US embassy cable - 05VILNIUS1013

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VILNIUS 001013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/ITA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, LH, PTER, HT32 
SUBJECT: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ) 
FOR LITHUANIA - FALL, 2005 
 
REF: SECSTATE 162859 
 
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS PROVIDED IN REFTEL ARE AS FOLLOWS: 
 
1.  DEMONSTRATIONS 
 
A. ARE THERE ANY ETHNIC OR RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN COUNTRY 
CAPABLE OF CARRYING OUT SIGNIFICANT ANTI-AMERICAN 
DEMONSTRATIONS? No 
 
B. HAVE THERE BEEN ANTI-AMERICAN DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE 
COUNTRY WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS? No 
 
C. HAVE DEMONSTRATIONS TAKEN PLACE NEAR OR IN FRONT OF U.S. 
DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES? No 
 
D. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE SIZE OF AN ANTI-AMERICAN 
DEMONSTRATION? N/A 
 
E. ARE ANTI-AMERICAN DEMONSTRATIONS USUALLY TRIGGERED BY 
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES, MILITARY ACTIONS, OR BY 
DOMESTIC ISSUES? N/A 
 
F. ARE DEMONSTRATIONS GENERALLY VIOLENT OR PEACEFUL? N/A 
 
G. IF VIOLENT, HAVE ANY DEMONSTRATIONS RESULTED IN DAMAGE 
TO USG PROPERTY OR INJURIES TO USG EMPLOYEES? N/A 
 
H. IF VIOLENT, HAVE ANY DEMONSTRATORS EVER PENETRATED OUR 
PERIMETER SECURITY LINE? N/A 
 
I. HAVE THERE BEEN ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE 
COUNTRY WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS? Yes 
 
J. HAVE DEMONSTRATIONS TAKEN PLACE NEAR OR IN FRONT OF U.S. 
DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES? No 
 
K. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE SIZE OF AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT 
DEMONSTRATION? 20-50 people 
 
L. ARE DEMONSTRATIONS GENERALLY VIOLENT OR PEACEFUL? Peaceful 
 
M. IF VIOLENT, HAVE ANY DEMONSTRATIONS RESULTED IN DAMAGE 
TO USG PROPERTY? N/A 
 
 
2. (SBU) MACRO CONFLICT CONDITIONS 
 
A. IS THE HOST COUNTRY ENGAGED IN AN INTERSTATE OR 
INTRASTATE CONFLICT? (THIS MAY INCLUDE BATTLES BETWEEN 
ORGANIZED AND VIOLENT DRUG CARTELS) No 
 
B. IF AN INTRASTATE CONFLICT, IS IT AN INSURGENCY LIMITED 
TO A SPECIFIC REGION OR IS IT A COUNTRYWIDE CIVIL WAR?  N/A 
 
C. IF LIMITED TO A SPECIFIC REGION, ARE ANY U.S. DIPLOMATIC 
FACILITIES LOCATED IN THIS REGION? N/A 
 
D. HAVE ANY OF THE FACTIONS INVOLVED IN INTRASTATE 
CONFLICTS SIGNALED OR DEMONSTRATED AN ANTI-AMERICAN 
ORIENTATION? N/A 
 
3. (SBU) HOST COUNTRY CAPABILITIES 
 
A. ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES PROFESSIONAL AND WELL- 
TRAINED? Yes 
 
B. HAVE THEY BEEN TRAINED BY U.S. AGENCIES?  IF SO, PLEASE 
ELABORATE ON EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING. The USG has provided 
several training programs for host nation law enforcement. 
The response from Lithuanian personnel and USG trainers has 
been extremely positive. 
 
C. ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES CONFRONTED WITH SERIOUS, 
WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION INSIDE THEIR AGENCIES?  No 
 
D. ARE THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICES PROFESSIONAL AND CAPABLE 
OF DETERRING TERRORIST ACTIONS? Yes 
 
E. HAVE THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICES BEEN COOPERATIVE WITH 
U.S. EMBASSY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AND SUPPORT? Yes 
 
F. ASSUMING THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST THREATS 
IN RECENT YEARS, HAVE HOST COUNTRY SECURITY SERVICES BEEN 
ABLE TO SCORE ANY MAJOR ANTI-TERRORISM SUCCESSES? N/A 
 
