US embassy cable - 05BUCHAREST881

S E C R E T BUCHAREST 000881 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - WILLIAM SILKWORTH 
ALSO FOR EUR/PGI JODY BUCKNEBERT AND DS/T/ATA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, RO 
SUBJECT: GWOT ASSESSMENT: POST FEEDBACK FROM EMBASSY 
BUCHAREST 
 
REF: STATE 60796 
 
Classified By: CHARGE' D'AFFAIRES A.I. THOMAS L. DELARE FOR REASONS 1.4 
 B, C AND D 
 
1.  (S) Embassy Bucharest welcomes this opportunity to 
provide input on strategies to advance GWOT objectives in 
Romania and the region.  Romania is a staunch ally in the 
GWOT; its public manifestations of support include the 
presence of about 1350 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
strong support for U.S. anti-terror initiatives in the UN and 
other international bodies.  USG intelligence agencies enjoy 
an excellent level of cooperation with their Romanian 
counterparts and Romania's political leaders and intelligence 
services have demonstrated a commitment to fighting terrorism 
at home and abroad.  Furthermore, the Romanian entities 
responsible for developing and implementing counterterrorism 
strategies welcome U.S. input and guidance.  The GOR has also 
taken recent steps to improve the legal framework designed to 
deal with terrorist incidents. 
 
2.  (S) Nonetheless, the recent kidnapping in Iraq of three 
Romanian journalists and the ongoing hostage situation have 
revealed that Romania lacks adequate institutional mechanisms 
to ensure a rapid and accurate flow of sensitive information 
between the Romanian intelligence services and from them to 
political leaders, including the President and his senior 
advisers.  Romania's domestic counterterrorism capacity also 
suffers from uneven levels of training between various 
elements that are potential "first responders" to a terrorist 
attack, a stovepipe management style that unnecessarily 
restricts information flow in both ordinary management 
situations and crises, and an inefficient decision making 
process within the Interior Ministry.  These limitations 
partly reflect the fact that Romania is a relatively poor 
country with limited resources to devote to counterterrorism 
initiatives.  They also belie an institutional framework and 
management style derived from ungainly and opaque 
communist-era models. 
 
3.  (S) Given these concerns, Post notes that the State 
Department sponsored Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program 
has been demonstrably successful in a number of regions, 
including Latin America.  Embassy Bucharest strongly 
recommends that an ATA team visit Romania and conduct a 
comprehensive assessment of Romanian counterterrorism 
capacities and limitations.  Following this assessment, Post 
recommends implementation of an ATA program developed for 
Romania, targeting both operational elements (including 
"first responders") and institutional development of entities 
charged with counterterrorism operations.  Additionally, Post 
recommends using the full tool kit of public diplomacy 
programs to support institution building, including within 
the presidency and the bureaucracy. 
DELARE