tsunami relief.  DAS Morin 
managed to engage Mr. Swami's partial attention as aides 
kept bringing Mr. Swami files for approval.  DAS Morin 
emphasized to Mr. Swami that this proposed bio-terrorism 
tabletop exercise was funded and only required Government of 
India approval to get underway.  Mr. Swami told DAS Morin 
that MHA would get back to us. 
 
Strengthening Bio-Security:  Ministry of Health (MOH) 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
3.  DAS Morin also met with Mr. Raj Kumar Gadwal, the Under 
Secretary of the Department of Health, Ministry of Health 
 
SIPDIS 
and Family Welfare, to present the proposal for 
collaborations on "Strengthening Bio-Security."  Mr. Gadwal 
was responsive to the importance of strengthening bio- 
security.  DAS Morin emphasized that funding is available 
for this activity and that the USG only required GOI 
approval to begin the collaboration.  Gadwal told DAS Morin 
that such work requires interagency clearance so that 
India's reply would take some time. 
 
Follow-Up Meeting With Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
4.  DAS Morin met with Meera Shankar, Additional Secretary, 
UN, Ministry of External Affairs, to discuss the two 
proposals.  While Ms. Shankar well understood that the 
proposed work would add heft to the CTJWG, she did not 
evince enthusiasm to push the Ministry of Home Affairs and 
the Ministry of Health into engaging in the proposed 
collaborations. 
 
5.  At the end of the meeting, Shankar said that India would 
be interested in participating in the ITER project even 
though she came short of suggesting that India should become 
a member of the consortium. 
 
6.  Post will re-engage with the Ministries of Health, Home 
Affairs and External Affairs to seek a positive response to 
these proposals. 
 
MULFORD