G. HAS HOST COUNTRY BEEN RESPONSIVE (RE: TIMELINESS AND 
ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES) TO EMBASSY REQUESTS FOR PROTECTIVE 
SECURITY? Yes 
H. HOW DOES THE EMBASSY ASSESS THE OVERALL SECURITY AT 
MAJOR AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY? (EXCELLENT; VERY GOOD, 
GOOD/AVERAGE; POOR) GOOD 
I. HOW EFFECTIVE ARE CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION CONTROLS 
AGENCIES?  (EFFECTIVE; AVERAGE; INEFFECTIVE) Effective 
 
J. HOW EFFECTIVE ARE BORDER PATROL FORCES?  (EFFECTIVE; 
AVERAGE; INEFFECTIVE) Effective 
 
-------------------- 
INDIGENOUS TERRORISM 
-------------------- 
4. (SBU) ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUPS 
 
A. ARE THERE INDIGENOUS, ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUPS IN 
COUNTRY? No. 
 
B. IF YES, HOW MANY?  PLEASE NAME GROUPS. N/A 
 
C. HAVE GROUPS CARRIED OUT ANTI-AMERICAN ATTACKS 
WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS? N/A 
 
D. WERE ANY OF THESE LETHAL ATTACKS? N/A 
 
E. HAVE GROUPS ATTACKED U.S. DIPLOMATIC TARGETS? N/A 
 
F. HAVE GROUPS ATTACKED U.S. BUSINESS, U.S. MILITARY, 
OR U.S. RELATED TARGETS? N/A 
 
G. HAVE GROUPS LIMITED THEIR ATTACKS TO SPECIFIC REGIONS OR 
DO THEY OPERATE COUNTRY-WIDE? N/A 
 
H. IF ATTACKS ARE LIMITED TO REGIONS, ARE THERE ANY 
U.S. DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES LOCATED IN THESE REGIONS? N/A 
 
5.  (SBU) OTHER INDIGENOUS TERRORIST GROUPS 
 
A. ARE THERE OTHER INDIGENOUS TERRORIST GROUPS (NOT 
ANTI-AMERICAN)IN COUNTRY? No. 
 
B. IF YES, HOW MANY? PLEASE NAME GROUPS. N/A 
 
C. HAVE GROUPS CARRIED OUT ATTACKS IN THE CAPITAL OR IN 
AREAS WHERE U.S. DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES ARE LOCATED? N/A 
 
D. WERE ATTACKS LETHAL AND/OR INDISCRIMINATE? N/A 
 
E. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY AMERICANS KILLED OR INJURED IN 
THESE ATTACKS? N/A 
 
----------------------- 
TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM 
----------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) TRANSNATIONAL TERRORIST INDICATORS 
 
A. ARE THERE ANY FOREIGN TERRORIST GROUPS THAT HAVE A 
PRESENCE IN COUNTRY? PROVIDE NAMES. No. 
 
B. HOW DOES POST ASSESS THIS PRESENCE?  IS IT AN 
OPERATIONAL CELL?  FINANCIAL CELL?  SUPPORT CELL? 
PROPAGANDA CELL? N/A 
 
C. IS THE HOST GOVERNMENT SYMPATHETIC TO THESE GROUPS? N/A 
 
D. ARE THERE SUSPECT NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 
(NGOS) IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY 
OF THESE GROUPS? N/A 
 
E. ARE THERE ANY ETHNIC OR RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN 
COUNTRY THAT ARE SYMPATHETIC TO THESE GROUPS? N/A 
 
F. HOW DOES POST ASSESS THE LEVEL, INTENT, AND SCOPE OF 
HOSTILE INTELLIGENCE SERVICES (IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, 
SERBIA, SUDAN, ET. AL.) IN COUNTRY RELATIVE TO 
POTENTIAL ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST ACTS? The threat level is 
low. 
 
G. HOW DOES POST ASSESS THE AVAILABILITY OF WEAPONS AND 
EXPLOSIVES IN COUNTRY OR FROM NEARBY COUNTRIES FOR 
HOSTILE TERRORIST ELEMENTS?  The availability of weapons can 
be considered high.  Although gun control laws within 
Lithuania are relatively stringent,weapons and explosives are 
readily available in nearby Belarus and Russia (Kaliningrad). 
 This problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are still 
many weapons caches throughout Lithuania, which were created 
by Lithuanian nationalists shortly after the collapse of the 
Soviet Union. 
 
KELLY