US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK3722

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003722 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/BCLTV. PM 
DOD FOR OSD/ISA 
PACOM FOR FPA HUSO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, OVIP, PARM, PTER, MASS, TH, Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) 
SUBJECT: SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S MEETING WITH THAI MINISTER 
FOR DEFENSE THAMARAK 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce.  Reason 1.4 (a and d) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary.  Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld met with 
Thai Defense Minister Thamarak Isarangura Na Ayutthaya on 
June 6 in Bangkok.  SecDef said:  1)  the strong history of 
U.S.-Thai military cooperation facilitated the impressive 
response to the December 26 tsunami; 2) the U.S. hopes that 
Thailand will endorse the Proliferation Security Initiative 
(PSI) Statement of Principles soon; 3) he hopes Thailand will 
be able to make a humanitarian contribution to OIF; 4) 
selecting the F-16 would contribute to Thailand's 
modernization; and, 5) maritime security in the Malacca 
Strait is important.  Minister Thamarak 1) suggested that the 
violence in Southern Thailand is an internal matter; 2) said 
that Thailand is considering both the PSI Statement of 
Principles and a contribution to Ira; and, 3) indicated that 
the F-16 decision will be decided by the Thai Cabinet but 
that the military understood the benefits of the F-16 as a 
result of their years of training with the United States. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Tsunami Cooperation.  Secretary Rumsfeld and 
Minister Thamarak agreed that our joint ability to use Utapao 
Thai Naval Air Base as the hub for tsunami relief efforts was 
due to decades of bilateral military cooperation.  Secretary 
Rumsfeld made special mention of our long-standing bilateral 
exercise program and the large number of Thai officers who 
have studied in the United States. 
 
3.  (C)  PSI.  Secretary Rumsfeld urged Thailand to join the 
more than 60 countries that have already endorsed the PSI 
Statement of Principles.  Thamarak said that the Thai 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the lead on the issue and 
that endorsement is being discussed by the Cabinet.  Thamarak 
suggested that Thailand would eventually endorse PSI. 
 
4.  (C)  Maritime Security and the Malacca Strait.  Secretary 
Rumsfeld briefed Thamarak on his recent discussions with 
Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore about maritime security in 
the Malacca Strait.  Secretary Rumsfeld mentioned Singapore 
Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean's three principles to govern 
maritime security in the Strait:  1) littoral states have the 
primary role; 2) user states have an interest and a role to 
play; and, 3) every action should be carried out in 
accordance with international law and national sovereignty. 
Thamarak acknowledged the growing sophistication of pirates 
in the Malacca Strait.  He said that Malaysian Defense 
Minister Najib had recently told him about U.S. offers to 
provide technical assistance by helping to set up a 
counterterrorism center in Malaysia. Thamarak welcomed such a 
center, saying it could benefit Thailand by providing data 
and improving cooperation between Thailand and Malaysia. 
 
5.  (C)  OIF.  Noting Thailand's early support for OIF and 
recent indications that Thailand is considering a future 
"humanitarian" deployment to Iraq, Secretary Rumsfeld asked 
when Thailand plans to answer CJCS General Myers' March 2005 
letter asking for further assistance in Iraq.  Thamarak said 
that the Thai Cabinet is discussing this matter and noted 
that Thailand's previous dispatch of medical personnel to 
Iraq had been well received by the Iraqi people. 
 
6.  (C)  F-16.  Stressing the importance of interoperability, 
Secretary Rumsfeld mentioned Thailand's ongoing new fighter 
 
SIPDIS 
aircraft contract competition and urged Thailand to support 
Lockheed Martin's bid to provide F-16 Block 52's to the Royal 
Thai Air Force (RTAF).  Thamarak explained that, for the 
first time since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, the MOD had 
funds for new equipment.  Without indicating what procurement 
decision would likely be made, Thamarak did note the 
familiarity RTAF officers have with F-16 due to years of 
working with the United States. 
 
7.  (C)  Southern Thailand.  Thamarak explained that 
countering separatist unrest in southern Thailand is his 
Government's top priority.  He shared his suspicion that some 
"outside terrorist groups" might be assisting Thai Muslim 
radicals but stressed that, thus far, Thai intelligence has 
no direct indication of outside involvement.  Thamarak 
emphasized that the situation in the south is an internal 
Thai matter to be solved by the Thai themselves. 
 
8.  (U)  SecDef has not reviewed this cable.  Released by ASD 
Rodman. 
BOYCE